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Dallas has a significant plains culture element to it that Houston does not. Houston has a deep south/gulf element that Dallas does not.
The SF/LA thing is influenced by SF being on a peninsula with an ocean and legitimate bay and LA originally being in a basin/beach plain. That in and of itself is going to drive different culture, weather and the like.
Last edited by eddie gein; 11-17-2022 at 05:48 PM..
LA and SF are different but I wouldn’t say “very” because they’re more like each other than other places will be like them. The differences have increased over the last 20 years as the Bay has become noticeably more affluent and its urban areas often more gentrified.
Here is my list on how I would compare the differences based on criteria that are important to me.
Which is more similar for each criteria:
Weather - LA/SF are more similar. Houston is much muggier and warmer than Dallas. Disagree. SF is much cooler than LA, though both areas get hot inland. Yes, Houston is muggier than Dallas but they are both incredibly hot and have short winters.
Culture - LA/SF have similar cultures while Houston is Gulf/southern and Dallas is not. I don't think LA/SF are alike at all. SF is way more liberal and has a techy vibe. Both are superficial, but in different ways. Houston and Dallas have similar politics, both love football, BBQ and are more conservative than most major cities. Before someone points out how liberal they are, compared to most major cities, they run a bit redder.
Built environment/infrastructure- Dallas/Houston. Natural boundaries (bays, mountains) cause differences in how LA and SF were built. SF is compact, LA sprawls forever
Quality of life - Dallas/Houston
Politics - tie
Economy - Dallas/Houston seem more evenly matched.
Expense - Dallas/Houston
Diversity- LA/SF are similar while Houston is more diverse than Dallas.
No, meh, and absolutely not. I’m currently in Florida and just left Orlando. Tampa is not similar to Orlando outside of the general Florida vibes and infrastructure. Completely different place
Oh but it is in my opinion. I'm a born and raised Texan. I've been living in Houston for over 10 years and I grew up an hour and 30 mins from DFW and have visited the metroplex more times than I can remember in my lifetime. Houston and Dallas have their differences but those differences are more subtle when paired against SF/LA or even LA/SD. Matter fact San Antonio and Austin are much more different from one another than Houston and DFW are.
I think the ultimate thing for me is the entirety of Houston and Dallas metropolitan areas. The endless sprawl in both are generally bland and filled with corporate buildings, strip malls, and franchise stores. Not really distinct from one another at all. Also the freeways that run thru these metros that look very identical from one another. Also both cities function similar to one another. There's not a completely different lifestyle in either city. Houston is more international and Dallas culture is more flashy "classy" TEXAN but not as TEXAN as Fort Worth yet still TEXAN with a hint of Oklahoma-ish. Houston is a hint of Louisiana-ish but still TEXAN just not as TEXAN as DFW. Both have a big Mexican population. Both are very diverse even if Houston's diversity feels more integrated on a social level. SF and LA on the other hand you really have to look deep to see the similarities.
Not sure about this one. LA/SD are pretty close and the same as Houston-Dallas IMO. Both LA/SD have similar weather, similar landscapes (the SD canyons are like south orange county), and similar housing styles. LA and SF I get but LA-SD is like big brother, little brother whereas the former are more like half siblings.
Curious to hear why you think LA-SD are more different than Houston-DFW.
I also dont think you have to look that deep to see the differences between LA and SF/Bay Area but they do have unique traits from each other. The most different part is the city itself since it is compact and pedestrian oriented. The landscapes also look different but much of that is due to the Bay Areas suburban greenbelts. The lingo is also different.
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