Houston to Austin relocation comments? (Beaumont, Galveston: transplants, how much, camp)

[N. Olikee]

Originally Posted by janejanejanejanejane

As I said, I have lived in both places. I lived in Houston for 18 years, family still lives there and we visit several times a year, traveling around the city. Name one nice place in Houston that actually does not have crap surrounding it! Drive down i-45 and try to find one nice, put together place. Lack of zoning is out of control there. They cut down every tree they can get their hands on. Do I need to go on? At least in Austin, you see trees and tons of them. There are many places that look nice for miles. Driving down 360 is lovely for much of the trip. Houston is flat. Austin has rolling hills in parts. Sheesh.

Memorial............where I grew up........love it!

[AK123]

Originally Posted by janejanejanejanejane

As I said, I have lived in both places. I lived in Houston for 18 years, family still lives there and we visit several times a year, traveling around the city. Name one nice place in Houston that actually does not have crap surrounding it! Drive down i-45 and try to find one nice, put together place. Lack of zoning is out of control there. They cut down every tree they can get their hands on. Do I need to go on? At least in Austin, you see trees and tons of them. There are many places that look nice for miles. Driving down 360 is lovely for much of the trip. Houston is flat. Austin has rolling hills in parts. Sheesh.

You greatly exaggerate. There are tons of trees, and tall ones, all around Houston. You're actually going to deny that? I don't know what you mean by crap surrounding everything. Then you go on to compare I-45 to 360. Yeah, let's take the ugliest freeway in Houston and compare it to the prettiest one in Austin, that's so objective of you! And how does flatness and these other minor things you mention equate to armpit? No, you don't need to go on... you obviously left who knows how many years or decades ago and closed your mind ever since, never venturing off the freeways much on your return visits.

Of course people have preferences, and that's fine... but let's not cross the line into untruths (people saying there's no arts appreciation, no music, no trees, and other such rubbish.)

[N. Olikee]

Originally Posted by AK123

You greatly exaggerate. There are tons of trees, and tall ones, all around Houston. You're actually going to deny that? I don't know what you mean by crap surrounding everything. Then you go on to compare I-45 to 360. Yeah, let's take the ugliest freeway in Houston and compare it to the prettiest one in Austin, that's so objective of you! And how does flatness and these other minor things you mention equate to armpit? No, you don't need to go on... you obviously left who knows how many years or decades ago and closed your mind ever since, never venturing off the freeways much on your return visits.

Of course people have preferences, and that's fine... but let's not cross the line into untruths (people saying there's no arts appreciation, no music, no trees, and other such rubbish.)

AK, at this point, I would suggest you and I, and others......take the High Road and "leave it lay.'

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by N. Olikee

AK, at this point, I would suggest you and I, and others......take the High Road and "leave it lay.'

Nah, I appreciate AK123's passionate defense of Houston. For people searching this thread later, it wouldn't be accurate to have nothing but Houston bashing and Austin praise.

[N. Olikee]

Originally Posted by Topaz

Nah, I appreciate AK123's passionate defense of Houston. For people searching this thread later, it wouldn't be accurate to have nothing but Houston bashing and Austin praise.

Touche' and thanks!

[eepstein]

My comments in red.

Originally Posted by irishlover

I own homes in both Austin and Houston. Love both for different reasons. Here are my pros:

Austin pros:
1) Better more varied scenery
What scenery are we talking about here? The mostly brown hills west of the city, or the hilbilly country west of there? Hills? Well Houston actually has lots of forest and trees north of the city, so i'm not sure there is really much difference.

2) Generally cleaner
Cleaner? In what way? I guess Austin doesn't have the factories belching out the pollution, but its certainly got the traffic belching out the pollution.

3) Access to nicer water...lake travis, marble falls, austin...comal river tubing etc
Lake Travis is rapidly drying up and most of the "rivers" you speak of aren't even flowing enough to go tubing.

4) Less of a blue collar feel
A good chunk of west Houston has more affluence then Austin could ever dream of. Only central and west Austin have less of a blue collar feel. Have you spent some time in the Austin suburbs??? OMG.

5) Better national reputation
Austin has a better national reputation based on nothing but lies and untruths. Houston only markets THE FACTS. Houston is an internationally recognized business powerhouse as well as the 4th largest metro area in the country. What does Austin have? Live music, 6th street, and hillbilly country. Houston=REAL CITY Austin=COLLEGE TOWN


Houston pros:
1) Much better restaurant scene (ethnically varied with high-end restaurants that are actually worth it)
AGREED

2) Much better airport access (only non-chartered international flights from/to Austin are to Mexico). I can go to most major cities in the world, particularly in Europe, from Houston. I also have the choice of two airports.
AGREED. Ever try to fly anywhere from Austin airport. Most of the time, you'll be going through Dallas or Houston anyways. Nothing like walking through the Austin airport to the sounds of country hick music and non edible food. It screams HOWDY YA'LL, WELCOME TO HILLBILLY COUNTRY!!!

3) There is a lot more money to be made here...Houston is the energy capital of the whole world. I'm in the energy business so it makes sense to be "based" here.
AGREED

4) I love the look of downtowns and hub areas (Chicago, Houston, NYC etc) with actual skyscrapers... therefore I love Houston's skyline. Austin's "skyline" pales in comparison. Houston's skyline makes it feel world class...at least to me.
Austin has virtually no skyline. I don't consider residential towers for the rich to be a "skyline". A skyline is supposed to represent the business CORE of the entire metro area. Few cities do that better than Houston.

5) Has a better economic future, I believe, in comparison to Austin. It's not all oil and gas...healthcare is huge now, Houston has learned from the 80s. I know Austin has some tech but when the "shiny new coin" effect wears off, what will happen to the inflated real estate values and all the young people moving to Austin?

AGREED. Austin will never compete with Houston on any level of business. Sure there are some high tech companies in Austin, but the high cost of living and high costs of doing business will eventually make them think twice about staying.

As a person who travels to both cities every week I believe Austin's traffic is worse than Houston's. Austin has outgrown its infrastructure and it shows. I've sat in much worse traffic for longer on 35 near downtown Austin and on 71 west from 35...

Billions and billions of dollars have been spent improving Houstons freeway system. There are nearly 10 billion dollars in future spending to completely resign highway 290 in Northwest Houston (similar to the Katy Freeway)

Austin has done nothing to improve it's infastructure and has no plans to. When the city hears that it's the most congested medium size city in the country it turns a blind eye and says....ummm, ok, lets try to SQUEEZE another lane onto Mopac so we can shut up the poor people. Or lets throw together a HALF ASSED little train to take people where no one lives or works with zero planning (to shut up them poor people) OMG, its comical and my buddies at RTD count on the stories!!!

[Seoid]

Originally Posted by AK123

Then you go on to compare I-45 to 360. Yeah, let's take the ugliest freeway in Houston and compare it to the prettiest one in Austin, that's so objective of you!

If anything, I-35 and I-45 are sisters in ugliness and terrible interchanges.

There are also really crappy areas in Austin that are around nicer areas. jane^5 has just not come across them yet.

Honestly, I had VERY little nice to say about the city I grew up in until recently. I have been able to look over all of the things I disliked as a child/teen and appreciate it. So when someone says, "I grew up there and it suuuucks!" I just sort of take it with a grain of salt. I get it. It's hard to see past your childhood/teenage/young adult views as they are pretty ingrained.

I don't expect everyone to like Houston but it's not an "armpit".

[Sunderpig2]

One thing to consider about the "traffic" matter in Austin. Even if it is worse much of the time compared to Houston (which I don't quite believe), at least you don't have to drive very far to get to scenic areas. Austin is obviously in a hilly scenic region (esp. the western side of town). Houston has no equivalent to that, including Mount Bonnell, Lake Travis, and Hamilton Pool, just to name a few. Other than maybe Galveston, which is ugly or okay depending on your view, it literally takes hours of driving to get away from Houston to somewhere decent of scenic nature. Even then, the choices still don't compare to the hill country. That's the point I've been trying to make; if you value the outdoors, it's very limiting in that sense. You're basically trapped in the big city, or at least the "big city feel" that extends for miles in all directions, unless you take quite a bit of time off from work, and drive a long distance. Folks in Austin should really appreciate what's around in that area. I believe they/you do.

I haven't always been critical of Houston. Especially several decades ago when the town was smaller, the city limits not so extensive, and the pollution levels not what they are now. It's really gotten noticeable over the last 5-8 years or so. Along the lines of what CptnRn wrote, I do feel sorry for people moving to the town. It seems to be on an exponential slide downward. It might have jobs and all that, but unless your job is your whole world - and you have no life - then it's a slum environmentally, and unhealthy in many ways.

[N. Olikee]

You know what, Sunderpig............just move already! Get the heck outta "Dodge."

Yes, Houston has changed..........it always has changed, which I think is a good thing.

As far as the outdoors..............my grandfather was an avid fisherman and lived close to the bay. My uncle was an avid yachtsman and lived on Clear Lake / Clear Creek. I had a horse when I was little as did a friend of mine............we went riding. When you drive through Memorial Park, there are always people jogging. The Polo grounds are also right there. Lots of people I knew (not my family) had swimming pools. There are golf courses and country clubs. I remember running around Bear Creek Park when it was in the "country" and catching butterflies. In otherwords........you can enjoy outdoors there.

And you can enjoy the outdoors here............if you have the time and inclination. I haven't been into the Greenbelt for months because we're in a drought, and the lack of water just diminshes it for me.......so there. Make the choice..........to each his own.

[love roses]

I also moved from Houston and am of the same opinion as N. Olikee, Seoid, and AK123. I lived in Clear Lake for quite a few years and also grew up near the Texas Coast...two areas that I find that DO have some nice scenery and plenty of outdoor activities.