Is Houston a world class city (Dallas, San Antonio: amusement parks, house, neighborhoods)

[Jeohnny]

Is Houston a world class city? I hear from some that it is and from some that it isn't because of lack of good transit and walkable neighborhoods etc. What do yall think. Please put emotions to the side and answer with logic whether you like houston or not. Is it a world class city if so why and if not why not?

[ParaguaneroSwag]

If a world class public transportation system is an important factor for being considered a world class city, than Houston is absolutely not a world class city. Houston is behind in this by American standards which is already behind global standards by a lot.

Houston has a world class shopping scene, dining scene, economy, airport, diversity, higher education scene, etc. For these reasons, I would definitely call Houston a world class city for these reasons. But I can absolutely understand someone who says there needs to a world class public transport system with the likes of NYC, London or even Chicago before it can be a world class city.

What’s going to help Houston as well as Dallas, Atlanta, and other “on the heels” cities that lack good public transport is the shift to the Uber era. In these cities, it’s increasingly becoming common to leave your house without driving but it isn’t by getting on a bus or train but rather by ordering an Uber through your phone. These cities grew in a different era and therefore are different by design. And regardless of if it’s done by Uber or transit, getting from point A to point B without driving got a big push from rideshare and this raises the world class status of these “sunbelt” metros.

[elnina]

Not much cheaper than a taxi, if even - so, it won't substitute public transport that should be affordable to everyone.

[SanJac]

Houston has a good transit system. It’s just not what C-D people view as desirable. Uber and Lyft are just convenient ways to book a taxi. The innovation was the app.

Why do you care if Houston is world class? Don’t you live in DFW? How does it change your life?

World class is in the eye of the beholder. Houston has a world class medical center, universities, museums and cultural arts, seaport, airport, food scene, etc,

I focus on quality of life rather than academic rankings. I’ve been fortunate to visit several so-called world-class cities. I wouldn’t want to live in some of them. Being cramped like a sardine in a subway at 8:00 in the morning is not my idea of world-class. To each his own.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by elnina

Not much cheaper than a taxi, if even - so, it won't substitute public transport that should be affordable to everyone.

The reason cab rates are down are because of rideshare. You can get an Uber for $5-$7 for short distances and that could arrive within minutes. You could never dream of achieving this in the cab era. I realize I grew up in a different era, but I highly doubt Houstonians commonly ordered a taxi on the Richmond Strip the way they order an Uber from Washington Ave on weekends. It’s in no way the same nor the same price. And it’s a form of transport that’s caught on for Gen Z and Millenials the way Cabs and Public transport never did for any era in Houston.

[mkwensky]

Houston is world class in a few economic areas like Energy Sector, Conventions and Healthcare. In terms of things that has to do with quality of life it is a top city in terms of dining and shopping. In culture it is prominent in hip hop. Other than that Houston's cultural import is not top tier. In terms of recreational amenities Houston is not even top 5 in the nation let alone world class.

A few people mentioned higher ed as an area where Houston is world class, but I don't think the schools there are good enough to qualify. Rice might be a top school but it's pretty small. Maybe its HBCU offerings are in the top 5 I'm not sure.

Overall I don't see Houston as world class, or on its way to be, unless you are talking about certain economic sectors.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by SanJac

Houston has a good transit system. It’s just not what C-D people view as desirable. Uber and Lyft are just convenient ways to book a taxi. The innovation was the app.

World class is in the eye of the beholder. Houston has a world class medical center, universities, museums and cultural arts, seaport, airport, food scene, etc,

I focus on quality of life rather than academic rankings. I’ve been fortunate to visit several so-called world-class cities. I wouldn’t want to live in some of them. Being cramped like a sardine in a subway at 8:00 in the morning is not my idea of world-class. To each his own.

Even if you think the public transit system in Houston is good (this is an opinion anyway), it’s not up to world class standards. In NYC, Chicago, Paris etc you can function without a car every day of the year.

I know you mention convenience being the only thing Uber/Lyft have over cabs but this is a huge thing alone. Convenience is part of the reason people use Uber to go around and they didn’t with cabs. Cabs were used mostly as a shuttle type service. And the price difference is much bigger than you guys are making it sound. Sun belt car centric cities as a whole are elevating their transport class via rideshare apps alone.

Originally Posted by mkwensky

A few people mentioned higher ed as an area where Houston is world class, but I don't think the schools there are good enough to qualify. Rice might be a top school but it's pretty small. Maybe its HBCU offerings are in the top 5 I'm not sure.

We are talking relative here. Houston’s higher education isn’t Boston, SF, NYC. But it’s arguably best in Texas. Houston’s premier higher education isn’t Rice btw. What pushes Houston’s higher Ed to the world class category is the medical schools particularly BCM and UTH. You’re breaking down things too much. If you break everything down, and say “if you’re missing this this and that, you’re not world class”, few cities have the status. Me (and others) mentioning Houston’s higher education in its world class status isn’t saying that Houston is another Boston. It’s saying that the higher Ed system is good. As opposed to a city like San Antonio that’s large and lacks a good university scene.

The few being NYC, Tokyo, London Shanghai and some others. If this is your definition of world class, Houston has no argument in the conversation and Chicago barely does. This selection of cities competes on the world stage in just about every field that exists. Besides a very small selection such as those mentioned, any other major city is missing a lot to be top notch in everything. You can look at Atlanta, Dallas, Miami and they all exceed somewhere and have no dog in the fight in other fields. These are Houston’s piers on the world class stage as opposed to the NYC/Paris tier.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

In NYC, Chicago, Paris etc you can function without a car every day of the year.

Only people on C-D want to function without a car. For some reason public transit is romanticized on C-D, but not in the real world. It’s nice to use on occasion but not for everything.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

In terms of recreational amenities Houston is not even top 5 in the nation let alone world class.

What are you talking about? Mountain climbing? White water rafting? Can you do those activities in NYC?

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by SanJac

What are you talking about? Mountain climbing? White water rafting? Can you do those activities in NYC?

I'm talking about the combination of museums, theater, zoo, parks, shows, nightlife, resorts, amusement parks, and other 'big city stuff'. No city will dominate in all of these but Houston isn't in the top 5 really in any category so IMHO it isn't even in the running for having world class recreation. I think twenty years ago the strip club scene was top tier but I doubt it is anymore.