Houston or chicago (Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Conroe: rental, high crime, how much) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

stoobyizzy · 08-09-2010, 08:43 AM

I have the option with my job to work out of our Houston or Chicago office for 3-5yrs. I have been to neither therefore would like some advice as to what people would think best! I would be joined by my wife and 11 year old daughter so safety, schooling etc. would be paramount!
Any thoughts to good areas, schools ?
Thanks for any advice!

HoustonRonnie · 08-09-2010, 08:48 AM

Chicago because they have better baseball and hockey teams.

DANNYY · 08-09-2010, 08:52 AM

I live in both of them presently. And have spent majority of my life in both.

You are comparing two sides of the spectrum, dynamically different cities. Chicago is our 3rd largest city, and Houston our 4th largest in the country.

Chicago has a more exciting downtown and it's the heart of Chicago. You can get practically anything there and if you want a big city lifestyle and a walkable atmosphere, then Chicago is the way to go.

Chicago however does have some of the most unbearable winters there are, I personally like it, but so many people hate it. And that can play a huge role on your overall decision.

Houston on the other hand has great standard of living when it comes to how much you're willing to spend and how much you actually end up spending. The living standard in Houston, IMO would possibly be one of the highest in the nation.
Houston schools are fine, but try the ones in the suburbs. Places like Bellaire, Katy, Sugar Land, Cypress, The Woodlands, Conroe all have some great school systems.

Chicago's schools within the city limits are an epic failure, if you pick Chicago overall then please stay in the suburbs, particularly in the Northside or Naperville which has some of the best schools in the area.

Houston you need your car, you have everything but it's always a drive away, and that's fine. It's easy navigating highways and roads in Houston.

Houston also has heat and humidity and don't stress over that, give it one summer and you'll be used to it, it is far easier to deal with that than it is with cold temperatures, as nearly everything in Houston is air conditioned.

Houston by far is the more family oriented city, Chicago is more of a place you will enjoy greatly if you are single, otherwise downtown wont be useful to you at all which is Chicago's main factor.

Both of them are culturally diverse, you'll see people of all backgrounds in them both. They are both outstanding food cities, you can find any kind of food you want in both of them. Chinese, Thai, French, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Italian, etc...

Can you tell us more of what you want in a city and what is important to you and what of your car or public transportation preference? How important is a good sized house and do taxes play a role in your decision? And things like that. Also it would help if you tell us where you are coming from, it can help us tell you which one you'll be able to adapt to better by weather or city layout.

stoobyizzy · 08-09-2010, 09:12 AM

Thanks for the speedy response, much appreciated! My wife doesnt drive, so I would like somewhere for her that allows easy access to shops, school, restaurants etc. and safe whilst I'm working. My company will be paying for the rental of a house( 3 bed) and ourselves for utilities etc. We'll be coming from Scotland but like our summer holidays in the sun (Spain, Turkey, Florida). It sounds as if Houston would be the better bet for a family!

nana053 · 08-09-2010, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Awesome Danny

Houston by far is the more family oriented city, Chicago is more of a place you will enjoy greatly if you are single, otherwise downtown wont be useful to you at all which is Chicago's main factor.

I agree with most of what you have said except for this part. I brought up my kids in Chicago (actually Evanston) and we went downtown frequently for many many programs. We actually enjoyed the lunch time music concerts downtown even when my kids were very young. Outside of downtown, the Chicago Children's Museum, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Shedd Aquarium, the Natural History Museum, the Chicago History Museum, the Chicago Model City at the Architecture Foundation, the boat tours for various reasons and seasons, etc., make Chicago a very child friendly city, imo.

stoobyizzy · 08-09-2010, 09:13 AM

nana053 · 08-09-2010, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoobyizzy

Thanks for the speedy response, much appreciated! My wife doesnt drive, so I would like somewhere for her that allows easy access to shops, school, restaurants etc. and safe whilst I'm working. My company will be paying for the rental of a house( 3 bed) and ourselves for utilities etc. We'll be coming from Scotland but like our summer holidays in the sun (Spain, Turkey, Florida). It sounds as if Houston would be the better bet for a family!

If your wife does not drive, I can't say I recommend Houston. There is very little public transportation here and you really cannot walk to shopping either unless you live directly in the city. With schools a priority, though I would think you would want a suburb.

Where are you going to be working as that will tell us more about the commute and what communities you should look at.

Svensk08 · 08-09-2010, 09:35 AM

You mention that your wife doesn't drive. Many people from the UK who move here take driving lessons and find they do surprisingly well. Public transportation in Houston is so iffy - compared to what you're used to - that having a car is almost a necessity.

Wonderful Jellal · 08-09-2010, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nana053

If your wife does not drive, I can't say I recommend Houston. There is very little public transportation here and you really cannot walk to shopping either unless you live directly in the city. With schools a priority, though I would think you would want a suburb.

Where are you going to be working as that will tell us more about the commute and what communities you should look at.

For the moment, work in progress

glorplaxy · 08-09-2010, 09:59 AM

Chicago has more amenities and more options for entertainment, shopping, and eating, etc etc. Chicago also has much more to offer in terms of subcultures than Houston does and overall a much more active entertainment scene. Downtown Houston is dead after working hours except for a small area with a couple of clubs while downtown Chicago has tons to offer at all times. Houston has no entertainment center.

Chicago has a much, much better public transportation infrastructure, whereas Houston is really, really lagging behind in that aspect, especially for being so large. If your wife doesn't drive then I would NOT recommend Houston at all when compared to Chicago.

Houston and Chicago both have pockets of high crime.

Houston and Chicago both have times of severe weather; right now, Houston's summer is absolutely horrible with both incredibly high temperatures and incredibly high humidity and you will be very unpleasantly surprised if you are not used to being choked by heat when you go outside. Chicago has much milder summers (temperatures for the week are in the mid/high 80s while ours are in mid/high 90s) but much more intense winters. Houston's winters are rather mild but still wet and muddy.

If you are going to being looking at suburbs, I would still recommend Chicago because Chicago still has more entertainment and life than Houston. A suburb is a suburb, so what really matters is what city it is a suburb of.

Houston may be cheaper but in this case you get what you pay for.