I don't know what to think about Houston, TX (Dallas: transplants, apartment complexes)

[OptimusPrime69]

Well, I'm here in Houston right now and this is my first time in the city. In fact, it's my first time in Texas.

I have already been pulled over once by a cop. I was going down a "one way" street the wrong way. Oops. He let me go. (after checking my drivers license on his computer) apparently, it came back "clean"-- or at least thats what he said. lol

That aside, I'm like really hard pressed as to what to think about Houston. I did quite a bit of driving around. Snaked around the downtown area....which didnt seem like anything special. It was after 5 o'clock and it seemed to be a ghost town. Some nice buildings, however nothing struck me particularly.

You know, It really reminds me of Florida... the way it looks. In particular, northern Tampa and Orlando area. The weather is the EXACT same. It even smelled the same lol....like that humid air. Some of the palm trees, etc. (I had NO idea Houston had palm trees)....but seriously now. It really reminded me of Tampa..... the way the houses looked, the way the landscaping looked, the weather was the same, even the grass was the same type of grass. So funny.

ANYWAY, I don't know what to make of it all. Traffic is bad, but whatever, that's in any city really. I checked out Rice University and the surrounding neighborhoods.....super nice and super cute. Like, I really liked how stately the houses looked in that area. Also, there seems to be a lot of building going on and noticing new apartment complexes and high rises going up, etc..


I just dont know what to make out of all? Do I like it? I mean....I guess. Do I hate it? ....No.
But like what the eff?
I usually am soo good and judging a city, but this one is just i dunno.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

Well, I'm here in Houston right now and this is my first time in the city. In fact, it's my first time in Texas.

I have already been pulled over once by a cop. I was going down a "one way" street the wrong way. Oops. He let me go. (after checking my drivers license on his computer) apparently, it came back "clean"-- or at least thats what he said. lol

That aside, I'm like really hard pressed as to what to think about Houston. I did quite a bit of driving around. Snaked around the downtown area....which didnt seem like anything special. It was after 5 o'clock and it seemed to be a ghost town. Some nice buildings, however nothing struck me particularly.

You know, It really reminds me of Florida... the way it looks. In particular, northern Tampa and Orlando area. The weather is the EXACT same. It even smelled the same lol....like that humid air. Some of the palm trees, etc. (I had NO idea Houston had palm trees)....but seriously now. It really reminded me of Tampa..... the way the houses looked, the way the landscaping looked, the weather was the same, even the grass was the same type of grass. So funny.

ANYWAY, I don't know what to make of it all. Traffic is bad, but whatever, that's in any city really. I checked out Rice University and the surrounding neighborhoods.....super nice and super cute. Like, I really liked how stately the houses looked in that area. Also, there seems to be a lot of building going on and noticing new apartment complexes and high rises going up, etc..


I just dont know what to make out of all? Do I like it? I mean....I guess. Do I hate it? ....No.
But like what the eff?
I usually am soo good and judging a city, but this one is just i dunno.

It's hard for newcomers to get a handle on it - because it is so varied. Go to The Woodlands - then go to Pasadena. Then skirt over to River Oaks - and then to Clear Lake. Drive over to Cinco Ranch in Katy - then come back and look in old Spring Branch. Those are just the tip of the iceberg. Midtown, Uptown, the Energy Corridor, Montose, the Heights, Champions, League City, etc. There will be parts you like and parts you don't like. Everyone tries to get in the part they like - closest to work.

BTW, the palm trees have not been here all that long. Maybe 25 years? I remember when they first showed up - the large shopping areas brought in huge, tall ones - they promptly died. I thought they were idiots. Now people plant them in personal yards and they thrive - maybe you just can't transplants the big ones.

Seems like we have had an increase of the large palmetto bugs.. with the trees.

[7ry1an3]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

(I had NO idea Houston had palm trees).

Lol alot of ppl think this. But Why do people think a large city on the coast wouldn't have a ton of palm trees? And the tall ones cheryjohns is talking about are California Fan palms and I see a ton of them all over the Nothwest, west, south, and southeast side, infront of businesses and front/backyards. Just look at the last set of pics in the houston photo thread posted by Chicago3rd

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by 7ry1an3

Lol alot of ppl think this. But Why do people think a large city on the coast wouldn't have a ton of palm trees?

We didn't until maybe 25 years ago. It's a man-made situation.

[OptimusPrime69]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

We didn't until maybe 25 years ago. It's a man-made situation.

Very interesting.

So, in the winter time do these palm trees survive? I'm assuming yes? but why within the last 25 years? weird.

Dont get me wrong, I like them, but it's funny how it's a recent phenomenon

[7ry1an3]

Well im only 22 so they're native to me lol. And man made or not, ya gotta have palm trees in a coastal city. I can see how its weird in SA, Dallas, Austin, El paso, etc...

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

We didn't until maybe 25 years ago. It's a man-made situation.

My house in 77079 was built in 1977 with palm trees in the back yard on two sides of the pool. They survived a rough nasty cold winter when I moved in 1983 and are thriving today or at least were when I sold the home a year and a half ago. So a little longer than 25 yrs ago, more like 35 to 40 at least at my home.

[XxJKLivinxX]

LOL I'mm in Odessa, moving to Houston next Friday. But yea it is really weird that a lot of people here are trying to grow palm trees. Idiots we don't have that salty air that palms need to survive. They usually last maybe a year at most then they dry out and the leaves and bark (or whatever) falls off.

[Willsson]

I don't know what to think about Houston, TX

'All My Friends are Going to be Strangers', Larry McMurtry

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by Johnhw2

My house in 77079 was built in 1977 with palm trees in the back yard on two sides of the pool. They survived a rough nasty cold winter when I moved in 1983 and are thriving today or at least were when I sold the home a year and a half ago. So a little longer than 25 yrs ago, more like 35 to 40 at least at my home.

Maybe 30 - I am estimating. They were not here in the 70's.

Originally Posted by XxJKLivinxX

LOL I'mm in Odessa, moving to Houston next Friday. But yea it is really weird that a lot of people here are trying to grow palm trees. Idiots we don't have that salty air that palms need to survive. They usually last maybe a year at most then they dry out and the leaves and bark (or whatever) falls off.

Most that I have seen in yards are doing OK. I think the failure rate when they were first introduced here had more to do with the fact that they were trying to transplant trees that were too mature.