Recent cold spell (Houston, Austin, Lubbock: houses, college, living in)

[TFW46]

This photo makes me appreciate Houston:

[jek74]

Originally Posted by nana053

You aren't picking on me. I am simply telling you why I don't like living here and why I would much rather be in the Chicago area. I cannot live in the Loop because we need to be in close proximity to the grandchildren in order to take care of them several times a week and to take my autistic grandson to his therapies.

Evanston, btw, is a suburb, not the city. Evanston is actually the first suburb north of Chicago and Pearland is the first suburb south of Houston. Heck almost all the burbs north of the Chicago area at LEAST have buses within their cities and many connect through the PACE buses to other suburbs. Why should I not compare a suburb here with a suburb there?

I did not choose to move here, but my son and grandchildren are here. We gave that up to help our autistic grandson whose parents were losing their entire support system moving for my son's job. My son and his wife chose Pearland because of his commute to Pasadena. Otherwise, we might be in Sugarland or The Woodlands. I do NOT know if I would like them any better.

Houston is not a dense urban area even IN the city, btw. It is very spread out.

Well, I know Evanston gets referred to as a suburb, but it's really a city. Northwestern is there. It has a huge downtown area because of the university. And it sits right on the border of Chicago and it's in Cook county. To compare Pearland to Evanston is kind of silly. I would compare Evanston to Austin or College Station or even Lubbock, but not Pearland. I would compare Pearland to Naperville. But that's me. Yes, the Chicago burbs have PACE buses and they SUCK! I have used them and while they are better then nothing, they are only marginally better then nothing.

All I'm saying is all those items you listed are in the loop in Houston. Yes Houston's loop is insanely large, no argument there. It's certainly not walkable. I never nor will I ever make a walkable argument for Houston. But on culture I will. Houston has an enormous theater district, probably 50 different languages spoken, every religion under the sun, and probably every major country. The food diversity is better then Chicago in terms of ethnic cuisine, heck most people say it's better then NY. And there are far more parks and green spaces in Houston then Chicago.

I'm going to reach out on a limb here as I've done a few times and suspect politics plays at least a "small part" here. I only bring this up because I absolutely believe this plays a large role whenever I hear people from Chicago or NY or Boston or even SF who move here and long for their home and then try to bring up the culture issue. I would bet a dime to a dollar you are a liberal. Most Evanstonians are. I'm simply making a statistical reference here being that Obama carried 87% of the vote in Evanston. And perhaps TX and certainly Pearland is way too conservative for you. Nothing wrong with this btw, one of the reasons I left Chicago I'm embarrassed to say was because of the left wing gestopo there. It just got overwhelming to me after 9 years. I suspect you feel that way about Houston. Just a suspicion though on my part.

[DejaBlue]

Originally Posted by ethanw

I LOVE the cold. I feel like setting my tent in the backyard and sleeping outside. It makes you feel alive

Ethan I agree with you almost never but I'm so with you here.

I'm a native Texan b ut gosh darnit I LOVE LOVE LOVE this weather. But it's a biotch. Christmas Eve day was hot as hell then it's windy as hell that night. I wasn't prepared that night because this is Houston. Cold weather doesn't last. Next Thursady it'll be in the 80s probably

I wish it was 30s lows, 40s to just 50 on the dot high and no higher than

[55degrees]

Originally Posted by jek74

Well, I know Evanston gets referred to as a suburb, but it's really a city. Northwestern is there. It has a huge downtown area because of the university. And it sits right on the border of Chicago and it's in Cook county.
.

What I'm getting here is that Evanston is a suburb that is almost like a city (a suburb that is thriving and bustling while still being a suburb). Whereas Houston is a city that is almost like a very busy suburb. J/K. The city of Houston does have a lot to offer. BTW Naperville actually has a lot more going on in it than Pearland. Yes, yes, I know you lived in Chicago for 9 years--that doesn't mean that those of us that have lived there longer don't have an opinion. But this is all digression (because you called her out on living here when she would rather live elsewhere--a fact of life for many that have to take family members into consideration)....why not get back to the weather? It makes for a very cozy home.

[jek74]

Originally Posted by 55degrees

What I'm getting here is that Evanston is a suburb that is almost like a city (a suburb that is thriving and bustling while still being a suburb). Whereas Houston is a city that is almost like a very busy suburb. J/K. The city of Houston does have a lot to offer. BTW Naperville actually has a lot more going on in it than Pearland. Yes, yes, I know you lived in Chicago for 9 years--that doesn't mean that those of us that have lived there longer don't have an opinion. But this is all digression (because you called her out on living here when she would rather live elsewhere--a fact of life for many that have to take family members into consideration)....why not get back to the weather? It makes for a very cozy home.

I didn't call her out. I just get tired of the politically correct "Houston is lacking big city culture" when in fact they don't want to admit they are a die hard liberal that feels uncomfortable living around people who they don't agree with. We can obviously prove that Houston has all the things that every other big city has outside of viable mass transit and walkability. All these people, and I'm one of them, come down here from the north and get pissed off that people don't see the world the way they do and then make an excuse it's about lack of culture. I already had this debate with dalparadise. He finally came around to admitting I was right. I did have to pry it out of him.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

I am LOVING this cold weather - precisely because it is a rare event. I wouldn't want to put up with it all the time, but I enjoy the opportunity to experience a little snow, and to pull on my boots and get out my cute scarves and coats!

It has been warmer than average in the North but we still have 18 inches of snow on the ground with piles of plowed snow several feet high that can make driving around corners hazardous. I don't consider it that cold unless the wind is strong or it is under 0-10F. However, I prefer it to the heat/humidity further South any day of the week. I still remember 110F+ temperatures and humidity in Kansas City. I generally prefer to stay at 43N latitude or north with a bit of elevation.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by nana053

I want to walk to my wonderful *free* festivals on the lakefront in Evanston - Starlight Concerts in Wilmette, the Custer Street Fair, the Fountain Square Arts Festival, the Evanston Ethnic Arts Fest, etc.

I bet that's one of the worst thing about Texas,
and I know I'm going to get the same answer as always "It's free on Tuesday between X and X time"

[jek74]

Originally Posted by Dopo

I bet that's one of the worst thing about Texas,
and I know I'm going to get the same answer as always "It's free on Tuesday between X and X time"

Her free festivals are only 3 months a year when it's warm. She can go to free festivals down here 12 months a year. Oh wait, she chose to live in a suburb. Well, she can drive to them then.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by texasfirewheel

This photo makes me appreciate Houston:

I dealt with this kind of c.... one too many times

[Willsson]

Originally Posted by jek74

Is this the weather you guys have been waiting for? I honestly don't understand people who like this weather. I came down from Chicago to get away from this. It's one thing to have temps drop into the 50's which is nice, but this 30 degree weather is awful. Yet it seems like so many of you here are wanting this. I hope you guys are happy now that you got what you wanted.

I'm happy about the cold. I anticipate and appreciate it. In the hottest day of the year I relish the idea that it won't be long... until it gets cold.

So, I've had my 24 hours of closure on the summer and it's time for this cold crap to take off. I've had enough and now I'm getting pi**ed off.

Bring on spring.