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You think Houston is beautiful? and you think Chicago is ugly? are you serious?!? I'm sorry I have lost alot of respect of your opinion after that. I love how you compared the pretty parks and eclectic neighborhoods to the old, run-down areas of Chicago, to get us to believe that all of Houston is what you described so nicely and Chicago is all of what you described as so ugly.
As far as you mentioning the nice home inside of Houston for 250K that are safe, nice, pool in the backyard and in an upper-crust neighborhood is ridiculous. I think what you meant was in the Houston area, which is actually a spread-out mess with large suburbs of bland, dull, plastic, soul less areas built for people to have kids and raise them.
250k in the Houston metro area? really, with all of the things you mentioned? really? please show me!
I love how you jumped from the Houston area to The Woodlands in your next post, you're talking about a 30 mile difference, for alot of people in the country that is a huge difference.
If you like the outdoors, Chicago is an ugly city. Very little green. Yes, Chicago has nice architecture. But that does not make it look nice. Now "if" you live on the lake, sure that's nice. But 98% of the people don't. Chicago is a very ugly city with pockets of affluence on the near north side, which is where I actually live. So yes, if you want to live in small dense area of white yuppies on the north side, that part of Chicago is nice. That makes up about 10% of the city. Of course that would be like me using Malibu as an example to describe all of LA.
And yes, I used the Woodlands because I think with cities like Houston, Dallas, LA, etc that are very spread out, people are usually referring to the "metro" area, not just the downtown area. I would venture a guess, 90% of the posters on this board live in the suburbs.
Regarding the schools, this is specifically why I mentioned in my example living in an upper middle class suburb, like say, the Woodlands, whose schools are rated one of the best in the entire country. In Chicago, one of the best "public" schools is called New Trier. It's located in Evanston. But in order to send your kids there, you have to buy a home for 1.2 million in Winnetka. I can get that same education at TWS for buying a 250k home in the Woodlands.
Look, unfortunately our school system in this country is very much dependent on "where" you live. If you can afford to live in a nice area, you are going to get a great school. Yes, even in Mississippi. But if you live in a poor area of Boston or NY, you are going to get a bad school. Same in CA. The difference here is, in TX, good areas are actually affordable. And that makes all the difference.
WRONG. Please use correct facts. New Trier East is located in Winnetka and New Trier West, Freshman Campus, is located in Northfield. The district serves multiple suburbs. You can find homes in parts of Wilmette for under 350K. New Trier ranks #351 nationally, Woodlands #457. Hersey High School in Arlington Heights national rank is #304 and you can find homes from $300K and up in an area that is similar to the older but desirable and well kept areas of Sugarland or Katy. Yes homes here are more, taxes a bit more, but the economy around Chicago is pretty robust and many of us like 4 seasons and the more temperate summer climate. We also like being able to commute from the suburbs to downtown via commuter train. Now I'm not here to criticize Houston. I actually visited in 2008 when a possible job presented itself and found some nice areas. But to portray the bungalow belt of Chicago's north side with the Woodlands is unfair. I actually find the North Shore, NW suburbs and Lake County VERY green with hills and better traffic conditions for my hobby-cycling. The large number of parks and Forest Preserves are also a big plus.
I realize we are sharing personal opinions, but at least compare similar neighborhoods. If you want to compare Lincoln Park with Montrose and say why you like Montrose better, go for it. If you want to compare the Woodlands to Barrington and state why you like the Woodlands better, go for it. If you want to compare the run down sections of Lakeview with the Woodlands, definitely not a fair comparison and a very flawed comparison.
WRONG. Please use correct facts. New Trier East is located in Winnetka and New Trier West, Freshman Campus, is located in Northfield. The district serves multiple suburbs. You can find homes in parts of Wilmette for under 350K. New Trier ranks #351 nationally, Woodlands #457. Hersey High School in Arlington Heights national rank is #304 and you can find homes from $300K and up in an area that is similar to the older but desirable and well kept areas of Sugarland or Katy. Yes homes here are more, taxes a bit more, but the economy around Chicago is pretty robust and many of us like 4 seasons and the more temperate summer climate. We also like being able to commute from the suburbs to downtown via commuter train. Now I'm not here to criticize Houston. I actually visited in 2008 when a possible job presented itself and found some nice areas. But to portray the bungalow belt of Chicago's north side with the Woodlands is unfair. I actually find the North Shore, NW suburbs and Lake County VERY green with hills and better traffic conditions for my hobby-cycling. The large number of parks and Forest Preserves are also a big plus.
I realize we are sharing personal opinions, but at least compare similar neighborhoods. If you want to compare Lincoln Park with Montrose and say why you like Montrose better, go for it. If you want to compare the Woodlands to Barrington and state why you like the Woodlands better, go for it. If you want to compare the run down sections of Lakeview with the Woodlands, definitely not a fair comparison and a very flawed comparison.
Dude, I was not comparing the north burbs of Chicago to the Woodlands. I was comparing downtown Houston to downtown Chicago!!!!!! READ. Yes, there are 300k homes on the north shore. You want me to post what they look like? Dude, they are POS. Don't make me dig one up for you. There is NO comparison.
When I was speaking of how "green" Houston was, I was NOT referring to the burbs. Sh*t, all suburbs are green. I was comparing how green downtown Houston was to the cement heaven that is Chicago. Houston's downtown is located in the middle of what was a pine forest. And please, for the love of God, don't bring up weather, that has been discussed ad nauesum here. The winters are as bad in Chicago as the summers are in Houston.
BTW, part of what makes Chicago ugly to me, and I have discussed this before, is the eternal gray that permeates the city 6 months out of the year. The cold, grey over cast conditions where you hardly see the sun from November to May. Houston actually has sunny, bright weather. The sun makes a huge difference. When Chicago is grey and cold and windy for months on end, it most certainly is NOT something pretty to look at. Not to mention all the soot you get on your dress shoes and clothes walking around the city after snow refuses to melt for 2 months straight.
The winters are as bad in Chicago as the summers are in Houston.
Uh, no.
A bad summer in Houston means more swimming, less clothing, and cold beer on a patio somewhere.
A bad winter in Chicago means being stranded on the road for 12 hours because of a snowstorm and not being able to do anything about it because you would be frostbitten and eventually die of hypothermia if you tried to escape.
A bad summer in Houston means more swimming, less clothing, and cold beer on a patio somewhere.
A bad winter in Chicago means being stranded on the road for 12 hours because of a snowstorm and not being able to do anything about it because you would be frostbitten and eventually die of hypothermia if you tried to escape.
No comparison.
Well sure, I agree with you from a practical sense. I was referring more to the idea that both cities have extreme cycles. One on the warm side, the other on the cold side. And yes, I would much rather be stuck in 100 degree heat by the pool with beer in hand vs sitting in a foot of snow in -10 weather dieing of frostbite. No question about it. I'm trying to be diplomatic here and throw out a bone for the "Houston has hot summers" crowd. They are very vocal you know.
If you like the outdoors, Chicago is an ugly city. Very little green. Yes, Chicago has nice architecture. But that does not make it look nice. Now "if" you live on the lake, sure that's nice. But 98% of the people don't. Chicago is a very ugly city with pockets of affluence on the near north side, which is where I actually live. So yes, if you want to live in small dense area of white yuppies on the north side, that part of Chicago is nice. That makes up about 10% of the city. Of course that would be like me using Malibu as an example to describe all of LA.
And yes, I used the Woodlands because I think with cities like Houston, Dallas, LA, etc that are very spread out, people are usually referring to the "metro" area, not just the downtown area. I would venture a guess, 90% of the posters on this board live in the suburbs.
Chicago has some of the most prevalent architecture in the entire united states, something that Houston is almost devoid of. And the lake is very accessible, even without a car, I visited Chicago and was all the way out in Arlington Heights, hopped on the Metra, and went onto the lake, just like that! And which city has a beach adjacent to a downtown?
You think Chicago is an ugly city with pockets of affluence areas? Have you seen Houston, do you know what Houston is? It is exactly that! There are pockets of affluence areas that are adjacent to some rundown areas. Galleria is adjacent to the Hilcroft area. Downtown is right next to 3rd ward, which is next to UH. The two sides of 288 from the Medical Center to lower 3rd ward is like the difference between night and day! East Downtown is surround by lower income neighborhoods!
They are gentrifying all the rundown areas around the affluent areas to handle the white yuppie crowds just look at East Downtown, The Heights, Western part of the Galleria, etc.
And you say Chicago only has pockets of affluence areas? Are you kidding me? there is a structure, the have neighborhoods like Lincoln park, adjacent to Wrigleyville, which is next to Wicker park, which is adjacent to the LOOP and has Downtown encased inside. Of course Chicago has its ugly areas, but lord knows Houston has its share of ugly areas as well, what's interesting is that there is alot more square miles of the ugly area than Chicago does.
If you think Chicago is ugly and Houston is beautiful, I'm sorry but you're just not comparing apples to apples. Please take the most beautiful of Chicago and compare that to the beautiful parts of Houston, there is no comparison.
You truly are trying to use incomparable areas to drive home a point. And you're losing.
Chicago has some of the most prevalent architecture in the entire united states, something that Houston is almost devoid of. And the lake is very accessible, even without a car, I visited Chicago and was all the way out in Arlington Heights, hopped on the Metra, and went onto the lake, just like that! And which city has a beach adjacent to a downtown?
You think Chicago is an ugly city with pockets of affluence areas? Have you seen Houston, do you know what Houston is? It is exactly that! There are pockets of affluence areas that are adjacent to some rundown areas. Galleria is adjacent to the Hilcroft area. Downtown is right next to 3rd ward, which is next to UH. The two sides of 288 from the Medical Center to lower 3rd ward is like the difference between night and day! East Downtown is surround by lower income neighborhoods!
They are gentrifying all the rundown areas around the affluent areas to handle the white yuppie crowds just look at East Downtown, The Heights, Western part of the Galleria, etc.
And you say Chicago only has pockets of affluence areas? Are you kidding me? there is a structure, the have neighborhoods like Lincoln park, adjacent to Wrigleyville, which is next to Wicker park, which is adjacent to the LOOP and has Downtown encased inside. Of course Chicago has its ugly areas, but lord knows Houston has its share of ugly areas as well, what's interesting is that there is alot more square miles of the ugly area than Chicago does.
If you think Chicago is ugly and Houston is beautiful, I'm sorry but you're just not comparing apples to apples. Please take the most beautiful of Chicago and compare that to the beautiful parts of Houston, there is no comparison.
You truly are trying to use incomparable areas to drive home a point. And you're losing.
Dude, I'm going to use a line against you that others have used on me. I LIVE in Chicago. I have for the past 9 years. You "visited" Chicago. You were a tourist!!!!!! I assure you capadre, I've seen far more of this city then you have. And no, I don't hang around the touristy areas. I'm glad you had "fun" on your "visit" to Chicago. BTW, if you hate Houston so much, why don't you move. Because you seem to really hate Houston.
It really amazes me the lengths some Texans will go to justify how much they dislike CA. You simply don't see Californians writing paragraph after paragraph in the same thread to expound their hatred for Texas. It just doesn't happen.
End of the day, CA is a much cooler state. Blame MTV, blame Hollywood, whoever.
Having spent time in both cities...there are differences.
LA is actually zoned fairly well for being such a huge city. Houston has always tried to spin the lack of zoning as a good thing, but it just looks messy.
LA is one of those cities like NYC/London/Paris - that you know you're somewhere important and culturally significant when you're there. Houston is important as well, but LA is arguably better-known than NYC across the world because of the movie industry. It's just not a fair comparison, there is a reason the cost of living is so high in LA, people want to live there, opposed to moving there because of affordability.
So what you're saying is... if we can't afford CA than we should settle for TX?
The one major negative that people have leveled against CA on this thread is that the cost of living. There might be a few more negatives might be justified but the bottom line is California is a highly desirable place and due to its physical geography has limited space for every household to have a ginormous house. Hence the prices go up...
Now Texas(Houston) has its problems, from the mosquitoes, to the weather, to the crappy beach, to the greedy developers etc.
But the only argument you and others like you have made when comparing to California is that Texas is cheap...
Then we can all solve this bickering quite easily with one sentence....
Dude, I'm going to use a line against you that others have used on me. I LIVE in Chicago. I have for the past 9 years. You "visited" Chicago. You were a tourist!!!!!! I assure you capadre, I've seen far more of this city then you have. And no, I don't hang around the touristy areas. I'm glad you had "fun" on your "visit" to Chicago. BTW, if you hate Houston so much, why don't you move. Because you seem to really hate Houston.
Please enlighten me about the things that you see around Chicago. I'm going to Chicago late November, to experience the cold and snow, and I would love to visit the parts of Chicago that you see and us outsiders dont.
If Houston didn't have the jobs, a lot of people would move out, nothing special here just money and jobs.
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