Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Seriously? Pick a city... NYC has Broadway and Times Square (among dozens of other things), Buffalo has Niagara falls, Washington DC has the Smithsonian museums (and obviously a lot of other historical locations), LA has Hollywood, Philadelphia has a lot of historic buildings, Miami has the beaches and nightlife, etc. Many US cities have an "identity", and things unique to that city. Houston... none.
If you can't think of things to do in other cities, then I'm going to go ahead and assume you've never been to any other US city outside of Texas...
LOL How many times are you going to go to Niagra falls especially this time of the year. To say Buffalo has an identity other than a snow plagued wasteland is hilarious. Philly is nice but after you visit those historical buildings what do you do. Ill give you the other 4 but most cities would compare unfavorably to those 4. Your saying Houston has no identity does not make it so, Houston has a rich history especially when compared to most cities west of the Mississippi you just refuse to acknowledge it, even if its just oil, which it is not, that is still an identity..
LOL How many times are you going to go to Niagra falls especially this time of the year. To say Buffalo has an identity other than a snow plagued wasteland is hilarious. Philly is nice but after you visit those historical buildings what do you do. Ill give you the other 4 but most cities would compare unfavorably to those 4. Your saying Houston has no identity does not make it so, Houston has a rich history especially when compared to most cities west of the Mississippi you just refuse to acknowledge it, even if its just oil, which it is not, that is still an identity..
Many cities west of the Mississippi have incredible natural beauty and year round outdoor activities to enjoy. How does Houston compare to Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, San Fran, Albuquerque, and LA in that regard? They each have unique identities, and histories, which make them special and unforgettable. I've visited each and don't think Houston can compete with any.
LOL How many times are you going to go to Niagra falls especially this time of the year. To say Buffalo has an identity other than a snow plagued wasteland is hilarious. Philly is nice but after you visit those historical buildings what do you do. Ill give you the other 4 but most cities would compare unfavorably to those 4. Your saying Houston has no identity does not make it so, Houston has a rich history especially when compared to most cities west of the Mississippi you just refuse to acknowledge it, even if its just oil, which it is not, that is still an identity..
Quote:
Originally Posted by 0825spring
Many cities west of the Mississippi have incredible natural beauty and year round outdoor activities to enjoy. How does Houston compare to Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, San Fran, Albuquerque, and LA in that regard? They each have unique identities, and histories, which make them special and unforgettable. I've visited each and don't think Houston can compete with any.
The poster claimed there was no history or identity or things to do in Houston. My quote was that Houston has a rich history when compared to other cities west of the Mississippi, but somehow you reply that Houston is not as esthetically pleasing as a list of cities you have visited. That was not the topic. I will agree those cities are in more scenic settings. But of those cities you list I would post that only Los Angeles and San Francisco would have more things to do. Remember we are not speaking specifically of outdoor activities so please try to stay on topic..
The events that happened at San Jacinto were hugely important to the history of this country. The original Anglo settlers in Texas settled in this region. These places are for the most part open fields and wood shacks that no longer exist but are nonetheless of significant historical value. You chose not to respect that because of your blind disrespect of Houston and Texas history in general, but if you look, it is there, and it happened.
Many cities west of the Mississippi have incredible natural beauty and year round outdoor activities to enjoy. How does Houston compare to Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, San Fran, Albuquerque, and LA in that regard? They each have unique identities, and histories, which make them special and unforgettable. I've visited each and don't think Houston can compete with any.
Houston is a business city. People come here to work, make money, raise a family and live well. Good luck doing that in San Francisco. If this was a truly awful city to live in, it would not have received all this growth in such a short period of time. Relative to other cities, Houston is pretty atrocious looking no doubt about it, but there are nice, beautiful areas around town. Our skyline is epic as hell and takes a massive dump on all those cities as well. Oh and quality of life is a big thing too -- I live close in, I have a great job, my commute is short, I'm surrounded by amazing restaurants in every direction, tons of great bars close by if I want to get hammered, great weed, all the major musical acts stop by town (and a short drive to Austin to get my indie fix), everything I need is here.
Moreover, I don't think you can compare visiting to living in a city. A vacation =/= your day to day living experience.
The events that happened at San Jacinto were hugely important to the history of this country. The original Anglo settlers in Texas settled in this region. These places are for the most part open fields and wood shacks that no longer exist but are nonetheless of significant historical value. You chose not to respect that because of your blind disrespect of Houston and Texas history in general, but if you look, it is there, and it happened.[/quote]
Your blind arrogance astounds me. I grew up in Texas, have been taught about Texas history throughout primary schooling and the university. I've also sought to learn about it as an adult.
I've also been blessed to travel and live in many places across the globe. Houston is not a bad place to live but heck, it's far from the best.
I'm quickly learning this forum is not the place to say anything negative about this tropical paradise. It's best to fart rainbows and unicorns.
Seriously? Pick a city... NYC has Broadway and Times Square (among dozens of other things), Buffalo has Niagara falls, Washington DC has the Smithsonian museums (and obviously a lot of other historical locations), LA has Hollywood, Philadelphia has a lot of historic buildings, Miami has the beaches and nightlife, etc. Many US cities have an "identity", and things unique to that city. Houston... none.
If you can't think of things to do in other cities, then I'm going to go ahead and assume you've never been to any other US city outside of Texas...
Houston detractors tend to really contradict themselves in these types of arguments. You state that the activities for Houston people listed on this thread before are not unique to Houston, and can be done in other cities. But then in this response, quite a few of the "exclusive" activities you state your example cities as having are not unique to those cities either. Philadelphia, for instance, is far from the only city with "lots of historic buildings;" if that's all it has to offer in terms of unique activities, then it has tons of competition with lots of other cities in this country, which offer those same things, and more. Same for Miami; its not the only city with beaches and nightlife.
For Houston, unique activities and experiences include Discovery Green, the San Jacinto Historic site (marks the exact place that the great state of Texas won its independence, just as important as the Alamo in San Antonio, maybe even more so), the NASA experience, including Johnson Space Center, and the niche at the high-end arts scene. Houston occupies its own niches in each of these respective activities, which is what allows them to be considered unique experiences.
Many cities west of the Mississippi have incredible natural beauty and year round outdoor activities to enjoy. How does Houston compare to Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, San Fran, Albuquerque, and LA in that regard? They each have unique identities, and histories, which make them special and unforgettable. I've visited each and don't think Houston can compete with any.
You're right about that but you're not really comparing it fairly especially since there are no mountains here lol.Might as well throw in other big cities that have better scenery like phoenix, & salt lake. I mean that's like saying phx and Albuquerque can't compete with our skyline.
Houston has other attributes that have an edge on a place like Albuquerque. Besides those Sandia mtns or whatever they're called and breaking bad you should share what make the abq a place Houston can't compete with. minus LA and San fran, and Prob San diego, Houston to me is comparable and on the same scale as those other cities mentioned.
I lived in LA a short time and got spoiled from what it offers but minus LA, not living in Denver, seattle, Albuquerque, or Portland instead of Houston isnt a deal breaker for me.
Last edited by eastontracks; 02-15-2015 at 09:04 AM..
When outsiders think about Houston, the first things to come to mind are oil and NASA. That is Houston's unique identity. First and foremost, jobs and low COL are what draw people to live in Houston, not attributes like Discovery Green, Astrodome, Galleria, or even the San Jacinto historic site. These amenities provide for entertainment for residents, but they, alone, are not going to make many move here. These amenities may be great, but with the exception of NASA, not a single one is exclusive to Houston, nor the best in the nation. For every Discovery Green, there's a Central Park. For every Galleria, there's a Rodeo Dr. or 5th Ave. For every Houston historic site, there's Independence Hall...etc, etc. Hence, Houston is not a great tourist destination. And this is where the argument lies. Detractors argue that Houston is boring or lacks uniqueness. Whether they live here or not, their argument is viewed through the eyes of a tourist, not as a resident. There is plenty to do and see in Houston. There is beauty, too. You just have to look for it. That's my 2 pesos.
When outsiders think about Houston, the first things to come to mind are oil and NASA. That is Houston's unique identity. First and foremost, jobs and low COL are what draw people to live in Houston, not attributes like Discovery Green, Astrodome, Galleria, or even the San Jacinto historic site. These amenities provide for entertainment for residents, but they, alone, are not going to make many move here. These amenities may be great, but with the exception of NASA, not a single one is exclusive to Houston, nor the best in the nation. For every Discovery Green, there's a Central Park. For every Galleria, there's a Rodeo Dr. or 5th Ave. For every Houston historic site, there's Independence Hall...etc, etc. Hence, Houston is not a great tourist destination. And this is where the argument lies. Detractors argue that Houston is boring or lacks uniqueness. Whether they live here or not, their argument is viewed through the eyes of a tourist, not as a resident. There is plenty to do and see in Houston. There is beauty, too. You just have to look for it. That's my 2 pesos.
Houston is a town you love by living and exploring the city. Since it's not a tourist destination and is unplanned to the level of NYC or heck even LA, your happiness and quality of life is up to you and you alone. There is no canyon in your area to jog around, no hills or beaches already mapped out and ready for you and tourists.
Find your favorite park, your favorite watering hole, your favorite cafe or bookstore.
Now with that being said Houston is a terribly ugly city. It's also too practical as in offering the amenities of a go to work, go home kinda town. It's eat, drink, shop, sleep.
Travel is big component of a Houstonians life. And the way some of y'all say that xyz town/place is just a drive away yet we are talking a good three to four drive minimum! One guy posted one time saying he was only a five hour drive away from the lake he loves to fish at.
One gal I know can't go a couple months without some extravagant vacation to boast about on FB.
In sum I can both the views of detractors and boosters.
Now with that being said Houston is a terribly ugly city.
What's with this "terribly" ugly? Isn't just plain ole ugly enough of an insult for you?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
you should share what make the abq a place Houston can't compete with. minus LA and San fran, and Prob San diego, Houston to me is comparable and on the same scale as those other cities mentioned.
