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Hi, I am contemplating a move to Houston. I would like to get the pros and cons from people who have lived in both places. Any and all information would be great
I haven't lived in both, but I have lived in TX and I loved it. I lived outside of Houston in a pre-planned community called The Woodlands and it was very nice. I have friends that live in Conroe on the lake and will never move and I have friends who live in Katy (outside of Houston as well) who love that area because of all the growth going on. I have had several friends live in Dallas and love Dallas and I have visited San Antonio and had a blast while I was there. Texas is different from city to city, you never get the same thing and that is what makes it so nice. Now my husband's parents lived in Baytown, TX (outside of Houston) and really enjoyed living there, although from what I have heard it is a little too industrial for me. And there are lots of areas like this in Houston. There is a ton of industry work which is great for the economy but bad for living because you do not want to live close to that stuff. I will tell you that I have not been back in several years and since Katrina occurred I heard that crime in Houston has gotten worse. Now, I'm sure you can look this info up online somewhere, and I would not put too much thought into this but this is what I have heard.
When I lived in GA I use to travel to FL a lot and we still go once a year and I can tell you that you're not comparing apples to apples. This is more like comparing apples to bananas! Just two totally different states! Two different lifestyles. You have to get use to the thought that people in Texas really are different and not in a bad way, just different. There is a lot of state pride and self-pride (sometimes arrogance) and it is a different kind of self-pride that I have never seen anywhere else.
Good luck and I hope this helps some!
The ocean in Texas is NOTHING compared to how nice it is here in Florida. I have heard some say it actually smells but only have observed it being brown and not something one wants to swim in.
The summers are BRUTAL in Texas, you can fry the preverbial egg on the hood of your car. If you like a little cool down, you can find that in Texas.
I don't imagine there are near as many tourists in Texas.
There is less humitidy in Texas then there is here.
Both have palm trees.
The job market is stronger in Texas.
The people are very friendly in Texas as they are here but in Texas its a different flavor. Florida is full of transplants, Texas isn't so much although I hear its getting that way.
My wife and i and our daughter live here in Orlando. My wifes parents live here also, but here father is a CEO of a big company in Houston, so he pretty much lives there and him and his wife fly back and fourth. We went and visited them for the weekend a month or so ago for the Rodeo (and Hannah Montanna....aaaaarrrgghhh...lol). Whilst i always tell people visiting a place is different to living there, for me i hated it. Apart from the rodeo, there was nothing to really do. You have to have some sort of attraction to a place, and apart from the city-scape which i thought was nice as you approach from the burbs, its pretty bare. The traffic was a nightmare and like Orlando it is pretty sprawled out all over the place. For me i didnt get a feel or vibe for the place. Not my particular brand of Vodka im afraid.
What choices? That's like going into a four star restaurant and having to choose between Alpo and Beef-A-Roni!!! Why don't you consider a city with lower crime, less traffic, culture without unoppressive 8 month summers? Several fit the bill!!!
I lived in the Houston metro area for 5 years, and for the most part enjoyed it. I now live in the Orlando metro area. They both have good and bad, and whether you will enjoy it depends on what you like, what you expect, and what you will make out of it.
That being said, I'll give my comments on both places and try to compare and contrast.
Houston:
Houston is HUGE. It covers such a massive geographical area. One has to pick very carefully where to live in relation to the job because traffic is tough as it is in any big city. Don't think you'll be working on the south side and living on the northside because its just too far and too time consuming to commute. Houston is very influenced by its large Mexican-American population, and if that is a problem for someone, they might not like many parts of Houston. I never had any problem with anyone when I lived there as they were friendly, and didn't stir up conflict. One of the benefits is there are a TON of wonderful family run restaurants with some of the finest food I've ever had. Crime is an issue in spots. There is a mall that I knew of where it was considered the car theft spot capital of Houston, but you'd never know it just by casual glance. There were routine shootings and killings overnight that you'd hear about on the morning news. But that isn't to be unexpected for a city that size. I never had any incidents where I felt unsafe in any area I was living or visiting friends.
The climate of Houston is miserable. In my opinion, and keep that in mind, this is MY opinion, Houston was hotter and more humid than Orlando. When I moved here to Orlando(for a job offer I couldn't refuse), my girl and I were both accustomed to the Houston climate. We arrive here and find that when all the locals are complaining about it being so hot and unbearable that we weren't really that uncomfortable. I acknowledge it gets warm here, and have no problem saying that, but it isn't really that hot. The air quality in Houston is deplorable sometimes, especially in the summer. With the high number of refineries down by Texas City, Pasadena, and Baytown, when the wind blows off the gulf of mexico as it normally does except for right after a cold front rolls in, you have ample opportunity to smell the petrochemical haze as the gulf winds can and often do blow it right into downtown Houston. The winters there are actually kind of harsh considering how southerly the city is. Its not that its cold, but its colder than you would expect. We had a few freezes there in my time, but nothing major. The worst part was that typically around February we had great potential to get a lot very cool foggy weather.
The beaches are sub-par near Houston, and are basically the trash can of the Gulf. You can find stuff washed up on them from anywhere else on the Gulf and sometimes even outside of it. The water is very murky as that area is in a mud zone of sorts. I never really had a desire to get into the water there.
There are a lot more jobs in Houston as the city is more diversified in the types of industry that are there. There are a multitude of law firms, many medical facilities, much to do with oil & gas, and they all employ people. I had a good run in Houston and enjoyed my employment there just fine.
The people on average were pretty nice, but there were all walks of life represented.
Orlando:
I like Orlando a lot. Sure it has its warts, but so does every other town/city. I like that Orlando is smaller, as I was in a large city in Houston, and this is more my size. My job is better here, but I am not in the exact same type of position so it can't be compared apples to apples. I have that there are some very nice people here, but it can be a bit tougher to get to know them as everybody always seems to be on the go doing something around here.
I like the lakes around Orlando, I like the trees and vegetation better as there are a few more palm trees here, and I do like the oak trees. I like the greater variety of foods here, although I do miss Mexican food as I knew it in Houston.
What I don't like about Orlando would be that it seems some people just don't want to get along and are vocal about it. I personally subscribe to the idea that I'll leave you alone to do what you do, but would like to also be left alone as long what I'm doing is not infringing upon anyone else. But there seem to be instances of people wanting to act as though they are different but get offended if you then treat them differently and it makes it tough to understand them and their way of life. There are a lot more distinctive mentalities here that haven't seemed to blend in as much as Houston. There is still distinctiveness to Houstonians, but they seem a little more accepting of others and leave them alone.
Both Orlando and Houston have good about them. But would I go back to Houston to live? Absolutely not. I don't hate it and still have friends and family there, but I wouldn't want to live.
I love Orlando. I know it has struggles and problems and they won't be solved overnight, but it fits me and I have a nice quiet life here and enjoy it.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you'd like further comment from me or if you have specific questions, I'll try to help.
What choices? That's like going into a four star restaurant and having to choose between Alpo and Beef-A-Roni!!! Why don't you consider a city with lower crime, less traffic, culture without unoppressive 8 month summers? Several fit the bill!!!
I lived in the Houston metro area for 5 years, and for the most part enjoyed it. I now live in the Orlando metro area. They both have good and bad, and whether you will enjoy it depends on what you like, what you expect, and what you will make out of it.
That being said, I'll give my comments on both places and try to compare and contrast.
Houston:
Houston is HUGE. It covers such a massive geographical area. One has to pick very carefully where to live in relation to the job because traffic is tough as it is in any big city. Don't think you'll be working on the south side and living on the northside because its just too far and too time consuming to commute. Houston is very influenced by its large Mexican-American population, and if that is a problem for someone, they might not like many parts of Houston. I never had any problem with anyone when I lived there as they were friendly, and didn't stir up conflict. One of the benefits is there are a TON of wonderful family run restaurants with some of the finest food I've ever had. Crime is an issue in spots. There is a mall that I knew of where it was considered the car theft spot capital of Houston, but you'd never know it just by casual glance. There were routine shootings and killings overnight that you'd hear about on the morning news. But that isn't to be unexpected for a city that size. I never had any incidents where I felt unsafe in any area I was living or visiting friends.
The climate of Houston is miserable. In my opinion, and keep that in mind, this is MY opinion, Houston was hotter and more humid than Orlando. When I moved here to Orlando(for a job offer I couldn't refuse), my girl and I were both accustomed to the Houston climate. We arrive here and find that when all the locals are complaining about it being so hot and unbearable that we weren't really that uncomfortable. I acknowledge it gets warm here, and have no problem saying that, but it isn't really that hot. The air quality in Houston is deplorable sometimes, especially in the summer. With the high number of refineries down by Texas City, Pasadena, and Baytown, when the wind blows off the gulf of mexico as it normally does except for right after a cold front rolls in, you have ample opportunity to smell the petrochemical haze as the gulf winds can and often do blow it right into downtown Houston. The winters there are actually kind of harsh considering how southerly the city is. Its not that its cold, but its colder than you would expect. We had a few freezes there in my time, but nothing major. The worst part was that typically around February we had great potential to get a lot very cool foggy weather.
The beaches are sub-par near Houston, and are basically the trash can of the Gulf. You can find stuff washed up on them from anywhere else on the Gulf and sometimes even outside of it. The water is very murky as that area is in a mud zone of sorts. I never really had a desire to get into the water there.
There are a lot more jobs in Houston as the city is more diversified in the types of industry that are there. There are a multitude of law firms, many medical facilities, much to do with oil & gas, and they all employ people. I had a good run in Houston and enjoyed my employment there just fine.
The people on average were pretty nice, but there were all walks of life represented.
Orlando:
I like Orlando a lot. Sure it has its warts, but so does every other town/city. I like that Orlando is smaller, as I was in a large city in Houston, and this is more my size. My job is better here, but I am not in the exact same type of position so it can't be compared apples to apples. I have that there are some very nice people here, but it can be a bit tougher to get to know them as everybody always seems to be on the go doing something around here.
I like the lakes around Orlando, I like the trees and vegetation better as there are a few more palm trees here, and I do like the oak trees. I like the greater variety of foods here, although I do miss Mexican food as I knew it in Houston.
What I don't like about Orlando would be that it seems some people just don't want to get along and are vocal about it. I personally subscribe to the idea that I'll leave you alone to do what you do, but would like to also be left alone as long what I'm doing is not infringing upon anyone else. But there seem to be instances of people wanting to act as though they are different but get offended if you then treat them differently and it makes it tough to understand them and their way of life. There are a lot more distinctive mentalities here that haven't seemed to blend in as much as Houston. There is still distinctiveness to Houstonians, but they seem a little more accepting of others and leave them alone.
Both Orlando and Houston have good about them. But would I go back to Houston to live? Absolutely not. I don't hate it and still have friends and family there, but I wouldn't want to live.
I love Orlando. I know it has struggles and problems and they won't be solved overnight, but it fits me and I have a nice quiet life here and enjoy it.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you'd like further comment from me or if you have specific questions, I'll try to help.
Very good post, verry thorough. I have a friend in Houston now and I know she does not really like it except that she has a high paying job. Her bf goes to Rice so she is stuck there for a while.
Thanks for the nice comments on my post. I try to be fair and honest. Sure it is still an opinion, but for people to just paint with a broad broad that 'Houston sucks' or 'Orlando sucks' is doing such a disservice to the place they are talking about, as well as being of no help to the original poster!
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I hope this helps
