Living in Greater Houston, a huge disappointment so far (Portland: homes, gated)

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by jerbear30

It is not as easy to meet people in Houston as it is in many other parts of the country.

I have a lot of friends, but we're all 40 minutes away and we never see each other.

Houston was a good value for what you paid to live 10-12 years ago. That's gone, and the improvements to make it worth the price of admission aren't there. You still drive everywhere like you would living in Jacksonville or Indianapolis, but asked to pay Chicago rent. If that's what I came into, I'd be disappointed too.

[3shipguy]

Originally Posted by jfre81

I have a lot of friends, but we're all 40 minutes away and we never see each other.

Houston was a good value for what you paid to live 10-12 years ago. That's gone, and the improvements to make it worth the price of admission aren't there. You still drive everywhere like you would living in Jacksonville or Indianapolis, but asked to pay Chicago rent. If that's what I came into, I'd be disappointed too.

Yea, the perks of living in Houston is slowly dwindling away. But places like LA, SF, NYC etc have also increased in COL so the bang for your buck is still there, comparatively speaking

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by jfre81

I have a lot of friends, but we're all 40 minutes away and we never see each other.

Houston was a good value for what you paid to live 10-12 years ago. That's gone, and the improvements to make it worth the price of admission aren't there. You still drive everywhere like you would living in Jacksonville or Indianapolis, but asked to pay Chicago rent. If that's what I came into, I'd be disappointed too.

Chicago rent? I know you probably despise what Houston has "become" but please stop exaggerating the truth. On average a studio size apartment in Chicago will cost you about 1,600. And that's in the cities core. You can get you a 1 bedroom in Houston's core on average for about 1,300 and some a little cheaper that still within the loop. Yeah Chicago is more dense and does have the L train if you stay in the core(many residents can't afford to live in those areas btw)the line between the rich and poor in Chicago is a lot more thicker than in Houston. So even with the long commutes and rising prices you can still get more bank for your buck in Houston. And Houston definitely has more going for itself than Jacksonville or Indianapolis.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

Chicago rent? I know you probably despise what Houston has "become" but please stop exaggerating the truth. On average a studio size apartment in Chicago will cost you about 1,600. And that's in the cities core.

1600 will get you two bedrooms in Chicago right now, all day, most anywhere away from the immediate Loop area (as in downtown, not a ring road) and few other spots. 1600 is not necessarily bottom dollar either. You can get well under that if you're willing to get a little closer to the Chicago you hear about on the news, e.g. Garfield Park.

You can get you a 1 bedroom in Houston's core on average for about 1,300 and some a little cheaper that still within the loop.

And still have to drive everywhere, and in much of it deal with substandard pedestrian infrastructure, that's good by Texas-average standards but not major city standards. I can live like that in a lot cheaper places than 1300/mo, before driving expenses, before utilities, including running my air conditioner all night in January because it's 65 degrees with a 63-degree dewpoint.

Yeah Chicago is more dense and does have the L train if you stay in the core(many residents can't afford to live in those areas btw)

Now we're getting into exaggerations. The El and Metra go not only beyond the core of Chicago but outside the city limits, and one Metra line terminates outside the state of Illinois. I'm not sure which Chicago you've been to, but the one I'm talking about isn't that much more expensive to live in than Houston today inside 610, where chances are you still won't be able to ditch the car, the insurance payment etc, maintenance etc.

[v2four]

this is crazy...all of these transplants love to come here for the good paying jobs in medical, energy, technology, chemical, aerospace and others, then bytch and complain about Houston not having an in and out hamburger chain, chicago deep dish pizza, subway system, or beaches with crystal blue water of some other non sense that doesnt mean anything.

This place has so much to offer and if you havent reached your full potential in a social setting, then you have problems that no one on CD can help you with... maybe you should head back to the land of mudslides and forest fires since LA is so much better than Htown.

even though the price of housing has exploded here in the last half decade, Houston is still a very affordable place to live compared to NYC, LA, Chicago and pretty much any big city on the east or west coast.

I too am a native, born and raised here...I left twice and came back both times, once for the military and once a three year contract to south florida, which is a cesspool all on its own! Not looking to ever leave again!

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by v2four

this is crazy...all of these transplants love to come here for the good paying jobs in medical, energy, technology, chemical, aerospace and others, then bytch and complain about Houston not having an in and out hamburger chain, chicago deep dish pizza, subway system, or beaches with crystal blue water of some other non sense that doesnt mean anything.

Also note some of these things can be changed, and some can't. While a subway system IMO would be a stretch, there should be agitation for a light rail system. Somebody can open a Chicago deep dish pizza restaurant (as there are Philly cheesesteak places), and I recall Pizzeria Uno once had a Houston location.

However the beaches w/ crystal blue water are going to be a stretch... There's a reason Galveston's waters have the color they have. There's nothing that can be done about it.

[crone]

Originally Posted by Vicman

Don't forget that the Anglos who settled Texas (as the Mexican government couldn't find enough people to move there) came from all over the South - Tennessee, Virginia, etc. And their slaves came with them...

We've always had people from elsewhere...

Thanks, having a BFF in the Daughters, I should have been more inclusive. DH's family all came from Tennessee. And they did bring slaves. Funny thing, many of those who did bring slaves, divided their property among all their children. DH's great grand dad willed his land to his legal children and the children of his slave, equally. So did a rice farmer in Winnie.

Was thinking about growth since WW2.

[CityPlanning]

I have lived in many major cites and Houston was the most soulless and aesthetically the least attractive place I've ever lived in. The drivers there seem to have so many mental and anger issue, especially those in pickup trucks. In LA, Chicago, SF drivers are aggressive, but they not as reckless like the idiots you see everywhere in the Greater Houston area where they are an inch from your bumper going 80+ mph. Its still legal in Texas to talk on you phone without being hands free. Pro life hypocrites? OP is right about customer service being aloof and horrible in Houston. So many times restaurants would screw up my order and at grocery stores there have expired items on shelves too many times. I do think that Houston does have many attractive women, but generally they are very "basic" and not intellectual at all. They just want a large brand new Mcmansion and tacky handbag that has large designer logos all over. Its the environment in Houston that causes extreme consumption since there is nothing to do there besides to eat and shop. Cost of living is near identical between Houston and Chicago. Chicago is a much better value than Houston and its an actual city, not a giant suburb like Houston.

[AmericaBravoCharles]

Originally Posted by CityPlanning

I have lived in many major cites and Houston was the most soulless and aesthetically the least attractive place I've ever lived in. The drivers there seem to have so many mental and anger issue, especially those in pickup trucks. In LA, Chicago, SF drivers are aggressive, but they not as reckless like the idiots you see everywhere in the Greater Houston area where they are an inch from your bumper going 80+ mph. Its still legal in Texas to talk on you phone without being hands free. Pro life hypocrites? OP is right about customer service being aloof and horrible in Houston. So many times restaurants would screw up my order and at grocery stores there have expired items on shelves too many times. I do think that Houston does have many attractive women, but generally they are very "basic" and not intellectual at all. They just want a large brand new Mcmansion and tacky handbag that has large designer logos all over. Its the environment in Houston that causes extreme consumption since there is nothing to do there besides to eat and shop. Cost of living is near identical between Houston and Chicago. Chicago is a much better value than Houston and its an actual city, not a giant suburb like Houston.

This guy is preaching the gospel here, y’all!

Some of the most desirable, public-transportation-accessible suburbs and cities around L.A., such as Burbank, Long Beach, Orange, and Claremont have a cost of living that’s only about 1/3 higher than that of Houston’s most desired areas or suburbs, e.g., Midtown, Upper Kirby, Katy, Cinco Ranch and The Woodlands. Granted, Pasadena and coastal Orange County, both near L.A., will cost quite a bit more, and sterile, but generally safe, working-class suburbs like Cy-Fair and Conroe will cost less, but you get the idea...

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by AmericaBravoCharles

This guy is preaching the gospel here, y’all!

Some of the most desirable, public-transportation-accessible suburbs and cities around L.A., such as Burbank, Long Beach, Orange, and Claremont have a cost of living that’s only about 1/3 higher than that of Houston’s most desired areas or suburbs, e.g., Midtown, Upper Kirby, Katy, Cinco Ranch and The Woodlands. Granted, Pasadena and coastal Orange County, both near L.A., will cost quite a bit more, and sterile, but generally safe, working-class suburbs like Cy-Fair and Conroe will cost less, but you get the idea...

Only 1/3 higher ? lol, that's 10's of thousands of dollars a year dude, that's not chump change, besides he was comparing Houston to Chicago not L.A. nobody disputes that L.A. is a aesthetically attractive area. Chicago has the Lake Shore but besides that is basically on par with Houston, and has those ferocious winters that cancel out any advantage it has in that area.