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When you get to Fulshear or Magnolia you're getting to where you're not talking as much about the Houston metro area and more about Texas in general. Unless Magnolia is some kind of "exurb" now.
Coming from the Philly suburbs, I have to agree the lot sizes seemed pretty small given the relative land value in Houston. Not just the city proper either - obviously that would be driven by land value - but the outer developments as well seem small.
I think what you find is in Houston the houses are much bigger as well which makes the lot seem smaller still. Losing a basement contributes to that a bit I think. (oh how I miss my basement so) But (and this will sound weird) development is MUCH more organized in the Houston Metro than anywhere I've ever been. There is no such thing as a New Territory, First Colony, Cinco Ranch, Kingwood, Shadow Creek Ranch, Sienna Plantation, etc. in the Northeast. There's no free land to do that kind of scale anymore. So you get a hodgepodge of 10, 20, 50, 100 home developments on old farmland scattered about with no central planning of any kind. Plus it's flat here which helps a lot. (it's tough planning around mountains and hills) These places are like mini-cities really. The lots may be smaller but that's offset by green spaces, parks, ballfields and planned community amenities. You don't get that up north. Therefore lot sizes are bigger so everyone gets their own green space rather than sharing with the community. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but I think it works better the Houston way.
I see a lot of post about people inquiring about moving to Houston from the East Coast. I am 28, grew up and went to college in CT and then lived in NYC for the past five years.
I moved to Houston in July and love it. I thought about moving to South Florida first, but after a week there I missed the northeast. I also spent two weeks in Kansas City last year and felt like an eternity.
Houston has all the big cities amenities. After all it is the 4th largest city in the country.
I actually like the restaurants better here than NYC. New York restaurants were good, but nothing to write home about.
It is more similar to L.A. than New York or D.C., but in some ways there is a little of the Northeast here as well. Houston is more spread out its almost live 4 cities in one. The Galleria in and midtown are bigger than most cities downtown.
Someone on here said they were told the Houston "has no culture". I guarantee you that who ever said most likely never been here and is your typical trust fund northeastern snob. It has much more culture than D.C. or Boston.
There as much racial and ethnic diversity here as New York. The only difference is Houston is much cleaner.
Negative are traffic and the drivers causing the traffic. The summers are brutally hot, but its not Miami there IS a winter laced with 70 and 80 degree days. We have already had snow showers and its 44 degrees right now. Also, for a city this size there really should be a better public transit system.
All and All, Houston is great and getting better. I am really happy here. If any one has specific questions feel free to ask to me.
Overall a very good post, reflecting well on Houston. However, you lost me at DC and Boston. Exactly what's your description of culture?
Coming from the Philly suburbs, I have to agree the lot sizes seemed pretty small given the relative land value in Houston. Not just the city proper either - obviously that would be driven by land value - but the outer developments as well seem small.
I think what you find is in Houston the houses are much bigger as well which makes the lot seem smaller still. Losing a basement contributes to that a bit I think. (oh how I miss my basement so) But (and this will sound weird) development is MUCH more organized in the Houston Metro than anywhere I've ever been. There is no such thing as a New Territory, First Colony, Cinco Ranch, Kingwood, Shadow Creek Ranch, Sienna Plantation, etc. in the Northeast. There's no free land to do that kind of scale anymore. So you get a hodgepodge of 10, 20, 50, 100 home developments on old farmland scattered about with no central planning of any kind. Plus it's flat here which helps a lot. (it's tough planning around mountains and hills) These places are like mini-cities really. The lots may be smaller but that's offset by green spaces, parks, ballfields and planned community amenities. You don't get that up north. Therefore lot sizes are bigger so everyone gets their own green space rather than sharing with the community. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but I think it works better the Houston way.
That's probably the best summary I have seen so far!
Overall a very good post, reflecting well on Houston. However, you lost me at DC and Boston. Exactly what's your description of culture?
I have always like how Boston preserves it's history. However, Houston has more of a diverse population. Don't get me wrong I love Boston. Awesome city with great bars and historical sights.
D.C is cool as well. Obviously lots of sight seeing. Adams Morgan and Georgetown are some of the best neighborhoods to hangout in the country. I also like the fact that it's museums are free. My beef is I find D.C. too Afro centric and most of the city is dead at night. Crime is also a problem.
When you get to Fulshear or Magnolia you're getting to where you're not talking as much about the Houston metro area and more about Texas in general. Unless Magnolia is some kind of "exurb" now.
Oh but they are exurbs now. I visited a friend out in Fulshear at Weston Lakes, where they have a manned gated entrance. I couldn't help thinking, who the $%(* are you trying to keep out way out here in Fulshear? Criminal elements or stray cows?
Magnolia definitely is an exurb now. Many moons ago we used to take 1488 by there to the renaissance festival, it was out in the boonies. Now 1488 looks like 1960. Lined with big box retailers like Home Depot, Ross, Tj Maxx, and the chain restaurants like Chilis. It had been forever since I had been out there & I couldn't believe the growth, so yeah, it is definitely part of the Houston sprawl now.
In both cases though the subdivisions out there had basically subdivision lots, not the country type set up. Personally if I were going to go out that far, I would want the more country feel with some land.
There are exceptions to the standard subdivision lot set up in some parts of Memorial, but of course you will pay a whopper of a premium. There are some of the areas around me like Garden Villas and a small part of Santa Rosa that are set up like that. Some of the houses in my neighborhood that back up to the bayou have large lots too, like 36,000 to one I know that is 53,000. If my side of town had more main stream appeal, I am sure most of those houses would have been torn down by now and the lots subdivided or something.
I have always like how Boston preserves it's history. However, Houston has more of a diverse population. Don't get me wrong I love Boston. Awesome city with great bars and historical sights.
D.C is cool as well. Obviously lots of sight seeing. Adams Morgan and Georgetown are some of the best neighborhoods to hangout in the country. I also like the fact that it's museums are free. My beef is I find D.C. too Afro centric and most of the city is dead at night. Crime is also a problem.
Well I guess it depends on what you define as "much." To me, DC seems like a much more vibrant, neighborhood scene that anything you get in Houston. Midtown on a weekend is dead compared to Adams Morgan on a weekend. Georgetown was hopping all week long and yet I just got back from a bar in Midtown for food and drinks and I was the only person walking on the sidewalk. Capital Hill was always happening but I just don't see that in Houston.
I love DC and Boston and both, at least to me, have more culture, nightlife, vibrancy, and urban character in one block than Houston frankly has in the whole city. There are worse places than Houston, but those places are definitely not DC and Boston.
Well I guess it depends on what you define as "much." To me, DC seems like a much more vibrant, neighborhood scene that anything you get in Houston. Midtown on a weekend is dead compared to Adams Morgan on a weekend. Georgetown was hopping all week long and yet I just got back from a bar in Midtown for food and drinks and I was the only person walking on the sidewalk. Capital Hill was always happening but I just don't see that in Houston.
I love DC and Boston and both, at least to me, have more culture, nightlife, vibrancy, and urban character in one block than Houston frankly has in the whole city. There are worse places than Houston, but those places are definitely not DC and Boston.
Hopefully you are aware that Houston's far more spread out than either D.C. and Boston, developed in a different way and thus there's a bit of that population density factor to take into account. It doesn't reflect too much in terms of overall city offerings in my view.
Midtown usually has people walking around at night (ever sat at Coco's taking it in?) as do parts of Montrose, Gessner between Bellaire and Harwin, Rice Village, downtown.and etc..in the context of a sprawling metro...that's not too bad.
After all we do live in Houston because we don't want to be trapped by hordes of people like in San Fran or NY...at least that's one reason I live here. I like those towns but Houston's got comparable urban amenities, just in a more spread out form.
What counts for me? Go to Biba's in the Montrose any hour. Lots of people. Go to Katz's any hour. Lots of people. Cafe 101, Sinh Sinh, Fu Fu Cafe or Jackie Tan at 1:30 a.m...lots of people. Ruchi's on Westheimer any hour, Mama's Cafe until 4 a.m., That's big city stuff.
Does Boston have a TON of Asian restaurants down a broad boulevard that are open until 2 or 3 a.m? Does Boston even have Filipino restaurants? (Maybe 1?)
I LOVE eating at Bijan's Persian restaurant, its al fresco patio, on Hillcroft...there's a definite urban energy in Houston simply by looking at people walk about the lots, the surrounding high rises, the cars whizzing by, the noise! I just love the vibe there. You ought to try the place, great kubideh.
I don't judge a city by crowded sidewalks and the amount of people walking on them. Look at the action itself in a particular place. I do not hold a traditional view of what makes for "urban." Lots of cars at night whizzing all around Houston...because we are spread out and that's how we normally go about getting around. But the energy of certain shopping districts or even strip centers...heck look at all the people walking around Sin Chao Center in Houston's New Chinatown. We just do the urban thing quite differently here.
Suburban is more like a strip center in Katy. But what about the section of Westheimer where Ruchi's, Caligula, All-Star Cabaret, Tapioca Express, Little Napoli Cafe and such congregate? That is definitely not a suburban vibe. Yet...it's thankfully NOT NY or San Fran (perhaps a wider L.A.).
I definitely take Houston-style urbanity over traditional urban formats like San Francisco and Chicago and NY. I have visited D.C. and while it's fun...I don't like that broken down vibe here and then there's nicely packaged districts there, that kind of segregation. I prefer Houston's overall accessible melting pot vibe, for better or worse.
There's traditional skycraper/big sidewalk action downtown, there's eccentric low-rise bungalow style in the Montrose, there's faux Euro meets SoCal style in the Rice Village...it's all here in H-town.
I don't judge a city by crowded sidewalks and the amount of people walking on them. Look at the action itself in a particular place. I do not hold a traditional view of what makes for "urban." Lots of cars at night whizzing all around Houston...because we are spread out and that's how we normally go about getting around. But the energy of certain shopping districts or even strip centers...heck look at all the people walking around Sin Chao Center in Houston's New Chinatown. We just do the urban thing quite differently here.
Suburban is more like a strip center in Katy. But what about the section of Westheimer where Ruchi's, Caligula, All-Star Cabaret, Tapioca Express, Little Napoli Cafe and such congregate? That is definitely not a suburban vibe. Yet...it's thankfully NOT NY or San Fran (perhaps a wider L.A.).
I definitely take Houston-style urbanity over traditional urban formats like San Francisco and Chicago and NY. I have visited D.C. and while it's fun...I don't like that broken down vibe here and then there's nicely packaged districts there, that kind of segregation. I prefer Houston's overall accessible melting pot vibe, for better or worse.
There's traditional skycraper/big sidewalk action downtown, there's eccentric low-rise bungalow style in the Montrose, there's faux Euro meets SoCal style in the Rice Village...it's all here in H-town.
Nice post. I just wish Houston improves it's sidewalks though. It can have those type of neighborhoods with wider sidewalks so people can actually move around. You'd be amazed how wider sidewalks attracts more people to the area simply because it's safe and you don't have to worry about your life when crossing the street. If Houston can do that, than that would be fine. I don't want Houston to be a Chicago or a San Francisco throughout the city. But I would like a Chicago or San Francisco walking environment.
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