Why is Houston so ghetto? (Dallas, Austin: insurance, condo, townhouses)

[lotophage]

Originally Posted by CityPlanning

There is NOT a single pleasant urban neighborhood in this city that offers street-front retail and adequate sidewalks.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you haven't been to the Museum District, Rice U, Rice Village area.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by lotophage

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you haven't been to the Museum District, Rice U, Rice Village area.

No it cannot compare to London or New York. At all.
But Houston is a new type of city built in an automobile era and we need to understand that.

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

No it cannot compare to London or New York. At all.
But Houston is a new type of city built in an automobile era and we need to understand that.

You should also understand that this statement is only half true.

[swopoe]

My husband and I aren’t from TX or a small flyover town and we like living in Houston. We are from big east coast cities. As far as the dirtiness of Houston goes, have you ever been back east? Travel through Philadelphia sometime. Let me know what you see.

[lotophage]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

No it cannot compare to London or New York. At all.
But Houston is a new type of city built in an automobile era and we need to understand that.

We shouldn't even make that sound like an apology. Houston has urban suburbs, something any place built before the car lacks. I have family who are suburban Londoners and the parts of Houston that blow them away are places like River Oaks, West U, Boulevard Oaks, etc. The idea that you can have it all -- big house, big yard, big cars, but still walk to trendy restaurants, night clubs, live jazz, whatever, leave the house 30 minutes before the Opera starts and still make it in time for a pre-show cocktail -- makes Houston seem like an upper-middle class fantasy world to them.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by lotophage

We shouldn't even make that sound like an apology. Houston has urban suburbs, something any place built before the car lacks. I have family who are suburban Londoners and the parts of Houston that blow them away are places like River Oaks, West U, Boulevard Oaks, etc. The idea that you can have it all -- big house, big yard, big cars, but still walk to trendy restaurants, night clubs, live jazz, whatever, leave the house 30 minutes before the Opera starts and still make it in time for a pre-show cocktail -- makes Houston seem like an upper-middle class fantasy world to them.

I love those areas. However they don't have much store-front retail as previous poster said.
I don't have any problem with this though.

[CityPlanning]

River Oaks, West U, Boulevard Oaks and not really walkable. They are filled with strip centers and wide highway like roads. Plus most homes there are over a million with property taxes being 30k a year. If I was spending that much, I would rather live in SF in a smaller single family home than those tacky Houston areas. Rice Village is a bland shopping center and is car oriented. seems like many Texans don't understand what I mean when I talk about urban neighborhoods, nor they understand the concept of street-front retail. I remember a coworker recommended that I should check out City Centre for a walkable neighborhood. I found out that it was a lifestyle shopping center, not an urban neighborhood! The toxic air, contaminated water, and summer humidity probably destroys your brain cells. No wonder why this place has such an anti-intellectual culture/vibe.

West U ranch home: https://www.redfin.com/TX/Houston/27.../home/29995301
SFH in SF: https://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Franci...22/home/641245

I would take the one in SF!

[bu2]

Originally Posted by CityPlanning

River Oaks, West U, Boulevard Oaks and not really walkable. They are filled with strip centers and wide highway like roads. Plus most homes there are over a million with property taxes being 30k a year. If I was spending that much, I would rather live in SF in a smaller single family home than those tacky Houston areas. Rice Village is a bland shopping center and is car oriented. seems like many Texans don't understand what I mean when I talk about urban neighborhoods, nor they understand the concept of street-front retail. I remember a coworker recommended that I should check out City Centre for a walkable neighborhood. I found out that it was a lifestyle shopping center, not an urban neighborhood! The toxic air, contaminated water, and summer humidity probably destroys your brain cells. No wonder why this place has such an anti-intellectual culture/vibe.

West U ranch home: https://www.redfin.com/TX/Houston/27.../home/29995301
SFH in SF: https://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Franci...22/home/641245

I would take the one in SF!

I think you just proved you aren't familiar with those areas. And most aren't over a million with 30k property taxes. You would probably like those tacky 5+1s they are putting up everywhere and turning most of Seattle into.

[Celiene61]

This is in response to he poster Texyn Obama footage in their posting# 153 on page 16........


Speaking of presidents, Bush 43 put his presidential library in Dallas, not Houston.....

And Obama? Yeah, like he really gives a rats ar$e about Texas, Houston ain't his style Dirt under his 3k custom shoes, don't kid yourself.

If he went anywhere in Texas, it would be Austin, as he considered purchasing a home there and teaching at UT law, if I recall correctly.

Cheerlead all you want from your Rice U location, but several large companies have discussed leaving the greater Houston area if yearly major flooding and hurricanes become the norm. This will effect the Energy Corridor prominently.

It's common sense...and as we all know BP has already left the Energy Corrider for different pastures, although the local issues had nothing to do with this.

It will be the white collar workers who go, not the industrial end of the industry. News flash, Dallas used to be a hub for the white collar end of the O + G industries. Exxon is still located outside of Dallas in Irving Texas. Chevron headquarters is located in San Ramon California. You have a hard time getting the top brass to move to Houston- don't shoot the sender here.

They do move here when they have to for their careers, and say charming, positive and wonderful things about the city...until they are relocated outward, retire, or pick up another offer somewhere else....and then they talk, and it typically is not flattering.

And it is not based on superficial, petty problems nor issues, but pragmatic issues which can affect the bottom line.

Money talks, bull$h*t walks- favorite saying of Texas Oil man Oscar Wyatt.

One thing that does hold many companies here is the fact that this state is pro employer, not pro employee henceforth they are less likely to encounter superfluous litigation in Texas. No one is ever going to win an age discrimination case in the current year +3 in Houston, unlesss it is a minority or female. Not even a genetic disability will protect you here in the Wild West

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by Celiene61

One thing that does hold many companies here is the fact that this state is pro employer, not pro employee henceforth they are less likely to encounter superfluous litigation in Texas. No one is ever going to win an age discrimination case in the current year +3 in Houston, unlesss it is a minority or female. Not even a genetic disability will protect you here in the Wild West

Just like your entire post (as usual). You aren't fooling anyone with your fluff.