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For those that chose Dallas, did having Fort Worth and Arlington nearby (both fairly large cities) help give it the edge over Houston? Or was it strictly Dallas by itself being more appealing?
I just feel like Atlanta's tree canopy is so much more prominent than Houston's...honestly...having dense, mature 60+ ft pine trees really makes a city feel lush and green. I just didn't feel that in Houston...it doesn't feel the same.
Well, no one here was suggesting they were the same; just that Houston can hold its own, in this regard.
Dallas does have some nice canopy near mature areas of the cities and by waterways, but the mesquite and cedar trees and open prairie on the outskirts of the city show its true topography. The post oak belt and piney woods are still a bit east of Dallas. Houston has the Katy Prairie to the west and the coastal prairie to the south. It's a unique drive going from Piney Woods to Prairie in the middle of the city. The foliage is extremely lush in Houston around its bayous and creeks, and all places north and east of downtown.
Well, it depends on which way your going. If you go west it's definitely more mesquite and open prairies. If you go east the canopy is denser taller with wetlands.
Houston's downtown isn't really that big though....Yes, it has more skyscrapers, but they're fairly compact in a pretty small area. And there isn't much midrise surrounding the buildings so the transition from skyscraper to midrise is almost non-existent.
Dallas feels bigger in it's immediate core due to having a better transition to midrise and the Uptown district. Same as Atlanta with Midtown and plenty of mid/low-rise buildings in it's downtown.
Its not.
DT Houston alone covers about the same land area & as much office space as DT + UT Dallas combined.
Eastern portions of Dallas do have some nice leafy areas. I still prefer the landscape of Houston, though. The verdant, dank backdrop just can't be found anywhere outside of Southeast Texas.
Personally, I find a beauty in flat terrain that I guess most people just can't see, and the only reason Houston is slammed for being flat is because it isn't as popular as cities like Chicago, New Orleans, and Miami, which are even more flat.
Even Los Angeles (LA Basin) & NYC are completely flat.
Last edited by Metro Matt; 04-28-2014 at 11:23 AM..
I haven't gone to Dallas before, but from pictures, I feel that Dallas has some pretty good height for the credit some people give it. However, I feel that Houston has the tall pine trees that are common in southern cities. Me personally, I like hilly areas and pine trees. If I had to choose between the two cities as far as terrain, I would choose Houston because the tall pine trees remind me of home despite the fact that Houston (Dallas either) isn't hilly as home. Even though Dallas is hilly (something that I can appreciate being from the Piedmont area), the lack of towering pine trees will bore me.
I love this picture of the Dallas area though!
That picture is in Southern Dallas County where just a small percent of the population lives. The land isn't stable enough to build on. It will crack the foundation, that's why its not more developed than it is. Dallas is built along a North-South line with the majority of population living in North Dallas & to a lesser extent East Dallas. West Dallas is all warehouses & the seedy areas of the city like Harry Hines Blvd. where all the strip clubs are located.
Houston might not have hills, but it more than makes up for that by being forested & tropical looking. Its reminiscent of New Orleans in a way too with its bayou's, swamps, & Spanish Moss draped Live Oaks. Won't find that in Dallas.
I'm an outsider (non-Texan) who has been to both cities on vacation. I found Dallas a lot more interesting. Houston felt like one big office park. Too many buildings and highways took away from it's charm. I'm sure can be a nice place to live but as a visitor, it's hard to see past non-stop glass and concrete. Dallas felt more liveable, neighborhoody, and cultured. I know I haven't lived in these places but this was my impression after visiting each. Both had great eats and friendly residents though!
I'm not attacking you, but I've never heard a city losing charm because it had too many buildings. That doesn't seem to take away from New York City, Chicago, or Tokyo because they have "too many" buildings. As for highways, how do they take away from Houston without taking away from Dallas when Dallas has even more of them? If that's the only impression you got of Houston, it sounds like you didn't spend more than 5 minutes off of the freeways.
Honesty, the main things that really stand out to me about Dallas over Houston is Mockingbird station and the cute little subway underneath Cityplace. The flip side to that is Houston has quicker access to water, Kemah Boardwalk, Galveston, Pleasure Boats, Cruise ships, etc. I will admit Dallas has been leading Houston in urban development for at least the last decade. But Houston is quickly catching up and by the urban initiatives and number of plans the city is currently undergoing, it will really boost its urban infrastructure, probably even surpassing Dallas by the time Superbowl 2017 rolls around.
Last edited by stoneclaw; 04-28-2014 at 01:29 PM..
DT Houston alone covers about the same land area & as much office space as DT + UT Dallas combined.
Houston's TMC is larger than DT Dallas.
Ummm, no it doesn't? Downtown Houston is pretty small land area wise...We're not even talking a square mile...Downtown Dallas + Uptown Dallas is like 3-4 square miles.
And TMC being bigger than Downtown Dallas? Really? You're such a homer honestly.
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