Houston Metropolitan Area: Population Change From August 4th, 2010 to November 15th, 2010 (Arlington: universities, living)

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by amberazeneth

I say the bigger the better. The whole county should be annexed into the Houston City Limits. I know I have posted that before, but it is what I believe.

LOL, well I always say we will be annexing Dallas before you know it.

[SouthernBoy205]

LOL @ HtownLove.

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by amberazeneth

Dannyy, when does the actual census report and update get released? You seem to be in the know.

We should be expecting them between April to June of 2011. I am positive it would be early June though.

Originally Posted by amberazeneth

Thanks Htownlove. When will Houston get off of it's backside and annex something major and become the 3rd largest city in the U.S. and become an even larger metro area?

That's not a good thing!

Houston should work on densifying its Inner Loop, which it is but that should be its main focus. Not swallowing up more land. Remember the larger they become the harder it is for a localized government to keep up.

New York City was such a smart city in this aspect because they created a borough system. They decentralized their authority to local borough governments to oversee each section of the city.

The larger a city becomes by population, the more of a nightmare it is to run the city. The larger it becomes by land area the WAY more hellish it is to try to keep things tidy and to keep things working effectively. Expenses go up for the city.

Originally Posted by HtownLove

I think he does it because he gets repped by clueless Phillys for it. I really can't wait for it to come out because the ACS is really crappy at this estimating thing.

I don't hate Philadelphia in real life. I think its an okay city. Not the best but certainly nothing wrong with it.

I just hate their homers so much on this site.

1. Philadelphia & New York City will NEVER become one CSA, I've personally run the latest 2009 population for commuters between the two. And do Philadelphians realize that it has to be commute between Philadelphia County & Any of the 5 New York City Counties? They don't.

2. Even if they are somehow right about the counties (which they aren't) none and I mean none of Philadelphia MSA's core counties have a 15% + exchange rate to New York City. So they can go figure.

3. Philadelphia needs to worry more about New York City taking more of their counties than them being added into New York CSA.

I also hate how unreal the posts by even some of the most "respected" Philadelphia posters are. There is no proof to anything they say.

Houston's GDP is inflated by Oil & Gas? I asked them to prove it with ANY source or link in existence, and even spent 3 hours looking it up and even emailed someone in the finance and accounting industry for Houston's oil companies to ask.
- And let me tell you, they make it up. There is no substance to that claim.

Whatever either way, Philadelphia is irrelevant globally, and thats true. There is nothing, no niche anything in Philadelphia that is essential to the world. The only thing the place has going for it is "density", large Metropolitan Area population, & large GDP (which like 7 USA Metros are larger than still).

Every analyst and researcher knows it too. That's why in half the world rankings Philadelphia is absent, and the other half ranks it in the same tier and even below Seattle & Denver.

Mehh, I think Philadelphia is a great city, with tons to offer, and lots to do and see. And it should be a respected city. Frankly I've enjoyed seeing it. But its a major turn off reading some of its homers posts on here, I try to ignore it but god damn how could one city have so many sensitive (about population, GDP, everything!) and defensive and elitist homers I will never know.

And yes, I do believe that Philadelphia is still not relevant outside of the USA on a global scale, and even on a national scale, I still see a good 10 cities above it in relevance.

And also, I think their population is slow gains. They will be passed up by Atlanta in 2.5 years, Washington DC & Miami-Fort Lauderdale within 7 years.

[AmberAzeneth]

I have only been to the airport in Philadelphia waiting on a connecting flight. I do not know anything about that city except of its importance in the founding of our country and their cheesesteaks. I am pro Houston. I just want the Houston's population to keep increasing and diversifying. I would like for our city to become a destination city for the world. I would also like for our city to not be stereotyped as a redneck or backwoods place. We are not all cowboys here.

[SouthernBoy205]

Me too, amber. I believe that Houston will be a beast in the future. I has a great future.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by amberazeneth

I have only been to the airport in Philadelphia waiting on a connecting flight. I do not know anything about that city except of its importance in the founding of our country and their cheesesteaks. I am pro Houston. I just want the Houston's population to keep increasing and diversifying. I would like for our city to become a destination city for the world. I would also like for our city to not be stereotyped as a redneck or backwoods place. We are not all cowboys here.

You do realize that if Houston continues to annex, it makes the city even more sprawled and more suburban. That will take away resources from developing the inner loop further.

I dont think annexing more sparsely populated land will make Houston less country, it would be the opposite. Not to mention your city taxes will skyrocket if that happens.

[SouthernBoy205]

I agree, justme02. I think that Houston should put off annexation for a good while and let existing cities annex and let unincorporated places become their own municipalities.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by amberazeneth

I have only been to the airport in Philadelphia waiting on a connecting flight. I do not know anything about that city except of its importance in the founding of our country and their cheesesteaks. I am pro Houston. I just want the Houston's population to keep increasing and diversifying. I would like for our city to become a destination city for the world. I would also like for our city to not be stereotyped as a redneck or backwoods place. We are not all cowboys here.

If you don't want Houston to become sterotyped as being redneck or backwoods then getting another suburb aint the way to go. Building within the city and I suggest more specifically in the inner loop is the key. Making it even more dense. Trust me outside the inner loop Houston has so much unused space that i'm sure they can fill up with some new but unique looking neigborhoods. And this all land that is still within the city limits.

[AmberAzeneth]

What is the obsession with the inner loop? Everybody's life does not revolve around the inner loop or downtown area. Why should adding more density to the inner loop make this a stronger city? My life, being my family and work, encompasses more than just the inner loop. I want to see the entire city, county, and metro area grow stronger as a whole.

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by amberazeneth

What is the obsession with the inner loop?

Well Amber, think about it this way.

These things are all in Inner Loop:
- Theater District
- Half of Uptown
- Downtown Houston
- Greenway Plaza
- Texas Medical Center
- Museum District
- Midtown
- Neartown
- The main colleges/universities in Houston (Rice, UH, St. Thomas, etc)

Furthermore the extension of the Light Rail Lines are all inside of the Inner Loop of Houston. The Inner Loop of Houston functions as the city of Houston. Because that was the original city of Houston, and also where the 713 Area Code originated from. Think about it this way, besides Energy Corridor & Westchase, almost all of Houston's employment areas are within Inner Loop.

Almost all of Houston's entertainment amenities are inside of Inner Loop. Almost all of Houston's companies are based within Inner Loop.
Inner Loop is the closest Texas has to a real dense and urban city. And it has arguably the best infrastructure in the state in terms of roads and whatnot.

That's why there's so much talk about the Inner Loop. Because the entire 6 Million + Metropolitan Area revolves around our financial center and that being the Inner Loop of Houston.

There are so many great things outside of Inner Loop, I personally enjoy the areas of the Outer Loop more. Kemah, Galveston, The Woodlands, Katy, Memorial City Area, all being areas of the city I enjoy spending more time in than the Inner Loop. So no, the Inner Loop isn't the end all and be all for Houston but its definitely the big dog on campus.

The Inner Loop is Washington DC, and everything else is Maryland & Northern Virginia. Both Maryland & Northern Virginia have very affluent areas in suburban Washington DC, like Tyson's Corner, Bresthada, Silver Spring, Arlington, Alexandria, and the likes. Those are very affluent upon themselves, but the District of Columbia is still the big dog on campus when it comes to their metropolitan area. That's what Inner Loop is for Houston.

Originally Posted by amberazeneth

Why should adding more density to the inner loop make this a stronger city?

Well its not that. Its just that Inner Loop has more credit going into being a urban area. Outer Loop is prevalent with single family housing and low density areas and areas where pedestrian friendliness isn't possible because of the type of development. The Inner Loop minimizes that and has more mixed use areas, more walkable areas, and way more pedestrian friendly areas served by public transportation.

Originally Posted by amberazeneth

My life, being my family and work, encompasses more than just the inner loop. I want to see the entire city, county, and metro area grow stronger as a whole.

I agree, I would love to see that too. But I think of Houston as an option.

It unlike many cities in the country truly CAN have the best of both worlds if it builds itself right starting now. It can be an extremely urban and dense place & at the same time it can be a extremely family friendly and low density and more spacious place.

I think I like the idea of Inner Loop becoming the real city of Houston, the urban and dense area, so it gives those wanting to live the city life the option of living there and having the city like amenities they would want from a big city.

But at the same time the Outer Loop would leave so many the option of being near the city without being in a suburb, and enjoying a spacious and comfortable family lifestyle rather than a crammed and urban lifestyle.

I think that's the beauty of it, two very different lifestyles in one big city. Houston is becoming a stronger city, and its doing it in a way that its making a lot of people happier as a whole.