If you left Houston to live somewhere else, why did you leave? (Dallas: house, income)

[cjester]

Originally Posted by Wysiwyg

Saudi arabia made my father poetic too!

You are not telling what it made you do. It's obvious though!

[AK123]

Originally Posted by gold dust

How long have you lived in Katy?

Katy can't be compared to Boston proper. If that's what she meant. Find a far-out suburb of Boston like Westborough or something, and then maybe it would be fair to compare it to Katy.

[Stephanie P]

I have lived in Katy for almost 5 years. I am originally from a small town north of Dallas. I did live in Michigan for a year and loved it! I think the changing seasons agree with me more. Katy is a very nice town though. Everything you want is within 30 minutes or less. I just can't take the heat and no winter anymore.

[cjester]

Originally Posted by JJP

Half my family still lives in the Boston suburbs. They can have it. What good is the beach when it's too cold most of the year? And we have a house on the Cape our family has had forever, we rarely use it, just rent it out. We lose money because people would rather rent in the warm places... should have gone with Galveston instead!

And I don't have 800k for a family house up there... does that mean I'm poor? No, it means I'd rather get more in Houston for $300k, and better weather and more jobs to top it off.

Originally Posted by professorsenator

I'm not a big fan of H-town. I despised the weather, the traffic is awful, the ever-present bugs are annoying, the area is lacking in scenic beauty, nearby recreational activities are minimal, and I was a fish out of water with regards to the prevailing political and social culture.

But all in all, New England -- the Boston area in particular -- is the best best place in the U.S. to live.

What a contrast between these two individuals!

[JJP] A Native Bostonian loves Houston and gives Houston credit fairly and appropriately.

Whereas [professorsenator], who knows where he is from. He moved away from houston years ago, but he cannot stop himself from bashing this city still and on a daily basis!! Strangely, he hardly posts on the Boston board.
Professorsenator, it is time to move on. Leave Houston alone. Be happy in Boston, stay there and forget Houston.

[rnc2mbfl]

I left Houston after 6 months. I was in the area for a position with my former company on what I thought was a temporary assignment. However, they had other ideas. They wanted me to fall in love with the idea of making living in Houston a permanent idea. I didn't buy it. I lived in the Post Oak/Westheimer area and liked it okay but it was not my idea of a good life. My friends and colleagues were too scattered in all directions. I hated the relentless Summer heat and humidity and the traffic was horrible. The crime was bad and I didn't like living in an apt. complex surrounded by barbed wire topped fences. I also didn't like what the lack of zoning or good city planning did to the city itself. I am also not a big fan of the politics of Houston (Austin would be more my speed).
I did enjoy all the great dining choices I had nearby and I liked the friends I met but it wasn't enough for me to make Houston my home.
I returned to Raleigh, North Carolina where life was better for me. I'll never complain about heat and humidity again after living in Houston. Even Miami (where I now split my time) doesn't hold a candle to Houston in terms of heat. The overall quality of place and life is much better in Raleigh for me.

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by cjester

Whereas professorsenator, who knows where he is from. He moved away from houston years ago, but he cannot stop himself from bashing this city still and on a daily basis!! ....Professorsenator, it is time to move on. Leave Houston alone....

One of the things I found disconcerting about Houston was a local attitude of shameless boosterism. Criticism of Houston was to be avoided, as if pointing out the significant flaws and shortcomings of the city was somehow unseemly. Mind you, I willingly point out positive aspects of Houston, too. (see my original post, for example) But the mindset seems to be that one can't say anything bad about Houston--it's akin to stories out of China right now which report that there is some unwritten code prohibiting criticism of the government.

Well, I'm here to upset this cozy little conformist apple cart. While I, again, happily concur that H-town has some positive aspects, I make it a point of providing a differing perspective. I post in the Houston forum because I like to point out these foibles and counter the shameless boosterism of some Houstonians and report that, contrary to what some may suggest, Houston is far from perfect and that -- horrors! -- there are places that are better.

[latetotheparty]

places that are better.....

better for some maybe......

not so better for others........

[jd2008]

Originally Posted by professorsenator

One of the things I found disconcerting about Houston was a local attitude of shameless boosterism. Criticism of Houston was to be avoided, as if pointing out the significant flaws and shortcomings of the city was somehow unseemly. Mind you, I willingly point out positive aspects of Houston, too. (see my original post, for example) But the mindset seems to be that one can't say anything bad about Houston--it's akin to stories out of China right now which report that there is some unwritten code prohibiting criticism of the government.

Well, I'm here to upset this cozy little conformist apple cart. While I, again, happily concur that H-town has some positive aspects, I make it a point of providing a differing perspective. I post in the Houston forum because I like to point out these foibles and counter the shameless boosterism of some Houstonians and report that, contrary to what some may suggest, Houston is far from perfect and that -- horrors! -- there are places that are better.

Just out of curiosity, how did you find the community feeling generally in Houston? I enjoy the close knit feeling you get in certain neighborhoods in other cities (namely the North East) and I'm not sure Houston has the same attitude. I lived in several cities where one had the local market, local bar/pub, local restaurants, local laundry, etc. One could walk to most places and you often knew close to everyone in the area. I loved it because it was like a small town feeling within a larger city.

My limited experience with Houston seems to point to the contrary. But perhaps that is because the city is so focused on the burbs and their miles of strip malls and highways. You couldn't pay me to live in such places but is the attitude different inside the loop in more "urban" neighborhoods?

[houstoner]

It really depends on where in Houston you live. That's the thing people seem to really not get about Houston. You could live in one area/neighborhood, move to another and have a TOTALLY different experience. That's why you really need to do your research. Like the person who posted above who didn't like Houston because he lived at Post Oak/Westheimer, I would never live there in a million years because I know that area and the crowded, tangled mess and kind of people who live there aren't my speed. If you choose the wrong place to live, it's going to negatively impact your quality of life greatly. Stop listening to real estate agents and do your own research. And while I'm at it, stop moving here solely to live in a Big House 40 miles from downtown and then get here and ***** and moan about traffic and how there's nothing to do here when the truth is you chose the wrong neighborhood for you and there's nothing to do where you live apparently. Listening to that **** gets old. Wysiwyg, I'm looking at you.

Oh, and professorsenator, thanks, but your great help and dedicated service here in the Houston forum is SO not needed. Those of us who STILL live here and actually *G-d forbid* LIKE living here are perfectly capable of selling our city and noting its drawbacks. As far as what you perceive as boosterism, Houston gets dumped on the most of any major Texas city when really it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be, and those other cities have their share of problems, too. Look around in the Austin and Dallas fora and then get back to me about shameless boosterism, mmkay?

[EasilyAmused]

I agree with Houster. Houston has it's niches, you have to find your own. And if you live 40 miles outside of town, it's not Houston. Period. And most of the people come from all over the country, which causes culture clash and angst.

Yeah, Houston's summer S U C K. But EVERY place has one drawback or another. Pure and simple, unhappy people will be unhappy anywhere. Happy people make the best of things. Personally I know the later is hard in a burb, but knowing I would get back to my niche in a certain period of time made it better. Even up there though, I found an area that I would go when the place "got to me."

While I was there I made the best of it, now I'm out and I ***** about it.