CALIFORNIANS.... Do you like living in Houston, TX? (Dallas, Austin: neighborhoods, school)

[jek74]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

I didn't say it "bothered me". I just find these crosses and yes, the strip clubs on the side of the road, gaudy. Houston should work a little harder on its appearance. It doesn't have much natural beauty, so I would think it would put forth more effort on the manmade stuff. But, if people there don't care about such things, so be it.

I think it's odd that your only choices are to accept an ugly roadside or to commit suicide. That seems really erratic. There's a lot of room in the middle of those two extremes for rational people.

It doesn't bother me because I don't live on the side of the road. Once you drive into these communities they are nice with lots of natural beauty. The highways are not my number one priority for "beauty". I would much rather them spend their time on reducing traffic and mass transit. That bothers me a lot more then road signs on the side of the highway or crosses. I've spent a lot of time driving down the highways of CA and FL and I see the same stuff.

[Glossa]

I've never been offended by a cross - no matter what the size. If one or two larger crosses in the entire state bothers you, perhaps you might move somewhere that wouldn't bother you. I personally think the poster was referring to the small crosses on the side of the road before he/she realized they were memorials.

[Nightman_Cometh]

Im an athiest, but Id rather see a big cross on the highway instead of this:


Theres 2 of these in Florida....They dont let you forget that Florida is still a part of the south.

[usc619]

Remember Texas is still the south, some things will never change.

[Katera]

Originally Posted by movingtohouston

Hurricanes yes they are scary and a reality here. Not really sure why the previous poster in Kingwood evacuated but we left from Clear lake area and only went as far as IAH area. Yes we were without power for well over threeweeks but it was manageable with our neighborhood banding together.

3 weeks. Sounds wonderful does't it? But earthquakes are bad....... I have lost power over 12 times this year from thunderstorms here in Houston. Oh....today it's Dec 8th and it is 98% humidity. We have now officially not stopped running our AC since last January. Enjoy......like I said, if you come here RENT FIRST!

[jek74]

Originally Posted by Katera

3 weeks. Sounds wonderful does't it? But earthquakes are bad....... I have lost power over 12 times this year from thunderstorms here in Houston. Oh....today it's Dec 8th and it is 98% humidity. We have now officially not stopped running our AC since last January. Enjoy......like I said, if you come here RENT FIRST!

Are you seriously complaining about temps in the 50's now? This is a joke right?

[BarcelonaFan]

Native Houstonian here. I've lived in Boston, NYC and now reside in LA.

First off, I love Los Angeles. It is probably the most dynamic, energetic city I've ever been to with the most beautiful natural landscape I've ever seen surrounding a major city. It's unmatched. When you're here, especially West LA, you know you're in a world city; i.e. Paris, London, NYC. I am sorry but all the complaints about LA being crowded, crime ridden and expensive are just an insecure cover for Houstonians.

A.) For it's size, LA is relatively one of the safest major cities in the country. It's safer than Houston and that's a fact.
B.) LA is expensive, but it's still cheaper than NYC, Boston, San Fran and DC.
C.) The movies do not even do this city justice.

Now with all that being said. This is not a bash Houston post by any means. Houston is my 2nd favorite city in the nation. To me, not just because I grew up there, it boasts a wit and a swagger I've never seen in any another city. I love it. I find people in LA to be either really friendly or extremely socially awkward, too quirky or too conceded. I miss Houston people who just like to lay back and be cool with you. I do not miss the good ol' boys though!

Houston and TX in general will always be regarded as a poor man's CA. It's Spanish wine while CA is French. It's Argentinean leather (which is still very good) while CA is a fine pair of Italian boots.

That doesn't make Texas or even Houston bad by any stretch but it's just not a world class city yet. That also doesn't mean that it won't be one day (if the old guard kicks the bucket and the transplants there let loose the creative juices).

Houston burbs (with the exception of Sugar Land and Woodlands) are the pits! I grew up in Katy and would never ever move back to that place. If I go back to Houston, and I will soon, I am going straight to Mid-Town and will never leave the inner loop.

Yes it does get silly how developers have made the nicer areas of inner loop Houston seem like they're Rodeo Dr or 5th Avenue. It gets annoying when my friends back home think they're living it up like the Kardashians on Kirby! LOL. But that's no reason to not enjoy what Houston does offer which is UNMATCHED in LA or NY; the chance to enjoy the nicest parts of town with your salary. I make almost 50k in LA and I feel like a pauper! In Houston I would be enjoying a bad ass young guys single life in Mid Town, sharing a sweet apartment with my best friend, leasing a nice car, shopping at the Galleria, dining nice restaurants, etc.

And while LA may be the place to be if you're in entertainment, Houston is the "Hollywood" for the new business world; oil/gas, energy, construction, real estate, medical, law and engineering. If you're a professional then you will be here. You'll eat La Colombe d'Or, party on Washington or midtown, then do brunch in Montrose. And Houston has great bike trails, jog around Herman or Rice University.

So this Houston vs LA thing is tiresome because LA is LA and will always trump Houston. If I were a millionaire than LA would be my prime destination but for a young urban professional...........Houston >>>>>>>LA.

[zombieApocExtraordinaire]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

Native Houstonian here, and now reside in LA.

Opposite for me, native Angeleno now residing in Houston.

The best thing Houston has on LA at this point is the job market compared to the COL. I live real nice and comfortable here. Have more space, eat at better restaurants, go out more etc than I ever did in LA. LA really becomes an idea if you're not one of the top earners. It's just too damn expensive and when you're sitting on the 10 seeing the person next to you reading a novel there is this feeling of being trapped that's hard to describe.

Don't get me wrong I miss LA, whenever I go back memories flood out of nowhere. But I need to make some nice money first. And we'll trade places again.

[BarcelonaFan]

Exactly. The American dream is still alive in Houston. It's just amazing what a young person can do in Houston on a salary considered poverty level in LA. I can't tell you how many of my friends are living a playboy life working as legal assistants!

[madrone2k]

I'm a native Houstonian, but have had family in the LA area all my life. Like everywhere in the US, its seen change over time, but the things that charmed me then still exist now: great climate (especially along the coast), easy access to mountains, desert, and ocean. Also, big-city amenities like having a wide spectrum of restaurants, better in some respects than Houston. But, as people have pointed out, it takes a certain amount of money to be able to live life comfortably and enjoy those things there.

So, as I look forward to retirement, I think about whether it'd be a good choice as a place to live after I quit the O&G biz. One hears so much negativity about the future of CA, in general, that I have to wonder if it would be a wise choice. I.e., the COL could rise so fast that one's plans could go awry. Even my sister who lives in the South Bay area wonders if she will be able to stay there when she retires.