Gosh H-town, you could be the best city in the country..... (Houston: apartment complex, unemployment)

[3shipguy]

That's why Houston zig zags between nice developed areas to horrid squalor. The development has been largely limited because it relies a lot on private initiative. The development is also very uneven.[/quote]

This is due to lack of zoning. The people voted it that way.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by 3shipguy

That's why Houston zig zags between nice developed areas to horrid squalor. The development has been largely limited because it relies a lot on private initiative. The development is also very uneven.

This is due to lack of zoning. The people voted it that way.[/quote]

Yes that is another problem but it also an socio-economic characteristic. People migrate to the lower income areas and they're pretty bad.

Look, LA has

working class

areas. Areas that are visibly low cost areas where are a lot of working people live, not middle class or upper middle class but a very visible working size population.

I see some working class neighborhoods but because the COL is pretty cheap, a lot of working people can go straight to middle class suburbia. After that it shoots straight down to trailer park, inner city apartment squalor, and beyond.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

San Francisco is the most beautiful city in America but that still doesn't justify the COL. It's too high. The highest I've ever seen outside of Manhattan.

Houston is unique that it offer amenities that rival NY and LA and it's ten times cheaper + jobs. That is outstanding.

What I find cheap my friends in Houston find expensive. What I find to be nice looking they find to be "ghetto". If you're a young urban upwardly mobile professional then Houston beats out most major cities. And it shows too, the bars in Midtown are full of the professional class getting their drink on!

It's funny cus if you say you're in anything remotely business related (not in the entertaintment industry) no girl in LA will think it's interesting. You tell a girl at the bar or club that you work in O&G, Energy trading, or for Ernst and Young Accouting and they will make sure you take them home!

I disagree about SF being the most beautiful city in the US. No way in hell does it deserve that title. The nature surrounding SF is some of the most beautiful in the US but not the city. I would not live there if someone paid me to. It's a dump in many ways. Yes it is a very interesting city but that's about it.

Yes what you can get in Houston as far as amenities blows most places in the US away cost wise.

[Dopo]

I bet $1 million that Houston would change instantly if we built a light-rail connecting downtown to the airports and one to Galveston.
Millions of people would visit Houston every year if we did that.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by 3shipguy

That's why Houston zig zags between nice developed areas to horrid squalor. The development has been largely limited because it relies a lot on private initiative. The development is also very uneven.

This is due to lack of zoning. The people voted it that way.[/quote]

LA is the same way and it has zoning. It varies from street to street in LA.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Dopo

I bet $1 million that Houston would change instantly if we built a light-rail connecting downtown to the airports and one to Galveston.
Millions of people would visit Houston every year if we did that.

HAHAHAHAHA


Someone said something about not living near Hillcroft or Fondren. I don't see anything wrong with those areas. Many of the areas I've seen in the SW look like typical suburbs to me with the apartment complexes being the worst. Our ghettos here look like third world countries compared to Houston. I've been to Mo City, Greenspoint, SW, Aleif, 3rd ward, 2nd and 1st wards, etc. The worst I've seen was around Griggs and the rest of the SE area, reminds me of here. That's Greater 4th ward?

[Trae713]

But even then, just north of Griggs closer to the bayou, there are a bunch of nice homes. The worst looking hood is probably fifth ward, but there are nice neighborhoods all over the city. the main roads are what makes some areas look bad. You get to the side streets, and you're surprised.

[Mister Mister]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

HAHAHAHAHA


Someone said something about not living near Hillcroft or Fondren. I don't see anything wrong with those areas. Many of the areas I've seen in the SW look like typical suburbs to me with the apartment complexes being the worst. Our ghettos here look like third world countries compared to Houston. I've been to Mo City, Greenspoint, SW, Aleif, 3rd ward, 2nd and 1st wards, etc. The worst I've seen was around Griggs and the rest of the SE area, reminds me of here. That's Greater 4th ward?

Yeah, but you can't really compare Baton Rouge to Houston. It's not comparable. This OP is very spot on, and so is testmo. It'll change, though. A lot of outsiders are moving in, and many of them feel the way the OP does. What I'm noticing is a lot of Republicans are moving from other states, but they are nothing like the average Republican in Texas. In fact, I would argue Texas (and in turn because of this, Houston) is the way it is because of these Perry Republicans. I'm a socially liberal/fiscal conservative who actually used to vote for Republicans. Part of the reason the GOP cannot win a presidential election (and I assure you they won't in 2016 either whether Hillary Clinton or Morty Moose runs) is because swing state residents see how our politicians are and it's a huge turnoff.

[thenewtexan]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I did notice incredible ingrained racism and middle class chauvinism against poorer people in Houston. It's not as blatant as what the media plays off but when you encounter it, you encounter it in major doses. Like this guy up here ^ who I am sure is just egging me on, but I would not put it past someone in Texas to literally think like this.

There are just some serious reactionaries in Texas. More so than I've ever seen in any other state. I am sure Houston is not all like this but it's surprising to see how vocal they are.

I bet there were a bunch of pro-Zimmerman rallies in Houston.

Right. No elitism in California.

Stereotype much?

[Felt38]

I agree on the comments regarding more public spaces (improving), wealth gaps (getting worse), and public transportation (light rail is not enough), radio libre - but you're way off on museums and theaters. Houston has fantastic ones, both public and private.

The city is improving, and I enjoy living here. The shortcomings are frustrating.

But what is more frustrating is the whole public vs private debate. We don't need extremes of either, we need an intelligent mixture of both.