To move or not to move (to Houston)- That is the question my friend (Austin: theatres, universities)

[aimeenp]

Houston is a great place for young professionals. Montrose, The Heights, Midtown, and West U are all wonderful places to call home. You have a dog? You have to check out the Boneyard, it's a dog park with a bar, so you can drink while your pooches mingle with each other. When we lived in town we used to frequent that place. You can make a lot of friends there with likeminded, young, fun dog lovers.

Concerned about outdoorsy things to do? You have all the watersports on the coast which is an hour away, plus you can head west for the weekend and float one of the rivers in the hill country (3 hrs away). It's really fun to get a group and float.

If you are a runner, Memorial Park and the parks along Allen Parkway are nice. If you enjoy social sports, there are tons of softball/kickball/volleyball/flag football groups. Check out Houston Sports and Social Club.

I mean, you can't scale mountains on the regular, but if your job pays well and you budget, why not head to Colorado for a ski weekend?

I am not even going to go over restaurants and bars, because that's what Houston does best, and a simple google search can tell you that.

One plus of the great economy is young professionals are moving here, which is making the city really fun for the young professional with disposable income.

I can't really speak to the racism comments. It doesn't seem any different from anywhere else. I grew up in Sugar Land, which is one of the most diverse cities in the US, if not the most. I also have lived in New Orleans and Houston is more diverse with more representation from many different groups. My husband is from Boston and it seems way more segregated and "racist" there, which was shocking to me since I thought the NE was supposed to be more progressive. Just my observations.

[radiolibre99]

I like how some posts in here say, if you're outdoorsy, Colorado is only X hours away! Or Austin is only three hours away! Or no worries the beach is only an hour and a half away! Or no worries you can always fly to Vegas!

As though people have the time and money to get away every weekend. LOL.

Houston is a great city for what it offers and no other city has yet to beat it. There's no need to sell it as a great because its supposedly close to these other locales.

[Svensk08]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I like how some posts in here say, if you're outdoorsy, Colorado is only X hours away! Or Austin is only three hours away! Or no worries the beach is only an hour and a half away! Or no worries you can always fly to Vegas!

As though people have the time and money to get away every weekend. LOL.

Houston is a great city for what it offers and no other city has yet to beat it. There's no need to sell it as a great because its supposedly close to these other locales.

Radiolibre99, you've been away from here way too long! With a little advance planning, many Houston residents -- even folks of moderate means -- actually DO find the time and money for weekend getaways! Not every weekend of course, or one would miss out on fun local happenings, social activities with friends, etc.

If anyone finds life is dull here, it's their own fault.

[aimeenp]

I actually wrote that because I do travel all the time. If pristine beaches or mountains are your thing, go do that thing with the extra money that you are saving on housing/taxes.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by Svensk08

Radiolibre99, you've been away from here way too long! With a little advance planning, many Houston residents -- even folks of moderate means -- actually DO find the time and money for weekend getaways! Not every weekend of course, or one would miss out on fun local happenings, social activities with friends, etc.

If anyone finds life is dull here, it's their own fault.

Houston is fun even without being an outdoorsy guy. I know ppl complain that all there is to do is eat drink and shop but those bars, eateries and venues are a blast. I never had a dull moment.

The people being so friendly and laid back in social settings makes it better. It's not a cliquish place and you can make friends pretty easily. Or has that changed too with all the transplants from socially awkward cities moving in?

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

I'm concerned about people's attitudes and how they treat new comers, lack of entertainment, and lack of outdoor options.

Houston has so many newcomers, it's not an issue. It's not like you are moving to a small town with established groups; Houston is a massive city where nobody knows if you are new.

Lack of entertainment? I think not.

Outdoor options? We have 4 months of hot and wet and 8 months of fall and spring. As someone else mentioned, unless you need topography, snow or large waves, there are a ton of outdoor options.

IMHO, it comes down to only boring people can be bored in Houston.

Just find the neighborhood that is the best fit for your personality, budget and drive to work and the rest will work out.

[Mr. Krinkle]

A taxi driver said it best after my Chicago friend landed at the airport. "Welcome to Houston. If you can't make it here, you can't make it anywhere".

[Mr. Krinkle]

Some of the diversity people are talking about, and despite the traffic isn't bad inside the 610 loop.

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[bu2]

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

Hi There!

I'm entertaining a possible job in Houston. Position pays a bit more than here in Ohio and of course no income tax in the State of Texas helps. I'm also excited about the subject matter of the position.

However, I've been doing some research and I'm concerned about the city. Anecdotally, it seems that 8 out of every 10 reviews of the city are negative. I've only been to Houston for an hour to eat at a steak house back in 2005 so my experience is quite limited.

Is it really as bad as I've been reading about? I lived in New Orleans for 4 years (one summer without A/C - don't suggest anyone do that) so I understand how hot it can get and the amount of bugs.

My real concern is that peoples' opinions are negative about the people that live there and the things to do. Yes, I realize they are people's opinions and just that, but there are quite a few of them and they say similar things.

The negativity seems to center around traffic, weather, crime, people's attitudes, lack of entertainment, lack of outdoor options.

Traffic, weather, and crime don't concern me as the other categories. I understand a lot of people live there and I would live close to work. I lived in New Orleans for 4 years so I know the weather. I lived in central New Orleans, Cleveland, and Baltimore City so I understand how to avoid bad areas and lock your door. Besides, if you're not in "the game" you are usually not a target of crime anyways.

I'm concerned about people's attitudes and how they treat new comers, lack of entertainment, and lack of outdoor options.

Any input would be appreciated!

Most people with negative reviews of Houston are ignorant of the city. They are commenting based on something they heard. Don't think there is any city in the country with so much misinformation.

Traffic. Its bad. But they are doing lots to try to handle the growth. And having moved to Atlanta, I've resolved never to complain about Houston traffic again. Houston has lots of alternative routes. In non-rush hour, you can get almost anywhere in the area in 30 minutes from central Houston. You do have to realize you are in the 5th largest metro area in the country.

Weather. I love Houston's weather. It IS very hot and humid from June to August. But you do get acclimated (might take 3 or 4 years). And you might have a couple of weeks with highs in the 70s in January and February.

Crime. Not bad for a big city. But it is a big city.

People's attitudes. Not sure what the comment is there. Houston is a very can-do city. Its very much a city that accepts you for what you are rather than who you know or the shade of your skin. Its an open, accepting city. Houston elected a lesbian mayor and it was a much bigger deal elsewhere than here. They tried to market the city with the phrase "Houston works." It wasn't catchy and they dropped it, but its very true. Houston handled the heat, humidity and mosquitos with the world's first domed stadium. 40 years later they opened the doors of the Astrodome to the Katrina refugees and there couldn't have been a bigger contrast between the organization here and in the Superdome. In a lesser known item, Houston revolutionized the Olympic Sports Festival with their handling of it in 1986.

Lack of entertainment. Its a big city. There's plenty to do whatever you like. There are plenty of clubs. Maybe its not the biggest scene in the country, but there's still plenty. Houston probably has the best set of restaurants in the country after NY and Chicago. The arts district is one of the broadest and best after NYC, with opera, ballet, symphony and theatres. It has 3 museums among the most visited in the country. 4 Division I universities with sports programs (and all the other things going on at universities) as well as pro football, baseball (allegedly the Astros are still professional), basketball and soccer.

Lack of outdoor options. Clear Lake is one of the largest anchorages for sailing in the country. There's beaches within an hour (not great ones, but still warm water) and of course fishing. You can even take an overnight boat from Galveston and do scuba diving. There's Lake Conroe and Lake Houston just north of the city, water skiing to the west and tubing 2.5 hours to the west in the Austin/San Marcos area. Mountains are about 800 miles away, but there is Southwest Airlines. Also, see weather. You can do outdoor activities 12 months a year (9 until you get acclimated to summer!). Every day there are hundreds of runners/walkers around Memorial Park and many more on other trails. There are bike trails along the bayous all around the city.

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by Mr. Krinkle

Some of the diversity people are talking about, and despite the traffic isn't bad inside the 610 loop.

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Sorry...i don't feel any relation from that video to Houston.

How many people here actually rode the Metro rail or ride the bus regularly?

How many people have walk around 3rd ward on foot?

Yes i understand there are now all walks of life here, and especially inside the 610 but majority of Houstonians live outside the loop.

If you ask me and how to get people impress, show them the exxon campus.

Show them the medical center.

Show them uptown.

Just don't show them a small subset of Houston that honestly does not define Houston.