Better place to live?? Dallas metro or Houston metro? (San Antonio: airport, beachfront)

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by AlGreen

htownlove, you asked me a question, and i answered it. you cannot convince me that metro atlanta is as equally unattractive as houston is. it simply isn't in my opinion. i never stated that it was fact, but you cannot force others to agree with your opinion. it doesn't work that way

atlanta's architecture is more stunning, their trees are more beautiful, there's more attention to aesthetics, etc

There you are doing it again, when did the inner city become the metro???

[Spade]

Your first impression goes a long way and I hate to say it. But Houston's thoroughfares do not leave a good impression coming from all directions be it 45, 10, or 59. Interstate 45 from the north is obvious the ugliest. But I-45 from Galveston isn't exactly nice either. Interstate 10 from Katy is decent but still not very aesthetically pleasing. Nor is I-10 coming from Beaumont. Now the inner loop thoroughfares is MUCH better and much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I wish Houston could have trenched the freeways. But oh well.

I like the idea of sound barriers. Interstate 95 in Miami has that.
Miami - Google Maps

The best city that hides it is probably Washington DC but they have it lucky since it sits directly on the fall line inside the piedmont.
Washington DC - Google Maps

Since I started on the internet on the various urban forums, I made a thread about feeders, access roads, or service roads (w/e) you call them. They are convenient, true. But they also invite ugliness to the freeway. Business flock to them like ants. I simply HATE them and wish Texas stop building them. I like the roundabouts under the freeway but I can do w/o those ugly

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by Spade

Your first impression goes a long way and I'm sad to say it. But Houston's thoroughfares do not leave a good impression coming from all the directions. Interstate 45 from the north is obvious the ugliest. But I-45 from Galveston isn't exactly nice either. Interstate 10 from Katy is decent but still not very aesthetically pleasing. Nor is I-10 coming from Beaumont. Now the inner loop thoroughfares is MUCH better and much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I wish Houston could have trenched the freeways. But oh well.

I like the idea of sound barriers. Interstate 95 in Miami has that.
Miami - Google Maps

The best city that hides it is probably Washington DC but they have it lucky since it sits directly on the fall line inside the piedmont.
Washington DC - Google Maps

Since I started on the internet on the various urban forums, I made a thread about feeders, access roads, or service roads (w/e) you call them. They are convenient, true. But they also invite ugliness to the freeway. Business flock to them like ants. I simply HATE them and wish Texas stop building them. I like the roundabouts under the freeway but I can do w/o those ugly

lol, all of you are nuts. first Al wants to get rid of my lack of zoning and my trees now you want to get rid of feeders???? are you guys mad???? the feeders are the best thing about Houston highways. they are life savers when there is an accident or back up, and it makes not getting lost so much easier

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by stoneclaw

In this case, it's the city's appearance off the highway. The same way a pretty girl or handsome man can't go to a job interview dressed in shabby clothes, city's can't have rough appearances off the freeway. It is what it is.

well that's not the case with me. i've lived in texas for more than 20 years and i've been to houston more times than i can count. i've been all over the metro; every quadrant of it. so i'm not like others who are just judging houston from what they see from the freeway. hell, driving on some freeways don't even bother me as much as some sites IN the city do.

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

With that said man to me the outer areas that make up metro Atlanta are just as fugly as some Houston burbs. It's just as much sticks,rural looking areas of uncut grass. And it's really when you start getting in the cities core for me when you start seeing the true beauty. Atlanta just does a better job of hiding the uglies..

well, i never said atlanta was perfect. it definitely has it's shabby looking parts. i guess, at the end of the day, it's more of a natural scenery thing. i'm sure that many would agree that piedmont georgia is more beautiful than gulf coastal texas (and those who don't agree, oh well), and it's because of atlanta's natural setting that they can "get away" with things that houston can't, in my opinion.

that's what this is about. it's having a few ugly things versus a bunch of ugly things. yes, atlanta has sprawl and blight, industrial looking areas, unkempt lots, abandoned buildings; but they make up for it with more appealing architecture, better landscaping, and nicer trees and hills to "hide" the ugly. there also aren't any concrete roads, flat terrain, or a sea of retarded looking trees to be found

Originally Posted by HtownLove

There you are doing it again, when did the inner city become the metro???

what? i'm talking about the entire metro. when i say architecture, i'm not just talking about downtown towers, i'm talking about everything else

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by AlGreen

well that's not the case with me. i've lived in texas for more than 20 years and i've been to houston more times than i can count. i've been all over the metro; every quadrant of it. so i'm not like others who are just judging houston from what they see from the freeway. hell, driving on some freeways don't even bother me as much as some sites IN the city do.

well, i never said atlanta was perfect. it definitely has it's shabby looking parts. i guess, at the end of the day, it's more of a natural scenery thing. i'm sure that many would agree that piedmont georgia is more beautiful than gulf coastal texas (and those who don't agree, oh well), and it's because of atlanta's natural setting that they can "get away" with things that houston can't, in my opinion.

that's what this is about. it's having a few ugly things versus a bunch of ugly things. yes, atlanta has sprawl and blight, industrial looking areas, unkempt lots, abandoned buildings; but they make up for it with more appealing architecture, better landscaping, and nicer trees and hills to "hide" the ugly. there also aren't any concrete roads, flat terrain, or a sea of retarded looking trees to be found

what? i'm talking about the entire metro. when i say architecture, i'm not just talking about downtown towers, i'm talking about everything else

Houston has little control as to how the surrounding cities choose to decorate don't blame me if my neighbor starts putting up gaudy lights and reindeer on the roof. On this county you have to compare Houston to Atlanta. Not Baytown to Sandy Springs and say you comparing Houston to Atlanta. that is stupid.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

lol, all of you are nuts. first Al wants to get rid of my lack of zoning and my trees now you want to get rid of feeders???? are you guys mad???? the feeders are the best thing about Houston highways. they are life savers when there is an accident or back up, and it makes not getting lost so much easier

Yeah but notice how I say that it's only good for convenience. I've been caught up in accidents and back ups and used the access roads. That was great. I also do the same in Chicago and they don't have access roads. But the secondary streets run along side the freeways. But other than the convenience of the access roads, it helps create an ugly area when you have businesses sprawled up and down the freeway. I remember a picture of San Antonio a few weeks ago and I'll try to find it. One of the ugliest areas I ever seen.

[AlGreen]

atlanta definitely has it's ugly parts, so no one can tell me that i'm trying to say it's nothing but beautiful:

atlanta ga - Google Maps

atlanta ga - Google Maps

....but it also has it's awesome looking parts, that you just don't get in houston

atlanta ga - Google Maps

Kenilworth Circle, Stone Mountain, GA - Google Maps

Atlanta, GA - Google Maps

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

Houston has little control as to how the surrounding cities choose to decorate don't blame me if my neighbor starts putting up gaudy lights and reindeer on the roof. On this county you have to compare Houston to Atlanta. Not Baytown to Sandy Springs and say you comparing Houston to Atlanta. that is stupid.

what the hell are you talking about? i'm comparing metro atlanta to metro houston . but just for the argument's sake, inner loop houston is comparable in size to the city of atlanta; and atlanta still comes out on top

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by Spade

Yeah but notice how I say that it's only good for convenience. I've been caught up in accidents and back ups and used the access roads. That was great. I also do the same in Chicago and they don't have access roads. But the secondary streets run along side the freeways. But other than the convenience of the access roads, it helps create an ugly area when you have businesses sprawled up and down the freeway. I remember a picture of San Antonio a few weeks ago and I'll try to find it. One of the ugliest areas I ever seen.

i'm sure i know exactly what you're talking about. i do know that the eastern half of loop 410 is very nasty looking. it starts to look better west of san pedro (where the hills start)

here's 410 by the airport:

san antonio tx - Google Maps

[AlGreen]

sorry, but there's nothing in houston as stunningly beautiful as north atlanta, as far as i can tell....i like this guy's videos: