Is Houston always a super friendly city or just surface friendly? (Dallas: transplants, neighborhoods)

[Eastworth]

I recently went to Houston for a vacation. I met a friend out there. Both of us were really amazed at how nice and friendly the people there were compared to our cities. In the 5 days we were there, we ran only into one rude person and that was in Sugar Land. The rest of everybody was so nice. I began to think that it might actually be easy to form friendships in Houston and easy to talk to strangers and cashiers.

Is Houston actually a genuinely friendly city or is it mostly surface friendly? Is it easy to make friends there? How doe the people in Houston compare to the people in the DFW area? Houston seemed very much like the deep southeast and had a ton of southern hospitality. I was a tourist, so I'm talking based off a tourist perspective.

Driving though was different. Incredibly aggressive drivers, but on foot, people were not who they were in their cars.

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by Eastworth

I recently went to Houston for a vacation. I met a friend out there. Both of us were really amazed at how nice and friendly the people there were compared to our cities. In the 5 days we were there, we ran only into one rude person and that was in Sugar Land. The rest of everybody was so nice. I began to think that it might actually be easy to form friendships in Houston and easy to talk to strangers and cashiers.

Is Houston actually a genuinely friendly city or is it mostly surface friendly? Is it easy to make friends there? How doe the people in Houston compare to the people in the DFW area? Houston seemed very much like the deep southeast and had a ton of southern hospitality. I was a tourist, so I'm talking based off a tourist perspective.

Driving though was different. Incredibly aggressive drivers, but on foot, people were not who they were in their cars.

I personally didn't notice any significant difference between Houston and Dallas or other major Texas cities.

Most of the people I knew and socialize with when I lived in Houston were transplants so I can't really speak to how the native could be different.

I wouldn't really say it's easier to make friends in Houston than wherever you're from unless it's one of the more reserved places like PNW or Minneapolis. People in the Northeast are less outwardly friendly but I have a better sense of where I stand with people in general and so had a better time meeting and making friends there.
Most of your social life really depends on you not the city.

If you can share more details about where you are in life and what your scene is I'm sure you will get more useful feedback.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

I personally didn't notice any significant difference between Houston and Dallas or other major Texas cities.

Most of the people I knew and socialize with when I lived in Houston were transplants so I can't really speak to how the native could be different.

I wouldn't really say it's easier to make friends in Houston than wherever you're from unless it's one of the more reserved places like PNW or Minneapolis. People in the Northeast are less outwardly friendly but I have a better sense of where I stand with people in general and so had a better time meeting and making friends there.
Most of your social life really depends on you not the city.

If you can share more details about where you are in life and what your scene is I'm sure you will get more useful feedback.

I agree. City data users exaggerate how “friendly” Houston is as well as how “unfriendly” DFW is. I have met plenty and plenty of a-holes in HOU. And have met some amazing people in/from DFW. HOU and DFW have some set of differences, the “friendliness” isn’t one of them.

[achtung baby]

Strictly speaking for myself:

I find people here quite easy to talk to, they are generally friendly but not in a saccharinely sweet way. (which is good.) I never expected people to roll out the red carpet with wherever I moved to, and I am the type actually loving the anonymity of living in the big cities so it’s a good thing that so far people here don’t bother me.

Having lived in NYC for 15 + years I love how chatty and no-nonsense New Yorkers are, but I disliked the rudeness and insularity mostly from the adjacent Long Island and NJ areas.

I also haven’t noticed the cliche “Southerners are nice and sweet to your face but stab you in the back.” Our neighbors were natives mostly, they have been very sweet and helpful.

Like any city with massive populations you’re bound to have some moody pissy pills who think they are better than you. My theory is rudeness usually stems from internal insecurities.

[As Above So Below...]

I personally find it very easy to make friends in Houston. One of the easiest places I've ever made friends.

But I also found it easy to make friends in Dallas.

Like attracts like wherever you are in most places. I would say Houston is easier than most.

[SugLandDAd]

I have lived in small towns in the north, where if you haven't lived there for 30 years, you are not one of them.

Native Texas are generally taught to be polite as children, and in general are positive enough about their state that they seem to welcome newcomers, as newcomers somehow validate the superiority of Texas.

Houston has so many newcomers, many with little or no local family/relatives themselves that they are more open to empathize with and befriend other newcomers.

That said, in some of Houston's ethnic neighborhoods, and places like Sugar Land things can get almost tribal, with people sticking mainly to their "group" .

[Eastworth]

I live in Chandler, AZ. I'm thinking about moving to Texas, haven't decided yet. I was so amazed at how nice and friendly people in Houston were. I came back to Phoenix and saw how horrifically rude people here are. It's so hard to talk to others out here. People say "excuse me" for no reason here. You walk past someone, they say that phrase, which to me means, "f you". I noticed people didn't say that in Houston, or only 3 people did out of my 5 days there.

I am a single male who is 30 years old. Houston just felt kinder and friendlier.

I'm debating on moving to Houston now. However, I'm used to the desert, it would be a change for sure. I just have nothing left here. No friends, everyone is so rude all the time, and a really crappy job.

Do you all think it's me or the city I live in? I was treated way better in Houston.

[Eastworth]

I also don't know my neighbors. Nobody here waves or says hi. In Houston, your neighbors probably are like in the east coast where there are block parties and socializing that feels more genuine. I also loved the diversity and seeing people from all over the world in Houston. No white snobbery as you see all the time in Arizona. Phoenix too is also transplant heavy with southern Californians and Midwesterners. Could be why people here come off as rude? I don't think it's me.

[detachable arm]

Native here...
I could almost write a thesis, but let's just say Houston is too damn big and mixed up to categorize. You could get lucky, or not. Overall pretty easy to make friends if you can surround yourself with people of similar interests, etc. My friend card isn't necessarily full but I am pretty selective. We've always had a lot of transplants here, and with that I've seen plenty of characters. Best to stay in your lane and observe first.

I've lived in the southeast and northeast for a couple of years each, and in my opinion Houston/Texas is not like either one of those regions, unless you're in some sort of enclave.

BTW Sugar Land does not feel like it's in Texas anymore. There are too many "I was third world yesterday" types, only there to take and use it up as much as they can.

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by Eastworth

I also don't know my neighbors. Nobody here waves or says hi. In Houston, your neighbors probably are like in the east coast where there are block parties and socializing that feels more genuine. I also loved the diversity and seeing people from all over the world in Houston. No white snobbery as you see all the time in Arizona. Phoenix too is also transplant heavy with southern Californians and Midwesterners. Could be why people here come off as rude? I don't think it's me.

I have lived in 3 different places in Houston and don't think block parties are that common. I actually found the people in New Jersey to be more neighborly but that was twenty years ago and maybe the idea of neighbors hanging out together is not as common now. Houston has some of the Western 'live and let live' ethos, that and the high rate of gun ownership makes people reluctant to knock on doors.

I did find the people in Phoenix to be less courteous in general but I've only visited twice. Houston would be an improvement in terms of customer service quality for sure. You also seem to care a lot about whether someone says hi or excuse me so it seems like the South or Southeast is better for you. I actually think Amarillo or other smaller cities in Texas and Atlanta are better when it comes to politeness than Houston.