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Huh? Sounds a lot like sour grapes and, um, no skyline? Have you ever even been there?
The OP asked whether Austin is like Seattle and I would say NO, that in my actual experience having lived in each of these places for around a decade, Houston is the city most like Seattle in TX. I think it goes without saying that you are not going to find a Seattle clone anywhere in TX.
I used to be a Houston-basher too but I've lived here now for 9 years and I admit to being very pleasantly surprised. DH lived his entire previous life in the PNW and he is possibly happier in Houston than I am. It is far more progressive and liberal than people assume, it is second only to New York in theater and the arts, there are funky old neighborhoods, incredible food from so many different cultures. Houston is really happening now, it's a good time to be here. Of course in some ways it is completely opposite than Seattle, weather and landscape for example, but we find they are complementary - great weather in summer (Seattle) vs. winter (Houston). Seattle too has some real detractions but we still love it there as well. It's all in the attitude.
Apologies to the OP for going off topic.
I don't know why people think that anyone who thinks houston is the suckhole city that it is must have "sour grapes". It is absolutely nothing like Seattle in any way. Obviously, Seattle and houston are nothing alike when it comes to scenery and other physical/visual traits (houston is a real eyesore FYI), but even the mentality of the people is very different. I am not talking about left wing/right wing or anything else political, I am just talking about the way the people behave and conduct business. I was there for several months and I was completely taken aback that they were so behind and backwards with how they did things. Most of the people I encountered were in business settings and would never survive acting that way in any other major city.
Everytime I meet someone who has traveled a lot or has to travel a lot for business that is from a real city, they always talk about how gross houston is and how it has no redeeming qualities. I'm sure you know plenty of people who think houston is awesome, but I haven't met anyone who is not from houston who thinks that. From what I saw, the gas and oil industries there attract a lot of boring people with zero charm or ability to interact with anyone with out making it abundantly obvious they have selfish intentions. I realize that most people are out for themselves, but it is really inferior when you are unable to conceal that.
I went to San Antonio after being in houston and was shocked at how pretty San Antonio seemed compared to houston. If I was a large company that wanted to relocate HQ to Texas, I would totally pick San Antonio over houston.
Nothing personal, but it is a gross city with nothing to offer if you don't want to work in gas/oil and don't need to take advantage of their medical center (I will say they probably do have the best medical facilities in the world).
I know, this is exactly what I am talking about when I talk about houston attitude. They really think they are second place to NYC. Anyone who is going to say that...
I know, this is exactly what I am talking about when I talk about houston attitude. They really think they are second place to NYC. Anyone who is going to say that...
Honestly, perhaps you should research to see what the person was referring to. S/he's correct. Houston is 2nd to NY in terms of having the large theatre district, 2nd largest concentration of theatre seats in US.
They do notably have a strong arts, very eclectic scene.
Well, look it up. . Major bucks thrown that way in Houston, tons of theater seats, multiple theater camps etc. Who knew? Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet are all world class. No other US city outside of NYC provides so much funding for the arts.
I feel really sorry that you had such a terrible experience in Houston. From your posts though I must conclude you had no small part in that.
Shouldn't this 'conversation' take place in a different thread?
Well, look it up. . Major bucks thrown that way in Houston, tons of theater seats, multiple theater camps etc. Who knew? Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet are all world class. No other US city outside of NYC provides so much funding for the arts.
I feel really sorry that you had such a terrible experience in Houston. From your posts though I must conclude you had no small part in that.
Shouldn't this 'conversation' take place in a different thread?
Inkpoe - thank you. We cross-posted.
No, this should be addressed in the thread where you compared two cities with nothing in common to each other. I can see why you like houston so much.
Also, "funding" of the "arts" as you put it, has nothing to do with the content of the art. I really don't hear about much ground breaking theater coming out of houston that the takes the rest of the country by storm. Thanks for making your point about houston is about quantity over quality. BTW, speaking of quantity over quality, i found the houston restaurant scene to be mostly bland, even though you guys are so proud of all your restaurants.
People that have things going for them don't have to live in houston. Time and time again, you guys manage to prove that.
No, this should be addressed in the thread where you compared two cities with nothing in common to each other. I can see why you like houston so much.
Also, "funding" of the "arts" as you put it, has nothing to do with the content of the art. I really don't hear about much ground breaking theater coming out of houston that the takes the rest of the country by storm. Thanks for making your point about houston is about quantity over quality. BTW, speaking of quantity over quality, i found the houston restaurant scene to be mostly bland, even though you guys are so proud of all your restaurants.
People that have things going for them don't have to live in houston. Time and time again, you guys manage to prove that.
Well, the OP is looking for the city most like Seattle in TX assuming it must be Austin. I've actually lived in Austin for years. I've actually lived in Seattle for years and I've actually lived in Houston for years, clearly longer than your bad, temporary situation.
We actively chose to move to Houston after the winter weather in Seattle finally got to me, being overeducated for smaller metros like Austin at that point. Turns out I enjoy living in Houston which offers far more than I ever expected, even though I suspect we qualify as people who "have things going for them", contrary to your baseless assumption. I still visit Seattle regularly and have a vacation home there in the heart of the city where we will spend a couple of months over the summer.
Fully acknowledging that all of the cities have very different pros and cons, my experienced opinion is that Houston is more comparable to Seattle, not Austin. The OP and others, coming back to visit the thread, might value my opinion over that of someone with limited experience and an obvious axe to grind. Certainly they can read these posts as part of their research and draw their own conclusions.
Perhaps the best promotion for Houston is the fact that negative people are clearly run off.
Best.
p.s. Regarding the arts comment, yes, those in the field do definitely regard the Houston theater scene very highly. Most people don't know anything about theater whether it be from Houston or NYC, lol. It's the same for other arts, like who would expect that Bloomington is a draw for top musicians? The Houston arts scene extends well past theater and encompasses many other performing and fine arts. The high level of funding and patronage attracts talented artists and performers from all over, which translates into a larger than expected number of creative types in this business town. The Houston arts scene is huge but doesn't mesh with people's perceptions of the city.
Interesting post of yours that I found. I guess you have been to Houston after all, but other readers note well the bolded text. Sour grapes, indeed. Again, sorry you had such a bad experience, that has not been our experience at all. DH is not in oil and gas but rather senior counsel for a large multinational manufacturing firm. West Seattle is lovely.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StartMeOver
I am originally from Seattle, but moved to a large city in a different part of the country six years ago. This year I decided to quit my job and move to Houston for a change of pace since the job market in Houston is excellent for my field of work (mid-level corporate accounting).
I've been in Houston for about six weeks now, and I am pretty sure I do not like it at all, other than the neighborhood I live in, which looks like a cuter version of West Seattle with palm trees but minus any hills.
The main reasons I do not like Houston are mostly related to my job search. It's not that I can't find a job, it's that I do not want any of the jobs that I could get fairly easily. First, the majority of them are in gas and oil, which everyone else here thinks is so great. I think I might be the only person here who does not want to work in gas and oil. Pretty much all the accounting departments at gas and oil companies have massive turn over rates and can't retain employees longer than two years. This makes me think the job climate here might not be focused on good management at all, which is not an environment I want to work in.
Some of the places I've interviewed at are big name international companies, and I am shocked at how unsophisticated they are when it comes to dealing with people or fostering an environment that is good for moral and retention. To sum it up, my whole job search has rubbed me the wrong way and I was not expecting to be in a situation where I could easily get a job but am really turned off at the way things work here.
This is just a wierd place. People I've met outside of my search seem pretty friendly, but the ones I've encountered in my job search come across like they have very rigid requirements of others, while they think very highly of themselves. Other unpleasant things are their lack of any skyline views thanks to no zoning laws, roads here are pretty bad, and suprisingly they add taxes on to everything here.
The problem is that the job market in Seattle doesn't seem to be as good. While I have a somewhat marketable resume, its not so marketable that I could find a job as easily as I could find one here (though I don't want any of the jobs here).
The main reasons I am considering moving back to Seattle is because my family is there, it has water, and I wouldn't have to get a job in the gas and oil industry. That aside, there are still things I don't like about Seattle such as the rain, the rental options are not that great, and I don't really like the popular politics there so much. Also it will not be cheap to move again and it might take me a few months to find a job in Seattle once I moved.
Any advice on what I should do would be welcome. Also, if anyone knows anything about the job market for accountants there, please feel free to chime in.
Houston is actually 2nd largest for museum district and number of restaurants outside of New York. However, anyone who has lived there wouldn't find this too surprising as most of your time is spent inside It is the 4th largest city in the US, so not really a stretch.
It still doesn't make me want to live there ever again, but have nothing against those that choose to stay for whatever reason.
props to fnh for defending Houston. at first i was disagreeing with you about the seattle comparisons but people here jumped the gun to take advantage and trash houston. i disagree with them much more.
i still don't quite agree with houston being more similar to seattle than austin, although i do see where you are getting at. i just feel that seattle is still too small in comparison to houston and certainly not quite entirely as diverse as houston. i also feel that in terms of people it attracts seattle and austin are sort of on the same playing field, if you get what i'm saying. the music scene, hipsters, et al, are strong in both cities. houston is nothing pretentious like that. lol
and to whoever said that houston has terrible food... give me a break. houston has some of the best food in the country. that is a bleepin fact.
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. Major bucks thrown that way in Houston, tons of theater seats, multiple theater camps etc. Who knew? Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet are all world class. No other US city outside of NYC provides so much funding for the arts.
