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I've recently been gaining more and more of an interest in Houston. I'm young and self-employed, so schools and a job are of no concern to me. I am looking for somewhere warmer so Houston has that appeal. It also just looks like a nice and underrated city. Can I get a no BS assessment on some of its draw downs? Maybe it helps if you know I am in finance. And how do the females in the city look? I've been told great things about girls from Texas.
I just returned from my second trip to Chicago. The m ajor differences are weather and gang. Houston has horrible traffic but you learn to adjust. I'm not find of the city and live in the burbs. City is very diverse and we have good food. I'm not fond of Italian food but everyone says the Italian restaurants are great. I love the seafood.
Well as someone who was raised in Chicago (north side, Lincolnwood area) and then moved down to Houston 8 years ago, I feel that I can give you a good insight into what to expect on your move down.First off, Houston is not a big city in the typical sense. It does not have one centralized "urban" area, but rather many different "downtowns" Woodlands, Galleria, Sugarland, Pearland, etc. Inside the loop, west of downtown is where I chose to live as it is really a great collection of different quirky neighborhoods, restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. and the best part is that you can get anywhere relatively quickly. A car is essential here - even if you live inner loop. I have some friends who ride bikes around and one could get by on a scooter, but automobile is and will be king for a long time here...although they are putting in some light rail soon!Anyway, drawbacks - Yes, spring, fall and winters is amazing and I will forever be grateful that I am no longer scraping ice off windshields, but the summer is indeed long and hot... it was a bit of a shock the first year. BUT as long as you stick to A/C (and its everywhere here) you are just fine..not like Chicago doesnt have aweful heat sometimes. Plus, its sunny! Ill take the sun anytime over the dreary Grey that is Chitown from Nov-April. Additionally sad is that we do not have any natural features nearby such as Lake Michigan. Galveston is a poor substitute. Skyline is ok - have some nice skyscrapers. Also, the music scene is not as good - Austin and New Orleans are the music epicenters around here. What else... honestly thats about it. No 24 hr Bagel shop like back home - but literally thats all i can think of as far as negatives. The positives: The women are beautiful here. Makes all the Chicago women look like dogs. Its the latin influence, the climate, and the culture - Texas women are confident and it just breeds girls who like show some skin, and take good care of themselves. I was very impressed with the girls when I arrived, and I have now married one - good luck, there are tons of beauties here that are single and ready to mingle!Pizza - I think Star Pizza is as good as any Chicago pizzeria for thin. Maybe Lou's is better on the deep, but I think thats just cause I was raised on it. Food is NOT an issue here - great restaurants!!!I gained 50 lbs my first year and a half here - just from all the good food!Cheap to live - you just get more for your money here - housing is much cheaper than Chicago.I love Houston - it is the worlds largest small town. People are super friendly, and if you have a bit of street smarts you will be just fine here. yes, gangs exist, and the air quality isnt great (gets better the more west you are) & people may give you a gently ribbing the first year or two for being a yankee (dont call "coke" pop!) but soon you will feel right as home as a Texan. Plus - the Women love guys that arent from Texas! oh and its SO much easier to get cubs tickets here!!! Please let me know if you have any more questions. I am more than happy to help-Marc
I just returned from my second trip to Chicago. The m ajor differences are weather and gang. Houston has horrible traffic but you learn to adjust. I'm not find of the city and live in the burbs. City is very diverse and we have good food. I'm not fond of Italian food but everyone says the Italian restaurants are great. I love the seafood.
I should have mentioned I'm a big fan of seafood too, thanks.
Well as someone who was raised in Chicago (north side, Lincolnwood area) and then moved down to Houston 8 years ago, I feel that I can give you a good insight into what to expect on your move down.First off, Houston is not a big city in the typical sense. It does not have one centralized "urban" area, but rather many different "downtowns" Woodlands, Galleria, Sugarland, Pearland, etc. Inside the loop, west of downtown is where I chose to live as it is really a great collection of different quirky neighborhoods, restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. and the best part is that you can get anywhere relatively quickly. A car is essential here - even if you live inner loop. I have some friends who ride bikes around and one could get by on a scooter, but automobile is and will be king for a long time here...although they are putting in some light rail soon!Anyway, drawbacks - Yes, spring, fall and winters is amazing and I will forever be grateful that I am no longer scraping ice off windshields, but the summer is indeed long and hot... it was a bit of a shock the first year. BUT as long as you stick to A/C (and its everywhere here) you are just fine..not like Chicago doesnt have aweful heat sometimes. Plus, its sunny! Ill take the sun anytime over the dreary Grey that is Chitown from Nov-April. Additionally sad is that we do not have any natural features nearby such as Lake Michigan. Galveston is a poor substitute. Skyline is ok - have some nice skyscrapers. Also, the music scene is not as good - Austin and New Orleans are the music epicenters around here. What else... honestly thats about it. No 24 hr Bagel shop like back home - but literally thats all i can think of as far as negatives. The positives: The women are beautiful here. Makes all the Chicago women look like dogs. Its the latin influence, the climate, and the culture - Texas women are confident and it just breeds girls who like show some skin, and take good care of themselves. I was very impressed with the girls when I arrived, and I have now married one - good luck, there are tons of beauties here that are single and ready to mingle!Pizza - I think Star Pizza is as good as any Chicago pizzeria for thin. Maybe Lou's is better on the deep, but I think thats just cause I was raised on it. Food is NOT an issue here - great restaurants!!!I gained 50 lbs my first year and a half here - just from all the good food!Cheap to live - you just get more for your money here - housing is much cheaper than Chicago.I love Houston - it is the worlds largest small town. People are super friendly, and if you have a bit of street smarts you will be just fine here. yes, gangs exist, and the air quality isnt great (gets better the more west you are) & people may give you a gently ribbing the first year or two for being a yankee (dont call "coke" pop!) but soon you will feel right as home as a Texan. Plus - the Women love guys that arent from Texas! oh and its SO much easier to get cubs tickets here!!! Please let me know if you have any more questions. I am more than happy to help-Marc
Thanks so much for the reply. Everything sounds great, especially since it's one of those days in Chicago. Glad to hear what I've heard about Texas women is true as well haha.
I don't mind heat as much as the cold. Actually I don't mind either all that much, it's the dealing with snow and ice that really gets annoying.
This is a preliminary plan for me as of now, but I appreciate you helping to persuade me in what seems like the right direction. Take care.
The positives: The women are beautiful here. Makes all the Chicago women look like dogs. Its the latin influence, the climate, and the culture - Texas women are confident and it just breeds girls who like show some skin, and take good care of themselves. I was very impressed with the girls when I arrived, and I have now married one - good luck, there are tons of beauties here that are single and ready to mingle!
Thats a very Subjective observation and one I would have to disagree on
I grew up mostly in Chicago and have lived in Wicker Park after college. Houston is different. You cannot compare the two cities. To summarize quickly before I comment on your points, I will say that I love living here and do not plan to move back. Our family is quite happy here. So let's compare:
Things you don't like about Chicago:
-traffic Traffic is much worse in Chicago. Rush hour lasts longer. One upside of course is the fact you can take public transportation. Houston's traffic can be bad, but nothing like Chicago's. It baffles me when people say otherwise.
-gangs Gangs in Chicago commit much more random crime whereas in Houston gangs exist mostly to deal drugs. Turf battles are less common in Houston.
-air quality These are about the same. East side air quality is worse in Houston.
-weather Pound for pound, Houston has much better weather. Houston gets miserably hot for about 3 months. Depending on your tolerance, you can get used to the 90's the rest of the year as you become acclimated. Despite living in Chicago 25 years I never got used to the constant damp, dreary, cloudy 35-45 degree days that often times go on for weeks. Also, many locals are complaining about Houston's winter this year. Many Chicagoan's would likely give up chunks of their salary to experience this "horrible" winter.
You can get good pizza, but not Chicago style. Chicago quality Italian food is very hard to come by in Houston no matter what the locals will tell you. Public transportation here is not as good as Chicago's, but then again Chicago is about 220 square miles while Houston is nearly triple the size. It's very easy to get around by car and Galveston, although 60 miles away is a nice little getaway. Chicago's skyline is superior to Houston's, but it isn't as if Houston's is a slouch. You can get some amazing views of Houston's skyline, especially coming from the south. Downtown, it's no contest. Chicago wins. Chicago also has one of the top ten downtown areas in the world, so what do you expect?
As for the women, Houston beats Chicago hands down. It's not so much that the women in Houston are better looking (any huge city will have tons of beautiful women) but rather that they are much more approachable. A nice looking, in shape, blue collar type has no chance with a Lincoln Park Trixie, however it is not that uncommon to see such a guy dating or even married to a beautiful, educated lady in Houston. This is also true amongst races. Let's be honest, the most common interracial couple you see in Chicago is white guy Asian lady. In Houston, no combination will surprise you.
Finally, like Chicago, the ones who bash the city will be the ones who live in the suburbs. See the post above.
I grew up mostly in Chicago and have lived in Wicker Park after college. Houston is different. You cannot compare the two cities. To summarize quickly before I comment on your points, I will say that I love living here and do not plan to move back. Our family is quite happy here. So let's compare:
Things you don't like about Chicago:
-traffic Traffic is much worse in Chicago. Rush hour lasts longer. One upside of course is the fact you can take public transportation. Houston's traffic can be bad, but nothing like Chicago's. It baffles me when people say otherwise.
-gangs Gangs in Chicago commit much more random crime whereas in Houston gangs exist mostly to deal drugs. Turf battles are less common in Houston.
-air quality These are about the same. East side air quality is worse in Houston.
-weather Pound for pound, Houston has much better weather. Houston gets miserably hot for about 3 months. Depending on your tolerance, you can get used to the 90's the rest of the year as you become acclimated. Despite living in Chicago 25 years I never got used to the constant damp, dreary, cloudy 35-45 degree days that often times go on for weeks. Also, many locals are complaining about Houston's winter this year. Many Chicagoan's would likely give up chunks of their salary to experience this "horrible" winter.
You can get good pizza, but not Chicago style. Chicago quality Italian food is very hard to come by in Houston no matter what the locals will tell you. Public transportation here is not as good as Chicago's, but then again Chicago is about 220 square miles while Houston is nearly triple the size. It's very easy to get around by car and Galveston, although 60 miles away is a nice little getaway. Chicago's skyline is superior to Houston's, but it isn't as if Houston's is a slouch. You can get some amazing views of Houston's skyline, especially coming from the south. Downtown, it's no contest. Chicago wins. Chicago also has one of the top ten downtown areas in the world, so what do you expect?
As for the women, Houston beats Chicago hands down. It's not so much that the women in Houston are better looking (any huge city will have tons of beautiful women) but rather that they are much more approachable. A nice looking, in shape, blue collar type has no chance with a Lincoln Park Trixie, however it is not that uncommon to see such a guy dating or even married to a beautiful, educated lady in Houston. This is also true amongst races. Let's be honest, the most common interracial couple you see in Chicago is white guy Asian lady. In Houston, no combination will surprise you.
Finally, like Chicago, the ones who bash the city will be the ones who live in the suburbs. See the post above.
Appreciate the time and info. Yeah I lived in Lincoln Park for awhile so we are coming from similar places. I think I can tolerate the heat you're talking about. I can remember seeing the sun here only a few times in the past month or so. Ew.
Sounds like Chicago and Houston have a lot of similarities and differences, and for the most part I'm liking what I'm hearing about Houston's differences. I'm fairly certain Houston doesn't have a lot of people that are in my line of work, which I think will be a nice break too.
Thanks again so much for the time, I wish you and your family well.
You too, sittingduck. I think you will like it here. You will never find a Lincoln Park in Houston however you might find that Montrose, The Heights or Midtown to be desirable.
Thats a very Subjective observation and one I would have to disagree on
Was completely subjective - just my observations! Agree about the approachability stated on another post.
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