moved in a week ago, my experiences and a few Q's (Houston: loan, new home)

[jilliannie]

Well I moved earlier than expected in a garage apt in Montrose month2month until I find something more permanent. I start work next week & I did a lot of exploring the inner loop. First the area I live is just like the data in here said, I'd say around me the residents I've met so far are actually about 90% white, hipsters & yuppies & affluence but otherwise not diverse. During the daytime it really is diverse-- they look like either loiterers or suburban commuters. I finally met a Facebook friend at a dive bar on Saturday and had a good time relaxing & absorbing the vibe, but one thing that struck me as odd was this group of young couples (all white) behind us making muffled jokes about "fudge packers." Whoa! Is this a common thing After reading such great stuff on here I never would've expected hearing this!! But overall coming from a smallish southern town I must say it is still a cool area, the most urban I've ever experienced.

So anyway monday I spend the day trying to experience more diverse inner-loop cultures, ignoring what someone told me about being crazy. I went east looking for some hip A.A. or even Caribbean style markets or shops and all I saw was pawn shops, fast food, dollar stores, auto shops, loan sharks and rows and rows of dilapidated houses. Yuck! I got down for quick bite and I almost got robbed! This scary-aggressive, smelly guy needed gas money and wouldn't stop following me! Fortunately I wasn't hurt but I quickly got the h-e-l-l out of there and went even further east, looking for some farmers markets on cobblestone streets like they have in Mexico. All I really saw was the same kind of rundown junk but with a few more local businesses. I found this pretty cool meateria / fruiteria but no one in there spoke English and they all seemed very hostile! When I checked out, a handful of people cut in line in front of me and couldn't understand what I was telling them!! Just wow! So I decided to just go back to my new home, and felt immediately more comfortable. I know last time I asked to be immersed in true diversity away from too many white people but this isn't what I was expecting at all!* You'll*NEVER AGAIN hear me say anything about the inner loop being so deeply segregated LOL. It appears about half of the inner loop needs to be TOTALLY cleaned up.

Anyway Saturday I overheard*something about the*Harwin markets and Chinatown being pretty cool, very diverse,*but my friend*is telling*me it is lame and it's also in the suburbs so I don't know if I should visit.* Do you guys think it's worth checking out?* Am I going to be robbed or treated with hostility and disrespect*here too, or be dealing with a bunch of icky kids and their selfish parents?* Because if so I'd rather just hang out here until I have to start work.* Thanks.

[jilliannie]

Sorry I dont know what happened with all those astericks above.

[TFW46]

I live three blocks from the large Chinatown mall. Chinatown is a great place to shop, as is the Harwin market area. If you go to the Harwin area, be sure to go in broad daylight and -- as anywhere -- watch your purse.

[Houston321]

Wow, sounds like you should move back ASAP.

[MobileDave]

You should go check out Pasadena south of 225... You will swear you just step into Mexico. It has a busy small town feel unlike the rest of Houston, kinda like stepping back in time.

I always think it's funny when people from smaller towns think their towns aren't deserve enough and then move to a city that's 28.2% white and get a culture shock.

[Lost_In_Translation]

*facepalm* carribean style markets? did you also expect street musicians on every corner playing calypso or street vendors walking around with carts selling bananas? You must come from a small town. Houston is not Jamaica or a resort town in Mexico. We don't have tourists coming to town to peruse open air markets. You thought a little white girl would be welcomed in the ghettos with open arms, even if you didn't speak spanish? Well I hope you've learned your lesson. Try and listen to some experienced houstonians before you venture out again. Atleast you stayed in the loop and didn't venture to south park or sunnyside.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by MobileDave

You should go check out Pasadena south of 225... You will swear you just step into Mexico. It has a busy small town feel unlike the rest of Houston, kinda like stepping back in time.

I always think it's funny when people from smaller towns think their towns aren't deserve enough and then move to a city that's 22.8% white and get a culture shock.

Pasadena's not bad, but her lack of spanish will probably **** more people off down there too.

[14Bricks]

Originally Posted by jilliannie

Well I moved earlier than expected in a garage apt in Montrose month2month until I find something more permanent. I start work next week & I did a lot of exploring the inner loop. First the area I live is just like the data in here said, I'd say around me the residents I've met so far are actually about 90% white, hipsters & yuppies & affluence but otherwise not diverse. During the daytime it really is diverse-- they look like either loiterers or suburban commuters. I finally met a Facebook friend at a dive bar on Saturday and had a good time relaxing & absorbing the vibe, but one thing that struck me as odd was this group of young couples (all white) behind us making muffled jokes about "fudge packers." Whoa! Is this a common thing After reading such great stuff on here I never would've expected hearing this!! But overall coming from a smallish southern town I must say it is still a cool area, the most urban I've ever experienced.

So anyway monday I spend the day trying to experience more diverse inner-loop cultures, ignoring what someone told me about being crazy. I went east looking for some hip A.A. or even Caribbean style markets or shops and all I saw was pawn shops, fast food, dollar stores, auto shops, loan sharks and rows and rows of dilapidated houses. Yuck! I got down for quick bite and I almost got robbed! This scary-aggressive, smelly guy needed gas money and wouldn't stop following me! Fortunately I wasn't hurt but I quickly got the h-e-l-l out of there and went even further east, looking for some farmers markets on cobblestone streets like they have in Mexico. All I really saw was the same kind of rundown junk but with a few more local businesses. I found this pretty cool meateria / fruiteria but no one in there spoke English and they all seemed very hostile! When I checked out, a handful of people cut in line in front of me and couldn't understand what I was telling them!! Just wow! So I decided to just go back to my new home, and felt immediately more comfortable. I know last time I asked to be immersed in true diversity away from too many white people but this isn't what I was expecting at all!* You'll*NEVER AGAIN hear me say anything about the inner loop being so deeply segregated LOL. It appears about half of the inner loop needs to be TOTALLY cleaned up.

Anyway Saturday I overheard*something about the*Harwin markets and Chinatown being pretty cool, very diverse,*but my friend*is telling*me it is lame and it's also in the suburbs so I don't know if I should visit.* Do you guys think it's worth checking out?* Am I going to be robbed or treated with hostility and disrespect*here too, or be dealing with a bunch of icky kids and their selfish parents?* Because if so I'd rather just hang out here until I have to start work.* Thanks.

You wanted a urban and diverse environment and you got it, and now your whining about. Just go ahead and move to the suburbs and quit fooling yourself. As far as Caribbean and Black resturants and shops they're spread out all through the city. And China town and Harwin are not in the suburbs.

[travelguy_73]

I think this happens to a lot of new people who move to a city, wanting to experience what they define as a "diverse lifestyle." The reality of any city that isn't all about putting on a show for tourists is that diversity means different ways of living, and those ways don't always reconcile with our perception. So dilapidated houses, taquerias that don't look safe to order from, and people who look at your suspiciously, is par for the course. It took me a while to get used to, and I still don't always like it, but I want to live inside the loop, and this is part of that experience.

I will be more positive than the other posters and encourage you to explore more, but maybe with a little more realistic view. Houston, like most large cities, can be dirty and gritty. There are TONS of great things about the city, lots of pockets of cool, hip, and curturally interesting. But with a city of this size, just driving around and exploring will give you limited results, because you might waste a lot of time in the wrong areas. Where I live, east of downtown, is definitely diverse and has a wide range of people from different walks of life and incomes. But go 10 blocks from my neighborhood, and it gets sketchy. And so if you are in that 10 blocks, you will think that is what the entire area is like. Make sense?

So keep it up, but be smarter about it and do some research before heading out.

[kreeyax]

Welcome to Houston, jilliannie!