If you left Houston to live somewhere else, why did you leave? (home, unemployment)

[gold dust]

Hi all, just curious....

If you left Houston to live somewhere else, why did you leave?

And are you happy where you are now?

[Jezer]

We left to go back to the UK so our daughter could go to a particular school.

She wants to go back to the US, as do I.

I'm happy in where I am and what I do, but love the US and miss it.

[latetotheparty]

i grew up about a mile in from the galleria and lived all over southwest houston as a young woman.... places that i am now reading in here are just awful.... left houston in late 1986 ..... because of the economy and lack of jobs....

i cannot STAND the winters here anymore.... day after day after day after day of gray skies and dead trees..... i am MORE than ready to come "home" at this point and in fact have made it my goal to be back in texas permanently by mid-2010 ...... gotta wrap up some stuff here before i can make the move..... i really should have done the move back when my ex and i split and he bought me out of our business in late 2004.... but my mom was in a nursing home here and far to frail to move again..... she passed away in november, 2006 and now really the only thing keeping me here is getting finances back in order after 9 months of unemployment. and even though we haven't been hit as hard with the housing market debacle, we have taken a hit and i think it will be at least a year or so before we rebound.

BUT .... i doubt that i will come back to the houston area..... it has become too big, sprawled and congested in my 22 years in the midwest.... and it was getting that way long before i left. I am looking at corpus christi and victoria.... i am a certified energy rater, so my job is pretty portable.... and i miss the water, even after all of this time.... sure we have lakes and rivers here, but it is NOT the same......

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by gold dust

If you left Houston to live somewhere else, why did you leave? And are you happy where you are now?

I was offered a professional opportunity in New England and I took it. Yes, I am very happy here - I love New England. Boston has a much higher quality of life than Houston. Houstonians often brag about their comparatively low cost of living and in many ways Houston may be an easier place to live if you're middle/lower-middle income. But for those who can afford the higher cost of living in New England it is simply head and shoulders a better place to live.

I miss friends and family in Houston, some of the excellent restaurants, and unusual shopping opportunities there. I return regularly for personal and business reasons. But, otherwise, 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.

Here in the Boston area withing two hours by car I can be at ski mountains in the winter and some of the most scenic beaches in the U.S. in the summer. Lakes and bays for swimming and boating, the Berkshire hills, the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cod, quaint New England countryside, picture-postcard seashores, Normal Rockwell-like towns, a sophisticated bustling urban area, incredible American history, excellent restaurants, world-class fine arts and culture--all of these are now at my doorstep.

And the seasons. Oh, the glorious seasons! Very warm (but not too hot) summers, the world-famous autumn, spring with exploding colorful blooms, and yes, bundling up for winter (Houstonians hear their holiday music in Christmas and wish for our weather--it was SO hard to get in the holiday spirit in Houston when the mercury read 80 and I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt). The Boston area is less cold than Colorado and the Midwest during the winter, but milder in the summer than the deep south--our proximity to the ocean moderates our temperatures. Tornadoes? Never. Major flooding? Doesn't happen. Hurricanes? Very, very rarely. The only downside? Winter is not too cold, it's loo long. It's still chilly in March; it would be nice if spring arrived a month earlier. Other than that, the seasons are just spectacular.

There are some good things about Houston, and there are many places in the U.S. that are far, far worse (including some places in New England). But all in all, New England -- the Boston area in particular -- is the best best place in the U.S. to live.

[Wysiwyg]

Originally Posted by professorsenator

scenic beauty

I think you forgot to mention the beautiful people of all ages are actually out in public areas

[theSUBlime]

Originally Posted by Wysiwyg

I think you forgot to mention the beautiful people of all ages are actually out in public areas

In my opinion, Boston's run by the young folks, well and the natives, aren't that beautiful...surroundings and a lot of the college students are.

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by Wysiwyg

I think you forgot to mention the beautiful people of all ages are actually out in public areas

Meaning that people are not so beautiful in Houston?

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by professorsenator

I was offered a professional opportunity in New England and I took it. Yes, I am very happy here - I love New England. Boston has a much higher quality of life than Houston. Houstonians often brag about their comparatively low cost of living and in many ways Houston may be an easier place to live if you're middle/lower-middle income. But for those who can afford the higher cost of living in New England it is simply head and shoulders a better place to live.

I miss friends and family in Houston, some of the excellent restaurants, and unusual shopping opportunities there. I return regularly for personal and business reasons. But, otherwise, 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.

Here in the Boston area withing two hours by car I can be at ski mountains in the winter and some of the most scenic beaches in the U.S. in the summer. Lakes and bays for swimming and boating, the Berkshire hills, the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cod, quaint New England countryside, picture-postcard seashores, Normal Rockwell-like towns, a sophisticated bustling urban area, incredible American history, excellent restaurants, world-class fine arts and culture--all of these are now at my doorstep.

And the seasons. Oh, the glorious seasons! Very warm (but not too hot) summers, the world-famous autumn, spring with exploding colorful blooms, and yes, bundling up for winter (Houstonians hear their holiday music in Christmas and wish for our weather--it was SO hard to get in the holiday spirit in Houston when the mercury read 80 and I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt). The Boston area is less cold than Colorado and the Midwest during the winter, but milder in the summer than the deep south--our proximity to the ocean moderates our temperatures. Tornadoes? Never. Major flooding? Doesn't happen. Hurricanes? Very, very rarely. The only downside? Winter is not too cold, it's loo long. It's still chilly in March; it would be nice if spring arrived a month earlier. Other than that, the seasons are just spectacular.

There are some good things about Houston, and there are many places in the U.S. that are far, far worse (including some places in New England). But all in all, New England -- the Boston area in particular -- is the best best place in the U.S. to live.

Beautifully written, prof!

[Wysiwyg]

Originally Posted by gold dust

Meaning that people are not so beautiful in Houston?

I'm sure there are lots of beautiful people here in houston. I think the sun's heat and overall demographics of houston make them stay indoors

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by Wysiwyg

I'm sure there are lots of beautiful people here in houston. I think the sun's heat and overall demographics of houston make them stay indoors

ah, yes. That is one thing I am trying to get used to here. In NY, everyone is out and about if the sun is shining ... dining on restaurant patios and what not. Here everyone cowers inside with the air conditioning. The heat is oppressive here, but it's not too bad in the shade (to me). But it's only June and I hear it gets much worse?