Why I left Houston--why did YOU? (San Antonio, Austin: 2015, house, living)

[bu2]

Originally Posted by tstone

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attainment in the area is still ranked low compared to the rest of the country, even many educated people have outdated ideas in their heads due to religious beliefs, and a large culture of being stupid, ghetto and staying uneducated is obvious even to a native.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.

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.

PC way means its ok to diss religious people. One of the great things about Houston is it doesn't have the east coast arrogance and condescension. Its very much a live and let live place. And those religious beliefs contribute to making Houston a place where they volunteer and reach out and help others.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

Yea if your not interested in watching the city grow and develop Houston may not be for you. Houston is still a work in progress and not a finished product like Boston or Philly.

You realize that no city is a finished product, right? While Houston “grows and develops,” Philly, Boston and other cities are not sitting still.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by AlfredB1979

You make a good point. Exactly what will Houston develop into, though?

Im 17 days from turning 40 (Houston lifer to this point) and I’m not liking the trend of unfettered growth. Every neighborhood is nothing but cookie cutter houses where you can peek into your neighbor’s bathroom. Who lives like this with a straight face? I grew up in this house. You don’t see a back yard like this anymore, because...someone’s house would be crammed right in there in a subdivision now!

Someone should have had the sense to say “F off, we’re full!”, way before concrete paved over all the land that once soaked up the rains. That’s all I hear about from coworkers after a heavy rain. “My street never flooded like this before!” All I can say is, “Hope you enjoy your neighbors!”

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

You realize that no city is a finished product, right? While Houston “grows and develops,” Philly, Boston and other cities are not sitting still.

Its like the difference between adding on and expanding a house, and remodeling inside the existing footprint of a home. Houston is on a big lot and is still adding on as well as remodeling the existing footprint, those NE cities are maintaining and remodeling.

Houston in the coming decades will be hardly recognizable to what it is today, whereas those NE cities will improve and modernize but will still be recognizable to the cities they are today.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

Houston in the coming decades will be hardly recognizable to what it is today, whereas those NE cities will improve and modernize but will still be recognizable to the cities they are today.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but Houston will still be recognizable (despite a sunglass emoji).

And the northeast cities are not “modernizing.” The are already modern.

[resonator]

Originally Posted by walker1962

Native of Houston but also spend much of my childhood in Philly back when it looked like it was going to be Detroit or Baltimore as it lost over 500K residents over 40 years, enabling Houston to surpass it as the 4th largest U.S. city. That said, the last ten years, it has experienced a rebound due to a number of factors:
1. Comcast's rise to prominence. Comcast is based in downtown Philly. Downtown is great.
2. Of the big east coast MSA's outside of Baltimore and Pittsburgh, its more affordable by far than D.C. NY or Boston.
3. It has the Big Five group of colleges, i.e. that draws your upwardly mobile aspiring people to the city which keeps it vibrant.
4. Crime is down as it is in many cities so people move back.
5. Its historical significance on the scale of Boston
6. 75 miles from the Beach and two hours to the Pocono mountains.
7. Its a healthcare hub.
6. Great parks system, especially Fairmount Park.
7. 90 miles by care to NYC, 2 1/2 hours to D.C.
8. Excellent foodie scene.

That said, there are some ROUGH looking neighborhoods (think the Bronx) or Roxbury in Boston). Schools are mediocre at best (strikes as kid were the norm). Notably more segregated than Houston.

7. 90 mi to NYC
I remember trying that - first bridge dropped me into Camden, NJ and I prayed for a safe U-turn to escape.
Thank you God.

cars being stripped, and set on fire - an exciting start to the trip.

[soletaire]

Originally Posted by zionovic22

First off, this isn't meant as an implicit criticism of anyone from Houston or of people who currently live there. It's just a means to to explain why my wife and I left, and hear why other people did, and maybe from these connections...just maybe...others who do not live here can decide whether they should or should not move to Houston.

* There is an implicit NE bias in this (stop reading if this concerns you!)

My wife and I lived in Houston for 4 years--Uptown/Galleria area. Here are the reasons we left (in no particular order):

1. lack of accessible parks/sidewalks

We lived in 2 different locations near Westheimer (main drag West of Downtown), both of which were far enough from Memorial Park (nicest large park nearby) and other nice parks that it wasn't worth it to take the time to go (especially in traffic). We had some sidewalks nearby, but our apartment was located near major roads, and it never felt safe to go on long walks, nor desirable (factor weather into this). It also made us more unhealthy in the long run, as we could not take advantage of safe bike rides or nice walks.

2. unfettered growth

As we came from the NE, this is what strikes someone immediately about Houston, and I suppose our dislike of it never wore off. This is the sunbelt city, bar none--strip malls radiate out from the center for miles and miles, sometimes seeming like it will never end. I thought maybe it was a TX thing, until we traveled to Austin and San Antonio, which both felt far more "manageable." The worst of it was heading West on I-10 and NW to Brenham, but I imagine it was the same along the other highways.

3. lack of aesthetic beauty

This ties in from the last point, but takes into account the physical geography, too. Unfettered growth and lack of zoning never make for great beauty, of which Houston has very little (apart from the glittering downtown--which is a ghost town). Houston also sits on the Gulf Plain, which is, as the name indicates--incredibly flat. We loved heading West from Houston as the scenery would become more rolling, or even East, to Galveston, but the city itself felt really boring on the eyes due to this. We aren't from the Mountain West, so we didn't have high expectations, but this was incredibly bland and depressing after some time.

4. politics

This is to be expected for anyone in the NE...you prolly know going in. TX is very conservative. Houston is not so much...moderately liberal, in fact, but Houston doesn't govern the State, and the State frustrates most attempts at state-wide reform. We felt like if we ever fell through the cracks, God forbid, we would be left destitute. With Trump's reelection (unforeseen) and that of Cruz, we didn't want to wait for the state to turn "purple." It was just easier and safer to get out.

5. cultural lag

This, again, is directed primarily towards those coming from the NE. From what I know of the Sunbelt between LA and Florida, there is a dearth of culture. The good thing is that Houston is probably one of the brightest spots in this geographic zone. It has a plethora of museums and day-trips outside the city can keep one busy for 2-3 years. But compared to Boston or Philly (where we come from), it doesn't even come close. Some things, like flea markets, mean something completely different, and "historic areas" of the city seem minuscule compared to the Original 13 (as would be expected). Also, many people are simply less used to what "culture" means. When we asked what we would find in the neighborhood of cultural interest that we would be moving to, we were told, "Oh, you have the Galleria Mall!"

In sum, we ultimately felt like Houston, and probably other Sunbelt cities, was not the right place for us. We met some great people in Houston--certainly the diversity is unmatched. This is what America will...and should...look like, from the stand point of demography in 25 years. But I did not want to raise my child in such a large urban environment, especially where "consumption" is the order of the day. Maybe my ideal America does not exist, but I did not believe it had to be the "Houston" model.

Best of luck to those deciding to stay or leave!

But why did YOU decide to leave ?

Sounds like you equate "culture" with having history. Fair enough, but if thats your criteria, I cant imagine why anyone would move to a relatively new city and then be surprised that it fails to live up to your definition of "culture".

I cant argue with many of your other points though.

[RocketSci]

Originally Posted by walker1962

Being retired means no issues with snow, said NO one ever in upstate NY. C'mon now... how many people a year incur heart attacks trying to plow their sidewalks? I lived in Philly as a child and snow ALWAYS was impactful. Ask my backside as I crashed on it from walking on icy sidewalks.

As a retired person I don't have to dig out my car and drive on icy and snowy roads if I don't want to. I can sit at home with a hot chocolate (or a 6-pack) and relax.

How many people incur heart attacks when NOT shoveling snow - 610,000 a year - shoveling snow? less than 100. Maybe they would have had heart attacks anyway... I'm not gonna worry about it. My 88 year old mother never stopped shoveling. I can always hire a plow if I get lazy.

[RocketSci]

Originally Posted by tstone

Yeah 100'' inches of snow per year over 6 months-- a garden spot for retirement for sure. I dealt with about 40'' last year and that was enough for awhile. Buffalo also gets extremely filthy when the temps get just over 32 after snow has piled up, and then the thawed snow eventually turns into ice. And don't forget your Vitamin D pills for bone & mental health, as the skies are grey 9 months of the year.

Besides the point of showing disrespect for other people's choices, what does this have to do with Houston?

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by resonator

7. 90 mi to NYC
I remember trying that - first bridge dropped me into Camden, NJ and I prayed for a safe U-turn to escape.
Thank you God.

cars being stripped, and set on fire - an exciting start to the trip.

Yea, Camden is no joke! Hard to believe the Campbell Soup company was founded there.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Texascrude

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.

Houston has 5 seasons.
Fall-November
Winter 30s and raining December-January
Spring February-April
Summer May-September
Faux Spring-October