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Houston proper vs. LA proper, what I noticed on my road trip:
LA has terrible freeway grafitti. Houston has a little, and new grafitti gets cleaned up rather quickly. As for driving Houston's is a bit sloppier--LA has it in sync a little better. The cops bust people regularly here for going 70+ in light traffic and they bust people for going 55+ on the feeders. In LA you can cruise 80+, but y'all have gigantic pile-ups, too. LA smog burned my sinuses. But we do have bad days in the summer. Regular cold fronts otherwise blow that crap out to the gulf. LA has the pretty (when you can see them) mountains against them. Houston is as flat as a pancake.
We stopped off the 5 freeway for gas & drinks and it was rough. I will stop in the 3rd ward sometimes for food, most everyone seems friendly, but I didn't feel that at all in LA. There are a lot more people & crap packed in LA, too. I wouldn't be surprised if we have 1992 part II someday. Won't happen here because we're still pretty spread out.
Now Houston vs. Anaheim and Garden Grove in OC, I felt like I was almost home. I understand this is the part of OC many OC'ers look down upon for being aesthetically unpleasant.
I've been to L.A several times and lived in Houston for a long time. Houston is way cleaner and prettier in my opinion and greener as far as trees and such go. Yep, it's flat, but I'd take that over all the smog anyday. The freeways in California are probably easier to navigate, but really, where else can they go but North and South. Houston has a lot more area to cover in a sense. But I remember in California (L.A), miss your exit and your pretty much doomed to drive 30 miles or something before you can turn around. Houston has more exits and u-turn areas if that happens. L.A is a lot "grittier" in many areas as well. I don't get that feeling in Houston. The politics are different as well, thankfully. The only things they have in common are that they are close to Mexico, they are large cities and have some of the same amenities as far as museums, theatre, and such.
I'm from Texas and I've always thought about moving to Los Angeles, California because of its weather, beaches, and glamour. I haven't moved to Los Angeles because it is expensive. Houston and the other hand offers very low housing prices and cost of living. In Houston I got a taste of what it would be like to live in a international city with lots of recreation and culture. I often wonder what it would be like to live in Los Angeles with its low humidity,mountains, beaches, and gorgeous terrain. Do you think I am missing out on anything ?
It's all about money. You'd need to spend some big $$$ for real estate with a view and away from the smog. If you have to work 2 jobs to make a living in the crowded city, you won't have time to enjoy anything but the filth.
I couldn't understand the comparison of these two cities because I was always under the impression that LA was the prettier, bigger, and more international city. After reading the comments, it sounds like I need to pay LA a more recent visit. I thought that even LAs ghettos looked better than most of Houston's neighborhoods.
Maybe much of what I thought did have to do about how the rest of America over hi-lights Houston's negatives and make LA seem flawless. Plus the pictures i've seen of LA have hills overlooking the downtown skyline and picturesque mountain backdrops.
When I flew into OC or LA, returning home from visiting relatives in OR, saw the ugliness and smog from the air, my heart would sink to my feet. Houston can't be much worse or no one would live there.
Oh, and there are some cheaper houses in the "high attrition" neighborhoods of LA.
And I've heard of RNs working 2 jobs and still having to rent out a bedroom to make the mortgage payments in the nicer neighborhoods ($600+K for a ****box house).
I live in Santa Clarita next to Magic Mountain, the most extreme thrill park in the freakn world! And I just went to Katy & Cinco Ranch and they are almost exact in the suburb kind of way and Houston just like some parts of LA. You can have beautiful homes on one street and turn the wrong way ur screwed...almost the sam anywhere else though guys...28 years in LA and time for just a change. The grass is always greener on the other sides but everywhere has its own problems. Every night a freaking helocopter flies over busting someone, and they are on top of it out here...you fart ya get a ticket, talk on cell phone while driving ticket, you cant even smoke in Santa Monica city limits or ticket. Houston, freakn hot but humidity hot, we get dry 119 degree hot burn your skin Houston gets wet hot, whatever...we are gonna try it and see, looks as if with taxes and stuff it is the same amount of living name something besides gas that costs less...home taxes vs price of home in CA = home prices and taxes in Katy...cigarrettes in TX more expensive as well.
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California Dreaming
