Is Houston really that bad? (Dallas: place to live, zoning, law)

[jfre81]

Yes it is really that bad. It's hot, it's humid, there's nothing to do but sit in a lot of traffic to go through to get to nowhere. You could drive around on the freeways and look at billboards because you wouldn't want to do something uncool like exiting and actually exploring the city or something like that. How lame. Go to the Galleria, sit on the West Loop for a half hour and at Westheimer/Post Oak for another half-hour and then do the same thing when you leave for the airport. There. You've been to Houston, and it's just as boring as you are.

But if, perchance, you're not boring, stick around and check things out a little more...

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Bike4Life

But some or more like most people make the mistake of saying, "Wow!, I can buy a 4,000square foot home in the suburbs!?" and then spend the rest of their lives spending 10 hours a week on the road-rage.

Two things:

* Traffic could be much worse to deal with, whether slower or more reckless, and is in several cities in this country.

* In CA people buy 1,000 sq ft homes in the suburbs for more than McMansions here, and spend 15 hrs a week on the road-rage. Is that life in sprawl-city or is it a mistake?

[stoneclaw]

Big cities in general are not known to be beautiful.

Could someone for me name 1 large U.S. city that is beautiful besides San Fransisco and Seatlle?

[tstone]

Originally Posted by C2H (ComingtoHouston)

Big cities in general are not known to be beautiful.

Could someone for me name 1 large U.S. city that is beautiful besides San Fransisco and Seatlle?

San Diego.

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by tstone

San Diego.

Well California is known for its beauty and great weather. That's why its so hellified expensive. Can anyone think of any other cities in any other state besides in CA that are known for their beauty?

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by kikanakala

I think Austin is a much more attractive city than Houston. Orlando is nice. I hate arguing this side of the Houston debate, because I love the city, and I love living here. But I can't agree that most other cities are equally unattractive. There are areas of Houston that you can go and say "Now THIS is pretty", but there are cities where you can go and say the same thing about a lot more than just a couple of areas.

Austin may be a fairly big city but its not a metropolis like Houston so that doesn't count to me. Is Dallas considered a beautiful city? To me its just like Houston but doesn't get ragged on as much.

[kikanakala]

Woops, trying to edit, but deleted accidentally.

[kikanakala]

Originally Posted by C2H (ComingtoHouston)

Austin may be a fairly big city but its not a metropolis like Houston so that doesn't count to me. Is Dallas considered a beautiful city? To me its just like Houston but doesn't get ragged on as much.

I don't think Dallas is a "beautiful" city, but I do think it's more attractive than Houston. I still get the feeling of being attacked by billboards when driving through Dallas, but there don't seem to be as many of the strip malls, and it seems more compact and just feels cleaner. To me, Houston looks like when they were building it, they bulldozed all the trees as far as they could see and laid concrete, giant parking lots, and identical flat square buildings in all the areas around downtown. I think all the concrete makes it feel even hotter and dirtier.

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by kikanakala

I don't think Dallas is a "beautiful" city, but I do think it's more attractive than Houston. I still get the feeling of being attacked by billboards when driving through Dallas, but there don't seem to be as many of the strip malls, and it seems more compact and just feels cleaner. To me, Houston looks like when they were building it, they bulldozed all the trees as far as they could see and laid concrete, giant parking lots, and identical flat square buildings in all the areas around downtown. I think all the concrete makes it feel even hotter and dirtier.

Dallas probably is cleaner but I take it you've neevr been to South Dallas/Oak Cliffe areas. Very dirty, ghetto, and unattractive.

Since we're talking about cleanliness, Houston's streetscape is cleaner than New York, Philly, and Chicago. Are those cities considered ugly? They probably are but people play favorites to those cities because those cities are recognized more and held at higher status.

[Wysiwyg]

Originally Posted by C2H (ComingtoHouston)

Dallas probably is cleaner but I take it you've neevr been to South Dallas/Oak Cliffe areas. Very dirty, ghetto, and unattractive.

Since we're talking about cleanliness, Houston's streetscape is cleaner than New York, Philly, and Chicago. Are those cities considered ugly? They probably are but people play favorites to those cities because those cities are recognized more and held at higher status.

well to be fair, NYC has way more visitors/tourist/walkers(as opposed to drivers) that fill the streets (and drop a few things), way more street fairs and parades. more shops, convenience stores, retails/wholesale stores, street vendors, warehouses, 'fashion district' and every thing that defines 'the city that never sleeps'. you got more receipts, plastic bags, confetti, napkins, coffee cups, chewing gum etc. and weather also promotes eating while walking, coffee/dining on sidewalks, coffee/breakfast on the go, eating at the building facade.
if you focus on the cause of the mess, things by the gutter don't really mean dirtiness but liveliness.