Houston is number one! (Austin, China: credit, employment, living)

[DejaBlue]

Niiiiice. Bring on the traffic!

We don't even have enough space on the roads for the people we have here already.

Originally Posted by iamCraigHenry

You know what I find surprising is that some of the richest parts of Houston have the worst streets. Over by the Medical Center, the streets are unbearable. Galleria area and Museum District are just as bad.

Downtown is rebuilding the streets. I walk past the construction ever day.

I know right!?!?! I'm in Memorial here and there and good grief. Some of those richey riches need to donate a million a piece and fix the roads. You leave your $,$$$,$$$ house and hit uneven "fixed" potholes in your Lexus/Mercedes/Audi. Smh.

The Loop is a mess on the roads but all in all SW Houston is a trip. You have to go >20 to save your tires.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by jek74

Sorry to jump in with some facts here. This graphic is from 2003 but the relative differences are likely the same. You will see that Texas has higher literacy rates then NY, CA and FL. Sorry about this.



I'm sure you are smart enough to figure out why all 4 of those states are higher then the rest of the country. If you need help, I'll lend a hand.

I am not sure what that graph proves.

Houston literacy rate too low // thedailycougar.com

For every couple served at a diner, there’s a good chance at least one of the patrons can’t read the menu — Houston’s literacy rate is just under 61 percent.

It’s not a comforting notion — at least it shouldn’t be — and it isn’t helped by the fact that Houston ranks in the bottom half of the nation’s most literate. It fluctuates between the 16th and 62nd spots annually, according to Star Telegram. At the least, Houston is consistent with its inconsistency.

Here is a newer map for functional illiteracy. You can see that the cities tend to have more illiteracy than the entire state though.

More Than a Third of Adults Are Illiterate in Many Cities. What Do We Do? - COLORLINES

Adding in the cities

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01...on-annual.html

Texas has routinely topped the national growth charts, but the Lone Star State's biggest cities are behind the curve in an annual ranking of literacy rates.

Austin (tied with New York City at No. 22) was the only Texas city to crack the top third of the 75 cities ranked in the study of literacy resources by John Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University.

The annual survey of cities of at least 250,000 people focuses on six indicators of literacy: library resources, newspaper circulation, bookstores, publishing resources, educational attainment and Internet resources.

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by Sunderpig

There's no question that the town keeps growing in size (both population and sprawl). But the town hasn't improved in any way over the past decades, other than maybe that the downtown area has been cleaned up. Crime keeps increasing, people have to drive further and further to get to work and home, the illegal population keeps growing and putting a strain on the schools/hospitals/etc., pollution keeps getting worse - just to name a few things.

The "world class" status is only something seen in the eyes of Houstonians, and maybe others in the south. Basically everywhere else, the town is seen as being overly trashy.

Increasing growth does not equal improvement and quality, it just means being bigger (something Texans love). As long as folks are caught up with that, they'll continue to not pay attention to the more significant declines going on all around them.

Yes Crime is still really bad in Houston. Stats wise LA and NYC are relatively safer than Houston.

Most of the crime is not happening in the developed areas though. In fact I always feel safer in the inner loop city limits before the outskirts of Fondren, 290, Clay Road, Northside and Alief.

[jek74]

Originally Posted by nana053

I am not sure what that graph proves.

Houston literacy rate too low // thedailycougar.com



Here is a newer map for functional illiteracy. You can see that the cities tend to have more illiteracy than the entire state though.

More Than a Third of Adults Are Illiterate in Many Cities. What Do We Do? - COLORLINES

Adding in the cities

Texas cities are low on annual literacy list | News | News from Fort Worth, Dallas, Arli...

OK, I'll make the extra step. You do understand that TX has one of the highest illegal immigrant populations in the US right? FL, CA and NY has a lot too which is why I said in my previous post I could explain the pattern if someone needed it. Yes, any state that has large amounts of mexicans who jumped the border and can't read and write, then they are going to bring those numbers down. Also the influx of Katrina evacuees who never lever left Houston are not helping matters. Most of those were not MBA holders you know. If I offend anyone here I apologize in advance, but the highest illiteracy rates in the country are going to be in cities and pockets where there are poor african americans and poor latinos. This is simply a fact. This has nothing to do with Houston. I would challenge you to find the literacy rates of the Woodlands, Plano, Highland Park, Sugarland, Kingwood, etc and compare them to the literacy rates of poor black areas and area with high illegals. This is not just an issue in Houston but ALL large cities in the country which is why NY, CA and FL were ranked worse then TX.

BY no means am I saying we should not try to do something about it. Obviously we need to sit down and have an adult discussion about immigration and how to fix the poor black schools in this country. Here in Chicago there could not be a wider gap between the kids in the white schools on the north side of the city where 95% of the students go on to college compared to the schools in the south side where black kids have a "graduation" rate in many cases less then 35% and were maybe, maybe 1% go on to college.

I was just trying to make clear that this is not a TX problem but rather a socioeconomic issue that spills over into touchy ethnic areas where people here may not want to have a discussion about it.

[velvetj]

The lack of a extensive rail system has retarded this city in a way that we have yet to see fully. One of the BIGGEST failures of the citizens of Houston is constantly voting down rail (for the most part) and voting FOR those who oppose extensive rail for this city. This most recent election was another sickening example of that. Our infrastructure coupled with as many alternatives to the automobile is something this city should have realized years ago. Not being able to envision Houston beyond 2 years from now, and labeling anything that doesn't have a "clearance" price tag as a "waste of tax payer money" has been a low toned killer for Houston in the past 25 years.

IMO, a extensive rail network and a new Theme Park would add so much to our city.

*note* I would also add a resetting of the architectural tone for Houston. QUALITY architectural design is nothing like it used to be here and has taken more than a backseat when designs are considered. Where is all of the beige precast structures going up in downtown Chicago? There are designs chose for Houston that would not even make the consideration list for many major cities. The standard for what is considered acceptable in terms of architecture for Houston (especially in high profile areas) should be raised.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by still_waiting

When are you going to run for Mayor?

Here's my number 1 stalker!! You know we both live in Houston if you want to meet and greet just say the word partner?

[AK123]

Originally Posted by Sunderpig

There's no question that the town keeps growing in size (both population and sprawl). But the town hasn't improved in any way over the past decades, other than maybe that the downtown area has been cleaned up. Crime keeps increasing, people have to drive further and further to get to work and home, the illegal population keeps growing and putting a strain on the schools/hospitals/etc., pollution keeps getting worse - just to name a few things.

The "world class" status is only something seen in the eyes of Houstonians, and maybe others in the south. Basically everywhere else, the town is seen as being overly trashy.

As usual, almost all of what you say is totally untrue.

So you're gone... yet you can't seem to help yourself from coming back to the forum to poo poo some more.

The TRUTH: Compared to "past decades", statistics show crime (specifically murder) is DOWN, pollution is DOWN (air pollution varies year by year but has been on a downward trend), and people only drive further and further because they choose to, mostly due to wanting newer construction homes.

Houston’s murder rate hits historic low in 2011
"Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland Jr. announced a dramatic drop in Houston’s murder rate to the lowest level since 1965 and the lowest per capita rate in the city’s history."

Houston Air Quality | StateImpact Texas
"According to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air 2012 report, Houston’s air quality index has improved slightly from last year, marking the best levels ever recorded in the city since the association first began following them thirteen years ago."

There are new parks and greenspace, billboards are coming down, lots of new construction including live/work centers (e.g. CityCentre, BLVD Place), gentrification of the wards, more transit options... just to name a few. There have been write-ups on national publications about Houston and some of its "world-class" amenities, but we know YOU will never see it as anything other than "overly trashy" because, well, who knows.

I won't argue with you on illegals because I don't know but wouldn't be surprised.

Now go ahead, call me a "mindless Houston booster" and other ridiculousness since I point out reality instead of your warped views and false claims...

[BarcelonaFan]

I think Houston city limits crimes is down but Harris County is pretty bad. Where development lacks crime is one of the worst in the country. Far outpaces LA and NYC statistically.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

I'm proud of Houston, but sad to read the news.

What's sad is out of 100, North America's fastest growing city is only 40th. As a nation we can do so much better....

Fastest growing doesn't mean "Best cities"
All it means is that it has changed a lot from what it was before in a positive way..... many times is going to be oil towns that are booming like crazy.
But then they have to make sure that their government is controlling the growth and that infrastructure keeps up with it.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

The negative reviews will be coming soon and VERY SOON!!!!

Here's one:
Is the infrastructure keeping up with the growth???