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I'm considering moving to Houston and have lived in NY city. From my research and everyone I know has stated that it's a city with vast differences and similarities. Houston is the largest city after Chicago (ranked #4) but it's far more spread out and lacks New York's density. NY has the best rail/bus system in the U.S. and a strong contender for the entire world. Houston has NO rail but supposedly something is in the works. Bus system is supposed to be OK so long as you live within the Loop/Downtown District. NY has the richest culture in America and you can find just about anything you want there. Houston also has a rich culture which I would attribute to its large population. *Very good thing*
I don't know how "polished" the "city" looks but NY has that rough edge city feel which I happen to love immensely. In All, Houston appears to be a great city....only wish they get their rail up and running, expand the buses/service and become dense. IF that happens Houston will be a strong contender for the best city to live as the cost of living is very affordable.
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
2,028 posts, read 8,121,369 times
Reputation: 451
Quote:
Originally Posted by nytohouston
Just wondering, how was it moving from NYC to Houston. Even though I live outside of the city now, I always know it's there if I want to go, which seems to be an addiction of sorts. What are the pros and cons, if you don't mind saying, about your Houston experiences.
You have to be prepared to let go of NYC before you move to houston. After office watering holes, mall near work close early, 5-6PM. you'd feel all you can do is go home (or find something on the way home) after a long days work. sure there are some that are open, I had to walk 8 blocks of beggars. There is NO 'South Seaport', no wall street. Chinatown is not like clustered chinatown but a long highway with strip malls 10miles from the city - mostly vietnamese tho. No 'Soho', No 'Greenwich'. No street closings to hold ethnic/food fairs. No tourists to make the city lively on weekends and evenings. No street performers. No models and scantilly clad women walking the streets. no jolly old fat guy behind the bar. no central park. in fact anything NYC is not in houston. Houston is maybe like Nassau or New Brunswick.
We moved 4 months ago from NYC metro and we loved it here (except heat, insects, extra expenses and loud mouth neighbors). I'm married tho and need garage/storage space for my car hobby - although I haven't raced since I got here because gardening and personalization of the house seem interesting(also too hot and bad traffic going to racing venues). Got some woodworking power tools this time around
Wysiwyg.....Lol. You just described a sprawled out city w/big malls and endless roadways!!! Why am I getting an impression of a dead city baking in the smoldering heat? Please tell me you're not talking about the inner loop/downtown district as that would be awful?
I'm considering moving to Houston and have lived in NY city. From my research and everyone I know has stated that it's a city with vast differences and similarities. Houston is the largest city after Chicago (ranked #4) but it's far more spread out and lacks New York's density. NY has the best rail/bus system in the U.S. and a strong contender for the entire world. Houston has NO rail but supposedly something is in the works. Bus system is supposed to be OK so long as you live within the Loop/Downtown District. NY has the richest culture in America and you can find just about anything you want there. Houston also has a rich culture which I would attribute to its large population. *Very good thing*
I don't know how "polished" the "city" looks but NY has that rough edge city feel which I happen to love immensely. In All, Houston appears to be a great city....only wish they get their rail up and running, expand the buses/service and become dense. IF that happens Houston will be a strong contender for the best city to live as the cost of living is very affordable.
The bus system is excellent. Rail is what is lacking, but by 2012, it will be a good system. The commuter lines will get you to the suburbs, too.
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
2,028 posts, read 8,121,369 times
Reputation: 451
Quote:
Originally Posted by Supernova7
Wysiwyg.....Lol. You just described a sprawled out city w/big malls and endless roadways!!! Why am I getting an impression of a dead city baking in the smoldering heat? Please tell me you're not talking about the inner loop/downtown district as that would be awful?
what you see is what you get .... here, find me any sign that this city is rocking after 5pm //www.city-data.com/forum/houst...-5-3-07-a.html
any neon bar signs? any inviting restaurants/shops? its a work place that is all. josephines restaurant is right across my building, not much going on there. the sushibar beside it closed before i even got here. the only lively watering hole i see within 5 blocks is pre-game beer shack infront of the stadium. BTW the mall that closes by 6pm is a Macys, sort of
its a good city. could be an average city but definitely not much going on and absolutely no comparison to NYC. it just doesnt have the excess of manhattan and 'were all in this cr@p together love' from people. Heck Newark, NJ has way lot more going on (Ironbound area). a lot of factors discourages making downtown as the central afterwork venue.
The happening places are nearer to suburban living. there are a few SMALL sections that has a 'college dorm town' feel, Not like Hoboken, but more like New Brunswick (a little rich). Inside the loop are mansions and more exclusive neighborhoods to slum areas. neither of them youd want to be walking at night. I saw an opera tonight - i saw 2 sunburnt tourists, could be here for work related reasons. i saw some blockbuster movies lately. theatres here dont fill up like in the tristate even on day 1
yep, we got roads, lots, many not finished yet. 5 lane traffic accident today btw. (NE) Costco/BJwarehouse is nothing compared to a SuperTarget, Walmart Supercenter etc, Homedepot, HEB, Fiesta, Lowes, garden centers, furniture stores etc everything is bigger in TX and their big branches can be 2-5miles away from each other (or it feels like that). not to mention soooo many smaller businesses that makes you wonder how they stay up especially that sell low quality merchandise
sometimes i want to take pictures to show - like the bums around houstons pride light rail service and surrounding nooks. I especially wanted to take pics of the poor people who walk distances in the heat/rain or wait for buses. most busstops here are concrete benches and no shade - i'd probably spare you from pictures with those if i do take pics
still a good place but you need to adapt, invest, spend a little (more). it will take time to find the locality youre accustomed to. I bet you you'll be a houstonite before you find a manhattan in houston.
I am a native Texan and grew up in Houston. I have travelled a great deal in my life and lived in other cities and I can say ..Houston is my favorite. As a teen I wanted to live in NYC, but now I am thrilled to spend the rest of my years in Houston. Quality of life is fantastic. THe inner loops sounds like your place. There are many communities inside the loop. Atlanta is a fine city as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Supernova7
Hello Everyone,
I'm considering moving to Houston and would like to get some honest info from the locals as to the overall quality of life in this city. I did a lot of research but everyone seems to have scattered views so it's been difficult to reach common ground. Then the magazines/travel journals/Houston web sites promote "tourist locations" etc., so I figure if anyone knows best it would be you, the locals, those that can give the real deal.
A little about myself: Presently residing in California with excellent weather year round, but am being forced to move due to the ENORMOUS cost of living, especially with housing/apartment rentals. I'm starting over in life, yeah we all have to go through it, one time or another, so this happens to be my time.
What I'm seeking: To finish my Degree in Business Administration/Marketing at a local community college and then transfer to a four year state school. Schools should be good, they don't need to be the best but good. I'd like to rent a studio or one bedroom, preference for the latter, in a decent neighborhood. An "artsy/bohemian" community in the "city" would be best as I can't stand the Suburbs, probably since I grew up in them. The more multi-cultural the better. Don't mind the hookers and the homeless as they are common with big city life. I DO mind gangs and areas known for heavy violence/ghetto. A strong economy and low cost of living w/ wide availability in low cost apartments is important. And the weather? Is it really as bad as people say? Ok, lie to me if you have to...lol
Anyhow, that's about it for now. Thanks for taking the time to read. I look forward to hearing you so that I can make a better decision. Right now, money is a real issue. So I'm split between Houston, Atlanta and Portland.
WhatYouSeeIsWhatGet offers an honest assessment about activities and the style of living in Houston. There is a tendency in this fourm to support Houston in areas where it should be criticized (and vice-versa). It is misleading to others who dont know about Houston to say Houston has an excellent bus system, has NO sprawl, is Not hot and humid. These have been traditional issues for Houston for a longtime; admittedly there have been recent attempts to improve them (except the weather)
Those who care about Houston and what to see it prosper should be open about its problems and stop trying to paint it like members of the chamber commerce do with tourist flyers and brochures. Then there are others who try to blame ALL the social and economic ills on Katrina evacuees and immigrants
But on the flip, Houston is a great town in its own right and should not even be compared to NYC. In truth, there is NO city like NYC, some may resemble it in regards to the NE culture and lifestyle, but there is none like it in sheer size, makeup, and atmoshere. But isnt that true for any city???
Last edited by houstonman; 06-06-2007 at 05:41 AM..
Reason: politically correctness
what you see is what you get .... here, find me any sign that this city is rocking after 5pm //www.city-data.com/forum/houst...-5-3-07-a.html
any neon bar signs? any inviting restaurants/shops? its a work place that is all. josephines restaurant is right across my building, not much going on there. the sushibar beside it closed before i even got here. the only lively watering hole i see within 5 blocks is pre-game beer shack infront of the stadium. BTW the mall that closes by 6pm is a Macys, sort of
its a good city. could be an average city but definitely not much going on and absolutely no comparison to NYC. it just doesnt have the excess of manhattan and 'were all in this cr@p together love' from people. Heck Newark, NJ has way lot more going on (Ironbound area). a lot of factors discourages making downtown as the central afterwork venue.
The happening places are nearer to suburban living. there are a few SMALL sections that has a 'college dorm town' feel, Not like Hoboken, but more like New Brunswick (a little rich). Inside the loop are mansions and more exclusive neighborhoods to slum areas. neither of them youd want to be walking at night. I saw an opera tonight - i saw 2 sunburnt tourists, could be here for work related reasons. i saw some blockbuster movies lately. theatres here dont fill up like in the tristate even on day 1
yep, we got roads, lots, many not finished yet. 5 lane traffic accident today btw. (NE) Costco/BJwarehouse is nothing compared to a SuperTarget, Walmart Supercenter etc, Homedepot, HEB, Fiesta, Lowes, garden centers, furniture stores etc everything is bigger in TX and their big branches can be 2-5miles away from each other (or it feels like that). not to mention soooo many smaller businesses that makes you wonder how they stay up especially that sell low quality merchandise
sometimes i want to take pictures to show - like the bums around houstons pride light rail service and surrounding nooks. I especially wanted to take pics of the poor people who walk distances in the heat/rain or wait for buses. most busstops here are concrete benches and no shade - i'd probably spare you from pictures with those if i do take pics
still a good place but you need to adapt, invest, spend a little (more). it will take time to find the locality youre accustomed to. I bet you you'll be a houstonite before you find a manhattan in houston.
Look, Houston is not nirvana, and it definitely is not NYC. No city is NYC. And I would say most cities' business districts are pretty dead after 6. Even the Loop in Chicago is practically a ghost town on evenings and weekends.
Houston is a working city, not a tourist city. You won't find tourists at all hours wandering the streets of downtown. However, Wysiwig makes it sound as though there are no bars or restaurants or people living downtown at all. This is not the case. The theatre district, Main Street, Minute Maid Park areas all have tons of restaurants and bars. If you would have written your description of downtown 10 years ago, I would have agreed. But it has changed and revitalized a lot in those 10 years! And it's not going to do a 180 overnight. Give it time. But if you compare to where it was, you'll see how far it's come.
And aside from downtown, Houston has plenty of interesting inner-city neighborhoods to enjoy an after-dinner drink. Just because people aren't congregating in the downtown bars after work doesn't mean they're not congregating somewhere. That's going to happen in an area with more residents, like Midtown. Residential properties are increasing downtown, and as they increase, the retail shops and watering holes will come. But for now, it's still mostly a business district, with the exception of the areas I mentioned before.
The rest of Wysiwyg's post more aptly describes the sprawl that is outer-city and suburban Houston. Yes, strip malls and the same stores everywhere. The further outside of the loop you go, the more homogenous and boring it's going to get. I don't know what neighborhoods he/she is equating to a "college dorm town," though.
My daughter lives in Manhattan. I just returned from a long visit there.... I like both New York and Houston. Apples and Oranges. There is no need to even compare. My daughter loves NYC and she loves Houston. Both cities have their pluses and minuses. I like both, can live in both, but I prefer the quality of life I have in Houston for the $$. I can always fly to NYC to get anything I miss here and vice versa. I feel Houston has an environment more condusive to raising a family. NYC is too expensive and is no longer neighborhood oriented for families as it once was in pre 1960s. My daughter and I have been watching films from pre 1960s regarding NYC lifestyles. It was more family oriented back then, it has transformed over the decades and still is.. like Houston is. Jesse H Jone placed Houston on the INternational map and made it the thriving growing metropolis it is. Phillip Johnson has given us our architectural identity. Chapel of Saint Basil : 1100 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77006, United States :: Houston Architecture Info
All in all both are great cities.. it all depends what one is looking for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by houstonman
WhatYouSeeIsWhatGet offers an honest assessment about activities and the style of living in Houston. There is a tendency in this fourm to support Houston in areas where it should be criticized (and vice-versa). It is misleading to others who dont know about Houston to say Houston has an excellent bus system, has NO sprawl, is Not hot and humid. These have been traditional issues for Houston for a longtime; admittedly there have been recent attempts to improve them (except the weather)
Those who care about Houston and what to see it prosper should be open about its problems and stop trying to paint it like members of the chamber commerce do with tourist flyers and brochures. Then there are others who try to blame ALL the social and economic ills on Katrina evacuees and immigrants
But on the flip, Houston is a great town in its own right and should not even be compared to NYC. In truth, there is NO city like NYC, some may resemble it in regards to the NE culture and lifestyle, but there is none like it in sheer size, makeup, and atmoshere. But isnt that true for any city???
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