Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You agreed with my statement of the conservative suburbia types that desire the fake, manufactured, bland type of entertainment centers that developers in Houston have mastered and Houston has a large proportion of these conservative suburbia types? well then we do indeed agree.
I value the views which you say are "liberal" and that 'dalparadise' mentioned. But I have the unfortunate flaw of the conservative mindset, which is to put value over desires. I am sure it will prove me well in the future, when I'm married and have kids.
But as a young college grad, this Houston suburbia "haven" is just pathetic, and unfortunately most yuppie's in my situation are all too happy getting drunk on the weekends and spending their money on apartments with amenities they dont need, trucks they can barely fit in a garage et al. to really see Houston for what it is.
And I'm not saying I'm better than them, in fact I sometimes envy that type of ignorance, who wouldn't want to mindlessly spend money, and be unaware of the larger, unoriginal, and vanilla societal changes that are happening in Houston?
"There is nothing as safe as ignorance, or as dangerous." ~Nero Wolfe
No, I was agreeing that you see things from a liberal point of view. Nothing wrong with that. It is what it is. But this is kind of sad. Seriously. Why don't you move? You say you put value over desires but wtf. The only alternatives are not NY or SF. Jesus son, there is a lot of land out there in good old USA. You really need to get out and travel more. There are many great places to live in this country. It's not NY or Houston.
And what is the deal with this anger? You keep saying this over and over that surburbia is pathetic. Then you even trash the young crowd that lives in the loop. Are you OK? I don't get the hostility. Look, Houston is not trying to be bland. The problem is Houston is growing so fast that people are just building to keep up. So everything is new and sterile looking. Most of the northeast is built out. Those cities are 100's of years old. Houston is really only a few decades old for the most part. Atlanta and Charlotte and even Nashville have the same issue. These cities experienced urban flight from the north and had to grow very fast to adjust. Most cities grow slowly over decades. Houston had no such luxury. I don't think this is a bad thing. I just am puzzled by the hatred over the lack of civil engineering. It baffles me. It really does.
I've stayed in Houston for 4 years. Have you ever been to the Bay Area?
To say the Bay Area and Houston are equal in culture and activities is ludicrous and the density and transportation amplify it. You are in some ignorant minority if you think otherwise.
You too. Why do you live in Houston? No, I'm really curious. I'm fascinated by the idea that one would choose to live in an area they hate so much. This is not China. The US is very mobile. You can pick up and leave anytime. It's not hard. What's holding you back? Houston must have a really powerful pull on you guys that you still choose to live here even though you hate it. That's about the best endorsement you can give ironically enough. LOL.
I've stayed in Houston for 4 years. Have you ever been to the Bay Area?
To say the Bay Area and Houston are equal in culture and activities is ludicrous and the density and transportation amplify it. You are in some ignorant minority if you think otherwise.
Yeah, been to the Bay area...... more than you have most likely. The only difference is that you have to drive to them in Houston, although light rail has made slow strides. The inner loop area is becoming very expensive as many people are moving closer to the city center so they don't have to commute. The outer areas are still growing fast though as well
The cultural amenities and activities are equal, yes, in truth. The density is not there for the reasons I stated before, although it is becoming more dense
I love this post, this ideology and mindset is hard for people in the south used to living in large houses and driving everywhere to really understand. But since you're the writer, you were able to put the intangibles in words.
And I find it pathetic and somewhat appalling when Houston tries to build these shopping/entertainment centers to imitate that feel and that vibe. And what irks me the most is the fact that the "conservative suburbia" types love to go to these places, hence why they are full every weekend. I guess these types of people are ok with the imitated feel of the city whereas a liberal would scoff at anything that is built to imitate something else and would find large parts of Houston pathetic and plain.
Why does this appall you? Would you prefer that Houston have nothing for it's people to enjoy? Houston is not as old as many cities around the country and world and we have to start somewhere. Without all those new entertainment and shopping centers we would have very few places to go to for shopping and entertainment. 4 million people can't frequent shopping and entertainment that was built pre 1950.
It's odd that you think it's pathetic for people to want to go out and enjoy what's around them just because it's not old and in the center of the city.
We all don't have to enjoy what you think is ok for us to enjoy.
I really don't care where I go to have my fun just as long as I'm with good friends and there is good food, drinks, and music to enjoy. Whether it's new or old really doesn't make a difference.
I love this post, this ideology and mindset is hard for people in the south used to living in large houses and driving everywhere to really understand. But since you're the writer, you were able to put the intangibles in words.
And I find it pathetic and somewhat appalling when Houston tries to build these shopping/entertainment centers to imitate that feel and that vibe. And what irks me the most is the fact that the "conservative suburbia" types love to go to these places, hence why they are full every weekend. I guess these types of people are ok with the imitated feel of the city whereas a liberal would scoff at anything that is built to imitate something else and would find large parts of Houston pathetic and plain.
My GOD that mentality is quite annoying. Sorry man but it is. I don't expect every other city in America to be a mini version of NYC,SF,Boston or insert any other urbanites favorite American city. I take whatever the city has to offer and enjoy it the best way possible. I'm glad cities offer their own little flair that's what makes these cities unique. If every major city in America were to mirror SF or NYC then those cities you love wouldn't stand out so much. I'm not religious but I wouldn't go to a church and complain that their talking about Jesus too much. I'm already knowing what i'm in store for so I'll take it for what it is and then some more.
You too. Why do you live in Houston? No, I'm really curious. I'm fascinated by the idea that one would choose to live in an area they hate so much. This is not China. The US is very mobile. You can pick up and leave anytime. It's not hard. What's holding you back? Houston must have a really powerful pull on you guys that you still choose to live here even though you hate it. That's about the best endorsement you can give ironically enough. LOL.
I don't live in Houston I went to school there. I find it silly that you think someone has to hate Houston to point out that the Bay Area has a better quality of life if money isn't your biggest concern.
Location: Baghdad by the Bay (San Francisco, California)
3,530 posts, read 5,138,083 times
Reputation: 3145
It's not crazy, naive or asinine to prefer Houston over NYC or SF. But, finding them equal in any way shape or form is. They are very different. Personal preferences will always differ. Having lived in Houston, Dallas and now SF, I greatly prefer San Francisco. Dallas and Houston are very much alike. I prefer Houston when comparing those two and am fine with the knowledge that none of my opinions has any bearing on anyone else's.
I don't live in Houston I went to school there. I find it silly that you think someone has to hate Houston to point out that the Bay Area has a better quality of life if money isn't your biggest concern.
I never said the bay area did not offer a high quality of life. I said it wasn't worth the price. I still believe that. You keep misquoting me. So where do you live now?
It's not crazy, naive or asinine to prefer Houston over NYC or SF. But, finding them equal in any way shape or form is. They are very different. Personal preferences will always differ. Having lived in Houston, Dallas and now SF, I greatly prefer San Francisco. Dallas and Houston are very much alike. I prefer Houston when comparing those two and am fine with the knowledge that none of my opinions has any bearing on anyone else's.
I'm really curious about something. When you and your wife decided to leave Houston for Dallas, why not Austin? Austin is very liberal. Has beautiful hill country. Has a walkable downtown if you chose to live downtown. God knows it has great music. You have the UT there for all sorts of arts and cultural activities. But you chose Dallas? Why? I mean even I know that Dallas and Houston are practically twin brothers despite what all the locals here think. Hell, Dallas is more conservative then Houston. Why on Earth not give Austin a shot? It's way more creative for writers such as yourself. You seem like too smart of a guy to make this mistake. So what gives?
Location: Baghdad by the Bay (San Francisco, California)
3,530 posts, read 5,138,083 times
Reputation: 3145
Austin isn't very liberal, actually. It is for Texas, I suppose, but by California standards, I'd put it back in the Sacramento range. I don't move for politics, anyway, remember?
I actually moved to Dallas right before I got married. I moved for a really good job opportunity, but missed Houston and started plotting my exit strategy out of Dallas after about a year.
When i made it back to Houston, my future wife was living in Austin and we spent quite a bit of time there while we were dating. There was a time when every weekend, I would drive to Austin on Friday evening and drive back to Houston for work Monday morning. Austin is nice, but it's a pretty small town for my tastes. I really prefer large city life and despite what you mention, Austin's cultural and lifestyle options are not very refined or varied. It's more of a place for 20-somethings to me and plays well with those "frat boys" you enjoy so much. Houston and Dallas both offer much more in terms of broad professional opportunities, though, if an advertising writer can find his way into the "Austin clique" there is a chance for better exposure there, than in Houston. You have to be willing to work for very little pay for awhile to do this, because the market is limited and thus, competitive, while UT continues to churn out new job seekers. Dallas is a much better market than either Houston or Austin for creative advertising work, but was a tough place to live, offering very few changes or improvements over Houston in terms of quality of life. Sadly, as a native Texan and world traveler for more than 25 of my 42 years, I confidently say that no Texas city meets my standards of urban lifestyle. Not even a little bit.
I have dreamed about living in SF since I was about 15. There is no place like it in the country and only 2-3 cities in the world compare favorably in my eyes. By any measure I can consider, it is worth the price I pay, not because I'm justifying my decision to move here, but because after more than a year I still ride the cable car every night just to hear and feel the vibe of the city. I still walk aimlessly through different neighborhoods, just to get to know them. I still dig into city politics to learn topics for debates with coworkers and people I meet at cafes. I still jump in the car on a whim and drive to Big Sur or Wine Country. I still get jazzed to walk to Giants games and love how the whole city seems to shut down for Opening Day and playoff games--that's another thing--SF is a baseball town. Most people from Texas don't understand why this is a big deal or even how it's different from being a "sports town".
I know it's hard for a numbers guy to understand, but I really love it here. This city becomes part of people who love it in ways that only a few cities seem to ever do. You, in fact, live in Chicago, which I consider to be one of those places (though perhaps to a lesser degree than many others). Strangers instantly have a story about these cities when you mention where you live. It's usually a romantic one or a recount of one of the best times of their lives. This happened to me while showing my ID at Hobby Airport over the recent holiday. The lady checking me in at Southwest saw my address and just gushed about wanting to move to SF and her many trips here.
In the end, I chose to be in Houston for so long, even though it didn't suit me, because my friends were there. They are still the biggest part of the city I miss. If I had a family, it would be hard to imagine a much better place to live than Texas. As a proud liberal DINK, however, it misses on too many measures for me to be happy there. I wouldn't change a thing about my 20+ year journey, though--which must be a pretty good endorsement for Houston after all, right?
Last edited by dalparadise; 11-28-2012 at 07:17 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
