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My response was for the purpose of demonstrating there are rational Dem Mayors who help cities to run effective. Houston is one such city. A Rep Mayor is not needed when you vote in rational Dems.
What would be different if it was a Houston Dem?
The city would be clean
The homeless issue would not be an issue
The police would be enforcing city ordinances
The crime rate would be lower
The taxes would be non-existent
The roads would be pristine
Housing costs would be affordable to a wide range of salaries
This is just a small example of how Houston operates under Dem Mayors.
Have you ever been to Houston???
The roads in the city are worse than anything I've seen in the Bay Area. There might be less trash on the downtown streets BECAUSE NO ONE WALKS IN HOUSTON.
I agree the homeless issue is beyond out of control in SF with human feces and needles everywhere. Houston does have a mild homeless problem (thankfully nothing like the west coast), but crime rate in greater Houston is pretty high.
Speaking on taxes, have you seen the property tax rates in Houston? Property tax, homeowners insurance in Houston is 3-4X higher than California/Oregon/Washington.
Many roads in Houston lack sidewalks, have exposed drainage ditch, due to no zoning ....its a very ugly generic city!
Houston is only affordable if you want to live in a total generic suburbia 25+ miles from the city center with generic cookie cutter homes, strip malls, and extreme sprawl. Tolls on freeways add up and they end up being higher than Bay Area bridge tolls (which are only in one direction).
I am not a fan of SF these days and what the place has turned into, but I don't think any city should ever admire Houston for anything! SF should look at other urban dense cities that are much cleaner than SF such as Chicago, Boston, DC.
If we had a Republican mayor in SF, we could blame a Republican for the problems LOL. I don't expect they could make the problems go away. Different posturing. Same outcome.
The roads in the city are worse than anything I've seen in the Bay Area.
Have you ever driven on I-10? or 45? or Beltway 8? Now compare this to 101. There is no comparison as 101 is a crap ancient freeway engineering design made with cheap materials and Houston road systems are modern technology and look beautiful and clean.
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Originally Posted by CityPlanning
There might be less trash on the downtown streets BECAUSE NO ONE WALKS IN HOUSTON.
LOL thanks for showing that you have never stepped foot in DT Houston.
Do you see people walking in these photos? Have you been to the tunnels? Have you ever stepped foot in DT Houston? Yes people walk in Houston.
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Originally Posted by CityPlanning
I agree the homeless issue is beyond out of control in SF with human feces and needles everywhere. Houston does have a mild homeless problem (thankfully nothing like the west coast), but crime rate in greater Houston is pretty high.
Higher crime rate compared to what other large US city? SF also has a very high crime rate so what's your point?
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Originally Posted by CityPlanning
Speaking on taxes, have you seen the property tax rates in Houston?
Of course I have! Keep in mind there was a cap put on property taxes in Houston 14 years ago. Also homes are much lower in cost there than here so you come out way ahead in Houston buying a house. It's more than a wash in comparison to the housing costs here. There is no state income tax so keep that in mind as well as lower taxes on everything else in the city including gas and vehicle registration.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityPlanning
Houston is only affordable if you want to live in a total generic suburbia 25+ miles from the city center with generic cookie cutter homes, strip malls, and extreme sprawl. Tolls on freeways add up and they end up being higher than Bay Area bridge tolls (which are only in one direction).
This is a total lie and tells me if you ever have lived in Houston that you must have only lived in an area as such and never stepped foot outside of this area.
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Originally Posted by CityPlanning
I am not a fan of SF these days and what the place has turned into,
Couldn't agree with you more.
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Originally Posted by CityPlanning
but I don't think any city should ever admire Houston for anything!
Everything you don't like about SF you won't find in Houston so what's not to admire about that?
Houston's a world class city...what's not to admire about that?
Houston has one of the most prestigious Medical Centers in the world...what's not to admire about that?
Houston has a lot of other very admirable traits but I see no need to derail this thread for the purpose of educating you on Houston's admirable traits.
Houston has a lot of other very admirable traits but I see no need to derail this thread for the purpose of educating you on Houston's admirable traits.
I've been reading your posts and Jeezus, let it go! If you like Houston - move there by all means. I haven't been there myself yet but I have been to Dallas and Austin and both are hell holes. Both had tons of pickup trucks (ewww), American cars (double ewww) and roads were pretty average. Not as bad as Boston but far from European ones.
The nature was rather yawn-inspiring and where near as gorgeous as it is in California. They're not even in the same league really. Yes, tons of much cheaper housing but it's cheaper for a reason - there is no crazy demand like in Bay Area. I did see a few manufacturing giants like Toyota, etc but those don't require nearly as many software jobs as Silicon Valley does. All in all, I was not impressed. Not the worst place to live by far but better than SFBA? Hell no.
Are you serious?
Have you ever driven on I-10? or 45? or Beltway 8? Now compare this to 101. There is no comparison as 101 is a crap ancient freeway engineering design made with cheap materials and Houston road systems are modern technology and look beautiful and clean.
LOL thanks for showing that you have never stepped foot in DT Houston.
1-10 is super wide freeway with heavy traffic which cost 2.8 billion to expand lanes, yet traffic didn't improve due to sprawl! nothing interesting about that drive, just generic strip malls and those dangerous "feeder roads" where accidents also happen. freeways are a mid 20th century phenomenon that Texans still have an obsession for. Focus should be on public transportation.
Do you see people walking in these photos? Have you been to the tunnels? Have you ever stepped foot in DT Houston? Yes people walk in Houston.
Looks like you took a picture of that small 4 block stretch of main street in winter. Unfortunately majority of downtown Houston is surface parking and parking garages. For being the 4th largest city it's embarrassing that a mid-size city like Portland's downtown blows Houston out of water for vibrancy.
Higher crime rate compared to what other large US city? SF also has a very high crime rate so what's your point?
Seems like you were saying that Houston has low crime rate. Crime rate is high in both Houston and in urban Bay Area.
Of course I have! Keep in mind there was a cap put on property taxes in Houston 14 years ago. Also homes are much lower in cost there than here so you come out way ahead in Houston buying a house. It's more than a wash in comparison to the housing costs here. There is no state income tax so keep that in mind as well as lower taxes on everything else in the city including gas and vehicle registration.
Isn't the cap at 15% increase? Of course homes prices are lower than Bay Area, what place isn't? My point is that there are better cities out there and Houston is not a very good bargain anymore.
This is a total lie and tells me if you ever have lived in Houston that you must have only lived in an area as such and never stepped foot outside of this area.
Lived in Midtown when I first moved there and got boring after one month. besides the few blocks of walkability on Grey Street I still had to drive everywhere! Drivers there are very anti-pedestrian and had too many close calls while crossing the street. The rednecks in their pickup trucks were the worst who would come into the area during the weekends.
Couldn't agree with you more.
Everything you don't like about SF you won't find in Houston so what's not to admire about that?
Well Houston has it's own set of major problems: Sprawl, extreme heat/humidity for 6 months, floods, I think Austin is better city in Texas for someone relocating from the Bay Area.
Houston's a world class city...what's not to admire about that?
haha world class cities need public transit, sidewalks, bustling neighborhoods, good architecture, character, which Houston lacks. Houston is a big giant suburb. Seattle is world class compare to Houston.
Houston has one of the most prestigious Medical Centers in the world...what's not to admire about that?
I agree about the Medical Centers, but every major city will have a well known medical center.
Houston has a lot of other very admirable traits but I see no need to derail this thread for the purpose of educating you on Houston's admirable traits.
Nothing in your unquoted response post is accurate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityPlanning
1-10 is super wide freeway with heavy traffic which cost 2.8 billion to expand, yet traffic didn't improve due to sprawl
This is about as inaccurate of a statement and tells me you have never driven on I-10 before or after they widened it. It improved traffic tremendously. I was was recently in Houston from Nov -March and had to use I-10 a lot during that time and there is considerable improvement in traffic due to the widening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityPlanning
Looks like you took a picture of that small 4 block stretch of main street in winter.
I take it that you have never heard of the tunnels under DT Houston. That's where most people walk. Also I take it that you never frequent the Theater District. You will see tons of folks walking around there. I also take it that you don't frequent Main Street or the Museum District. Again lots of people walking there.
It's evident that you are really not that familiar with Houston.
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Originally Posted by CityPlanning
My point is that there are better cities out there and Houston is not a very good bargain anymore.
LOL at this ridiculous claim. Houston is still a good bargain...why do you think more and more people keep moving there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityPlanning
Drivers there are very anti-pedestrian and had too many close calls while crossing the street.
Oh are you the type of pedestrian like we see here in CA that just walks out in front of cars on the street even when the STOP hand sign is illuminated? If so then I can see why you think the Houston drivers are anti-pedestrian.
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Originally Posted by CityPlanning
Well Houston has it's own set of major problems: Sprawl, extreme heat/humidity for 6 months, floods.
"Sprawl" is not a problem for most people. It may be a major problem for a Urban Jungle mind, but for most people it's not a major problem.
Extreme heat occurs in CA as well. The heat in Houston is not bad IMO. I lived there most of my life and never had any issues with the heat. It's not extreme heat for 6 months either. Flooding is only an issue for some areas of Houston and that's being working on right now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityPlanning
haha world class cities need public transit, sidewalks, bustling neighborhoods, good architecture, character, which Houston lacks
Looks like you need an education non what makes a city world class.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityPlanning
I agree about the Medical Centers, but every major city will have a well known medical center.
Not every city has a prestigious center like the Texas Medical Center. In fact no other city in the US has such a place. People come from all over the world to get specialized treatments offered in the Texas Medical Center.
A Medical Center in any other city would basically consist one large teaching hospital. The Texas Medical Center is more than just one large teaching hospital.
**Anyway back to the topic of this thread.
The mentality of the people in SF could not handle opening their minds to the possibility of voting in a logical rational Dem for mayor. They only vote in incompetent, irrational bleeding heart Mayors. Let's see how this current Mayor does.
Having just moved to SF from Houston, I can agree with much, but not all of this. Houston is on the cusp of being a world class city, but is too mired in its old ways and attitudes to be there yet. It's pretty clearly a tier below SF as far as all but the most ardent Houston boosters are concerned.
The climate and layout of Houston means that the streets are devoid of people. It's not a place where people walk. Traffic is terrible and public transportation is a joke. There's no way around any of that. Houston isn't that kind of city. None of this has much to do with the mayors they've had, though.
The TX Medical Center is the finest medical facility in the country, if not the world, though. There's not anything elsewhere like it.
Houston's biggest asset is its people. There are amazingly friendly, hard-working people there. Outside of medical professions, it is not a city that attracts the best and brightest aspiring to be there at any cost, though, like you find in SF, NYC and even LA and Chicago. Again, Houston is not that kind of city.
Houston is a mostly suburban kind of place, like a MUCH smaller LA, where it's easy to afford a house and a decent life. It governs and votes accordingly. There's a liberal mindset in the inner city, but most of the suburbs are right-wing.
Very little about the conditions, politics or governance of Houston would apply to SF as far as I can tell.
Don't care about the other nonsense, but this is just cringeworthy, I say that as a British born Japanophile.
Why is that? Who in their right mind would buy an American car over a Japanese one? Even Ford got the message and they're discontinuing all of their cars except the Mustang shortly.
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