From Chicago to Houston (Spring, Center: live, price, bus)

[tntgirl712]

I agree with the choices mentioned below. I've lived in West End where Washington Street is and now I live in East End and am happier here. I like the family/community feel of my neighborhood and enjoy being so close to downtown to enjoy the downtown festivities. Montrose and Midtown sound like a better choice for you.

Originally Posted by Hawk11ns

Girl you better get the City Life mentality out of your head if you are moving to Houston. The only really walkable streets are downtown and they are only busy Monday through Friday 8AM - 5PM.

The good news is that there are lots of upscale bars and lounges, predominantly on Washington street. We also have all sorts of great cuisines to choose from.

If you are looking for a plce to live in which you will be surrounded by young professionals like yourself then you should stick to Midtown and Montrose. Actually anywhere south of I-10 (except the heights which is a good area) but north of 59S and in between 610 and 45S would be great.

[worldlyman]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Houston and the South in general is not very Single friendly. Southern culture does not promote the single life. Most people get married and have children early. They seem to marry their high school or college fling. The strong Evangelical environment promotes early marriage. And the non-Evangelicals seems to marry early too. In addition, it can be very difficult to penetrate the cliquish like nature of the area as people will know people from the fraternities or sorrorities at nearby Texas universities. Greek life is really big in Southern culture and socializing even among adults. It's definitely not like NY, Chicago, L.A., Boston, Philly, Miami, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, and Portland with regard to dating and the single life.

Houston has night life but it's not the same type of night life elsewhere because they are full of couples. The bars and clubs themselves are really nice and upscale but the scene and culture is not the same.

Since when has modern-day Houston been "southern culture?"

People from ALL OVER THE WORLD have lived in H-town for quite a few decades now. Transplants and transients aplenty...and for awhile.

Seattle and Portland tend to have colder people, especially Portland. If your'e not white...you get looked down on in "liberal" Portland, OR. Houston is MUCH LESS judgemental than that...considering the diversity that has to be dealt with here.

Houston is much more diverse than San Diego, Portland and Phoenix. And you know what? As much as I like Phoenix...talk about transplanted Midwestern whitebread culture to the desert! San Diego is a military frat town full of buzz cut boys. Worse than Houston when it comes to singles life. I lived out in San Diego for four years.

Alas, you won't really find those late night Middle Eastern and Asian hangouts in "hip" Portland, Phoenix...ahem, like you do in Houston.

Houston's night life is not drastically different than those other cites. It has mulitple geographic energy spots ala L.A. (more so than San Diego and Portland and Phoenix). Houston also shuts it down at 2:00 am just like California cities, apart from the after hours spots (yes, Houston has those too...).

Houston is "evangelical" despite the multitude of gay bars, Muslim mosques and Buddhist temples? Leave it to certain Houston-bashers to use outdated make believe stereotypes.

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by worldlyman

Since when has modern-day Houston been "southern culture?"

People from ALL OVER THE WORLD have lived in H-town for quite a few decades now. Transplants and transients aplenty...and for awhile.

Seattle and Portland tend to have colder people, especially Portland. If your'e not white...you get looked down on in "liberal" Portland, OR. Houston is MUCH LESS judgemental than that...considering the diversity that has to be dealt with here.

Houston is much more diverse than San Diego, Portland and Phoenix. And you know what? As much as I like Phoenix...talk about transplanted Midwestern whitebread culture to the desert! San Diego is a military frat town full of buzz cut boys. Worse than Houston when it comes to singles life. I lived out in San Diego for four years.

Alas, you won't really find those late night Middle Eastern and Asian hangouts in "hip" Portland, Phoenix...ahem, like you do in Houston.

Houston's night life is not drastically different than those other cites. It has mulitple geographic energy spots ala L.A. (more so than San Diego and Portland and Phoenix). Houston also shuts it down at 2:00 am just like California cities, apart from the after hours spots (yes, Houston has those too...).

Houston is "evangelical" despite the multitude of gay bars, Muslim mosques and Buddhist temples? Leave it to certain Houston-bashers to use outdated make believe stereotypes.

Thanks You!

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by worldlyman

Since when has modern-day Houston been "southern culture?"

Since when has it not?

Alas, you won't really find those late night Middle Eastern and Asian hangouts in "hip" Portland, Phoenix...ahem, like you do in Houston.

Really? We have those in Phoenix and to be honest, most large metropolitan cities have those hangouts. How does having these make Houston less Southern?

Houston's night life is not drastically different than those other cites. It has mulitple geographic energy spots ala L.A. (more so than San Diego and Portland and Phoenix). Houston also shuts it down at 2:00 am just like California cities, apart from the after hours spots (yes, Houston has those too...).

Houston doesn't remotely approach L.A. in terms of culture, appearance, or night life for many reasons including its geography, culture, city structure etc. Phoenix is much more similar to L.A. than Houston because the culture, geography and structure is similar. Houston is closer to Dallas and New Orleans than L.A. with regarding to night life.

Houston is "evangelical" despite the multitude of gay bars, Muslim mosques and Buddhist temples? Leave it to certain Houston-bashers to use outdated make believe stereotypes.

Are you denying Houston's Evangelical presence? I'm sorry but I guess everyone imagined Joel Osteen preaching at a former NBA stadium to a congregation each week in Houston. Houston is considered the megachurch capital of the United States.

Houston Tops List of Mega Churches (http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/faith/100915-houston-tops-list-of-mega-churches - broken link)

No one is bashing Houston. Saying Houston is Southern is not bashing it and it's sad that you think it is. Most people from Houston are proud of it's Southern heritage and legacy. Houston is a large and successful metropolitan city that also happens to be Southern. There is nothing wrong with that. Houston is a great city but it's clear you are ashamed of Houston's southern culture and traditions and are in denial.

[tebor79]

Houston may lead in mega churches. But we also lead in strip clubs, 24hr massage parlors, and illegal gaming rooms(my girl won $120 last week).

I don't know a single friend or coworker that attends church services.

[David Dollar]

Originally Posted by tebor79

Houston may lead in mega churches. But we also lead in strip clubs, 24hr massage parlors, and illegal gaming rooms(my girl won $120 last week).

I don't know a single friend or coworker that attends church services.

My friends that go to church are the SAME ones that hit up the massage parlors. I don't like either.

[nana053]

Houston is Evangelical, despite many other influences. I have lived in many other places and religion was never an issue. Here in the Houston area, the first question you get when you meet people is *what church do you go to?* While I do think this area can be accepting of differences, this is the only place we have lived where my Hindu dil was told she was going to hell and where the children at my granddaughter's public school bus stop had a prayer circle in the morning targeting bring her to Christianity. She was 5 years old at the time.

[swanstone1]

Originally Posted by nana053

Houston is Evangelical, despite many other influences. I have lived in many other places and religion was never an issue. Here in the Houston area, the first question you get when you meet people is *what church do you go to?* While I do think this area can be accepting of differences, this is the only place we have lived where my Hindu dil was told she was going to hell and where the children at my granddaughter's public school bus stop had a prayer circle in the morning targeting bring her to Christianity. She was 5 years old at the time.

Exactly! It all depends on which building you sit in on a Sunday( remember you can STILL sit in a garage and it doesn't make you a car). I noticed the hypocrisy prior to moving away and that was a huge factor for leaving my entire family/friend basis. Houston is NOT what it was in the people dapartment. I appreciate diversity just not hypocrisy.

[checkingus]

- People usually don't walk in Houston (with the exception of downtown area, and that is nothing compared to other cities. You definitely need a car in houston, as the public transportation is next to non-existance).
- It is mostly hot throughout the year with humidity.
- I have seen chicago, and I have to say the eatery in Chicago is far more better than in houston. There are a lot of eateries here, but they all taste the same to me.

- Depending on your background, Houston can be a place to succeed or fail. come for a visit for a week or few days and see the gest of it ( things are cheap here so, it won't cost you much to stay and look around)

[worldlyman]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Since when has it not?

Really? We have those in Phoenix and to be honest, most large metropolitan cities have those hangouts. How does having these make Houston less Southern?

Houston doesn't remotely approach L.A. in terms of culture, appearance, or night life for many reasons including its geography, culture, city structure etc. Phoenix is much more similar to L.A. than Houston because the culture, geography and structure is similar. Houston is closer to Dallas and New Orleans than L.A. with regarding to night life.

Are you denying Houston's Evangelical presence? I'm sorry but I guess everyone imagined Joel Osteen preaching at a former NBA stadium to a congregation each week in Houston. Houston is considered the megachurch capital of the United States.

Houston Tops List of Mega Churches (http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/faith/100915-houston-tops-list-of-mega-churches - broken link)

No one is bashing Houston. Saying Houston is Southern is not bashing it and it's sad that you think it is. Most people from Houston are proud of it's Southern heritage and legacy. Houston is a large and successful metropolitan city that also happens to be Southern. There is nothing wrong with that. Houston is a great city but it's clear you are ashamed of Houston's southern culture and traditions and are in denial.

Joel Osteen is but one type of presence. He and other "mega churches" do not in any way diminish the multitude of varying other faiths that exist here in Houston.

Houston may have been "Southern" LONG AGO but you make NO convincing argument as to why it is so in the present day. The Houston that I experience from day to day has pho, pupeserias, Pakistanis, and SO many people of multi-ethnicity this simply cannot be called "Southern."

Sure we can get some grits and po-boys here and there. But that doesn't make Houston "Southern" on that alone.

And ah, no. You do not find these multitudes of items in Phoenix compared to Houston. It is vastly a whitebread oriented place compared to Houston. How many Pinoy cafes exist in Greater Phoenix compared to Greater Houston? C'mon, quick now...how many Pakistani halal shops exist in Phoenix compared to Houston? How many Salvadoran pupuerias?

Houston is 30% white, 30% black, 30% Latino and 10% everyone else. Excuse me? That is represenative of an "Evangelical" city?

Those deluded Houston-bashers.

When Houston is dismissed as "Southern" it is bashing, a form of condescension.

Houston is indeed similar to LA in multi-culture. Those late night Asian hangouts, the low-rider culture, the wanna be materialists...no, not too different than L.A. Vaquero culture has great expression in BOTH Houston and Los Angeles that does NOT exist in the likes of Seattle, San Diego, Phoenix, Portland and whatever. Get over it. Houston and LA do have overlapping aspects in common, for better or worse, compared to other metros in the US.

We just don't have Hollywood. Not that we need that here.