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A city isn't a 'rat race'. You either participate in the 'rat race' at your own choosing or you don't. There's pros and cons to both options. There's plenty of people of both types in every city. Take a city like D.C. - on the one hand there's a legion of ambitious careerists eager to 'make it', on the other hand there's plenty of folks who've been in the same low-level government job for decades and are just 'doing their time' until retirement.
Houston is pretty laid back, seems relaxed. Strangers are friendly and open..
Everyone in Victoria, Corpus Christi and other small towns more than an hour away would beg to differ.
The traffic and the huge crowds in public areas also makes it rat race like.
People in general do seem to be in less of a hurry though.
Everyone in Victoria, Corpus Christi and other small towns more than an hour away would beg to differ.
The traffic and the huge crowds in public areas also makes it rat race like.
People in general do seem to be in less of a hurry though.
Not to mention how aggressive and in a rush the drivers are. I wonder how many people making these claims have actually went.
St Paul, MN is one. It is basically a giant, laid back, small town that is next to a big city. I think a lot of the rat race comes from the cost of living vs the pay scale. If a city is expensive you have to work like a dog to live and that becomes your only focus. St Paul is relatively cheap and has a high pay scale. It is cheaper than Minneapolis and Minneapolis isn't the most expensive city. St Paul also has relatively low crime for a big city.
Everyone in Victoria, Corpus Christi and other small towns more than an hour away would beg to differ.
The traffic and the huge crowds in public areas also makes it rat race like.
People in general do seem to be in less of a hurry though.
That’s sort of a slippery slope though. I remember being in college and some students from rural areas making similar comments about the “the big city” where my college was - the bustling metropolis of Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana. I always scoffed at that and probably smugly laughed to myself (“have they never even been to Chicago?”). But looking back, it WAS a big city to them, and I assume required some sort of adjustment.
And I’m sure you could find people in Alice, TX or Bishop, TX that think the same about Corpus Christi. And so on and so forth.
The answer is definitely Chicago. It's still relatively affordable for it's size and quality. If you can't take that then you will have to get a second tier city.
Everyone in Victoria, Corpus Christi and other small towns more than an hour away would beg to differ.
The traffic and the huge crowds in public areas also makes it rat race like.
People in general do seem to be in less of a hurry though.
I lived in one of those outlying cities, not in Houton. I'd sure rather have to go to Houston, than Dallas ir even Austin.
That’s sort of a slippery slope though. I remember being in college and some students from rural areas making similar comments about the “the big city” where my college was - the bustling metropolis of Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana. I always scoffed at that and probably smugly laughed to myself (“have they never even been to Chicago?”). But looking back, it WAS a big city to them, and I assume required some sort of adjustment.
And I’m sure you could find people in Alice, TX or Bishop, TX that think the same about Corpus Christi. And so on and so forth.
I agree. This is all relative.
Of the ten largest cities in the country I would say San Antonio and San Diego felt a bit more relaxed than the other ones.
I live near El Paso, and compared to other MSAs I have lived in (St. Louis, NYC and Philadelphia) it's rather chill. I think Albuquerque is as well, but to a somewhat lesser extent than El Paso.
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