Anyone from NY that has moved to Houston and really like it ? (Galveston: transplants, crime)

[NY2788]

I will like to get some feedbacks from people that have moved from NY to Houston and has liked it or not? and why?

I would really appreciate any points of views

Thanks

[jpimus]

Originally Posted by NY2788

I will like to get some feedbacks from people that have moved from NY to Houston and has liked it or not? and why?

I would really appreciate any points of views

Thanks

I moved to Houston from Brookyln in 2007. My opinion of Houston is just that and I do not want try to discourage anyone from making a move in their lives to better themselves. My experiences in Houston have been slightly tilted to the negative side. I liked it my first year, but after about 18 months I really started to miss the northeast. I am currently in the process on trying to move back to Brooklyn or Connecticut.

Here are my negatives.

1. Weather. Kiss having four distinct seasons goodbye. It's hot and hotter and it is arguably the most humid and sticky part of the country. I find it very difficult to enjoy the outdoors from mid April to mid November. During the summer months (May through October) it is usually 100 degrees EVERYDAY and 80-85 at night. It is just brutal.

2, Lack of outdoor diversity. Houston is flat and boring. The gulf is bath water and the water is dirty brown. It is not very pleasant. There really is nothing to do outside in that part of Texas. No hiking, no rivers, no nice beaches. Nothing. Memorial Park is not bad for running when the weather allows it.

3, Lots of crime. You really cannot go anywhere without a strong possibilty of your car being broken into. Lots of drunk driving - most in the country. Lots of gangs and Houston is slowly be swallowed by illegal aliens. There are also a ton of bad areas with many burglaries even in the nicer areas. With the exception of the Memorial Drive area, anything outside the inner loop gets pretty gheto. If you live in an apt complex, your own neighbors will steal your stuff.

4, No mass transit. You have to drive anywhere. Houston is more like a suburb than what most people consider a city. It is the least pedestrian friendly place on the plant.

5, People. I find the people to be rude and for the most part, lack education. Not the brightest. The Medical Center and NASA obviously attract a smart bunch, but other than that I have noticed that customer service and overall kindness is horrible compared to the Northeast. My wife is from Portland, Oregon. She works for Continental and travels all over the country and globe every week. She too says that Houston is by far the rudest place she has been to with possibly the exception of China.

Bottom line is Houston is a working city in a bad location. It lacks history, character and identity It is not the type of place you go to live it up for social and leisure reasons. It is also not the place you move to if you like a mix of nature and the big city life.

POSITIVES

1, Food, the food there is amazing. It as good, if not better than NYC. Very diverse. You can get everything there.

2, Cool sports town, Houston Texans are great.

3, Cheaper cost of living.


Again, this is strictly my opinion. With the exception of the weather, it's all subjective. Just keep in my mind, the Northeast has everything and it is easy to take it for granted. After a few years in Houston, I got a rude awakening as to how nice and attractive the Northeast is from D.C. to Maine. There really is no comparrison.

Feel free to ask me any specific questions.

[crbcrbrgv]

I believe a lot of people from the northeast feel the way jpimus feels about Houston. I also believe that the average Houston native would not care for the northeast either.

They are such different places and if you really are used to one, I would think it would be hard to get used to the other.

[houstonfan]

I'm not from NY but have been ther and other NE areas and while I'd give jpimus most of the points above (not wholeheartedly agree but can definitely see that side of the argument), I'd respectfully disagree with points 3 and 5. It depends on wher you live in houston, but it's not crime ridden city. I used to live in apts for over 3 yrs and never had anything stolen nor damaged. My car was new and parked uncovered and there was never a scratch (no alarm system). I find Houstonians very friendly for the most part, more so that new yorkers. But to compare it to China, well, not even in the same league. I've travelled to many countries and I too think China has the "rudest" people (in context of western manner codes)...they will even elbow you to get out of their walking path or to get to the first pick of the produce stall at the market.

[jpimus]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

I believe a lot of people from the northeast feel the way jpimus feels about Houston. I also believe that the average Houston native would not care for the northeast either.

They are such different places and if you really are used to one, I would think it would be hard to get used to the other.

Agreed. When I was in the police academy, we would have roll call inside if it was below 55 degrees. The Houstonians considered that unbearable cold. I was warm. Go figure.

[jpimus]

Originally Posted by houstonfan

I'm not from NY but have been ther and other NE areas and while I'd give jpimus most of the points above (not wholeheartedly agree but can definitely see that side of the argument), I'd respectfully disagree with points 3 and 5. It depends on wher you live in houston, but it's not crime ridden city. I used to live in apts for over 3 yrs and never had anything stolen nor damaged. My car was new and parked uncovered and there was never a scratch (no alarm system). I find Houstonians very friendly for the most part, more so that new yorkers. But to compare it to China, well, not even in the same league. I've travelled to many countries and I too think China has the "rudest" people (in context of western manner codes)...they will even elbow you to get out of their walking path or to get to the first pick of the produce stall at the market.

Trust me, you have no idea how many burglaries and burglary of a motor vehicle occur everyday. We called it the 17:45 explosion. Everyday at 17:45 hours the calls will be off the hook due to the number of people who just came home to find their homes had been broken into while at work. This was in the Galleria and Memorial area. Westheimer, San Felipe, Old Farm, Woodway, Fountain View it was just endless. Those apts got creamed all of the time. I lived on freaking Woodway and had my car broken into, my wife's car broken into and finally our apt was broken into. All in a ten month timeframe. We then moved into a nice place on Braeswood and that place was broken into as well as our neighbors.

[texas7]

I am a native houstonian but my former in-laws were from Queens. The mother-in-law loved how warm Galveston's water was -- she always wanted to go when she visited. As a native, I can tell you that while I do hear of a lot of crime in Houston and it seems to increasing all the time, only two people that I know personally has ever had their home broken into. When you think of a lifetime spent in a city - that's actually surprising (for any city). I've heard of friends of friends who were broken into but not anyone I know personally other than the two. Now, I found NYers to be extremely rude and still do but I don't know if people are really rude in NY or TX or if is it the way the cultural differences are perceived by the other.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by jpimus

During the summer months (May through October) it is usually 100 degrees EVERYDAY and 80-85 at night. It is just brutal.

So false that it isn't even worth disproving.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

I believe a lot of people from the northeast feel the way jpimus feels about Houston. I also believe that the average Houston native would not care for the northeast either.

I've observed the exact opposite. Most northeastern transplants that I've met and/or have known seem to be doing okay here, and have more positive feelings about Houston than negative.

Also, as a native Houstonian, I'd easily welcome the idea of living in the northeast, most notably NYC and DC. I'm sure that most of my like-minded associates feel the same. The biggest drawback would be the harsher winters and higher COL.

Home is home, and it's a waste of time for someone to wish their new city was more like the one they came from.

[houstonfan]

Originally Posted by jpimus

Trust me, you have no idea how many burglaries and burglary of a motor vehicle occur everyday. We called it the 17:45 explosion. Everyday at 17:45 hours the calls will be off the hook due to the number of people who just came home to find their homes had been broken into while at work. This was in the Galleria and Memorial area. Westheimer, San Felipe, Old Farm, Woodway, Fountain View it was just endless. Those apts got creamed all of the time. I lived on freaking Woodway and had my car broken into, my wife's car broken into and finally our apt was broken into. All in a ten month timeframe. We then moved into a nice place on Braeswood and that place was broken into as well as our neighbors.

Sorry you had to go through all that. No wonder you have such a bad taste in your mouth, I would be bitter too. My friends and i have been fortunate so far, thus no one i know had car/dwelling break ins, even those who lived here more than 30yrs. However, almost 100% of them have been rear ended or involved in accidents, so agree about the bad drivers . The instances I hear about at work were 2 but one had a laptop and the other had tote bags in their car in plain sight. Btw, I never recommend apts on Westheimer, Oldfarm, fountain view and select galleria areas if safety was top concern. But in the last 1 yr, it does seem there has been a huge spike in petty crime around houston when I watch the news....not sure if houston is any worse than other large city though....is it a sign of the time?