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Houston is pretty laid back and quiet at night compared to Manhattan.
Houston is probably a good place for retirement from Manhattan.
I would move up there if I could.
All things considered, Houston is not a retirement city. It's too young and active. And where is it quiet at night compared to Manhattan? If anything, a lot of Houston comes alive at night.
Of course, everything is debatable. I expressed my personal opinion that happens to coincide with the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) ranking. Houston is the so-called "Gamma World City", whereas NYC and Moscow are in the "Alpha" and "Beta" "World City" categories respectively. For more information you can go to Global city - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
You can debate that if you want.
I'm all too familiar with that list. So then how are NY and Moscow in the same league, in that sense?
Wysiwyg;1154260]not sure where to begin well first I didnt know Moscow is a desireable place to live'
Well, you learn something new every day, don't you... It is a desirable place for me, how about that? In my company (energy sector) people literally line up to get a Moscow assignment. Unfortunately, the "good times" for expats are almost over. Most companies prefer hiring locals.
100K TX$ == 250K NY$?? what?! False!
First off, - I said $190K-$250K, depending on location; and my salary is over $100K. If you do not believe me go to CNN Money cost of living calculator or salary.com. Play with numbers. This is where I got those numbers. Basically by saying that this info is false you are saying that you know better than CNN Money, etc... Well, everybody is entitled to an opinion... no matter how biased or malformed. Since you started talking about 100K, let's take this round number.
According to CNN Money $100K in Houston provides the same standard of living as $231,538.98 in NYC (Manhattan), or $163,390.66 if you live in Queens (I personally don't want to live in Queens, been there). And that is conservative, median estimate. Other sites quote more, some other bit less.
you just have to get over the big yard, empty rooms, windy subdivision roads, daycare highschools, public pools, landscaping workforce, community gym etc etc.
Exactly. Etc., etc., etc.... the list of things I have to give up goes on, including my constitutional right to bear arms. What do I get in return? Higher progressive taxes, state and city taxes on top of federal taxes?
did you know that its faster and comfy to get to NYC(work, entertainment) from CT, NJ, LI than houston's great suburbs to midtown(whatever is in there)? and you dont even need to drive.
1. Read some other posts here by people who commute from NJ, etc... According to them
it takes 1.5 - 2+? hours to commute using public transportation, which brings me to the next point
2. I prefer driving in my shiny clean car to a commute in stinking public transportation or walking, thank you very much. (That is what I remember the most about NYC buses and subways - they are poorly conditioned (almost had a heat stroke in a subway), dirty, and smell of urine).
BTW, I live between Conroe and the Woodlands, this is over 40 miles distance and it takes me worst case, major catastrophes notwithstanding, 45 minutes to get to my job in downtown Houston, not using toll roads. When I lived in Katy it used to take me the same time to get to my then work near IAH - using toll-road. I think this is very decent for a big city like Houston. In any case not like commuting 1.5 -2 hours changing trains and ferries. So do not tell me fairy tales about how hard it is to get from Houston suburbs to a work in Houston.
NYC is THE land of opportunity and MONEY, you just have to have the *right attitude* and *right priorities* in life. i dont know who said it... "Options(choices?) are what makes a person rich."
I keep a close eye on the SE/IT opportunities in NY and TX, and, based on what I have seen so far, I think NYC is by no means a better place for a SE/IT specialist than Houston. Just because it has larger number of those typical "cookie-cutter" IT jobs - does not make it more attractive. You worked one of these jobs - worked them all.
Options are good, when you can exercise them and get something tangible in return.
When you reach 65 - can your deposit your options in a bank? I can entertain myself with the idea that I have "options" in Houston just as well as I can do it anywhere else.
you sir are stuck at home in houston.
Ha ha. My home is wherever I choose to call it "home", and, thank you, come to think of it, I am better off being "stuck" in Houston.
I dont know anyone in NYC who's still renting. everyone eventually settles into some give&take housing situation. with single income too. overthere housing is a true investment
Hmmm. That is contrary to what I heard from most new yorkers I know. In any case I enjoy living in a house way better than living in an apartment, even if I own the latter.
it may be true NYC losing jobs to houston but its a very very tiny sector (maybe the dime a dozen roles). its more like overflowing to houston. *FEW* of JPMCs software and infrastructure is in Houston, Tampa, Chicago and Delaware. A huge percentage is still in the primary location because theyre vital resources there, where the operations is. I do not think you can have the same opportunity, learning and productivity of a developer in NYC working hand-in-hand eye-to-eye with a trader/ops.
I believe people call this situation 'laidback'.
if someone was laid off, it probably means he's no good, can be replicated offsite or a contractor. in any case, i'm not saying houston efforts is not strong but can be thought of as a break away/offsite/offshore *model* - in the corporate world its another word for 'experiment'
I saw what I saw. People were let go in NYC and hired in Houston for the same positions. You can call it laid back, laid off, or whatever, - result is the same - people lost their jobs. As a matter of fact people in NYC were offered transfer from NYC to Houston. Whoever refused moving to Houston - was let go. I think that answers the question whether they were good at their jobs. This is not "overflowing" of jobs, this is job transfer from NYC to Houston.
In any case, the key word in your response is "still" Still has more opportunities.
This is not likely to change completely very soon, but it is changing, not in favor of NYC. For the past 5 years job opportunities growth in NYC was in 4-5% range, while in Houston-Baytown-Sugarland metro area (greater Houston) it was about 30%.
Very relative data, but gives you a trend.
As far as career opportunities for a SE - you may get more opportunities in NY if you work as a SE in finance industry. I don't. Not anymore. I have double graduate education - in Petroleum Exploration and Computer Science. For now I bet on Houston.
I'm all too familiar with that list. So then how are NY and Moscow in the same league, in that sense?
Who said that they are,- "in that sense"? I said that Houston is not in the same league as NYC or Moscow. That does not imply that NYC and Moscow are in the same category using that classification. But to me they are in the league of the "capitals of the world".
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nyevik
Wysiwyg;1154260]not sure where to begin well first I didnt know Moscow is a desireable place to live'
Well, you learn something new every day, don't you... It is a desirable place for me, how about that? In my company (energy sector) people literally line up to get a Moscow assignment. Unfortunately, the "good times" for expats are almost over. Most companies prefer hiring locals.
100K TX$ == 250K NY$?? what?! False!
First off, - I said $190K-$250K, depending on location; and my salary is over $100K. If you do not believe me go to CNN Money cost of living calculator or salary.com. Play with numbers. This is where I got those numbers. Basically by saying that this info is false you are saying that you know better than CNN Money, etc... Well, everybody is entitled to an opinion... no matter how biased or malformed. Since you started talking about 100K, let's take this round number.
According to CNN Money $100K in Houston provides the same standard of living as $231,538.98 in NYC (Manhattan), or $163,390.66 if you live in Queens (I personally don't want to live in Queens, been there). And that is conservative, median estimate. Other sites quote more, some other bit less.
you just have to get over the big yard, empty rooms, windy subdivision roads, daycare highschools, public pools, landscaping workforce, community gym etc etc.
Exactly. Etc., etc., etc.... the list of things I have to give up goes on, including my constitutional right to bear arms. What do I get in return? Higher progressive taxes, state and city taxes on top of federal taxes?
did you know that its faster and comfy to get to NYC(work, entertainment) from CT, NJ, LI than houston's great suburbs to midtown(whatever is in there)? and you dont even need to drive.
1. Read some other posts here by people who commute from NJ, etc... According to them
it takes 1.5 - 2+? hours to commute using public transportation, which brings me to the next point
2. I prefer driving in my shiny clean car to a commute in stinking public transportation or walking, thank you very much. (That is what I remember the most about NYC buses and subways - they are poorly conditioned (almost had a heat stroke in a subway), dirty, and smell of urine).
BTW, I live between Conroe and the Woodlands, this is over 40 miles distance and it takes me worst case, major catastrophes notwithstanding, 45 minutes to get to my job in downtown Houston, not using toll roads. When I lived in Katy it used to take me the same time to get to my then work near IAH - using toll-road. I think this is very decent for a big city like Houston. In any case not like commuting 1.5 -2 hours changing trains and ferries. So do not tell me fairy tales about how hard it is to get from Houston suburbs to a work in Houston.
NYC is THE land of opportunity and MONEY, you just have to have the *right attitude* and *right priorities* in life. i dont know who said it... "Options(choices?) are what makes a person rich."
I keep a close eye on the SE/IT opportunities in NY and TX, and, based on what I have seen so far, I think NYC is by no means a better place for a SE/IT specialist than Houston. Just because it has larger number of those typical "cookie-cutter" IT jobs - does not make it more attractive. You worked one of these jobs - worked them all.
Options are good, when you can exercise them and get something tangible in return.
When you reach 65 - can your deposit your options in a bank? I can entertain myself with the idea that I have "options" in Houston just as well as I can do it anywhere else.
you sir are stuck at home in houston.
Ha ha. My home is wherever I choose to call it "home", and, thank you, come to think of it, I am better off being "stuck" in Houston.
I dont know anyone in NYC who's still renting. everyone eventually settles into some give&take housing situation. with single income too. overthere housing is a true investment
Hmmm. That is contrary to what I heard from most new yorkers I know. In any case I enjoy living in a house way better than living in an apartment, even if I own the latter.
it may be true NYC losing jobs to houston but its a very very tiny sector (maybe the dime a dozen roles). its more like overflowing to houston. *FEW* of JPMCs software and infrastructure is in Houston, Tampa, Chicago and Delaware. A huge percentage is still in the primary location because theyre vital resources there, where the operations is. I do not think you can have the same opportunity, learning and productivity of a developer in NYC working hand-in-hand eye-to-eye with a trader/ops.
I believe people call this situation 'laidback'.
if someone was laid off, it probably means he's no good, can be replicated offsite or a contractor. in any case, i'm not saying houston efforts is not strong but can be thought of as a break away/offsite/offshore *model* - in the corporate world its another word for 'experiment'
I saw what I saw. People were let go in NYC and hired in Houston for the same positions. You can call it laid back, laid off, or whatever, - result is the same - people lost their jobs. As a matter of fact people in NYC were offered transfer from NYC to Houston. Whoever refused moving to Houston - was let go. I think that answers the question whether they were good at their jobs. This is not "overflowing" of jobs, this is job transfer from NYC to Houston.
In any case, the key word in your response is "still" Still has more opportunities.
This is not likely to change completely very soon, but it is changing, not in favor of NYC. For the past 5 years job opportunities growth in NYC was in 4-5% range, while in Houston-Baytown-Sugarland metro area (greater Houston) it was about 30%.
Very relative data, but gives you a trend.
As far as career opportunities for a SE - you may get more opportunities in NY if you work as a SE in finance industry. I don't. Not anymore. I have double graduate education - in Petroleum Exploration and Computer Science. For now I bet on Houston.
Take care.
this is getting weird
I am from JPMC too. 10 years now. Energy trading too. IT dept as well.
spent 9.5 years in NYC and i'm in houston now. we should be friends (maybe you can reread my post now)
yes I took the trains to work from NJ and LI and whereever the subway goes for 9.5years. what fairy tales? first hand info anyone? i wanted to drive a nice car to work too when I was new there but I realized that I can actually own a pleasure-only cars (even party late) since i use public transpo... so I suped up those cars and took it to every race track in the NE car clubs are awesome in NYC metro!
the option to move to houston was offered almost 4 years ago. some of my coworkers moved - it was a cold winter and their families were begging them to take a great offer from a great company. so they did. I didnt because I like to snowboard and a car-guy. i didnt get replaced or threatened. i think i should mention my mom and 2 sisters live in Cypress,TX
see, point is theres a more to the story than 'people losing their jobs to houstonites'. a company like JPMC is not going to surprise an employee one day about being terminated. I'm sure youve heard of 'mobility' in JPM. I changed divisions 3x even before 'mobility' was coined. can you honestly say this system did not work for good IT employees?
I'm not saying i'm better than cnnmoney. I thinking maybe youre not using the calculator correctly. Is your town comparable to manhattan and all it has to offer? do you have a $10MM house? if not maybe you should be comparing COL for Nassau, NY. better yet you might want to play around and see how things look like for people who live in Middlesex, NJ - this where most of the asian IT professionals live. tell me what you get
wow just that and you get to be in the greatest city everyday and best younger years you can possibly have. no you cant deposit that when youre 65 yo, neither all the memories, fun times, vacations and experiences you should be rewarding yourself while youre young. and youre right, its your option if you want to be buried with your life earnings.
like i said all my friends whos in the NE have houses, not apartments. some associates who live in the city has their own place too (in the city). not sure whatelse to tell you. oh they (not manhattanites) have bigger yards the mine :\
life's ticking away... you're indoors in houston. pretty sad no? peace
Let's watch our mass transit system expand and we'll see how much we really need our cars in Houston to have a good time.
You will still need to own one, but it will be nice when it's not a necessity to drive everywhere. As it is, I can travel the nearly eight miles from here to downtown and back and leave the car at home.
If I was single, no kids and I had a finance-sector opportunity on which I could pay my bills in New York, off I go. I always have a place to lay my head in Houston when I come back, either to visit or because things just didn't work out.
I for one would like to experience living in NYC....even briefly...all its pains, all its upsides....just to know what it's like waking up every morning in a city that truly never sleeps.
It you're single and upwardly mobile you're not in bad company in Houston - and it's not like there's nothing to do. Just not quite like what you can find in NYC.
Who said that they are,- "in that sense"? I said that Houston is not in the same league as NYC or Moscow. That does not imply that NYC and Moscow are in the same category using that classification. But to me they are in the league of the "capitals of the world".
What are you saying? Houston is a "capital of the world" because it's the energy capital of the world. Energy/oil are very important and are pretty much synonomous with Houston. Besides, on that ranking list, Moscow is only one tier above Houston.
One could say Houston is a global capital of the energy, biomedical/biotech and aeronautical sectors but is still second-tier at best in most respects compared to NYC, Moscow, London, Tokyo etc.
For now just be glad that people don't have to say "Houston, Texas" all the time. People don't say "Los Angeles, California." Simply say "Los Angeles" or "LA" and everyone knows where you're talking about. Houston is starting to have that level of name recognition nationwide.
One day, nationwide could turn to worldwide. The city is on the right track.
What are you saying? Houston is a "capital of the world" because it's the energy capital of the world. Energy/oil are very important and are pretty much synonomous with Houston. Besides, on that ranking list, Moscow is only one tier above Houston.
Have you ever lived in Moscow?
I personally think it belongs in the same tier with London, Tokyo, NYC, etc...
Regardless, just being the "energy capital of the world" is not synonymous with being one of "the capitals of the world", just does not exert the same level of influence. Major decisions are made in Washington DC(political) and NYC(financial). Not to doubt the importance of Houston as one of the world's main Petroleum Industry centers, two rival cities that can claim this crown come to my mind immediately - Dubai and ,well, again, Moscow.
this is getting weird
I am from JPMC too. 10 years now. Energy trading too. IT dept as well.
spent 9.5 years in NYC and i'm in houston now. we should be friends (maybe you can reread my post now)
yes I took the trains to work from NJ and LI and whereever the subway goes for 9.5years. what fairy tales? first hand info anyone? i wanted to drive a nice car to work too when I was new there but I realized that I can actually own a pleasure-only cars (even party late) since i use public transpo... so I suped up those cars and took it to every race track in the NE car clubs are awesome in NYC metro!
the option to move to houston was offered almost 4 years ago. some of my coworkers moved - it was a cold winter and their families were begging them to take a great offer from a great company. so they did. I didnt because I like to snowboard and a car-guy. i didnt get replaced or threatened. i think i should mention my mom and 2 sisters live in Cypress,TX
see, point is theres a more to the story than 'people losing their jobs to houstonites'. a company like JPMC is not going to surprise an employee one day about being terminated. I'm sure youve heard of 'mobility' in JPM. I changed divisions 3x even before 'mobility' was coined. can you honestly say this system did not work for good IT employees?
I'm not saying i'm better than cnnmoney. I thinking maybe youre not using the calculator correctly. Is your town comparable to manhattan and all it has to offer? do you have a $10MM house? if not maybe you should be comparing COL for Nassau, NY. better yet you might want to play around and see how things look like for people who live in Middlesex, NJ - this where most of the asian IT professionals live. tell me what you get
wow just that and you get to be in the greatest city everyday and best younger years you can possibly have. no you cant deposit that when youre 65 yo, neither all the memories, fun times, vacations and experiences you should be rewarding yourself while youre young. and youre right, its your option if you want to be buried with your life earnings.
like i said all my friends whos in the NE have houses, not apartments. some associates who live in the city has their own place too (in the city). not sure whatelse to tell you. oh they (not manhattanites) have bigger yards the mine :\
life's ticking away... you're indoors in houston. pretty sad no? peace
Of course, there is always more to the story than can be said in a forum reply. You are correct, the people I was talking about were given ample warning by JPMC. But they were presented with a choice - either move to Houston - or find yourself another job - within the company or elsewhere. Some people moved to Houston, may be you are one of them. You did not say why you ended up in Houston if you like NY so much. Most people did not - for whatever reasons. When I was hired a manager and an employee whose place I took tried to "teach me the ropes" while being in NYC. Both left the company because they did not want to move to Houston. Just an example.
Unfortunately, I am not that young. I had my fun years (so much fun it should be illegal). My best years were spent in cities that offer way more opportunities for social life than Houston. Now it's time to think about the damn money Since I plan on getting married soon and having kids - I seriously doubt I will ever have a chance to be buried in my life earnings. Anyhow, we are not in ancient Egypt. I will look into what you said about commuting and comparing cost of living in NJ.
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I expressed my personal opinion that happens to coincide with the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) ranking. Houston is the so-called "Gamma World City", whereas NYC and Moscow are in the "Alpha" and "Beta" "World City" categories respectively. For more information you can go to 
well first I didnt know Moscow is a desireable place to live'
It is a desirable place for me, how about that? In my company (energy sector) people literally line up to get a Moscow assignment. Unfortunately, the "good times" for expats are almost over. Most companies prefer hiring locals.
, depending on location; and my salary is over $100K.
Since I plan on getting married soon and having kids - I seriously doubt I will ever have a chance to be buried in my life earnings. Anyhow, we are not in ancient Egypt. I will look into what you said about commuting and comparing cost of living in NJ.
