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I agree with a lot of OP's points except for the cultural lag comment. I guess because i'm a born and raised Texan that I simply don't get it from A NE person's perspective. Considering Boston and Philly are much much older than Houston than I get why it would feel like it's a cultural lag but I see it as more of a difference. However Houston doesn't do itself any favors the way it goes out of it's way to not preserve the cities History.
With that said, i'm in limbo when it comes to Houston right now. Me and my wife have contemplated long and hard of moving out of Houston since we moved back 2 years ago but it's still a "Want to see what the city will become" feeling with me at least. It's so much change going on right now good and bad that you almost want to see it through(even though it will forever change) yet still there's still so much that is undesirable about living in Houston. None the fault of Houstonian's. The people is what I love the most about the city to be honest. My Wife is a native and even she is ready to move out the city.
Now on the other end, I can't do the NE unless it's NYC or DC. As a Black Man from the south Boston is probably the last big cities I would want to reside in. Philly I know nothing about, however I'd be interested to check it out some day. With that said, Houston has a lot going for it but the "unfettered growth" is unattractive and uninspiring. Outside the loop a lot of communities that make up the metro has no rhyme and reason. It's just subdivisions/strip malls/ farm land/ ditches.
Now there's more to different parts of the metro than those attributes but a lot of these do exist. And these are not in entirely "poor" communities. There are beautiful areas of Houston even outside the loop but there's still a lot of tacky looking areas. When I first moved here I was used to the combination of humidity and hot summers but since we moved back I've become less immune to it and now it just feels a bit more overwhelming than I remember. I'm still clinging on to the idea of living here but there's still a strong urge to leave the city I have feelings for.
Truth be told, I'm sick and tired of these posts. Houston isn't this, Houston isn't that, Houston has crime and this, that and the third. Houston has crime, but what big city doesn't? The bulk of Houston's crime is concentrated in the ghetto, so as long as you're not slinging drugs, don't have beef with shady people or associate with those who are into the gangster life, you'll escape 100% of all crime that happens in Houston.
Last edited by AcresHomes44; 07-11-2019 at 04:52 PM..
I worked and lived in Houston from 1970-75 and again from 1983-2010. Got transferred back east to NJ and Pa to work for same company that I worked for in Houston. Great job, no where else in the world could I have had that job. Loved it and the people I worked with for decades. But work schedule was suck I missed family summer reunions and no family really came to Houston to visit us. My wife loved the climate I did not as much. I like golf and could play year around which was siblgreat.
I moved to Plano to be near family. I have two siblings with families living in Oklahoma and my mom is still going strong living near the Texas border. I missed working some so took on working part time for a family business. My college roommate married my wife's sister. Been here for 9 years and like it a lot. I prefer it to Houston as does my wife but we miss great friends we had in Houston who retired in Houston area.
My former Houston home flooded when they opened the dam following Harvey. That is my top worry about recommending Houston to someone. We made some great friends in NJ too. We go see them on rare occasion as my other brother lives in NYC so we see both when we go. But all of my side of the family including cousins and their kids come to Dallas, spend a night or two with us then go to see my mom. She is why we are here and what we missed while in NJ.
I find DFW and Houston more different from each other than I expected. The four seasons are stronger here in Plano and there are cool low humidity days which I love weather wise here to do everything.
Life is about family not scenery or climate or culture or politics.
I like living near a major city but in the suburbs. I find Plano area for me is better than any suburbs I know in Houston.
Truth be told, I'm sick and tired of these posts. Houston isn't this, Houston isn't that, Houston has crime and this, that and the third. Houston has crime, but what big city doesn't. The bulk of Houston's crime is concentrated in the ghetto, so as long as you're not slinging drugs, don't have beef with shady people or associate with those who are into the gangster life, you'll escape 100% of all crime that happens in Houston.
Bro, I've been saying this. I've gotten my account banned from here for bringing these types of post to light. And then I'm called a homer. Or insecure. Lol
It's obvious at this point that these negative post are always on Houston. But I guess that's what happens when you're doing something good. Otherwise people wouldn't be wasting time creating fake acc just to trash a city. In tired of it. Hope I do y get banned again for saying this.
Last edited by joseayala77; 07-11-2019 at 04:22 PM..
Reason: Spelling
I am originally from the Austin area. However about 3 years ago I was offered a job in Houston which I accepted. I lived in the Galleria area and then Montrose for a brief period. While I will always love Austin, I can’t stand the growth and the changes happening right now. It is becoming a whole new city, without the charm of what makes it great. Moving to Houston was exciting for me as I was able to meet a lot of people who were genuinely kind for the most part and made friends much easier than anywhere else I’ve lived. I’ve noticed people in Houston also have this kind of badass confidence, like most people are friendly but you also know they can be tough because they have grown up somewhere that you have to be able to hold your own. On the other hand, people are much more status obsessed in Houston than other places I’ve lived which can be good in a sense that people are motivated, but can also lead to people one upping eachother a lot.
I loved living in the loop because things would stay open late and there was always something to do. I did miss the outdoorsy things I used to do in Austin like hike, but there are places to go, just not immediately near the inner city. I could kayak on the bayou or go down to galveston. Even though it was hot there were options. I love the greenery and trees found in the city and to the north. It’s beautiful. There are gorgeous neighborhoods all around, something that you don’t see in every city. There are really pretty and unique areas of town which I really love. Traffic was pretty bad as I was commuting from the Galleria to Cypress, but it was a reverse commute so it wasn’t as horrible as what I experience in Austin.
I recently relocated to Salt Lake City due to a new job, however I have been strongly considering coming back to Houston in the near future. I don’t even miss Austin like I miss Houston. There is something about the mix of cultures, no zoning laws, opportunities for success, and pride in the city that really make Houston something special. It isn’t for everyone, but I think SO many people have this preconceived notion about Houston, but when they see for themselves they usually end up falling into an “it’s complicated” relationship with the city.
Hope to be back soon! Thanks for the topic, made me realize in more detail why I valued my time in Houston so much.
I am originally from the Austin area. However about 3 years ago I was offered a job in Houston which I accepted. I lived in the Galleria area and then Montrose for a brief period. While I will always love Austin, I can’t stand the growth and the changes happening right now. It is becoming a whole new city, without the charm of what makes it great. Moving to Houston was exciting for me as I was able to meet a lot of people who were genuinely kind for the most part and made friends much easier than anywhere else I’ve lived. I’ve noticed people in Houston also have this kind of badass confidence, like most people are friendly but you also know they can be tough because they have grown up somewhere that you have to be able to hold your own. On the other hand, people are much more status obsessed in Houston than other places I’ve lived which can be good in a sense that people are motivated, but can also lead to people one upping eachother a lot.
I loved living in the loop because things would stay open late and there was always something to do. I did miss the outdoorsy things I used to do in Austin like hike, but there are places to go, just not immediately near the inner city. I could kayak on the bayou or go down to galveston. Even though it was hot there were options. I love the greenery and trees found in the city and to the north. It’s beautiful. There are gorgeous neighborhoods all around, something that you don’t see in every city. There are really pretty and unique areas of town which I really love. Traffic was pretty bad as I was commuting from the Galleria to Cypress, but it was a reverse commute so it wasn’t as horrible as what I experience in Austin.
I recently relocated to Salt Lake City due to a new job, however I have been strongly considering coming back to Houston in the near future. I don’t even miss Austin like I miss Houston. There is something about the mix of cultures, no zoning laws, opportunities for success, and pride in the city that really make Houston something special. It isn’t for everyone, but I think SO many people have this preconceived notion about Houston, but when they see for themselves they usually end up falling into an “it’s complicated” relationship with the city.
Hope to be back soon! Thanks for the topic, made me realize in more detail why I valued my time in Houston so much.
Spot on! I definitely have a "It's complicated" relationship with the city. Don't hate or dislike the city as awhole at all. More positives than negatives but those negatives stand out.
Oh hey another low key I hate Houston, and you should too post. And it's hilarious. Got my popcorn.
I'm glad this has been posted as I'm getting ready to move to Houston. It's good to see the gripes people have with the city because everywhere has it's positives and negatives. A lot of people who make poor relocation choices do so because they don't properly consider the negatives along with the positives and sometimes that's a result of people on boards such as this downplaying the negatives. The posts in this thread further confirm to me that this is going to be a good decision for me. It sounds like the OP simply made a poor choice in terms of where in the city they lived. For me, living near Memorial Park is going to be high on my priority list, unless my job ends up being in the burbs.
I agree with a lot of OP's points except for the cultural lag comment. I guess because i'm a born and raised Texan that I simply don't get it from A NE person's perspective. Considering Boston and Philly are much much older than Houston than I get why it would feel like it's a cultural lag but I see it as more of a difference. However Houston doesn't do itself any favors the way it goes out of it's way to not preserve the cities History.
Agreed about the preservation of history here. But I think cultural lag is behind the east coast corridor simply because there isn't a mass of 50 million people from here to New Orleans! Otherwise Houston is pretty decent, and the international population & influence helps. However- educational attainment in the area is still ranked low compared to the rest of the country, even many educated people have outdated ideas in their heads due to religious beliefs, and a large culture of being stupid, ghetto and staying uneducated is obvious even to a native. I think that is considered 'lag' to a lot of people- just put in a P.C. way.
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Now on the other end, I can't do the NE unless it's NYC or DC. As a Black Man from the south Boston is probably the last big cities I would want to reside in. Philly I know nothing about, however I'd be interested to check it out some day.
Philadelphia is the nastiest big city on the east coast corridor, but has the most fascinating history. The tourist spots are worth multiple visits if you're interested in that. Otherwise as far as residents go there is a massive underclass, and a weekend with two dozen shootings is not unusual. The tourists areas are safe because they are heavily guarded- the Feds and Philly police are everywhere, but outside of that is a different story.
I like Houston and think this is a great place to work and raise a family, but there’s almost no chance I’ll stay once I retire.
My biggest dislikes are the lack of seasons and lack of mountains. I love the people, love the culture, the job opportunities, the food, etc.
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