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Peter Thiel is not the Bay Area's favorite billionaire, I'm not sure how you concluded that he is.
1. That was sarcasm. I know it doesn't always translate in writing, but I took a shot.
2. I am sure that many people like / respect him. Ironic to his (rather complicated) political disposition, he's a historically integral part of the history of the modern Bay Area.
I realize that this is a point of frustration for some people, but at the same time that fact and all of its implications has to be considered by the rest of the regions denizens if they are being intellectually honest in regard to the type of personalities that have and likely would continue to be a large part of driving any future continued success.
I, for one, haven't discovered a more intellectual modern speaker from the region on the topic of business.
Listen to Thiel's book Zero to One on youtube. It's available for free, and its good. His further thoughts on business, revealed through various interviews that are available to listen to, are also worthwhile.
He also lent one of the best recommendations for another intellectual, Rene Girard, on the topic of religion that I've ever had. Girard has a five part interview on youtube that is excellent and recommended.
Contrast all of Thiel's such output with someone like Reed Hastings (and most others), whose only significant contribution to the intellectual atmosphere is..well... its nonexistent.
All Hastings can think to do is criticize and mildly threaten Thiel, his intellectual and, I'd argue, business superior for his political views. Which is no contribution whatsoever. The lack of contribution is repeated for most other billionaires in the region.
Thiel is a serial winner, which speaks to his intelligence rather than luck.
Most other such billionaires are one-company men who, while sometimes very innovative in a manner that reflects high intelligence, more often seem to be just "first".
First to make social communication more efficient. First to make hiring a car more efficient. First to make access to entertainment more efficient. First to make business-networking more efficient. These are all merely different applications of one type of technology, software, to making as many things as possible more efficient.
It's great for them that they all managed to be "first" to commercially do this for any respective human need, but its reflection of any type of revolutionary intelligence or innovation would be a difficult case to make.
Thiel and Elon Musk also applied software toward being the first to make a human need more efficient when they made Paypal commercially successful. Their large innovation, within the greater umbrella of the underlying software technology, being when they worked out how to reduce fraud within such a system.
However, Thiel went on to be successful again and again with either a early significant investment in what is now a large company or with a new significant company in Palantir (who is responsible for having tracked down Osama bin Laden as well as revolutionizing law enforcement).
Musk (and Thiel) fully realizes that all of the above mentioned "innovations" are really just the different applications of one technology (software) and thus he broke away in the hope of developing legitimately new technologies via his work toward making better hardware in transportation technology (cars, space, mass transit). One such incidental improvement is reflected in Musk's recent ability to install a functional backup battery-power grid for a community in Australia.
Thiel and Musk have always been an appropriate intellectual match, and were obviously partnered for a good reason. No one else in the Bay Area, save arguably Google with its vastly more substantial investment funding, can touch their track record in terms of repetition of success or broad technological productivity.
So, Bay Area residents can dismiss Thiel, but the reasoning for such will rarely be able to be defended outside of an emotional appeal to his political views.
Like the OP, my husband and I moved to Texas (Austin) from the north Bay. It wasn't for jobs, but for family reasons. We were already mostly retired. So 4 years later, the family reasons were no longer salient, and my husband had died, so I decided to see if I could move back to the Marin. I came back for 2 months (house-sitting for a friend) to see if I could make it work, and I could! I bought a town house rather than a single family home, and moved back. I feel really fortunate that I could do that, and I am so much more happy in CA than I was in TX. The people around me in TX were mostly fine, but it just wasn't my place. I didn't like the weather there, and was uncomfortable with some cultural aspects, and I had a large and supportive community in Marin. I have been back now for just over 2 years, and I am really happy with my move. Did I lose $ in this move back and forth? Probably. And I know it costs me more to live here. But I'm doing fine, so I don't worry about that. I still have family in TX, and visit once or twice a year. It is fine to visit, but I'm glad I don't live there any more.
We finally found a community we liked (The Woodlands), paid off our debts and bought a large home for $250K.
Living in the Woodlands is your first mistake...you are basically out in the boonies compared to being in the actual city of Houston.
Houston is a huge spread out city and the further out from the actual city of Houston you are the less exciting it gets.
When I hear folks complain about Houston it tells me their lifestyle is the issue, not the city of Houston.
I grew up in Houston but I lived near the actual city of Houston close to downtown. I was just in Houston for the past 16 weeks helping my aging mother and to be honest I would love to move back.
The Bay Area is overrated on so many levels. It felt like a culture shock returning here. The filth all over the freeway shoulders, the horrible roads/freeways, the out of control homeless issue, the graffiti all over the place where the homeless mark their territories, the unfriendly people, the lack of outstanding cuisine, the high cost of everything. To live here and not see this, you must wear blinders and only focus on the nature.
I've been here for 9 years and have observed the Bay Area grow increasing worse on many levels. You can read through the SF forum and find many of these problems discussed.
I would move out of the Woodlands for starters and move inside the loop. Get out and find the fun Houston has to offer!
Like the OP, my husband and I moved to Texas (Austin) from the north Bay. It wasn't for jobs, but for family reasons. We were already mostly retired. So 4 years later, the family reasons were no longer salient, and my husband had died, so I decided to see if I could move back to the Marin. I came back for 2 months (house-sitting for a friend) to see if I could make it work, and I could! I bought a town house rather than a single family home, and moved back. I feel really fortunate that I could do that, and I am so much more happy in CA than I was in TX. The people around me in TX were mostly fine, but it just wasn't my place. I didn't like the weather there, and was uncomfortable with some cultural aspects, and I had a large and supportive community in Marin. I have been back now for just over 2 years, and I am really happy with my move. Did I lose $ in this move back and forth? Probably. And I know it costs me more to live here. But I'm doing fine, so I don't worry about that. I still have family in TX, and visit once or twice a year. It is fine to visit, but I'm glad I don't live there any more.
Austin is a drag...I could not stand living there. It was a total shock for me coming from Houston. Austin lacks big city amenities especially diversity.
Don't do it. $250 is just not that much money. And you're taking out a loan to buy a place. Have you figured out how much you'll pay in property taxes? Given the rising interest rates, and the new limitations on state income tax and property tax deductions, I'm concerned the numbers are not going to work out for you, after you factor in the real cost of buying today.
Living in the Woodlands is your first mistake...you are basically out in the boonies compared to being in the actual city of Houston.
Houston is a huge spread out city and the further out from the actual city of Houston you are the less exciting it gets.
When I hear folks complain about Houston it tells me their lifestyle is the issue, not the city of Houston.
I grew up in Houston but I lived near the actual city of Houston close to downtown. I was just in Houston for the past 16 weeks helping my aging mother and to be honest I would love to move back.
The Bay Area is overrated on so many levels. It felt like a culture shock returning here. The filth all over the freeway shoulders, the horrible roads/freeways, the out of control homeless issue, the graffiti all over the place where the homeless mark their territories, the unfriendly people, the lack of outstanding cuisine, the high cost of everything. To live here and not see this, you must wear blinders and only focus on the nature.
I've been here for 9 years and have observed the Bay Area grow increasing worse on many levels. You can read through the SF forum and find many of these problems discussed.
I would move out of the Woodlands for starters and move inside the loop. Get out and find the fun Houston has to offer!
So what sort of neighborhoods would you consider in the Loop or very near it? Just curious.
We could sell our house here in Silicon Valley and be able to buy in River Oaks, but my impression of River Oaks is that it's a bit too snooty for our tastes. I'm not really into the glitzy stuff or lifestyle, (e.g. Galleria) though we would want to be in a very well rated school district. We're a middle aged couple with a teen daughter, educated professionals, but not into the country club lifestyle. What about University West?
Living in the Woodlands is your first mistake...you are basically out in the boonies compared to being in the actual city of Houston.
Houston is a huge spread out city and the further out from the actual city of Houston you are the less exciting it gets.
When I hear folks complain about Houston it tells me their lifestyle is the issue, not the city of Houston.
I grew up in Houston but I lived near the actual city of Houston close to downtown. I was just in Houston for the past 16 weeks helping my aging mother and to be honest I would love to move back.
The Bay Area is overrated on so many levels. It felt like a culture shock returning here. The filth all over the freeway shoulders, the horrible roads/freeways, the out of control homeless issue, the graffiti all over the place where the homeless mark their territories, the unfriendly people, the lack of outstanding cuisine, the high cost of everything. To live here and not see this, you must wear blinders and only focus on the nature.
I've been here for 9 years and have observed the Bay Area grow increasing worse on many levels. You can read through the SF forum and find many of these problems discussed.
I would move out of the Woodlands for starters and move inside the loop. Get out and find the fun Houston has to offer!
Except for the part about The Woodlands being in the boonies (), I generally agree with your post. IME, I don't find traffic to be as bad here as either the Bay Area, or, LA, or Austin. I don't find 'driving to the excitement' to be an issue.
So what sort of neighborhoods would you consider in the Loop or very near it? Just curious.
We could sell our house here in Silicon Valley and be able to buy in River Oaks, but my impression of River Oaks is that it's a bit too snooty for our tastes. I'm not really into the glitzy stuff or lifestyle, (e.g. Galleria) though we would want to be in a very well rated school district. We're a middle aged couple with a teen daughter, educated professionals, but not into the country club lifestyle. What about University West?
It's actually West University Place, not University West, but most people just refer to it as 'West U'. West U if definitely a step down in snootiness from River Oaks. I've heard some people draw parallels between West U and Orinda, and with the time I've spent in West U, I can somewhat see that, but the pace of life seems faster in West U than it is in Orinda. I'd also say that West U is likely less snooty than Palo Alto, but I haven't spent too much time in Palo Alto in the last 10 years.
It's actually West University Place, not University West, but most people just refer to it as 'West U'. West U if definitely a step down in snootiness from River Oaks. I've heard some people draw parallels between West U and Orinda, and with the time I've spent in West U, I can somewhat see that, but the pace of life seems faster in West U than it is in Orinda. I'd also say that West U is likely less snooty than Palo Alto, but I haven't spent too much time in Palo Alto in the last 10 years.
FOR SILVERKRIS:
I also like parts of Garden Oaks and Oak Forest.
Garden Oaks has a website....gardenoaks.org....and if you click on that, and then click on the neighborhood tab, there is a street map at the top that outlines Garden Oaks.
Oak Forest is generally west of Garden Oaks.
Here is the wikipedia page that includes a description of the location of Oak Forest:
With one teenage daughter, if you took the Garden Oaks or Oak Forest option, you might want to go private re school for your daughter.
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), I generally agree with your post. IME, I don't find traffic to be as bad here as either the Bay Area, or, LA, or Austin. I don't find 'driving to the excitement' to be an issue.
