Houston, TX vs. Annandale, VA (living, best, cost, state)

[WTL63]

Current Houston resident here considering a move to Annandale (Arlington, Alexandria, etc are out of my budget). I have visited Virginia a few times and quite enjoyed it more than Houston. I know it's not exactly DC but Annandale is still a reasonable commute to there imo. i'm currently 20 minutes away from downtown Houston so it's a pretty similar commute to the fun stuff I think.

Houston pros:
more job opportunities for my field (transpiration engineering) as infrastructure is currently booming
affordable cost of living
existing networking with workers and social life with friends
great food and hospitality
lot of amenities and necessities

Houston cons:
insanely hot and humid
pretty ugly and boring city for most part

Annandale pros:
proximity to Arlington and Washington DC
fresh change of scenery
better weather with 4 seasons
scenic hills, river, and nature

Annandale cons:
waaay more expensive (almost double)
downgrade in house size and age
make new friends and networking
not much to do in Annadale itself

Thoughts?

[As Above So Below...]

It’s hard to compare the two. Annandale is a suburb and Houston a major city.

I suppose it would depend on money if the list of pros and cons is the same length on both.

[aquest1]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

It’s hard to compare the two. Annandale is a suburb and Houston a major city.

I suppose it would depend on money if the list of pros and cons is the same length on both.

Houston is a major city but it's also nearly 600 sq. miles in size. So, while very different areas, the comparison is still valid since Annadale is roughly 13 miles from downtown DC (probably about 30-40 mins of DC traffic). OP, I would consider where your job would be and not necessarily distance to downtown DC, and consider it a comparison of NoVA/DC area vs. Houston, or your immediate community in Houston vs. Annadale for a clearer picture.

[Muinteoir]

Yeah, to build on to what others have said, do let us know if you are receiving any sort of salary increase to compensate for the increased CoL. Do you have any family on the East Coast? Family in Texas? I personally much prefer NoVa to Houston, but there are a lot of factors for you to consider.

[Mr. Clutch]

I lived about 10 minutes from Annandale in Tysons Corner and moved to Houston not too long ago, so I might be able to offer some insight. Annandale is known for one thing and one thing only - having the best cluster of Korean food/nightlife on the east coast. If you are Korean or have an affinity for Korean culture, Annandale is a great fit.

Outside of that, it's pretty much the typical generic NoVa suburb - nothing particularly special about it. Fairfax County has a lot of nature, but most of the actual entertainment around there is in Arlington, Alexandria, and DC.

I'd say it's up to you based on what you want. I liked living in Nova - it had a tremendous quality of life by many definitions, the weather is better for the warm half of the year, its very diverse and prosperous, more scenic, and there are lots of educated, driven people there, and lots of opportunity - I don't think you will have an issue finding a job in transportation engineering there to be honest.

Personally though, I prefer Houston of the two - also great quality of life, better weather the cold half of the year, also very diverse and prosperous, and while the people are a lot more laid back, I feel they are the biggest advantage over the people of the DC area - I never quite clicked with the self-importance and snobbishness of a lot of the people living there, and Northern Virginia is nearly as bad as DC with all of the money flowing through there. Houston is a much more friendly place and quite a bit less expensive as well. There is no way I would relocate to the DC area without a huge pay raise if I were you.

[NOVA_guy]

Uh, these things are very subjective and it depends on your personality and what you’re looking for but personally I’d go with Annandale.

[biscuit_head]

I'd go with Annandale, but you'd be better off comparing the entire DC Area to Metro Houston to make a better comparison. Also, think of other areas in NOVA that are close to Annandale such as Burke, Springfield and Fairfax. Annandale has evolved into an inner ring suburb as NOVA has grown and sprawled further west and south over the years. There's a large Korean community there, and you may want to take that into consideration as well. Great restaurants, good schools in the area.

Also, traffic in NOVA is a NIGHTMARE. Houston is no walk in the park in that department, but the DC area has far worse congestion despite it having superior public transportation to Houston. What's your budget? Where would your job be? It's a great location if you're working in Tysons or Reston, but if you're working in Downtown DC, it can be quite a hike to get there. Unlike Houston, we don't have freeways running everywhere, and you'll have to deal with either a lot of stop and go traffic on Route 50 or Route 236 or Columbia Pike; the toll lanes on 66 (inbound to DC during the morning rush, outbound during afternoon rush), or going around via the Beltway and 395. A lot of things you'll take for granted in Houston regarding getting around via car, you'll have to really be flexible in where you're willing to live in the DC Area to avoid congestion. You also have a water boundary (the Potomac River), and you're dealing with multiple states and a district, so getting around DC is exponentially more difficult than Houston...Arlington and Alexandria are closer in and a lot better access to the fun in DC. There's also a few fun areas in Arlington and Alexandria too. If you're willing to move to the Maryland burbs, Silver Spring is right on the DC border and has direct access to the city via Metro and MARC. Also, Bethesda and Rockville could be options, but those cities are VERY expensive since they're on the more desirable side of Montgomery County.

Houston is a far superior foodie town than DC to me. Yes, Annandale is the center for Korean cuisine on the East Coast, and DC's seafood is good (be ready to love Blue Crabs instead of Crawfish), as well as Ethiopian cuisine, but DC pales in comparison in Barbecue (They like the NC style pulled pork) and Mexican food (someone took me to Lauriol Plaza in DC and I almost threw my food on the wall), and southern style food in general leaves a lot to be desired. Food here is a lot more generic American, relatively expensive, and portions smaller than what you typically get in Houston.

Also, coming from Houston, the people in the DMV area are far different than what you’re accustomed to in Texas. The DMV area is not a go-along-to-get-along type of place that Texas is and the people are a lot more snobbish, nowhere near as friendly, nowhere near as laid-back (every type-A classmate you had in HS and college seem to gravitate to this area), and if you hate liberals like a lot of Texans do, you'll have a hard time making friends tbh, especially if you're closer to DC, more conservative people tend to live further out...It's no San Francisco, but it's far more progressive than Houston and all what comes with that. It's also far more segregated than Houston in many areas as well, but NOVA in general is pretty diverse compared to other parts of the DMV area.

Also, politics permeates just about EVERYTHING in DC. While it's cool to have conversations with savvy, educated people about issues on both sides rather than listen to rehashed talking points from network television, it gets tedious and tiresome really quickly. Also, people in DC are really into their jobs and careers, and many of them talk about it incessantly. While I've found my social circle and we make an effort to NOT talk about politics and work, we do have to catch ourselves at times. Most people work for either the Federal Government, Government Contractors, Military, Tech, Non-Profits, or Associations up here, so there is a certain language that people speak up here, if that makes sense. Much like how Houston is dominated by O&G and Healthcare.

Good luck with what ever you do though. DC is one of those places that people either really like, or downright hate. Almost as polarizing as Houston in some ways. I've been here for 4 years and like it, and its been far better for my career than other cities I've lived in, but factors like that are so subjective and variable.

[NOVA_guy]

Originally Posted by biscuit_head

I'd go with Annandale, but you'd be better off comparing the entire DC Area to Metro Houston to make a comparison. Also, think of other areas in NOVA that are close to Annandale such as Burke, Springfield and Fairfax. Annandale has evolved into an inner ring suburb as NOVA has sprawled further west and south over the years. There's a large Korean community there, and you may want to take that into consideration as well. Great restaurants, good schools in the area.

Also, traffic in NOVA is a NIGHTMARE. Houston is no walk in the park in that department, but the DC area has far worse congestion despite it having superior public transportation to Houston. What's your budget? Where would your job be? It's a great location if you're working in Tysons or Reston, but if you're working in Downtown DC, it can be quite a hike to get there. Unlike Houston, we don't have freeways running everywhere, and you'll have to deal with either a lot of stop and go traffic on Route 50 or Route 236 or Columbia Pike; the toll lanes on 66 (inbound to DC during the morning rush, outbound during afternoon rush), or going around via the Beltway and 395. A lot of things you'll take for granted in Houston regarding getting around via car, you'll have to really be flexible in where you're willing to live in the DC Area to avoid congestion. You also have a water boundary (the Potomac River), and you're dealing with multiple states and a district, so getting around DC is exponentially more difficult than Houston...Arlington and Alexandria are closer in and a lot better access to the fun in DC. There's also a few fun areas in Arlington and Alexandria too. If you're willing to move to the Maryland burbs, Silver Spring is right on the DC border and has direct access to the city via Metro and MARC. Also, Bethesda and Rockville could be options, but those cities are VERY expensive since they're on the more desirable side of Montgomery County.

Houston is a far superior foodie town than DC to me. Yes, Annandale is the center for Korean cuisine on the East Coast, and DC's seafood is good (be ready to love Blue Crabs instead of Crawfish), as well as Ethiopian cuisine, but DC pales in comparison in Barbecue (They like the NC style pulled pork) and Mexican food (someone took me to Lauriol Plaza in DC and I almost threw my food on the wall), and southern style food in general leaves a lot to be desired. Food here is a lot more generic American, relatively expensive, and portions smaller than what you typically get in Houston.

Also, coming from Houston, the people are far different. A lot more snobbish, nowhere near as friendly, nowhere near as laid-back (every type-A classmate you had in HS and college seem to gravitate to this area), and if you hate liberals like a lot of Texans do, you'll have a hard time making friends tbh, especially if you're closer to DC, more conservative people tend to live further out...It's no San Francisco, but it's far more progressive than Houston and all what comes with that. It's also far more segregated than Houston in many areas as well, but NOVA in general is pretty diverse compared to other parts of the DMV area.

Also, politics permeates just about EVERYTHING in DC. While it's cool to have conversations with savvy, educated people about issues on both sides rather than listen to rehashed talking points from network television, it gets tedious and tiresome really quickly. Also, people in DC are really into their jobs and careers, and many of them talk about it incessantly. While I've found my social circle and we make an effort to NOT talk about politics and work, we do have to catch ourselves at times. Most people work for either the Federal Government, Government Contractors, Military, Tech, Non-Profits, or Associations up here, so there is a certain language that people speak up here, if that makes sense. Much like how Houston is dominated by O&G and Healthcare.

Good luck with what ever you do though. DC is one of those places that people either really like, or downright hate. Almost as polarizing as Houston in some ways. I've been here for 4 years and like it, and its been far better for my career than other cities I've lived in, but factors like that are so subjective and variable.

Everything you're saying is true. Like spot on. Maybe I've become too used to DC where politics is prevalent in everything but politics is part of why I'm not a big fan of Texas. I've been to Houston and Dallas and definitely nice places but the state itself? I'll pass.


OP, you'd be better off comparing them as metro areas since Annandale really is just a close-in suburb that people commute to DC and Tysons from.

[jd433]

Sorry, I have to defend Houston on this point. Really? I guess you could say that about any place. Ultimately Boring is relative to your personal experience. Houston certainly offers many entertainment opportunities.
I wouldn't say that it is boring at all.
Ya there are no mountains here. nope you have to drive about 3 hours to get to the cool rivers and mountains. There is a beach though. Galveston, Kemah , the museum district, the theater district plus pretty much any national entertainment chain or any commercial entertainment venue that is in any other city. History is a little weak here but we do have it.
Haven't you heard of Sam Houston? He is a national hero here. Or what about the battle of San Jacinto. We have a monument that is taller that THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. That should make anyone want to move here instead of going to D.C. We even have famous people. Haven't you heard of Mattress Mack? Im sorry I'm just kidding. But it's a great place here. You would love it.

Originally Posted by WTL63

Current Houston resident here considering a move to Annandale (Arlington, Alexandria, etc are out of my budget). I have visited Virginia a few times and quite enjoyed it more than Houston. I know it's not exactly DC but Annandale is still a reasonable commute to there imo. i'm currently 20 minutes away from downtown Houston so it's a pretty similar commute to the fun stuff I think.

Houston pros:
more job opportunities for my field (transpiration engineering) as infrastructure is currently booming
affordable cost of living
existing networking with workers and social life with friends
great food and hospitality
lot of amenities and necessities

Houston cons:
insanely hot and humid
pretty ugly and boring city for most part

Annandale pros:
proximity to Arlington and Washington DC
fresh change of scenery
better weather with 4 seasons
scenic hills, river, and nature

Annandale cons:
waaay more expensive (almost double)
downgrade in house size and age
make new friends and networking
not much to do in Annadale itself

Thoughts?

[C24L]

Houston