Los Angeles, Ca Vs Houston, Tx?? (live, best, cost, state)

[KeianasOnTheMove]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Keiana and I am thinking about moving from Los Angeles, Ca to Houston, Tx however I don't know a whole lot about Houston, Tx and I would love to know how it compares to LA. To be honest I was born and raised in LA and I am not to happy with my city and from what I have researched so far on YouTube lol and different websites I am thinking about Houston, Tx so let the pros and cons begin

[dee936]

Houston is L.A. layout without Hollywood and has a waaay friendlier attitude toward out of towners

[DSL_PWR]

Might try here. Hundreds if not more threads on this topic.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/search.php

[979Texan]

Do you have a marketable skill to bring to Houston? Can you convince an employer you can make more for the company than it will cost to pay you? If so, welcome to Houston.

If not, don't move here until you have employment lined up.

[Neo45]

Dee I would say the friendliess towards out of staters is going away. Most could care less if u are a Texan though......

[timtemtym]

Los Angeles layout? Houston does not have that. Houston's streets make sense and they move. Unless taking Westheimer around 4-6pm, you won't find many streets in Houston that compare to the absolute gridlock of many LA streets. Also Houston streets have better light timing so you will actually go more than a few blocks without waiting at a red light. So many times here I wait for a green light just to see the next light three blocks up go yellllllowwww.. red!

Houston cost of living and average pay will also let you enjoy your life a little more. LA has a lot more awesome stuff, but most folks here are priced out of it. In Houston I didn't even think twice about having a monthly car payment. When I got here, I did everything I could to quickly pay off the car that was quite affordable in Houston. Now I will drive it until it dies. I've never not had a car payment, but to not scrape by here I will keep my working, paid off Honda.

What else? Weather is a tired drum to beat, you know you're giving up 330 days a year of outdoor air conditioning unless you didn't live here in the LA basin. Crime is similar, your electric bill will quadruple in Houston (unless you aren't coming from the LA basin). People are friendlier here in LA (outside the pretentious bubbles of Hollywood and the westside). Houstonians aren't as likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger, it will make them suspicious if you do that.

Food is great in both places! Houston has killer restaurants and the best Tex Mex. LA has much better produce and healthier options because people here demand it.

You'll notice that in Houston not only is rent cheaper but the kind of amenities you get are MUCH better. I never had a place there without a washer/dryer in my unit. Never! Here I had to learn how to use a laundromat and my clothes don't get as clean with everyone else's funk mixing in there. It's kind of gross when you think about it.

Oh and lastly, Houston rentals will come with a refrigerator!! It is an odd LA thing to rarely see a rental with a fridge. They are standard in Houston apartments! So no more buying and lugging them around.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by timtemtym

LA has a lot more awesome stuff, but most folks here are priced out of it.

I was visiting one of my LA friends a few years back. We headed down to the beach, and she said something along the lines of, "This is why you should move out here, you don't get this view in Houston."

I didn't say anything and waited until we got back to her apartment before I asked, "Hey, why don't you move close to the beach and have an ocean view?"

She replied that she wishes she could but you pretty much have to be rich for that.

I followed up with, "So, you think I should move out to California from my waterfront property to a much smaller place with no view so that I can drive to the beach from time to time?"

She then said it was "more than just that."

I'm guessing that if you scooped up my house and swimming pool and plopped it down on the same sized lot on the water in SoCal, it would be over a million, which I could not afford.

My household amenities have more value, to me, than the hills and pretty beaches of SoCal.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by timtemtym

Los Angeles layout? Houston does not have that. Houston's streets make sense and they move. Unless taking Westheimer around 4-6pm, you won't find many streets in Houston that compare to the absolute gridlock of many LA streets. Also Houston streets have better light timing so you will actually go more than a few blocks without waiting at a red light. So many times here I wait for a green light just to see the next light three blocks up go yellllllowwww.. red!

Houston cost of living and average pay will also let you enjoy your life a little more. LA has a lot more awesome stuff, but most folks here are priced out of it. In Houston I didn't even think twice about having a monthly car payment. When I got here, I did everything I could to quickly pay off the car that was quite affordable in Houston. Now I will drive it until it dies. I've never not had a car payment, but to not scrape by here I will keep my working, paid off Honda.

What else? Weather is a tired drum to beat, you know you're giving up 330 days a year of outdoor air conditioning unless you didn't live here in the LA basin. Crime is similar, your electric bill will quadruple in Houston (unless you aren't coming from the LA basin). People are friendlier here in LA (outside the pretentious bubbles of Hollywood and the westside). Houstonians aren't as likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger, it will make them suspicious if you do that.

Food is great in both places! Houston has killer restaurants and the best Tex Mex. LA has much better produce and healthier options because people here demand it.

You'll notice that in Houston not only is rent cheaper but the kind of amenities you get are MUCH better. I never had a place there without a washer/dryer in my unit. Never! Here I had to learn how to use a laundromat and my clothes don't get as clean with everyone else's funk mixing in there. It's kind of gross when you think about it.

Oh and lastly, Houston rentals will come with a refrigerator!! It is an odd LA thing to rarely see a rental with a fridge. They are standard in Houston apartments! So no more buying and lugging them around.

LA more friendly than Houston? Probably the first time in life I've heard that.

[f1000]

Houston really reminded me of LA when I was there. Sprawling, big freeways, multicultural.

Many differences though. Less congested and smoggy and more open space-feeling, and definitely more laid-back. People are more down-to-earth and Southern/ Texan culture. You wont see horses walking down the streets of downtown LA with uniformed city ambassadors/police like they do in downtown Houston. It does seem more old-fashioned in many respects too- in the way people do things, etc- not as trendy.

The "ghettos" of Houston are almost semi-rural in setting. There is no zoning so there is a rundown or chaotic element to the city's format, but LA appears like that too with a mish-mash of things next to each other. Also of course weather is different- bad humid sticky feeling summers with a more sultry feeling than LA.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by f1000

Houston really reminded me of LA when I was there. Sprawling, big freeways, multicultural.

Many differences though. Less congested and smoggy and more open space-feeling, and definitely more laid-back. People are more down-to-earth and Southern/ Texan culture. You wont see horses walking down the streets of downtown LA with uniformed city ambassadors/police like they do in downtown Houston. It does seem more old-fashioned in many respects too- in the way people do things, etc- not as trendy.

The "ghettos" of Houston are almost semi-rural in setting. There is no zoning so there is a rundown or chaotic element to the city's format, but LA appears like that too with a mish-mash of things next to each other. Also of course weather is different- bad humid sticky feeling summers with a more sultry feeling than LA.

I think you nailed it on the head.

Houston is a greener, less congested, less pretentious version of LA. Its Texas' version of Los Angeles without the mountains, desert, & extremely high COL.