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Want to start a new thread to see who out there has spent a good amount of time in Austin and Houston. I've maintained homes simultaneously in both cities over the last 25-years, and I'm surprised in the very stark differences. I'm not trying to start a flame-war where each party is emotionally defending where they live, just trying to see who out there has noticed these stark differences-
1. Housing costs: My house in Austin cost $240,000. My equivalent size home in Houston cost $140,000. Equal neighborhoods, equal size house, same amenities. If your moving to Austin from California, housing looks like a bargain. If your coming from Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio ( just to name a few examples), you are in for a shock.
2. Roads: Houston has, and continues, to build new roads and make improvements to existing. Austin has done nothing in the last 30 years except to build toll roads AROUND the notorious Austin traffic. It has steadily gotten worse and in my opinion, has destroyed the quality of life (if you have to commute) in the Austin vicinity.
3. Economy: Houston has a robust, vibrant economy that benefits ALL sizes and types of businesses. Austin is two-dimensional, government and high tech. Older shopping centers that fell into disrepair twenty years have come back bigger and better (examples- Gulfgate and Meyerland Plaza). Austin shopping centers have been barely hanging on with no appearance of rebirth (example- Highland Mall).
4. Police: The police in Houston are pro-active and have a presence. The police in Austin are reactive and you hardly ever see them unless something has happened.
5. Gasoline and food cheaper and of better quality.
6. Department stores (examples- Dilliards, JC Pennys) with better quality and prices.
7. Property crime rate: The rate is much higher in Austin than Houston. Suprised? This points towards item 4.
8. Homeless on every street corner in Austin. The liberal government in Austin has policies that encourage it. Houston doesn't tolerate it. Drug use is high in this population and points towards item 7.
9. Not enough infrastructure in Austin for the amount of people. It's crowded most every where you go in Austin. Houston is the opposite. They continue to expand and easily absorb the amount of people moving there.
Has anyone else out there witnessed these observations like me over the last 25-years?
1. Housing costs: My house in Austin cost $240,000. My equivalent size home in Houston cost $140,000. Equal neighborhoods, equal size house, same amenities. If your moving to Austin from California, housing looks like a bargain. If your coming from Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio ( just to name a few examples), you are in for a shock.
Where exactly in Austin and Houston are you getting those housing values from? The rest of your points don't match up with the housing costs that you've thrown out there in my opinion. For example, I have friends that live in a great part of Houston (Montrose/Midtown) and their home is around $500k. I would definitely compare it with an area of Austin (ie. Rosedale where the homes can be $500K as well). They both offer a lot of the same, but the Austin neighborhood has lower crime while the Houston neighborhood has better public transportation. You can't really compare the entire metro areas accurately in relation to your points because everyone is going to have a different set of criteria on what their wants and needs are.
2. Roads: Houston has, and continues, to build new roads and make improvements to existing. Austin has done nothing in the last 30 years except to build toll roads AROUND the notorious Austin traffic. It has steadily gotten worse and in my opinion, has destroyed the quality of life (if you have to commute) in the Austin vicinity.
Lots to agree with and disagree with in your post - but I want to single this one out as being tragically incorrect.
Houston continues to build roads at a pace that boggles the imagination. And yet, it has some of the most abysmal traffic of any city anywhere. The Katy Freeway will be 16 lanes wide and within 10 years of being widened to the widest freeway in the world will still be a horrible mess. You cannot fix sprawl by building more roads. It just creates more sprawl.
It's like fixing a weight problem by loosening you belt.
The solutions for either city - live centrally, build densely in the inner city. Both cities are way behind the curve on this one.
Want to start a new thread to see who out there has spent a good amount of time in Austin and Houston. I've maintained homes simultaneously in both cities over the last 25-years, and I'm surprised in the very stark differences. I'm not trying to start a flame-war where each party is emotionally defending where they live, just trying to see who out there has noticed these stark differences-
Spoiler
1. Housing costs: My house in Austin cost $240,000. My equivalent size home in Houston cost $140,000. Equal neighborhoods, equal size house, same amenities. If your moving to Austin from California, housing looks like a bargain. If your coming from Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio ( just to name a few examples), you are in for a shock.
2. Roads: Houston has, and continues, to build new roads and make improvements to existing. Austin has done nothing in the last 30 years except to build toll roads AROUND the notorious Austin traffic. It has steadily gotten worse and in my opinion, has destroyed the quality of life (if you have to commute) in the Austin vicinity.
3. Economy: Houston has a robust, vibrant economy that benefits ALL sizes and types of businesses. Austin is two-dimensional, government and high tech. Older shopping centers that fell into disrepair twenty years have come back bigger and better (examples- Gulfgate and Meyerland Plaza). Austin shopping centers have been barely hanging on with no appearance of rebirth (example- Highland Mall).
4. Police: The police in Houston are pro-active and have a presence. The police in Austin are reactive and you hardly ever see them unless something has happened.
5. Gasoline and food cheaper and of better quality.
6. Department stores (examples- Dilliards, JC Pennys) with better quality and prices.
7. Property crime rate: The rate is much higher in Austin than Houston. Suprised? This points towards item 4.
8. Homeless on every street corner in Austin. The liberal government in Austin has policies that encourage it. Houston doesn't tolerate it. Drug use is high in this population and points towards item 7.
9. Not enough infrastructure in Austin for the amount of people. It's crowded most every where you go in Austin. Houston is the opposite. They continue to expand and easily absorb the amount of people moving there.
Has anyone else out there witnessed these observations like me over the last 25-years?
I lived in Houston - off and on - during the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. I watched the place grow from a sleepy beer and blues town to the 'Once and future city it is today.' Then I almost moved to Austin.
But wound up in Dallas, during the 90's and 20xx's. Then I almost moved to Austin.
And I've also lived in Seattle, and NYC. So I visited Austin a few times. I could live there today but at my age I don't really want to make the effort. So, the only thing I can think of to describe Austin is, 'That place is just a mess.' It's a pretty cool place, but a mess.
Houston is one of our family's favorite destinations! Love to spend long weekends there. And we would move to Houston if careers required it (I would have to be sedated to move to Dallas) but Austin is home.
Houston's traffic is noticeably better than it was 10 years ago but I agree with Komeht, just building more and more roads isn't the answer.
Lots to agree with and disagree with in your post - but I want to single this one out as being tragically incorrect.
Houston continues to build roads at a pace that boggles the imagination. And yet, it has some of the most abysmal traffic of any city anywhere. The Katy Freeway will be 16 lanes wide and within 10 years of being widened to the widest freeway in the world will still be a horrible mess. You cannot fix sprawl by building more roads. It just creates more sprawl.
It's like fixing a weight problem by loosening you belt.
The solutions for either city - live centrally, build densely in the inner city. Both cities are way behind the curve on this one.
Yes, but Austin's commute times are really close to Houston's, despite being almost three times smaller than Houston. The congestion in Houston has actually decreased slightly since 2000 in Houston.
Yes, but Austin's commute times are really close to Houston's, despite being almost three times smaller than Houston. The congestion in Houston has actually decreased slightly since 2000 in Houston.
Houston and Austin are both poster children of the worst kind of sprawl and resulting traffic nightmares. Asking which one is better than the other is like asking which dunce is the smarter kid.
It's madness - if Houston thinks it can keep up with mind boggling sprawl by building ever more massive freeways then it is in for some very rude awakenings.
Austin and Houston have the same disease. Houston has used more pain killers to temporarily mask the pain than Austin has. But don't kid yourself, the disease is equally deadly to both.
Want to start a new thread to see who out there has spent a good amount of time in Austin and Houston. I've maintained homes simultaneously in both cities over the last 25-years, and I'm surprised in the very stark differences. I'm not trying to start a flame-war where each party is emotionally defending where they live, just trying to see who out there has noticed these stark differences-
1. Housing costs: My house in Austin cost $240,000. My equivalent size home in Houston cost $140,000. Equal neighborhoods, equal size house, same amenities. If your moving to Austin from California, housing looks like a bargain. If your coming from Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio ( just to name a few examples), you are in for a shock.
In my view, having lived in both cities, and a regular traveler to Houston, there is no such thing as equal neighborhoods in the two cities. I agree Houston is likely to be cheaper for many, perhaps most. But that $140,000 home in Houston - where is it?
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2. Roads: Houston has, and continues, to build new roads and make improvements to existing. Austin has done nothing in the last 30 years except to build toll roads AROUND the notorious Austin traffic. It has steadily gotten worse and in my opinion, has destroyed the quality of life (if you have to commute) in the Austin vicinity.
Although Austin hasn't built many entirely new roads, you fail to recognize how many roads in Austin have been improved over the last few decades. Did you ever drive on RR620 across Mansfield Dam? How about Bee Caves Rd. when it was two lanes and impossible to pass but in one 1/2 mile stretch? How about driving SH71 West to East across IH35 to the airport? Ben White is a straight shot now and moves very well. SW Pkwy was closed for so long - and when it opened finally it significantly improved the drive from western Travis county to downtown. Do you remember 183/Research before it was an elevated freeway?
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3. Economy: Houston has a robust, vibrant economy that benefits ALL sizes and types of businesses. Austin is two-dimensional, government and high tech. Older shopping centers that fell into disrepair twenty years have come back bigger and better (examples- Gulfgate and Meyerland Plaza). Austin shopping centers have been barely hanging on with no appearance of rebirth (example- Highland Mall).
Austin doesn't value shopping nearly as much as Houston. As for the economy, Houston no doubt has many choices that don't exist in Austin. Petrochemical for example. But I think it is grossly inaccurate to suggest that Houston's economy is more robust or more vibrant than Austin. It is different. Houston is 3-4 times the size of Austin.
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4. Police: The police in Houston are pro-active and have a presence. The police in Austin are reactive and you hardly ever see them unless something has happened.
Where do you live and drive in Austin? I see Austin police every single day. I know the police chief says we are understaffed by more than 100. But I care much more about violent crime than I do about petty theft and small property crimes, generally concentrated in a few areas of Austin.
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5. Gasoline and food cheaper and of better quality.
According to Gas Buddy, the average price of gasoline in Houston is $3.35 today vs. Austin's $3.33. In my travel to Houston I find no material difference in gasoline prices in Houston. Food is better quality? In what way? Austin food is very high quality, at least in the HEB, Randalls, and Whole Foods I shop.
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6. Department stores (examples- Dilliards, JC Pennys) with better quality and prices.
I don't shop much. But when I do, I have no quarrel with selection or prices. Nordstrom has pretty fine quality. And Austin has two REI stores.
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7. Property crime rate: The rate is much higher in Austin than Houston. Suprised? This points towards item 4.
Official FBI statistics from 2011 show Austin's property crime rate at 5235 per 100,000 vs. Houston's 5053 per 100,000. I don't know what your definition of "much" is but I don't think 3.6% is a material difference. Houston's violent crime rate on the other hand is almost 3 times as high as Austin's. Please don't let facts get in your way.
8. Homeless on every street corner in Austin. The liberal government in Austin has policies that encourage it. Houston doesn't tolerate it. Drug use is high in this population and points towards item 7.
Seems to be a philosophical issue with the City of Austin and I disagree with it.
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9. Not enough infrastructure in Austin for the amount of people. It's crowded most every where you go in Austin. Houston is the opposite. They continue to expand and easily absorb the amount of people moving there.
Houston is definitely expanding. And there is infrastructure everywhere. As there should be with > 5M people in the metro.
I think it is interesting that you don't highlight K-12 schools and higher education differences. Houston has Rice, a terrific school with 5,000 students, and U of H, fighting to attain tier 1 status. Yes they also have TSU and UH satellites. By any measure Houston is massively under-served for higher education compared to Austin with UH, St. Edwards, and nearby Texas State and Southwestern in Georgetown.
Because data is sometimes fun, I'll add that Houston's "vibrant" economy has per capita income LOWER than the US average. Data below is from 2010:
County Per capita / Median Household
Harris $26,788 / $58,505
Travis $31,785 / $69,646
US Avg $27,334 / $62,982
There are many good things about Houston. I completely respect that many people prefer Houston over Austin. But the OP's rant is just that - a rant. He tries to make is a qualitative issue - but fails. Make it a subjective issue - that's OK.
Houston continues to build roads at a pace that boggles the imagination. And yet, it has some of the most abysmal traffic of any city anywhere. The Katy Freeway will be 16 lanes wide and within 10 years of being widened to the widest freeway in the world will still be a horrible mess. You cannot fix sprawl by building more roads. It just creates more sprawl.
It's like fixing a weight problem by loosening you belt.
The solutions for either city - live centrally, build densely in the inner city. Both cities are way behind the curve on this one.
^^^ This is exactly right. I've probably spent as much time in both cities as the OP, and any "quality of life" that you can find in Houston is largely destroyed by the horrible traffic. It's totally depressing. If you want to see what a city is like when it is run by people who think the solution to everything is to add more pavement, then Houston is a great example.
The city is practically paved over. Yet traffic in Houston is still so much worse and the metro is sprawling faster than ever before. Driving times are so much longer, distances are so much longer, your only hope to get any kind of an Austin-like experience is to live inside the loop. And then you are paying Austin prices and getting Houston weather.
Not saying Houston is terrible, in fact I like many things about it -- the ample business opportunities, the international diversity, the museums, and the nicer old housing stock. And no drought! Still, though, it's no Austin.
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