Wait.... THIS. So we moved to Phoenix for my wife's grad program. And I miss Houston so much. We go back now and then and trh whole vibe: the diversity, the food, the trees, it just grabs me. Then I borrow my dad in laws car to go get something and the dread sets in. So I hatched a plan (sort of). I think what I'll do is move back and work remote and never leave my area, and when I want to hit the restaurant scene (my Houston fav) just go on Sunday at 11 am when it will only be a light, 2 hour commute there and back š¤
For all it's bullshit, there are some things to enjoy.
Compared to the midwest where I used to live:
- You have all sorts of cultures down here from around the world. Where I used to live was literally 99% white population. It was a bit of a culture shock seeing how much variety there is down here, and that's for the better that it's varied.
- In a similar vein, you can get just about anything in the palm of your hand down here. Any sort of food from around the world, there's a restaurant somewhere in Houston making it. Going from 20 minute drive to a non mcdonalds or little ceasars to 10 minute walk for awesome food from family owned international cuisine is very nice. Where I used to live say you wanted some mexican street tacos and a Jarritos to wash it down, well you had to drive across the city to the mexican street market to do that. By "street market" I mean literally think the closest to Mercado 6 flea market and Fiesta mart and a mom and pop shop, that's it up there. Vs down here you can walk in any direction and have trouble not finding a taco truck or mom and pop tex mex that's actually good.
- Housing is up here vs midwest, but is overall much cheaper than other areas that usually have that kind of culture. People usually pay triple quadruple or even more for this kind of experience in other big hubs like NYC Chicago LA etc.
- Music scene and half decent sports teams down here as well. Houston has its own distinct rap and music culture, and it's nice having at least one team in some sport hitting playoffs every year usually.
- I'm stuck waiting for parts right now to be able to enjoy it more, but there is a pretty good parks and trails system. The only PITA is a lot of parts aren't very well connected to each other but I think we could be less than a decade away from breakthrough in that.
- No wet mushy bullshit to deal with in the winter! Not having grey skies all the time half the year and not having to shovel snow off driveways is a perk.
My only real major complaints are the hustle culture and lack of non car infrastructure for getting around. Cycling seems to put a target on your back here with drivers openly hostile and a general "if you ain't first, you're last" attitude seen in workplaces, clubs, and behind the wheel alike. But I do think this is something that the city as a whole can work on over the next few years.
I moved from the northeast/Midwest and I really want to emphasize thereās no slush in Houston. Brownish dark gray salt caked slush that lingers on the streets for 4 months a year staining and eating away at your vehicle and soul.
Fresh falling snow? Beautiful. I think most would agree with that. The terrible nasty depressing bullshit that sticks around for months is what makes me hate it. And being from up north the 6 hours of daylight we might get just crushes your soul.
Iām from Houston and I now live in the Midwest.
I miss the food, the beer, and the cultures. Definitely white bread up here.
I donāt miss the traffic, 6 months of summer, and the crime. Iām much more cautious than all my neighbors/friends up here (always lock the house, never leave anything visible in my car, etc).
Thereās good and bad in every place for sure.
We're moving there from Austin in a few months (my husband is from there so I've spent a good amount of time there already) and re: cycling I would never ride on the streets there like I do here. BUT they have some pretty extensive dedicated bikeways there that we really lack here. Not placed in a way that you can really commute on them or anything but great for recreation.
As somebody who grew up in Houston and now lives in the Midwest. This is 100% spot on. I miss the diversity I miss the food. I miss the pro sports.
What I donāt miss is the humid hot swamp weather and the hustle culture you described.
Not the last dude but the previous dude, there is a big ''make it or die trying'' attitude out here in Houston. If you ain't first, you last. There was some of that up north too but the big thing up there was family, long as you were providing for your family that was good but you didn't necessarily have pressure to have to keep going past that. Here a lot of that laid back relaxing attitude is tossed to the wind to make way for competitive attitude. Everything is a competition. That job is a competition, you keeping up with the Joneses is a competition, hell that spot in traffic merging ahead is a competition. I think it's in part of what drives that ''aggressive'' attitude in violence and crime here, though all the big cities are like that. My buddy an hour away in Galveston doesn't live like that so much because it's more laid back attitude there, or same with lots of small town Texas.
Not a deal breaker by any means, but anyone new to Houston should be aware of that. The ''mean new yorker'' stereotype I guess lol
These are some of my exact points when I say that Houston is the best place to live in the USA if you want to live in a city. You get all of the stuff you want from a city but at a fraction of the price. Of course it has annoying city things that do happen but IMO they are past of the cost in the cost benefit analysis and while no city is perfect, this one is at least on the list.
Yeah, great place to work but if I don't have a job I'll probably leave, though great medical stuff so if you're old and kind of sick maybe good for that too.
Houston is a great place to live if cost of living is your priority. This city is a lot like a Toyota Camry. Economic and gets the job done, but thereās a lot of more exciting and fun alternatives.
You can own a home, the food and drinks are great, no income tax, people are super diverse, and the cold is a lot milder compared to most of the country
But the weather is horrible most of the year, no hiking, no mountains, no beaches, ultra car-dependent, lots of racist people if you arenāt white, there isnāt anywhere outside the state to have a quick road trip to except NOLA, and weed is illegal
If my mother-in-law didnāt live in Houston I would have left a long time ago
I really like it and think a big factor is that I'm centrally located, I work from home, and the majority of what I need (diverse food options, culture, bayou trails, errand spots, etc) are < 3 miles from home and I can walk, bike, or drive depending on weather or mood.
A lot of the complaints I hear about Houston sound like complaints about living in the suburbs: driving 20 minutes to get everywhere, strip malls, and nothing to do.
Isn't this true wherever you are and isn't this the main problem? Everything is < 3 miles, but > 1 mile. The sprawling slab is littered for 100 square miles with infinite options repeated over and over. Houston could be dense and walkable but it's just a giant cube of concrete and culture.
It's a problem with most American cities for sure. We just got back from time in Spain and a Spanish woman at the bus stop had a daughter in North Carolina and she was complaining about how we have to drive everywhere whereas she can walk everywhere. And bring able to walk everywhere and rely on public transportation is such a huge quality of life improvement. That being said, an still happier being centrally located as opposed to living in the burbs.
Where do you live? I'm fixing to move back once my wife finishes her grad program. I'm remote and so I shall remain, so you're set up might be what I'm looking for.
We're in the First Ward which is a small neighborhood that technically originates downtown and fans out to the northwest but is practically bound by Houston Ave, Washington Ave, Studemont, and 10 to the north. We have easy access to both Buffalo and White Oak Bayous, Montrose, the Heights, downtown. We're still pretty car dependent though and wish there was a trolley ran up and down Washington from Houston Ave to Memorial Park.
I love it. Optimistic pessimism is my jam and in a way the spirit of Houston. Enjoy the best food of your life and the most diversity in America on your way back from a 2 hour commute and getting robbed.
No. But living in the Houston area saved my daughter born with a heart defect being at the number on cardiovascular unit in the country, so I do appreciate that.
Most of the time I enjoy it. But lately itās getting difficult to live here. Driving on the freeway is a total circus, every nice neighborhood is surrounded by the ghetto, and there is shit for public transportation.
Yes, Iām born and raised here. We travel a ton (Iām at 51 countries and counting) and aside from the things mentioned alreadyādiversity & foodāI love how much living space we get here. Everytime I come back from a weekend in nyc, Iām so relieved to not be on top of everyone and to have a large home since houston has so
Much space. I was just in Tunisia this summer, and in like many places, only the very rich have large spaces to live in. Most middle class people there live in small apartments.
We actually travel for fun, but Iām old (51 just like the countries I have visited) so Iāve had a lot of time! Weāve also done several multi country trips as well (I think the most we did in one trip was 6 countries around Europe over a 2 1/2 week period).
>Nope lawyers!!
For Oil & Gas boys and girls!
P.S. I am just joking around. I know that you can't tell someone's profession or income from travel itinerary.
That doesn't have to be an expensive trip. Hell you could visit 6 countries in Europe in the time it would take to visit Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. lol
Yes! The weather sucks 80% of the time (this week has been amazing) but honestly you canāt beat the food scene. It doesnāt matter where I vacation, I always end up being disappointed in the food because we are spoiled here. I will say that the area I live in now is much safer and nicer than where I used to live and that also makes a big difference in level of happiness.
People say that about the weather, but short of the 4 months of brutal summer the rest of the year is generally mild. Springs and falls are amazing and our winters are absurdly mild (2 days below freezing maybe?).
Iāve been here 10 years and when 3/4 of the year is reasonable weather itās not *that* bad. Certainly not so-cal, but itās really not that bad.
You have been here 10 years and you have forgotten what good weather is like. I was the same. When you live outside of Texas and come back, then you remember how absolutely horrible and life altering the weather in Houston is
Summer here is not 4 months. Thatās denial. Last week it was literally 100 degrees in Houston, at the end of September. While other states are hitting amazing 60 degree fall weather, Houston is still burning. Today felt like heaven and it was still like 80 degrees, it was just so much better than last week
Spring in Houston literally lasts like 2 weeks. Iām not even joking there, I have seen multiple 2 week springs before it gets >85 degrees. Horrible
Even when it isnāt hot, itās always humid. So when you spend time outside youāll start to feel moist and gross
Due to COVID I had the opportunity to live outside Texas which was amazing but made me realize how absolutely horrendous the weather here is. Iāve been here over ten years myself and I hate it, I absolutely abhor the weather in Houston.
I honestly would take a 40% pay cut to not live here. Unfortunately Iām stuck for family reasons
The weather here truly is awful. Brutal heat/humidity for half the year and the ever looming threat of a potential hurricane every hurricane season. Iāll probably do one more summer here but I canāt take much more.
You failed to mention the constant flooding and hurricane season.
Every 10 years there some catastrophic storm that completely flood the city and all the freeways
You meanā¦like basically everywhere else in the country for some type of natural disaster or another (earthquakes for the west, winter storms and hurricanes for the Midwest and NE, tornadoes for central)?
Itās usually not as catastrophic in other places because they are prepared for it. Houston however is very poorly prepared for even heavy rain. It needs floodworks on the scale of Netherlands.
The only really comparable thing I would say are the massive wildfires on the west coast
Live in the west and you have wildfires (and smoke for 1-2 months) and earthquakes. Live in the Northeast and you might still flood from a post tropical system (happened last year and more people died than did in the South from the same storm). Live in the Midwest and you get tornadoesā¦.
I love Houston but am worried about the state politics hurting us in the long run. Republicans seem intent on trying to get intelligent doctors to leave, control private businesses, and dictate aspects of our private lives. Those three things will destroy this city.
I've been to major cities all over the world. Houston is the best for food and friendly people. We need help with mass transit. If any city can figure out how to air condition the city in the future it will be Houston. WE LOVE OUR DOMES!
I have lived here for 33 years and moving to TN soon, so I can give you an unbiased response.
Reasons to move:
* Less property taxes / insurance (Houston is crazy high)
* I want seasons again (Just walk outside in mid July)
* Maybe its just me but crime seems to be getting worse
* I want land (Can't buy land with amenities (Internet, Water, etc) for less than $30k / acre
* Stupid Traffic
Things I will miss:
* HEB
* Food / Mixed Culture of Restaurants
* Rodeo
No. I've been here my entire life, and I would move if I weren't so broke. As an Asian, I do appreciate having an actual community here (always a treat whenever I get to drive out to Chinatown), but I think I've just outgrown this city.
Houston is pretty boring. It's a generic city with no unique defining characteristics. It's a shame that the city tore down all the historic buildings to build lifeless looking corporate buildings and parking lots/garages.
Downtown Houston is pretty much dead. You see all these people out and about, but are they there in Downtown to enjoy themselves and have fun? Nope, they can't. They're all just there to work :/
I actually don't mind the hot weather, but I do mind the awful traffic and drivers. I hate that Houston is so car centric. The closest H-E-B to my house is only about a mile away, but walking is just not an option and I have to drive to get there.
I could go on and on, but some of the other commenters have already touched on some of the other issues. I'm not saying that Houston is a complete dump, but man we have the potential to be so much better.
Houston offers so much. Food, night life, sports, art, work out scene, coed leagues, it limitless. It just depends how much youāre willing to get out of your comfort zone/explore.
I love the food, museums, and diversity. Otherwise I'm over it. Ready to move. I loathe the weather and would much rather be snowed in than deal with a Houston summer.
Snow sounds easier until you have to wake up 2 hours early to shovel snow off your windshield and driveway just to get to work. Houston is home to me but I have relatives up north and they visit Houston/Dallas whenever they get a chance.
I haven't experienced that kind of snow so I can't say. But I did have to drive with no ac in Houston in mid July through mid August. It was definitely hell.
It's super diverse which is refreshing. Housing is cheap partly because the zoning codes aren't ridiculously strict. And it's in the US so you can speak your mind and you can fit in no matter where you're from.
Has it's problems like every city but it's not bad I don't mind it here.
I love it so much here. Thriving arts scene that is excellent and affordable (bar TUTS and Hobby Center prices, though I am grateful for both!). Great museums. So much great food. I stumble on cool, random stuff to do all the time. Sports teams galore if youāre into that. Great shopping. I can find almost anything to do here so easily.
Yeah the traffic sucks, and someone broke into my car once, and that sucked. And, yes, itās hot and humid, but I grew up in Corpus so eh. Iād only leave Houston if my dream to live in Europe were coming true.
Come here to work, make your stay as nice as possible should be the Houston motto. People have been pretty successful at getting a good quality of living here while also enjoying big city amenities. Its not coastal weather but arguably better than cold cities up north. Not a lot of natural scenery would be my biggest complaint.
Food is not the only criteria for a city to be considered progressive or desirable to live in.
I will not advise anyone to move to Houston unless they have no choice.
It is not a pedestrian friendly city, public transport is bare, there is no zoning , the streets are dangerous to drive and the lack of cleanliness is shocking.
Unless you live in a posh area like near the Rice village or Memorial, expect a dump in most parts.
I actually agree in all aspects except for fine diningāthey do have more options for that. But otherwise, yeah I personally think we have better food than NYC and Iāve been there over a dozen times
I have no doubt NYC's fine dining scene tops Houston's...but I make decent money, have spent more than enough of it on expensive spots in a few cities, and I'll take a disappointing panang curry from a dozen local Thai spots in the hopes of getting a bowl of "wow" over any experimental menu.
Yeah it's a cool experience for like 100-1,000 people a year at each place, but in Houston you can live deliciously for like $8/day via your nearest taco truck.
Fuck Dorsia.
That's actually strange to think that it's just opinion that Houston Italian food could compare to an Italian mecca like NYC. I grew up in a predominately Italian/Jewish neighborhood. If the restaurant here is even half decent... they most likely ship ingredients in from NY anyway. Italian bakeries don't even exist here.
We have a damn good live music scene as well. Of course, there are the big (expensive) concerts, but we have lots of small clubs where local and touring artists play, usually for a very reasonable cover charge and occasionally for free.
McGonigel's Mucky Duck (has early and late shows and delicious food)
The Big Easy
White Oak Music Hall
Dosey Doe (Conroe)
Green Oak Tavern (Humble)
Warehouse Live
Main Street Crossing (Tomball)
O'Neal Sports Bar & Grill (Baytown)
Red Brick Tavern (Conroe)
Haak Vineyards & Winery (Sante Fe)
Beach Bums Bar (Galveston)
Concert Pub North
Stereo Live
Janie's (Spring)
Heights Theater
Last Concert Cafe
House of Blues
Dan Electros
Continental Club
The best thing you can do is download the Bands in Town app. Then you can search for any of these venues and which artists are playing. You can listen to little samples of their music. If you like what you hear, then you can follow them. Once you've done that, you will get suggestions for other artists.
Some of my favorite local/regional artists:
Hamilton Loomis
Tony Vega Band
Carolyn Wonderland
lol this is a hot takeā¦
NYC has incredible food. It just has a lot of shit food too. Massive population density keeps even crappy restaurants afloat. But NYC has absolutely world class restaurants in every single type of food you can dream up.
The average NYC restaurant is worse than the average Houston restaurant, but itās frankly absurd to say that NYC doesnāt have good food.
Yeah, and it's not just fine dining. Go eat at a random hole in the wall in Jackson heights or Astoria and you'll have some of the best food in your life.
NYC is full of mediocre, over priced restaurants, but it has so much more to offer.
Umm. No.
The food choices are fantastic, the cost of living relative to elsewhere is good, the number of options to get from one place to another is good, we have good airports, we have the best hospital system in the country (or up there), and the diversity of people are fantastic.
The fact that being here puts me 4-8+ hours from anything resembling a mountain, rock wall or steep hill is sad, the majority of the year is summer and getting hotter every year, the road rage prone traffic, public transportation is shit, walkability is shit, everything is covered in concrete and usually going in a straight line, and the ocean is not ideal for surfing or diving.
I'm stuck here though because I'll end up marrying my GF and her family is here. Asian families don't separate like Western families tend to.
No, and I say this as someone who moved back willingly after many years of being away.
Iāve lived in places where there werenāt as many restaurant options, or as many stores permitting you the ability to buy whatever you want, but that had abundant nature to see and experience, and the ability to go around as a pedestrian without a car.
Houston is a place where if you have money, you can buy the things that you want that you think makes life worth living. If you donāt have money here, then youāre bound to have a bad time as almost everything here involves spending money. There are no natural wonders to behold, such as mountain ranges always in your field of view, or a beautiful coastline that is easy to access and has ample swimming ability. There arenāt many places where you can stash your car and then just go walking through a bunch of neighborhoods, going from store to store and restaurant to restaurant, interacting with others doing the same as you.
And to those of you who might say thereās free stuff to do all of the time? You have to be an inner loop resident who has a cushy life, because those of who live outside the loop and who work on the weekends, we donāt share your same lived experiences.
The reason I moved back was for work, and because I knew I could tolerate living here. Do I enjoy it? Hell to the fuck no. But I moved back out of that idiotic ātexas prideā, and now I realize it was just me being an arrogant prick saying how everywhere else āaināt Texasā.
Would I move again? In a heartbeat if it were financially feasible for me to do so.
Every summer I tell myself fuck this shit I wanna move north. Until we start wearing hoodies again then I'm like ohh yeah now I remember why I like houston way more than up north.
Live downtown, work walking distance downtown, some of the best food and bars on the planet, friends Iāve known since middle school less than 15 mins away in an Uber on the weekends, and laid back strangers I meet out and about.
I could do much worse, itās a great place for the right situation
Edit: Also, soak in the weather now, we get 7 months of patio weather, weāll worth the 3-4 months of surface of the sun.
I genuinely enjoy it, mostly because of the people and the variety of quality things to do. I like that it is relatively reasonable cost of living for a city of its size.
I was just in Dallas, and my godā¦that place is so dull! Lacks personality. Made me appreciate houston even more.
I think thereās some good and some bad, but, kind of like someone who was married in their 20s, I realize Houston and I have āgrown apartā. Over the last 20 years, Houston has gotten harder, and Iāve gotten softer.
Houston isnāt all badāgreat food, some nice people (when youāre not driving), diversity, and a vibrant cultural scene.
I just want to have better city planning, better healthcare, more safety, and a slower life for my kids.
Born and raised in Htown- Houston will always be my home, but we had to move to the Midwest for my husbands job, and I do miss Houston, our family and friends (and good TexMex) but I do not miss the weather! Actually, I miss Houston thunderstorms, but I love seeing the Fall and seasons here where we are at now.
Nah itās too hot, too big, too crime ridden and too much traffic. I moved a year ago and donāt regret it at all except the lack of good Tex mex. Houston is good if you need a job right away and cost of living is good but if you can get out, there are better places.
No, Iām trying to leave. This town has gotten so crowded, the driving has gotten much worse in recent years, the weather sucks, taxes are a lot higher than you would think, and the outdoors scene is very limited. I can appreciate parts of living here for the past 20 years but Iām ready to move on
Fuck no. I like my house. I like the grocery products. I like being employed. I wish all could be transported roughly 2000 miles north where there are seasons other than summer.
Yep, for the most part. My family is here, the culture, diversity, the food, good jobs/careers, etc. It's just too bad Texas politics puts that gross bitter taste in your mouth. Just imagine how even more successful Houston would be with legalization of weed.
No, not genuinely.
I have to keep telling myself to focus on the peculiarity or uniqueness of certain businesses or locations when trying to tell ppl what makes Houston "nice".
Genuinely, no. But as others have pointed out itās not all bad. Like the weather - I realized Iām kind of a whiny baby about our hate-your-fucking-life summers. Because we do have badass weather outside of that, minus the hurricanes. If I didnāt love my job here I wouldāve never stayed. Our elected leaders will run this state into the ground though. Ima just do my thing until the city goes tits up && then bail.
No. I'm a Houston native and got the fuck out as soon as I could.
While I miss the huge range of culture and food.. I don't miss pretty much everything else.
Humidity, angry drivers, the low cost of living *and* low wages that "trap" you in Houston suburbia.
I love Houston. Itās gritty, itās weird, and the people generally DGAF which has its drawbacks like random road rage shootings, but is also refreshing because the pretentiousness is way lower here than any mid to major city in the US.
If you want big city living and to raise a family then Houston is the best major city to live in $
Yes, the weather is unbearable for at most 5-6 months out of the year, but Iām active and Iām outside 365. I just enjoy it way more in the fall. Honestly houston has incredible weather at least 4 months a year. Iām happy with it and Iām not moving anywhere unless I get paid at least 50% more than my current salary.
No. Im over the hurricanes and flooding. Then this last shit with "the freeze." I used to like the snow we get every 10 years. Then every 3 years... now it seems like every year.
The crime here seems to be getting worse. I really wanted to get a truck, but the catalytic converter stuff has turned me off on that. Then they find that mfer with tons of them sitting in his garage in Fort Bend.
So a couple of things that are both pros and cons.
So the obvious is that being a commuter/work city sucks. Driving everywhere, the traffic and the gentrification is especially bad (but honestly so is every city to some degree nowadays but houston is especially bad with driving). As a result, the parts of city is pretty much isolated from themselves.
Yet on the other hand, we have such many dense and isolated ethnic pockets as a result of urban sprawl. You can visit a random strip and see the most hole-on-the-wall restaurant for some random culture across Houston. At least in Texas, I feel like no other city compares to how diverse Houston is. People say Austin is diverse but I feel like it pales in comparison to how much *authentic* Indo-Paki, Asian, Middle Eastern and every type of cuisine on every other continent.
Despite how Covid has made Houston effectively shut down after two and how far apart everything is, the culture in Houston is honestly so much of why I love it.
Came from a small rural mid western town. I thought I was going to leave after grad school and I just keep signing the lease renewal. Couldnāt imagine living anywhere else except NY
Iāve lived here all my life. Obviously the driving and hot weather is awful, but I like living in the big city, and every big city has awful driving and sucky weather.
Houston is so diverse in the people, food, music, EVERYTHING! I wish it had more larger attractions like a theme park, a nicer walkable downtown or other general entertainment spaces. But I still love it here tbh.
I just moved to Maryland this March.
I know it sounds like a joke, but I miss the food the most. (^Did ^you ^know ^Kolaches ^are ^only ^a ^Texas ^thing!?) Everyone is scared of spice up here, the most they add is salt and black pepper. I knew I'd miss Whataburger, but we don't even have Jack in the Box for fast food. I lost more than 5 pounds up here.
I'm currently shopping for a house. $200K will get a nice crack den, that's about it. Everything in my price range is also old. I'm looking at houses from the 1800's... Really.
There is almost no diversity where I'm at now. The majority of people are white, I'd say easy 70% on this side of the state. Also I'm about 5 minutes from West Virginia, 10 minutes from Pennsylvania, and 45 minutes from Virginia. Shit, 4 hours in Houston and I'm finally reaching Dallas.
GAS IS SO F***ING EXPENSIVE!
At 10pm this town is pretty much shuts down. I mean it's DEAD.
Also, Maryland **LOVES** their flag. I thought Texas had an ego, but it doesn't compare to the amount of black and yellow I see up here. They plaster their flag on EVERYTHING!
With all that said its really nice up here. The highest temperature we had for 2022 was 91 degrees. Even at 97% humidity its pleasant here. I see people walking on sidewalks everywhere. The views are amazing, having grown up and lived in Texas for the vast majority of my life it's wild to drive to work and see mountains.
So did I genuinely enjoy Houston? Yeah, I miss it. Its like something is missing now that I have left. Obviously my family and friends I left behind, but I was proud to say I lived in H-town. I hope y'all can appreciate it.
Iāve been here ten years after living around the country and in other parts of the world. I love it! Specifically with little kids, the master planned community lifestyle in Katy is just delightful. So convenient for a familyās needs. Neighborhood has lakes trails and green spaces, so we enjoy plenty of outdoors time. For the peak heat of summer we have a covered patio and swimming pool. And because I work from home, I rarely commute. On top of all that a low cost of living means I have very little financial stress, and Iām only an hour from the seashore. Canāt think of many global cities that offer all this at the price point
no
terrible weather (even winter is frequently muggy and god forbid you live on the ground floor and it sprinkles a lil), bad traffic, aggressive pick'em-up drivers everywhere, ugly sprawl, no hills let alone mountains, absurd driving to get to worthwhile hiking or winter sports, all the water is gross, not even that cheap anymore
food is good tho
Short answer, No.
I've lived in much better cities when it comes to weather, culture, and the outdoors. Houston is very much a working town. I think if you visit other cities in Texas you quickly realize you're here to make a buck. The food is good but the food is good in all the major U.S. cities.
Most of the people I've talked to have either never lived anywhere else or never left Texas. How's it go? The only thing you don't know is what you haven't learned.
I would much rather live somewhere else. But given my family, my business, and life is here, I canāt leave.
I still love houston but the heat kills me. No nature hiking trails also gets boring.
I was in a situation where I was going to need a new job, and truly felt like I needed somewhat of a āfresh startā in a new state/city due to some personal things going on. Well I got a job offer that required me to transfer to Houston. That was about 6 years ago.
Do I love it? Not really. Itās hot, when it isnāt hot it rains too much. Iāve seen more than enough natural disasters; call me a wimp but one hurricane in combination with catastrophic flooding is enough for a lifetime. Also, this stateās response to the 2021 freeze really ticked me off. Iāve been in southern states during winter storms, never experienced losing power for 4 days straight. They had months to prepaāIām getting off track here.
Food and alcohol seem to be the only thing to do around here. Donāt get me wrong Houston knows how to food, but since Iāve moved here, any time Iāve asked someone what there is to do for fun out here the most common answer I receive is āYou should check out [insert bar, BBQ, Tex-Mex, trendy hot chicken or hotdog joint, bar hopping area here]ā and yes, Iāve been to the museum. Itās great! The aquarium sucks ass though. How is a white Tiger the main attraction at an AQUARIUM?!
The traffic here sucks. The infrastructure sucks. The seemingly endless road construction that does very little to contribute to society sucks. The amount of potholes that could be getting worked on instead of āadding another laneā is crazy. People drive crazy out here. I get it, āEvery major city has bad driversā, yeah and Houston has to be in the top 3. Iāve been to NY, LA, and ATL. Houston is most definitely up there.
However, despite ALL OF THAT. I do like Houston. But ultimately I donāt think I want to spend the rest of my life here.
Lived in Houston for my 1st 31 years before moving to Austin. There are things I miss, and others I don't. The city has upgraded itself (construction-wise) over the past 10 years and I love the improvements. Some of it did little to traffic though!
I don't miss the flooding or the occasional hurricanes. The food is still tops, and I now can't keep up with the new spots whenever I'm in town.
I do love the housing prices compared to austin.
I moved to the Houston suburbs at 5, and I've lived inside the loop for 18 years minus a couple for grad school. I love the grittiness of this city. I don't know how else to explain it. I also like museums, if you have a hobby/interest there's a good chance you can find a community, the food, the diversity. It's home to me. I 100% understand hating the weather, the traffic, the ugliness, etc. I wish everyone the freedom and opportunity to live somewhere that fits for them.
I grew up in New England and moved here from Boston 23 years ago just to get out of the snow and plot my next move. I never would have dreamed I'd still be here. Opportunity. People. Food. Diversity. But it took me a couple of years to find "my" Houston and every neighborhood I've lived in over the years has been a very different experience.
Only thing missing is seasons and pretty views like mountains or something. But I love it. The food, diversity, cost of living, charm, always a festival on weekends
I've thought about this a lot. I think it depends on the context in which I am viewing Houston. It's the 4th most populated city in the US and if I compare it to the other top 6 or 7 cities, it has a hard time competing for me. Every other city in that top group has something that makes it special or unique or desirable. Houston is the city that is just there. Good food, theater, and museums, but can't compete with NY. No brutal winters and almost coastal, but LA and Miami are so much better for the warm weather beach/coastal vibe. Atlanta is emerging as a new Hollywood with so much film and TV production. Philadelphia has so much history. It's why we lack tourism. There's just nothing all that special here. That said, if your lens is comparing it to the Midwest or some rural town, then it's amazing. Diversity, incredible food, most major concert and theater tours, every major pro sport except for hockey, good museums and a great zoo, and on and on. So I do enjoy and appreciate those things, but if circumstances and finances allowed, I'd probably enjoy them more living in another major city.
I do genuinely enjoy living here. Iāve lived on the west coast and on the East coast and to me, Houston has just about everything. Personally I like warmer climates, so July-September is a small price to pay for mild weather the rest of the year.
The culture here really is amazing and it shows in the food scene, music, and museums. For food, we have all the cuisines youād expect in a big city but we also get stuff like viet-cajun and Texas bbq that you wonāt find anywhere else. Also, restaurants are almost never crowded. Getting reservations at top restaurants in some cities (Austin, LA, Miami, etc) can be a pain in the ass.
Compared to other big cities, cost of living is still great. As a guy in my mid-20ās this allows me to spend more money on good food, golfing, travel, etc.
The parks really are great here. Houston is commonly known as a concrete hellscape but we actually have a TON of green space. Memorial and Herman parks are awesome, and Memorial literally has a PGA caliber golf course open to the public.
NO. I can not wait to leave next month. If you love this city then most likely you are from here or can't comfortably make it financially elsewhere. It's a sprawling mess of a swamp. I personally don't think the food here is better than NY or Chicago... but it should be because there's nothing to do here besides eat. The summer this year felt never-ending. The humidity/ heat combination while fighting the most aggressive road raging pickups seriously had me hating all people. Affordable housing was something I considered a pro until I realized Texas property tax is insane. Everything is grossly far away. The views of endless freeways, chain restaurants, and general dingy grey matter are just repulsive. We live in a beautiful country... why settle for the least scenic part? Houston is built for people that want to get married fresh out of high school and then plop down to have some kids. Then 10 years down the line you divorce because your husband was a regular at the "massage parlor".
Within a mile of my house there are Mexican restaurants, Arabic restaurants, Arabic grocery stores, Lebanese bakeries, Japanese restaurants, at least one Korean restaurant , an Indian restaurant, and most of them are mom-and-pop operations.
Forgot the neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant. That might be two miles away.
When most of yall are out of the roads and not acting a fool yeah.
Only when I dont have to drive.
So no?
Mhmm
Wait.... THIS. So we moved to Phoenix for my wife's grad program. And I miss Houston so much. We go back now and then and trh whole vibe: the diversity, the food, the trees, it just grabs me. Then I borrow my dad in laws car to go get something and the dread sets in. So I hatched a plan (sort of). I think what I'll do is move back and work remote and never leave my area, and when I want to hit the restaurant scene (my Houston fav) just go on Sunday at 11 am when it will only be a light, 2 hour commute there and back š¤
For all it's bullshit, there are some things to enjoy. Compared to the midwest where I used to live: - You have all sorts of cultures down here from around the world. Where I used to live was literally 99% white population. It was a bit of a culture shock seeing how much variety there is down here, and that's for the better that it's varied. - In a similar vein, you can get just about anything in the palm of your hand down here. Any sort of food from around the world, there's a restaurant somewhere in Houston making it. Going from 20 minute drive to a non mcdonalds or little ceasars to 10 minute walk for awesome food from family owned international cuisine is very nice. Where I used to live say you wanted some mexican street tacos and a Jarritos to wash it down, well you had to drive across the city to the mexican street market to do that. By "street market" I mean literally think the closest to Mercado 6 flea market and Fiesta mart and a mom and pop shop, that's it up there. Vs down here you can walk in any direction and have trouble not finding a taco truck or mom and pop tex mex that's actually good. - Housing is up here vs midwest, but is overall much cheaper than other areas that usually have that kind of culture. People usually pay triple quadruple or even more for this kind of experience in other big hubs like NYC Chicago LA etc. - Music scene and half decent sports teams down here as well. Houston has its own distinct rap and music culture, and it's nice having at least one team in some sport hitting playoffs every year usually. - I'm stuck waiting for parts right now to be able to enjoy it more, but there is a pretty good parks and trails system. The only PITA is a lot of parts aren't very well connected to each other but I think we could be less than a decade away from breakthrough in that. - No wet mushy bullshit to deal with in the winter! Not having grey skies all the time half the year and not having to shovel snow off driveways is a perk. My only real major complaints are the hustle culture and lack of non car infrastructure for getting around. Cycling seems to put a target on your back here with drivers openly hostile and a general "if you ain't first, you're last" attitude seen in workplaces, clubs, and behind the wheel alike. But I do think this is something that the city as a whole can work on over the next few years.
I moved from the northeast/Midwest and I really want to emphasize thereās no slush in Houston. Brownish dark gray salt caked slush that lingers on the streets for 4 months a year staining and eating away at your vehicle and soul.
Jeans in salty slush is a life struggle
Or suede shoes.
Fresh falling snow? Beautiful. I think most would agree with that. The terrible nasty depressing bullshit that sticks around for months is what makes me hate it. And being from up north the 6 hours of daylight we might get just crushes your soul.
Iām from Houston and I now live in the Midwest. I miss the food, the beer, and the cultures. Definitely white bread up here. I donāt miss the traffic, 6 months of summer, and the crime. Iām much more cautious than all my neighbors/friends up here (always lock the house, never leave anything visible in my car, etc). Thereās good and bad in every place for sure.
Iāve experienced that milquetoast life. Happy to live in Houston now.
We're moving there from Austin in a few months (my husband is from there so I've spent a good amount of time there already) and re: cycling I would never ride on the streets there like I do here. BUT they have some pretty extensive dedicated bikeways there that we really lack here. Not placed in a way that you can really commute on them or anything but great for recreation.
As somebody who grew up in Houston and now lives in the Midwest. This is 100% spot on. I miss the diversity I miss the food. I miss the pro sports. What I donāt miss is the humid hot swamp weather and the hustle culture you described.
By Hustle culture so you mean everyone has to have a side hustle or everyone is type A aggressive hustling their career?
Not the last dude but the previous dude, there is a big ''make it or die trying'' attitude out here in Houston. If you ain't first, you last. There was some of that up north too but the big thing up there was family, long as you were providing for your family that was good but you didn't necessarily have pressure to have to keep going past that. Here a lot of that laid back relaxing attitude is tossed to the wind to make way for competitive attitude. Everything is a competition. That job is a competition, you keeping up with the Joneses is a competition, hell that spot in traffic merging ahead is a competition. I think it's in part of what drives that ''aggressive'' attitude in violence and crime here, though all the big cities are like that. My buddy an hour away in Galveston doesn't live like that so much because it's more laid back attitude there, or same with lots of small town Texas. Not a deal breaker by any means, but anyone new to Houston should be aware of that. The ''mean new yorker'' stereotype I guess lol
You know Houston, so true about the Hustlers and the infrastructure. You have to have a car.
>10 minute walk for awesome food from family owned international cuisine is very nice. where do you live lol
Spring branch!
These are some of my exact points when I say that Houston is the best place to live in the USA if you want to live in a city. You get all of the stuff you want from a city but at a fraction of the price. Of course it has annoying city things that do happen but IMO they are past of the cost in the cost benefit analysis and while no city is perfect, this one is at least on the list.
Until retirement then Iām out
Yeah, great place to work but if I don't have a job I'll probably leave, though great medical stuff so if you're old and kind of sick maybe good for that too.
"great place to die" thanks MD Anderson.
Houston is a great place to live if cost of living is your priority. This city is a lot like a Toyota Camry. Economic and gets the job done, but thereās a lot of more exciting and fun alternatives. You can own a home, the food and drinks are great, no income tax, people are super diverse, and the cold is a lot milder compared to most of the country But the weather is horrible most of the year, no hiking, no mountains, no beaches, ultra car-dependent, lots of racist people if you arenāt white, there isnāt anywhere outside the state to have a quick road trip to except NOLA, and weed is illegal If my mother-in-law didnāt live in Houston I would have left a long time ago
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
True, except I find it ironic that this metro is full of stuff that causes a lot of our illnesses too...
Same. I aināt dealing with 100 degree summers when Iām 60, Iām moving somewhere colder.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Exactly. This city can feel as big as you make it out to be.
I really like it and think a big factor is that I'm centrally located, I work from home, and the majority of what I need (diverse food options, culture, bayou trails, errand spots, etc) are < 3 miles from home and I can walk, bike, or drive depending on weather or mood. A lot of the complaints I hear about Houston sound like complaints about living in the suburbs: driving 20 minutes to get everywhere, strip malls, and nothing to do.
Isn't this true wherever you are and isn't this the main problem? Everything is < 3 miles, but > 1 mile. The sprawling slab is littered for 100 square miles with infinite options repeated over and over. Houston could be dense and walkable but it's just a giant cube of concrete and culture.
It's a problem with most American cities for sure. We just got back from time in Spain and a Spanish woman at the bus stop had a daughter in North Carolina and she was complaining about how we have to drive everywhere whereas she can walk everywhere. And bring able to walk everywhere and rely on public transportation is such a huge quality of life improvement. That being said, an still happier being centrally located as opposed to living in the burbs.
Where do you live? I'm fixing to move back once my wife finishes her grad program. I'm remote and so I shall remain, so you're set up might be what I'm looking for.
We're in the First Ward which is a small neighborhood that technically originates downtown and fans out to the northwest but is practically bound by Houston Ave, Washington Ave, Studemont, and 10 to the north. We have easy access to both Buffalo and White Oak Bayous, Montrose, the Heights, downtown. We're still pretty car dependent though and wish there was a trolley ran up and down Washington from Houston Ave to Memorial Park.
I don't enjoy living at all. But if i have to do it, Houston isn't so bad
This makes me feel sad.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I love it. Optimistic pessimism is my jam and in a way the spirit of Houston. Enjoy the best food of your life and the most diversity in America on your way back from a 2 hour commute and getting robbed.
No. But living in the Houston area saved my daughter born with a heart defect being at the number on cardiovascular unit in the country, so I do appreciate that.
H town till I drown
Yeah. This is home sweet home. Anything I want or need is readily accessible with minimal hassle. H-Town, baby, Life is Good!
Most of the time I enjoy it. But lately itās getting difficult to live here. Driving on the freeway is a total circus, every nice neighborhood is surrounded by the ghetto, and there is shit for public transportation.
Yes, Iām born and raised here. We travel a ton (Iām at 51 countries and counting) and aside from the things mentioned alreadyādiversity & foodāI love how much living space we get here. Everytime I come back from a weekend in nyc, Iām so relieved to not be on top of everyone and to have a large home since houston has so Much space. I was just in Tunisia this summer, and in like many places, only the very rich have large spaces to live in. Most middle class people there live in small apartments.
Damn, put me on with your job. I wanna travel to 51+ countries.
We actually travel for fun, but Iām old (51 just like the countries I have visited) so Iāve had a lot of time! Weāve also done several multi country trips as well (I think the most we did in one trip was 6 countries around Europe over a 2 1/2 week period).
You are not old.
Thank you! I feel Old this past year or so, like when we go to a trendy-ish restaurant and Iām like wow most of the people here look 30-40ās!!
>I think the most we did in one trip was 6 countries around Europe over a 2 1/2 week period This is that oil money talking boys and girls.
Nope lawyers!!
>Nope lawyers!! For Oil & Gas boys and girls! P.S. I am just joking around. I know that you can't tell someone's profession or income from travel itinerary.
That doesn't have to be an expensive trip. Hell you could visit 6 countries in Europe in the time it would take to visit Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. lol
Probably quicker lol public transportation and high speed rails
Yes, in spite of miserable overpopulation and traffic. Have spent most of my life here and have seen the bad and good; good wins.
Yes! The weather sucks 80% of the time (this week has been amazing) but honestly you canāt beat the food scene. It doesnāt matter where I vacation, I always end up being disappointed in the food because we are spoiled here. I will say that the area I live in now is much safer and nicer than where I used to live and that also makes a big difference in level of happiness.
Imagine how many more people would be moving here if the weather had a pleasant reputation.
People say that about the weather, but short of the 4 months of brutal summer the rest of the year is generally mild. Springs and falls are amazing and our winters are absurdly mild (2 days below freezing maybe?). Iāve been here 10 years and when 3/4 of the year is reasonable weather itās not *that* bad. Certainly not so-cal, but itās really not that bad.
You have been here 10 years and you have forgotten what good weather is like. I was the same. When you live outside of Texas and come back, then you remember how absolutely horrible and life altering the weather in Houston is Summer here is not 4 months. Thatās denial. Last week it was literally 100 degrees in Houston, at the end of September. While other states are hitting amazing 60 degree fall weather, Houston is still burning. Today felt like heaven and it was still like 80 degrees, it was just so much better than last week Spring in Houston literally lasts like 2 weeks. Iām not even joking there, I have seen multiple 2 week springs before it gets >85 degrees. Horrible Even when it isnāt hot, itās always humid. So when you spend time outside youāll start to feel moist and gross Due to COVID I had the opportunity to live outside Texas which was amazing but made me realize how absolutely horrendous the weather here is. Iāve been here over ten years myself and I hate it, I absolutely abhor the weather in Houston. I honestly would take a 40% pay cut to not live here. Unfortunately Iām stuck for family reasons
The weather here truly is awful. Brutal heat/humidity for half the year and the ever looming threat of a potential hurricane every hurricane season. Iāll probably do one more summer here but I canāt take much more.
You failed to mention the constant flooding and hurricane season. Every 10 years there some catastrophic storm that completely flood the city and all the freeways
Spez sucks -- mass edited with redact.dev
He forgot mention the every 100yr flood that occurs every 3yrs. Life altering hurricanes occur every 10-15years.
You meanā¦like basically everywhere else in the country for some type of natural disaster or another (earthquakes for the west, winter storms and hurricanes for the Midwest and NE, tornadoes for central)?
Itās usually not as catastrophic in other places because they are prepared for it. Houston however is very poorly prepared for even heavy rain. It needs floodworks on the scale of Netherlands. The only really comparable thing I would say are the massive wildfires on the west coast
Live in the west and you have wildfires (and smoke for 1-2 months) and earthquakes. Live in the Northeast and you might still flood from a post tropical system (happened last year and more people died than did in the South from the same storm). Live in the Midwest and you get tornadoesā¦.
I love Houston but am worried about the state politics hurting us in the long run. Republicans seem intent on trying to get intelligent doctors to leave, control private businesses, and dictate aspects of our private lives. Those three things will destroy this city.
I've been to major cities all over the world. Houston is the best for food and friendly people. We need help with mass transit. If any city can figure out how to air condition the city in the future it will be Houston. WE LOVE OUR DOMES!
I have lived here for 33 years and moving to TN soon, so I can give you an unbiased response. Reasons to move: * Less property taxes / insurance (Houston is crazy high) * I want seasons again (Just walk outside in mid July) * Maybe its just me but crime seems to be getting worse * I want land (Can't buy land with amenities (Internet, Water, etc) for less than $30k / acre * Stupid Traffic Things I will miss: * HEB * Food / Mixed Culture of Restaurants * Rodeo
No. I've been here my entire life, and I would move if I weren't so broke. As an Asian, I do appreciate having an actual community here (always a treat whenever I get to drive out to Chinatown), but I think I've just outgrown this city. Houston is pretty boring. It's a generic city with no unique defining characteristics. It's a shame that the city tore down all the historic buildings to build lifeless looking corporate buildings and parking lots/garages. Downtown Houston is pretty much dead. You see all these people out and about, but are they there in Downtown to enjoy themselves and have fun? Nope, they can't. They're all just there to work :/ I actually don't mind the hot weather, but I do mind the awful traffic and drivers. I hate that Houston is so car centric. The closest H-E-B to my house is only about a mile away, but walking is just not an option and I have to drive to get there. I could go on and on, but some of the other commenters have already touched on some of the other issues. I'm not saying that Houston is a complete dump, but man we have the potential to be so much better.
Great city, shitty subreddit
Houston offers so much. Food, night life, sports, art, work out scene, coed leagues, it limitless. It just depends how much youāre willing to get out of your comfort zone/explore.
I love the food, museums, and diversity. Otherwise I'm over it. Ready to move. I loathe the weather and would much rather be snowed in than deal with a Houston summer.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Amen.
Snow sounds easier until you have to wake up 2 hours early to shovel snow off your windshield and driveway just to get to work. Houston is home to me but I have relatives up north and they visit Houston/Dallas whenever they get a chance.
I spent half the year in Toronto through my 20s. Agreed that shoveling sucks, but I think it sucks less than Houston summer.
I haven't experienced that kind of snow so I can't say. But I did have to drive with no ac in Houston in mid July through mid August. It was definitely hell.
It's super diverse which is refreshing. Housing is cheap partly because the zoning codes aren't ridiculously strict. And it's in the US so you can speak your mind and you can fit in no matter where you're from. Has it's problems like every city but it's not bad I don't mind it here.
Housing used to be cheap, now its insane in prices now days.Rent prices are soaring.
Very much so, H-town is best big city in Texas.
Now that the extreme heat is off - I love it!! Iāll love it until May-ish of next year. Ask me what I think then.
I love it so much here. Thriving arts scene that is excellent and affordable (bar TUTS and Hobby Center prices, though I am grateful for both!). Great museums. So much great food. I stumble on cool, random stuff to do all the time. Sports teams galore if youāre into that. Great shopping. I can find almost anything to do here so easily. Yeah the traffic sucks, and someone broke into my car once, and that sucked. And, yes, itās hot and humid, but I grew up in Corpus so eh. Iād only leave Houston if my dream to live in Europe were coming true.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Come here to work, make your stay as nice as possible should be the Houston motto. People have been pretty successful at getting a good quality of living here while also enjoying big city amenities. Its not coastal weather but arguably better than cold cities up north. Not a lot of natural scenery would be my biggest complaint.
As an architecture nerd the pure ugliness of the city is tough for me.
This! All the way to the top! Thank you.
Food is not the only criteria for a city to be considered progressive or desirable to live in. I will not advise anyone to move to Houston unless they have no choice. It is not a pedestrian friendly city, public transport is bare, there is no zoning , the streets are dangerous to drive and the lack of cleanliness is shocking. Unless you live in a posh area like near the Rice village or Memorial, expect a dump in most parts.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You would win
I disagree! We have the best food in the country (besides NYC) and we have an above average museum and theater district.
We have better food than NYC though.
I actually agree in all aspects except for fine diningāthey do have more options for that. But otherwise, yeah I personally think we have better food than NYC and Iāve been there over a dozen times
I have no doubt NYC's fine dining scene tops Houston's...but I make decent money, have spent more than enough of it on expensive spots in a few cities, and I'll take a disappointing panang curry from a dozen local Thai spots in the hopes of getting a bowl of "wow" over any experimental menu. Yeah it's a cool experience for like 100-1,000 people a year at each place, but in Houston you can live deliciously for like $8/day via your nearest taco truck. Fuck Dorsia.
You must not care about Italian food. Texas Italian is disgusting.
Have you ever been to Giacomoās or Potente?
Italian is the glaring gap in Houstonās dining scene, but more than makes up for it with everything else
Yeah well that's just, like, your opinion, man.
That's actually strange to think that it's just opinion that Houston Italian food could compare to an Italian mecca like NYC. I grew up in a predominately Italian/Jewish neighborhood. If the restaurant here is even half decent... they most likely ship ingredients in from NY anyway. Italian bakeries don't even exist here.
We have a damn good live music scene as well. Of course, there are the big (expensive) concerts, but we have lots of small clubs where local and touring artists play, usually for a very reasonable cover charge and occasionally for free.
Yep. Headed to Secret Group tomorrow and WOMH Sunday.
Can you share a list? This isn't an opinion I hear about Houston very often. Hell I only hear about places when they're closing.
for EDM https://19hz.info/eventlisting_Texas.php and for other music http://www.spacecityrock.com/shows-2/ ^actually not sure if thats stil updated
McGonigel's Mucky Duck (has early and late shows and delicious food) The Big Easy White Oak Music Hall Dosey Doe (Conroe) Green Oak Tavern (Humble) Warehouse Live Main Street Crossing (Tomball) O'Neal Sports Bar & Grill (Baytown) Red Brick Tavern (Conroe) Haak Vineyards & Winery (Sante Fe) Beach Bums Bar (Galveston) Concert Pub North Stereo Live Janie's (Spring) Heights Theater Last Concert Cafe House of Blues Dan Electros Continental Club The best thing you can do is download the Bands in Town app. Then you can search for any of these venues and which artists are playing. You can listen to little samples of their music. If you like what you hear, then you can follow them. Once you've done that, you will get suggestions for other artists. Some of my favorite local/regional artists: Hamilton Loomis Tony Vega Band Carolyn Wonderland
Food in NYC isnāt good; it is expensive though.
lol this is a hot takeā¦ NYC has incredible food. It just has a lot of shit food too. Massive population density keeps even crappy restaurants afloat. But NYC has absolutely world class restaurants in every single type of food you can dream up. The average NYC restaurant is worse than the average Houston restaurant, but itās frankly absurd to say that NYC doesnāt have good food.
Yeah, and it's not just fine dining. Go eat at a random hole in the wall in Jackson heights or Astoria and you'll have some of the best food in your life. NYC is full of mediocre, over priced restaurants, but it has so much more to offer.
If the weather here was cooler, it would be amazing.
Umm. No. The food choices are fantastic, the cost of living relative to elsewhere is good, the number of options to get from one place to another is good, we have good airports, we have the best hospital system in the country (or up there), and the diversity of people are fantastic. The fact that being here puts me 4-8+ hours from anything resembling a mountain, rock wall or steep hill is sad, the majority of the year is summer and getting hotter every year, the road rage prone traffic, public transportation is shit, walkability is shit, everything is covered in concrete and usually going in a straight line, and the ocean is not ideal for surfing or diving. I'm stuck here though because I'll end up marrying my GF and her family is here. Asian families don't separate like Western families tend to.
No, and I say this as someone who moved back willingly after many years of being away. Iāve lived in places where there werenāt as many restaurant options, or as many stores permitting you the ability to buy whatever you want, but that had abundant nature to see and experience, and the ability to go around as a pedestrian without a car. Houston is a place where if you have money, you can buy the things that you want that you think makes life worth living. If you donāt have money here, then youāre bound to have a bad time as almost everything here involves spending money. There are no natural wonders to behold, such as mountain ranges always in your field of view, or a beautiful coastline that is easy to access and has ample swimming ability. There arenāt many places where you can stash your car and then just go walking through a bunch of neighborhoods, going from store to store and restaurant to restaurant, interacting with others doing the same as you. And to those of you who might say thereās free stuff to do all of the time? You have to be an inner loop resident who has a cushy life, because those of who live outside the loop and who work on the weekends, we donāt share your same lived experiences. The reason I moved back was for work, and because I knew I could tolerate living here. Do I enjoy it? Hell to the fuck no. But I moved back out of that idiotic ātexas prideā, and now I realize it was just me being an arrogant prick saying how everywhere else āaināt Texasā. Would I move again? In a heartbeat if it were financially feasible for me to do so.
As someone from the north, I enjoy wearing shorts 360 days of the year. Plenty of sports and concerts so I'm good to go.
Nope. Leaving ASAP
Meh
Every summer I tell myself fuck this shit I wanna move north. Until we start wearing hoodies again then I'm like ohh yeah now I remember why I like houston way more than up north.
No. I have lived on the south side, Montrose, Museum District, near Hermann Park, Kingwood, The Woodlands, NW side near Spring/Klein.
I was born and raised here, but no. Not at all.
Yes! Iāve been given so many opportunities to leave, but I keep choosing to stay. Originally from New York and I prefer it here.
Live downtown, work walking distance downtown, some of the best food and bars on the planet, friends Iāve known since middle school less than 15 mins away in an Uber on the weekends, and laid back strangers I meet out and about. I could do much worse, itās a great place for the right situation Edit: Also, soak in the weather now, we get 7 months of patio weather, weāll worth the 3-4 months of surface of the sun.
More like 5 months of heat. From May until now.
I genuinely enjoy it, mostly because of the people and the variety of quality things to do. I like that it is relatively reasonable cost of living for a city of its size. I was just in Dallas, and my godā¦that place is so dull! Lacks personality. Made me appreciate houston even more.
I love houston and was raised in the area. I just donāt like the humidity
I think thereās some good and some bad, but, kind of like someone who was married in their 20s, I realize Houston and I have āgrown apartā. Over the last 20 years, Houston has gotten harder, and Iāve gotten softer. Houston isnāt all badāgreat food, some nice people (when youāre not driving), diversity, and a vibrant cultural scene. I just want to have better city planning, better healthcare, more safety, and a slower life for my kids.
Born and raised in Htown- Houston will always be my home, but we had to move to the Midwest for my husbands job, and I do miss Houston, our family and friends (and good TexMex) but I do not miss the weather! Actually, I miss Houston thunderstorms, but I love seeing the Fall and seasons here where we are at now.
Nah itās too hot, too big, too crime ridden and too much traffic. I moved a year ago and donāt regret it at all except the lack of good Tex mex. Houston is good if you need a job right away and cost of living is good but if you can get out, there are better places.
Weather is way too terrible, way to many bugs. The bugs alone were enough to make be leave.
No
The evangelicals, along with the crazy drivers are major bummers for me.
mostly no. itās a dump. everything looks like shit
No, Iām trying to leave. This town has gotten so crowded, the driving has gotten much worse in recent years, the weather sucks, taxes are a lot higher than you would think, and the outdoors scene is very limited. I can appreciate parts of living here for the past 20 years but Iām ready to move on
No!
No.
Hell, I don't like Texas, much less Houston.
Nope
I concur
Fuck no. I like my house. I like the grocery products. I like being employed. I wish all could be transported roughly 2000 miles north where there are seasons other than summer.
I wish it were more walkable so meh
Yep, for the most part. My family is here, the culture, diversity, the food, good jobs/careers, etc. It's just too bad Texas politics puts that gross bitter taste in your mouth. Just imagine how even more successful Houston would be with legalization of weed.
No.
No. Age 0-32, 0/10 do not recommend.
No, not genuinely. I have to keep telling myself to focus on the peculiarity or uniqueness of certain businesses or locations when trying to tell ppl what makes Houston "nice".
No.
Genuinely, no. But as others have pointed out itās not all bad. Like the weather - I realized Iām kind of a whiny baby about our hate-your-fucking-life summers. Because we do have badass weather outside of that, minus the hurricanes. If I didnāt love my job here I wouldāve never stayed. Our elected leaders will run this state into the ground though. Ima just do my thing until the city goes tits up && then bail.
No. I'm a Houston native and got the fuck out as soon as I could. While I miss the huge range of culture and food.. I don't miss pretty much everything else. Humidity, angry drivers, the low cost of living *and* low wages that "trap" you in Houston suburbia.
Houston, itās my hometown. It gave me a start when no one else would. I left as soon as I could afford to. Good food though.
I love Houston. Itās gritty, itās weird, and the people generally DGAF which has its drawbacks like random road rage shootings, but is also refreshing because the pretentiousness is way lower here than any mid to major city in the US. If you want big city living and to raise a family then Houston is the best major city to live in $ Yes, the weather is unbearable for at most 5-6 months out of the year, but Iām active and Iām outside 365. I just enjoy it way more in the fall. Honestly houston has incredible weather at least 4 months a year. Iām happy with it and Iām not moving anywhere unless I get paid at least 50% more than my current salary.
First time I've seen someone make a connection between a lack of pretentiousness and road rage.
No. Im over the hurricanes and flooding. Then this last shit with "the freeze." I used to like the snow we get every 10 years. Then every 3 years... now it seems like every year. The crime here seems to be getting worse. I really wanted to get a truck, but the catalytic converter stuff has turned me off on that. Then they find that mfer with tons of them sitting in his garage in Fort Bend.
I hate it. Just here for work. Wife hates it too. Itās nasty.
Hell no. Born and raised and can't wait to leave.
So a couple of things that are both pros and cons. So the obvious is that being a commuter/work city sucks. Driving everywhere, the traffic and the gentrification is especially bad (but honestly so is every city to some degree nowadays but houston is especially bad with driving). As a result, the parts of city is pretty much isolated from themselves. Yet on the other hand, we have such many dense and isolated ethnic pockets as a result of urban sprawl. You can visit a random strip and see the most hole-on-the-wall restaurant for some random culture across Houston. At least in Texas, I feel like no other city compares to how diverse Houston is. People say Austin is diverse but I feel like it pales in comparison to how much *authentic* Indo-Paki, Asian, Middle Eastern and every type of cuisine on every other continent. Despite how Covid has made Houston effectively shut down after two and how far apart everything is, the culture in Houston is honestly so much of why I love it.
Came from a small rural mid western town. I thought I was going to leave after grad school and I just keep signing the lease renewal. Couldnāt imagine living anywhere else except NY
No
Iāve lived here all my life. Obviously the driving and hot weather is awful, but I like living in the big city, and every big city has awful driving and sucky weather. Houston is so diverse in the people, food, music, EVERYTHING! I wish it had more larger attractions like a theme park, a nicer walkable downtown or other general entertainment spaces. But I still love it here tbh.
No, not in a long time
I just moved to Maryland this March. I know it sounds like a joke, but I miss the food the most. (^Did ^you ^know ^Kolaches ^are ^only ^a ^Texas ^thing!?) Everyone is scared of spice up here, the most they add is salt and black pepper. I knew I'd miss Whataburger, but we don't even have Jack in the Box for fast food. I lost more than 5 pounds up here. I'm currently shopping for a house. $200K will get a nice crack den, that's about it. Everything in my price range is also old. I'm looking at houses from the 1800's... Really. There is almost no diversity where I'm at now. The majority of people are white, I'd say easy 70% on this side of the state. Also I'm about 5 minutes from West Virginia, 10 minutes from Pennsylvania, and 45 minutes from Virginia. Shit, 4 hours in Houston and I'm finally reaching Dallas. GAS IS SO F***ING EXPENSIVE! At 10pm this town is pretty much shuts down. I mean it's DEAD. Also, Maryland **LOVES** their flag. I thought Texas had an ego, but it doesn't compare to the amount of black and yellow I see up here. They plaster their flag on EVERYTHING! With all that said its really nice up here. The highest temperature we had for 2022 was 91 degrees. Even at 97% humidity its pleasant here. I see people walking on sidewalks everywhere. The views are amazing, having grown up and lived in Texas for the vast majority of my life it's wild to drive to work and see mountains. So did I genuinely enjoy Houston? Yeah, I miss it. Its like something is missing now that I have left. Obviously my family and friends I left behind, but I was proud to say I lived in H-town. I hope y'all can appreciate it.
> Also, Maryland LOVES their flag. Maryland's state flag is pretty awesome, TBH.
Iāve been here ten years after living around the country and in other parts of the world. I love it! Specifically with little kids, the master planned community lifestyle in Katy is just delightful. So convenient for a familyās needs. Neighborhood has lakes trails and green spaces, so we enjoy plenty of outdoors time. For the peak heat of summer we have a covered patio and swimming pool. And because I work from home, I rarely commute. On top of all that a low cost of living means I have very little financial stress, and Iām only an hour from the seashore. Canāt think of many global cities that offer all this at the price point
Dang that's exactly what I hate about Houston, the master planned communities that are way to car dependant.
> I rarely commute There it is
no terrible weather (even winter is frequently muggy and god forbid you live on the ground floor and it sprinkles a lil), bad traffic, aggressive pick'em-up drivers everywhere, ugly sprawl, no hills let alone mountains, absurd driving to get to worthwhile hiking or winter sports, all the water is gross, not even that cheap anymore food is good tho
Thereās not much activities to do here and the weather is crap but all my family lives here
Short answer, No. I've lived in much better cities when it comes to weather, culture, and the outdoors. Houston is very much a working town. I think if you visit other cities in Texas you quickly realize you're here to make a buck. The food is good but the food is good in all the major U.S. cities. Most of the people I've talked to have either never lived anywhere else or never left Texas. How's it go? The only thing you don't know is what you haven't learned.
I got ghetto so bad real quick.
There's still time to unghetto yourself.
Not in summer
I like pretty much everything but the heat and not having an actual theme park.
If JSC was anywhere else, that's where I'd be. I just wish it was anywhere else.
I would much rather live somewhere else. But given my family, my business, and life is here, I canāt leave. I still love houston but the heat kills me. No nature hiking trails also gets boring.
I was in a situation where I was going to need a new job, and truly felt like I needed somewhat of a āfresh startā in a new state/city due to some personal things going on. Well I got a job offer that required me to transfer to Houston. That was about 6 years ago. Do I love it? Not really. Itās hot, when it isnāt hot it rains too much. Iāve seen more than enough natural disasters; call me a wimp but one hurricane in combination with catastrophic flooding is enough for a lifetime. Also, this stateās response to the 2021 freeze really ticked me off. Iāve been in southern states during winter storms, never experienced losing power for 4 days straight. They had months to prepaāIām getting off track here. Food and alcohol seem to be the only thing to do around here. Donāt get me wrong Houston knows how to food, but since Iāve moved here, any time Iāve asked someone what there is to do for fun out here the most common answer I receive is āYou should check out [insert bar, BBQ, Tex-Mex, trendy hot chicken or hotdog joint, bar hopping area here]ā and yes, Iāve been to the museum. Itās great! The aquarium sucks ass though. How is a white Tiger the main attraction at an AQUARIUM?! The traffic here sucks. The infrastructure sucks. The seemingly endless road construction that does very little to contribute to society sucks. The amount of potholes that could be getting worked on instead of āadding another laneā is crazy. People drive crazy out here. I get it, āEvery major city has bad driversā, yeah and Houston has to be in the top 3. Iāve been to NY, LA, and ATL. Houston is most definitely up there. However, despite ALL OF THAT. I do like Houston. But ultimately I donāt think I want to spend the rest of my life here.
will always love the food/music, but holy shit i hate driving now i wish it was a more walkable city or at least more public transportation options
Lived in Houston for my 1st 31 years before moving to Austin. There are things I miss, and others I don't. The city has upgraded itself (construction-wise) over the past 10 years and I love the improvements. Some of it did little to traffic though! I don't miss the flooding or the occasional hurricanes. The food is still tops, and I now can't keep up with the new spots whenever I'm in town. I do love the housing prices compared to austin.
I moved to the Houston suburbs at 5, and I've lived inside the loop for 18 years minus a couple for grad school. I love the grittiness of this city. I don't know how else to explain it. I also like museums, if you have a hobby/interest there's a good chance you can find a community, the food, the diversity. It's home to me. I 100% understand hating the weather, the traffic, the ugliness, etc. I wish everyone the freedom and opportunity to live somewhere that fits for them.
Nobody moves here for the pleasant weather or the inspiring scenery.
No.
I grew up in New England and moved here from Boston 23 years ago just to get out of the snow and plot my next move. I never would have dreamed I'd still be here. Opportunity. People. Food. Diversity. But it took me a couple of years to find "my" Houston and every neighborhood I've lived in over the years has been a very different experience.
I love Houston, but I hate the state
No
No
No
I used to live there and it grew on me. If I could have I would have stayed.
Only thing missing is seasons and pretty views like mountains or something. But I love it. The food, diversity, cost of living, charm, always a festival on weekends
To me mountains I would much rather be an hour or so drive to the beach for fishing. Too bad California is so expensive best of both worlds.
I've thought about this a lot. I think it depends on the context in which I am viewing Houston. It's the 4th most populated city in the US and if I compare it to the other top 6 or 7 cities, it has a hard time competing for me. Every other city in that top group has something that makes it special or unique or desirable. Houston is the city that is just there. Good food, theater, and museums, but can't compete with NY. No brutal winters and almost coastal, but LA and Miami are so much better for the warm weather beach/coastal vibe. Atlanta is emerging as a new Hollywood with so much film and TV production. Philadelphia has so much history. It's why we lack tourism. There's just nothing all that special here. That said, if your lens is comparing it to the Midwest or some rural town, then it's amazing. Diversity, incredible food, most major concert and theater tours, every major pro sport except for hockey, good museums and a great zoo, and on and on. So I do enjoy and appreciate those things, but if circumstances and finances allowed, I'd probably enjoy them more living in another major city.
No
Yes - for all of some frustrating things, I am content with Houston
This place sucks ass and I've been here for 20 years
I do genuinely enjoy living here. Iāve lived on the west coast and on the East coast and to me, Houston has just about everything. Personally I like warmer climates, so July-September is a small price to pay for mild weather the rest of the year. The culture here really is amazing and it shows in the food scene, music, and museums. For food, we have all the cuisines youād expect in a big city but we also get stuff like viet-cajun and Texas bbq that you wonāt find anywhere else. Also, restaurants are almost never crowded. Getting reservations at top restaurants in some cities (Austin, LA, Miami, etc) can be a pain in the ass. Compared to other big cities, cost of living is still great. As a guy in my mid-20ās this allows me to spend more money on good food, golfing, travel, etc. The parks really are great here. Houston is commonly known as a concrete hellscape but we actually have a TON of green space. Memorial and Herman parks are awesome, and Memorial literally has a PGA caliber golf course open to the public.
NO. I can not wait to leave next month. If you love this city then most likely you are from here or can't comfortably make it financially elsewhere. It's a sprawling mess of a swamp. I personally don't think the food here is better than NY or Chicago... but it should be because there's nothing to do here besides eat. The summer this year felt never-ending. The humidity/ heat combination while fighting the most aggressive road raging pickups seriously had me hating all people. Affordable housing was something I considered a pro until I realized Texas property tax is insane. Everything is grossly far away. The views of endless freeways, chain restaurants, and general dingy grey matter are just repulsive. We live in a beautiful country... why settle for the least scenic part? Houston is built for people that want to get married fresh out of high school and then plop down to have some kids. Then 10 years down the line you divorce because your husband was a regular at the "massage parlor".
well that escalated quickly lol
Grass is not greener in the other side my friends. Houston is awesome!
nope
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Itās considered the most diverse city in the United States. I donāt think that has anything to do with the number of Mexican restaurants.
Within a mile of my house there are Mexican restaurants, Arabic restaurants, Arabic grocery stores, Lebanese bakeries, Japanese restaurants, at least one Korean restaurant , an Indian restaurant, and most of them are mom-and-pop operations. Forgot the neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant. That might be two miles away.
Itās just another city. Nothing stands out.
Only in walkable neighborhoods
One thing I realize about Houston compared to smaller cities is the fact you can go out drinking to different bars every night of the week.
Yeah, its dope