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This is why I cringe at these kinds of threads. All is fine and well, when other cities are mentioned. People mention Houston, and the thread hiccups... People become indignant to the point of generated posts like this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by 313Weather
And that's another thing.
No offense is intended, but the Houston posters sure do seem to have a superiority complex for a city that they feel isn't as soulless as I described. Houston's greatness should speak for itself and there should be no need to get defensive over constructive criticism or opinions of the city from others.
For example, I never see New Yorkers get nearly as defensive when someone criticizes their city. You know why? Because they know it's the greatest big city in the US. They don't have to go out of their way to prove anything to anyone.
It's not having a superiority complex. Houston does speak for itself. I guess this is why comments like this have been made so many times on here.
People want to make erroneous claims about the city, and expect not to be challenged. We respect peoples' opinions. However, to make such claims that it's soulless is just shy of bashing. Houston is so diverse, so vibrant, so much culture. Yes it's car-centric. Yes, there's concrete overpasses that fill the sky as well as modern architecture. No, it's not a city that's filled with endless blocks of aged brick buildings and architecture, but it doesn't make it soulless.
I know Houston isn't a city for everybody. But people need to stop trying to compare it against, NYC, Philly, or Boston. it's not like NYC or Boston or Philly. It's completely opposite and it has it's own vibe. it's own soul. It's own culture. I've said time and again on here, that people love to claim that Houston has to be/or look like NYC or Boston to have soul, or vibrancy. Yet in the same [breath] will state emphatically that "Houston will never be like NYC, or Boston"
It's not trying to be. Houston is Houston.... period.
Being a place where Astronauts lived and where Mission Control was isn't enough to warrant calling ones self "Space City". Ever wonder why LA got a shuttle and Houston didn't? Because SoCal was a dominant force in the Aerospace industry during the development of the shuttle and ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED something REAL that exists. lol "Space City" Basically Houston takes credit for what other cities and regions did.
But Mission Control is in Houston. Why are people bothered by that? You give credit to California, and Florida and rightfully so, but why the angst towards Houston?
It's not like it's something that just sprouted in the last few years. Every space and shuttle mission was directed from Mission Control for decades.
This is why I cringe at these kinds of threads. All is fine and well, when other cities are mentioned. People mention Houston, and the thread hiccups... People become indignant to the point of generated posts like this:
It's not having a superiority complex. Houston does speak for itself. I guess this is why comments like this have been made so many times on here.
People want to make erroneous claims about the city, and expect not to be challenged. We respect peoples' opinions. However, to make such claims that it's soulless is just shy of bashing. Houston is so diverse, so vibrant, so much culture. Yes it's car-centric. Yes, there's concrete overpasses that fill the sky as well as modern architecture. No, it's not a city that's filled with endless blocks of aged brick buildings and architecture, but it doesn't make it soulless.
I know Houston isn't a city for everybody. But people need to stop trying to compare it against, NYC, Philly, or Boston. it's not like NYC or Boston or Philly. It's completely opposite and it has it's own vibe. it's own soul. It's own culture. I've said time and again on here, that people love to claim that Houston has to be/or look like NYC or Boston to have soul, or vibrancy. Yet in the same [breath] will state emphatically that "Houston will never be like NYC, or Boston"
It's not trying to be. Houston is Houston.... period.
Well said. Houston will never be New York but it's not trying to either. There's definitely its own vibe in areas like the southwest, very diverse there as well. There's the inner loop neighhoods like Montrose, The Heights, 3rd ward, etc.
I agree with most of your picks, but disagree with Denver being grouped with Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando, and OKC- at least in the urban part (the suburbs tend to be frightfully generic). But, I suppose everyone's got their own take on what soul means. As a transplant from the Charlotte area (and Tampa before that), I've found Denver to have quite a bit of soul, or at least an attitude that I like. For the wide-eyed adventurer, the city represents the true gateway to the mountains and the west. While not several hundred years old, it has a colorful history, with lots of evidence of boom and bust cycles, and still plenty of evidence of ghosts of the past. It's the current marijuana capital of the world, one of the best cities for microbrews in the country, and has been a longtime favorite of musicians. Not to mention it has the most legendary outdoor music venue in the country as a city park. All of which add a decent amount of flavor and attitude to the city, at least in my opinion. It may be a little too brown or a little too isolated for some people's tastes, but soulless?
Good post. I purposely said "less soul" instead of "soulless" though because I believe very few places are soulless. You make very good points for Denver though and I probably shouldn't have included it. To me, the more passionate and individualistic a person is, the more soul they have. Denver does seem to have a very individualistic vibe with people able to pursue their passions moreso than a Phoenix or Charlotte. The history of the area also seems very interesting and creates a cool vibe. I do want to visit someday.
On another note, Columbus, South Carolina seems like an OK city but it felt more soulless compared to Asheville, NC and Savannah, GA which were the two cities we visited before and after part of a Southern roadtrip I took this past May/June.
Some of you are getting too caught up in word play and taking this thread way too seriously. Some spineless tool actually took the time to send me an anonymous rep with an insult because I didn't consider Albuquerque a city with soul. It's one thing to defend a city you're from, but lets not get nasty about it, all that does is reinforce someone's negative view of where you're from and the people who live there. I'm from NYC, not everyone likes it there, some have very negative things to say about it, but I don't fault them for it. Not everyone has to like where I'm from. There's good and bad any place you go.
As I said earlier, I don't see soulless or less soul as such a bad thing. I don't think San Diego is necessarily a city one identifies as a "city of soul", but it's a beautiful place to live and I'd love to live there.
On another note, Columbus, South Carolina seems like an OK city but it felt more soulless compared to Asheville, NC and Savannah, GA which were the two cities we visited before and after part of a Southern roadtrip I took this past May/June.
I'm assuming you mean Columbia, SC. In comparison to Asheville and Savannah, I can see why you'd say that. You're talking about two of the most popular getaway cities in the Southeast in more georgraphically-defined locations that are more urban. Asheville and Savannah, in that respect, have more "soul" than the vast majority of Southern cities its size.
I'm assuming you mean Columbia, SC. In comparison to Asheville and Savannah, I can see why you'd say that. You're talking about two of the most popular getaway cities in the Southeast in more georgraphically-defined locations that are more urban. Asheville and Savannah, in that respect, have more "soul" than the vast majority of Southern cities its size.
Haha yes, Columbia. Kayaking on the river was really awesome but the downtown just didn't do it for me compared to Asheville and Savannah. I also didn't spend a whole lot of time exploring it like the other two.
Maybe a freudian slip as I do have a pre-conceived notion about Columbus, Ohio being soulless. (I'm sure it's probably not, before anyone jumps on me).
Haha yes, Columbia. Kayaking on the river was really awesome but the downtown just didn't do it for me compared to Asheville and Savannah. I also didn't spend a whole lot of time exploring it like the other two.
Not many other smaller cities in the region can compare to the downtowns of Asheville and Savannah. Columbia is making strides in this department but it will definitely take time to pull all the elements together.
Did you check out Five Points? It's an urban village especially popular with USC students just east of downtown.
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Basically Houston takes credit for what other cities and regions did.
