Should I move to Houston or Boston?...details inside (Dallas: apartments, rentals)

[rvaccha]

Hi,

I will be finishing my MBA from Univ. of Pennsylvania this May and joining a consulting company. I have a choice to either relocate to Boston (MA) or Houston. I believe the pay will be the same in both locations.

The office in Houston is on Smith Street, near the former Enron building.

I have been to Boston a few times, but never lived there. Prior to coming to Philadelphia I went to undegrad in Ann Arbor, MI, lived in NYC and my home country India.

I am confused whether to relocate to Boston or Houston. A bit about me:

- Age 30
- Single
- Does not drink, thus not too much into the bar scene
- Like a comfortable apartment with modern amenities, e.g. washer dryer, walk in cupboard etc
- I do not cook so I usually call in food or would go out if I had a car

What I liked about Boston:

-Closer to my younger Brothers, one in Cambridge, MA and another in NYC. The one in Cambridge will graduate in 1 year.

- Headquarters of the company that I am joining

- Closer to NYC, Philadelphia

- Possibly better opportunities to connect with other alumni as well as network professionally

What I do not like about Boston:

- Cold
- Apartments were either the brownstone type or high rises with older amenities. The newer high rises were not that convenient in their location


I will be joining the Oil & Gas/Petroleum/Chemicals group in the firm that I am joining.

I was wondering if there is any case that can be made to relocate to Houston instead of Boston?

Also, how can I find out apartment rentals near Smith Street?

Thanks,
RJ

[nycbabe30]

Well here's what I think, with your degree from Wharton you can pretty much go anywhere. Being a NYC resident myself, I love the Brownstone type houses. A lot of history to them. Basically your decision all depends on your 5 year goal.If you are interested in the oil/petrochemical areas, then I think Houston will provide you a great opportunity for networking and career growthas well ( i have several family members who attended Cornell Business) and Columbia doing extremely well in Houston in the oil companies.
Since you will be getting paid the same amount in both places, you will probably end up saving a lot more in Houston.
Also given the fact that you don't cook, great. Houston has all the great restaurants. Coming from India, I am sure you are no stranger to hot weather, so you will probably be able to handle the heat.
There are a lot of pros and cons on both sides. Boston has a nice social scene and I am sure Houston has that too. Culturally, both places are diverse.
Here are the questions you should ask yourself, how important is it for you to be closer to your family, and will your salary enable to live comfortably in Boston and still be able to save? Have you visisted Houston at all?
If it were me and I were single , I would probably pick Boston.
But me as a married person with hopes of starting a family soon, definitely Houston will be my number 1 choice hands down.

[dpn0121]

Boston, you can't beat the East coast.

[pwright1]

Try Houston. Take a chance, discover new places. It's not like you have to live there for the rest of your life. People always rave about the east coast. I enjoyed living on the east coast but there is so much more out there than that. I always hear how close east coast cities are to each other. But Houston is centrally located so flights are closer to most parts of the U.S. I say go for Houston. Also being single you'll have a ball.

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by dpn0121

Boston, you can't beat the East coast.

I think what the user is looking for is a reason why they should choose Boston. I don't think he or she is concerned with "beating the East Coast." Why? Why do they want Boston? That's something I would also be interested in. If you want to know a lot of information about Houston, look around for the user named Guerilla. He seems to know his stuff.

[irwin]

If you have not been to Houston yet, it is a very different city than the cities you get on the East Coast. Remember that Houston is very spread out and the public transportation system is horrid compared to Boston or any other major city back east. So, a car is a necessity in Houston. So that is something you have to take into account. But, housing is MUCH cheaper in Houston, so the ability to save more is definitely a plus, even if you don't end up staying in Houston.

I would visit and check Houston out. It is a much younger city, so you don't have the cultural amenities you would get in Boston. But, it is a nice place and the business community is booming right now. If you want to specialize in energy, Houston is hard to beat.

As a side note, I am moving to Boston myself in May. North End. Can't wait.

Oh...and go Quakers!

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by irwin

If you have not been to Houston yet, it is a very different city than the cities you get on the East Coast. Remember that Houston is very spread out and the public transportation system is horrid compared to Boston or any other major city back east. So, a car is a necessity in Houston. So that is something you have to take into account. But, housing is MUCH cheaper in Houston, so the ability to save more is definitely a plus, even if you don't end up staying in Houston.

I would visit and check Houston out. It is a much younger city, so you don't have the cultural amenities you would get in Boston. But, it is a nice place and the business community is booming right now. If you want to specialize in energy, Houston is hard to beat.

As a side note, I am moving to Boston myself in May. North End. Can't wait.

Oh...and go Quakers!

I wouldn't go so far as to say a car in Houston is a necessity for everybody. It is a luxury, though. Still, I've known plenty of people who walked or took the bus to work. Several Houstonians dream of the day they'll have a car while others can live without it. I know so many people who don't even have a driver's license. It depends on where you live. Within the next few years though, look for more middle class and upper class areas in Houston to become walking communities. That is something the city is heavily devoted on doing and you can even see that they have started on these projects.

As far as culture goes, Houston all but lacks. You're looking at the home of one of the most prestigious theater districts in the world. Most house seats in the country, second only to New York.

[irwin]

Originally Posted by mpope409

I wouldn't go so far as to say a car in Houston is a necessity for everybody. It is a luxury, though. Still, I've known plenty of people who walked or took the bus to work. Several Houstonians dream of the day they'll have a car while others can live without it. I know so many people who don't even have a driver's license. It depends on where you live. Within the next few years though, look for more middle class and upper class areas in Houston to become walking communities. That is something the city is heavily devoted on doing and you can even see that they have started on these projects.

As far as culture goes, Houston all but lacks. You're looking at the home of one of the most prestigious theater districts in the world. Most house seats in the country, second only to New York.

I don't want to really go through this whole thing all over again, but I would urge the original poster to just compare the density of Houston v. the density of Boston and then look at the public transit systems of the two cities...I think you can figure out where a car is basically a necessity and where you can get by without one.

Visit Houston and check it out for yourself.

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by irwin

I don't want to really go through this whole thing all over again, but I would urge the original poster to just compare the density of Houston v. the density of Boston and then look at the public transit systems of the two cities...I think you can figure out where a car is basically a necessity and where you can get by without one.

Visit Houston and check it out for yourself.

Go through what? I was simply correcting you by giving a more accurate depiction of the the things you pointed out. Believe it or not, it wasn't about you. It was for the user's benefit.

And I've been to Boston. Only certain things are within reach without a car.

[ikonos]

RV,

I lived in boston for 7 years before moving to Houston last year. So this is what i observed.

1) Houston has huge industry besides Oil & Gas, so job opportunities wise i would say it does not lag Boston at all.
2) You have to bear 3-4 months of heat and humity in Houston vs the 3-4 months of frigid cold in Boston.
3) Much larger Indian community in Houston compared to Boston. (May be i should say "settled" indian community) and corresponding amenities like temples, theatres, shopping places etc.
4) Lot of eat out places just like in boston but they are spread out. So a car is very handy.
5) Apts are about 30-40% cheaper than in boston and look much better with better facilities like laundry and drier inside the apt itself etc.
6) Housing is very cheap with relatively decent houses for $150K
7) You wont find the youthful intellectual feeling in houstonians compared to bostonians (even if they are equally intelligent) so i would say more laid back
8) More time for outdoor activities. You have to settle for sports. cant do skiing, hiking or rafting kinds.
9) Houstonians are not as health conscious. You wont find many farmers markets or health clubs compared to boston.
10) If you are the intellectual type that likes to attend Harvard, MIT seminars then houston may not be the place.
11) If you like to drive a lot to nearby cities, then boston is better with NYC, DC, Montreal, Ottawa in close distance. The nearby cities to houston New Orleans, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio dont offer much.

S there you go. Good luck and welcome to Houston . Hey your brother gonna graduate in a year form boston anyway right *L*