As some of you know, I have relocated to Houston from Seattle (long story). After having spent about 2 weeks in Houston, here is my feel on the city so far.

First, the good:

Lots to do: Yes, Houston does have a lot to offer. First, it has a galaxy of restaurants, so many that if you wanted to try a new restaurant every day it would take months to try them all (by then several more would have popped up). Then there are numerous shopping centers (including Galleria which is one of the largest malls in the nation), many bars/discos, and a sizeable collection of museums, theatres and art galleries. Being close to the sea, you will also find plenty of coastal activities. In less than three hours, you can drive to Austin or San Antonio, latter being the most popular tourist destination in Texas. Houston, Austin and San Antonio each have Six Flags amusement park and water parks. And, or if you are space buff, do I need mention NASA? While all this may not seem a lot for someone coming from NY or Chicago, this certainly makes the city a lot more exciting than, say, Seattle, Denver or Minneapolis.

Low cost of living: The real estate cost in Houston is one of the lowest among major US cities. Not only you can afford more house for your money, such amenities such as a pool, large backyard and lavish details are standard rather than luxuries. There are many large, well-managed master planned communities that offer clean and nurturing residential environments. In additions, there are many new, luxury apartments around the city where you can afford to live in instead of being crammed in old, decaying matchbox size apartments in, say, California or New York. In that sense, your standard of living can actually improve a whole lot.

Education: Houston has good ISD system and so public schooling is not a concern as it is in some other cities such as New Orleans where it has gotten so bad that most people prefer to send their children to private schools. Houston is also home to Rice University (Ivy League of the south) and the huge University of Houston.

Health care: Apart from numerous clinics and hospitals, Houston has Texas Medical Center which is one of the largest medical centers in the world and premium center of medical research.

Now, the bad:

Lack of zoning: This is something I have complained about a few times before and this is what gives Houston its patchwork or disorganized look and feel. Actually, I noticed that it is not lack of zoning itself that is to be blamed but some specific businesses that it encourages. While it is not uncommon in many cities to have an apartment complex or a residence across the street from a gas station or convenience store, or behind a shopping center, the primary sources of ugliness are such businesses as auto-related shops, used car dealers, junk dealers and strip clubs. And Houston has them all over the place. Also, Houston has many strip malls. While some are well built and well managed and so they actually look nice, some are poorly managed, neglected or partially abandoned.

Bad roads: Many of the roads are in bad shape. There are plenty of potholes and bumps, road marks have faded and sidewalks are broken. Trees along the roads need to be trimmed, grass need to be mowed and trash bins need to be added. The roads are therefore in dire need of repair. The condition of a road and its surrounding have significant impact on the over all look and feel of an area. Isn?t it ironic that Houston is home to Halliburton which is busy taking in billions of our tax dollars for the reconstruction efforts in Iraq? How about some reconstruction efforts right here in Houston? By the way, a lot of construction is going on for freeways and at least they are being improved. Also, roads in the suburbs such as Sugarland and Woodlands etc are in great condition.

Pollution: Many petro-chemical plants line the ship channel in East Houston, spewing chemicals and waste products into Houston air. Although this is a common complaint about Houston, you do not actually see or feel this pollution unless you are near the ship channel. I have been in Houston for 2 weeks and I have not yet seen a single industrial plant. Due to the size of the city, you can live here all your life without even knowing that those oilrigs and refineries exist. Yet, the fact is that they do exist and are responsible for deterioration the air quality over the city.

Littering: It is easy to notice some littering here and there along the roads or in parking lots. While this may be a common scene in other big cities, if you are coming from a cleaner and smaller city such as Seattle, you cant help noticing it. Not sure whose fault is that; people who dont bother using the trash bins or city officials who dont bother providing them or cleaning up the mess? However, I would blame both. I have seen people throwing out paper cups, cans etc out of their cars. Some people take the trash out of their cars and simply leave them in the parking lots. And then they complain that Houston isnt cleaner! Shame on them!

Finally, the controversial. I call these controversial since they are neither bad nor good and they are not specific to Houston but many other cities as well.

Weather: This is chief complaint that people has about the city. Yes, indeed, the weather here can get really punishing, especially in summer. However, while roughly 6 months of the year force you to stay inside your air-conditioned home, offices or cars, the other 6 months are quite pleasant. However, how many cities have perfect weather all year round? In Seattle, you can enjoy outdoors roughly for 3-4 months in a year when it is not raining. So is the case in the cities in midwest or northeast where cold and snow confine you inside. Phoenix is hotter than Houston and New Orleans more humid. The point is that it would be unfair to single out Houston for not having perfect weather throughout the year.

Landscape: It is true that Houston lacks symbols of natural beauty such as mountains, hills, lakes or pretty beaches. Its landscape is utterly flat. However, it is by no means ugly either. It is certainly not barren or arid as most people might think. In fact, Houston is green, quite green. Plenty of rainfall support extensive vegetation in the region. Within the city, and particularly in residential areas, there is an abundance of trees, natural and planted, and greenery seems to be creeping onto everything. The city is bisected by Baffalo Bayou. South of Bayou is mostly grassland but north of bayou are groves of pine trees. Sam Houston National Forest is just outside northern limit of the city. To the northwest and west of the city, as you go towards Austin, you will find gently rolling slopes, with clusters of trees and fertile fields, which eventually transforms into Texas Hill Country. The eastern edge of the city is, of course, the Gulf Coast. Thus, contrary to popular notion, the landscape in and around the city is actually quite varied.

Ok, so now that I have pointed out the good, the bad and the controversial, I will give my overall opinion sometime later. By the way, I haven?t mentioned the traffic and construction as issues. Traffic is an issue in just about any major city and construction is a sign that the city is trying to improve itself.

Welcome to Houston. While I agree with most of what you're saying, I really hate people complaining and whining about poor air quality when even you admit you didn't see or feel any pollution. Sure, the air isn't cool and crisp like in the Pacific Northwest, but why would you say "it's there"? You're therefore spreading half-truths without any 1st person experience.

Now, if you see smog and start having respiratory problem, then that's totally fair.

As for the condition of the side streets, yes, many are in pretty bad shape. The reason that they're bad is because of ground foundation problem. In fact, before you buy a house, make sure you have that checked out thoroughly, or else you may have to spend big bucks to reinforce the foundation. And because of the extensiveness of the problem and the lack of money to rebuild those roads, many of these bad stretches of streets may take years before repaving. [The freeways are being rebuilt using federal and state money; but the local streets don't get that.] If the streets around where you live and work are pretty poor, think twice before getting a big SUV or pickup truck, like most people are driving these days. In general, cars have much better rides than trucks.

Just want to add a thing about HISD. It really depends on where you live. Some schools, like Bellaire High, are one of the top public schools in the country, while I'm sure there are plenty that are among the worst. That's why it's important to know which highschool your kids will go to, when you buy a house. There are plenty of parents who specifically chose to live in City of Bellaire or some surrounding areas in the City of Houston that are zoned into Bellaire High because of the school. [City of Bellaire belongs to the HISD.]

" I really hate people complaining and whining about poor air quality when even you admit you didn't see or feel any pollution".

What a strange, naive comment.
So the only types of environmental problems worthy of concern are the ones which are perceptible?
Well I'm glad you're not in charge of nuclear regulation, toxic waste disposal and the like.
Most of the harm which humans have done to the environment is not immediately perceptible. But thinning of the ozone layer, global warming, nuclear waste regulation and such are very real issues...though you may not see evidence of them on a day to day basis.

As for Houston's air, it is well documented that breathing air laden with pollutants over many years causes long term health problems. Just because you can't see the pollution doesn't diminish the significance of the problem. And Houston's air is routinely rated among the worst in the US.

qzseattle's post is about his experience in Houston, having lived here for 2 weeks. He says that he's not seen an industrial plant, but somehow he's reporting that the plants are "spewing chemicals and waste products into Houston air". And how does he know about deterioating air quality when he's lived here for 2 weeks.

All I'm pointing out is that while the rest of his post are based on valid personal observation, which I mostly agree, this stuff about air quality is not based on his experience. Anybody can go do his/her research about air quality of Houston and the rest of the world, and I have no problem with that. One doens't have to have been in Houston to do that. But that's inconsistent with the rest of his post.

I agree with travleis about rkkwan's naive comment regarding air polution. Houston's air quality is very poor. This could become more visible to those who visit specific places for a short time and do not live there.

Rkkwan, don't you think that once you see smog and start having respiratory problem it is too late for too many small children and older adults. Come on, rrkkwan, be honest with yourself, Houston air is bad and you cannot deny.
Read this article shttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/11/04/state2051EST7342.DTL

"With a little help from good weather, the Los Angeles area has had its cleanest air in 25 years, regulators said Thursday.

While the region's air quality remained the worst in the nation, it was cleaner this year than the air in Houston and the San Joaquin Valley under some standards, said Sam Atwood, a spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

One of my courses in college was City Planning. Houston was constantly sited as a city unlike any other in America because of its lack of zoning and its extreme pro-business/anti asthetics atmosphere. This was back in 1978! What you have said about the patchwork nature of Houston does not surprise me and I would not want to live there because of it. And its to hot!

Wait, did I say the quality of air in Houston is good? Did I say it's poor? No, not in this thread. I'm responding to qzseattle's "feel of the city", as he described it in his first post.

There are already tonnes of posts in numerous threads in this forum about air quality of Houston. I will not get into that here.

Anybody who wants to move to Houston (or just a visit) can do all the research about air quality, as well as coming down for a visit. Then make an educated decision about that, against other factors.

so........ is this a trip report? or are we all to report on conditions of cities/towns in which we live?

so........ is this a trip report? or are we all to report on conditions of places in which we live? i am relieved, though, that the raging controversies surrounding the weather and landscape of houston are finally put to rest.

Dear qz recently from Seattle,
Welcome to Houston. I've lived here for 14 happy years and once lived for 6 unhappy years in Vancouver, Canada, a place not unlike Seattle. I think the Pacific NW is great, but it's not my cup of tea from a geographic and climatic point of view...but that is personal and a reflection of where I grew up, in the Great Plains...with frequent trips to the Great State of Texas, which I am well aware many people strongly dislike.

That said, my compliments to a balanced, fulsome review of Houston after only two weeks here. I would add two more positive things about Houston.

1) Compared to many other cities (which I could name but will not), Houston is notable for its lack of gang violence AND its relative racial harmony. These are both good things.

2. A climate of welcomeness. Arrive, join a group and they welcome you with open arms. Y'all come and y'all welcome. Just get involved and help out. It is that easy. Many other places it is not that easy, to say the very least.

I noticed the hodgepodge of the city's neighborhoods when I first got here, the distinctive look due to lack of zoning regulations. Now I cannot even see it and think that it adds to the urban feel of the place.

Houston grows so fast that the road system tries hard to keep up but cannot.

The only thing you left out on the negative side of the ledger, to my way of thinking, was that there is no urban mass transit, except for busses and a tiny start at a street-car-type limited run from the old Astro Dome to downtown.

As to correcting your statistics, I only found one: The Texas Medical Center is THE LARGEST in the world, bar none, period. And if you are unlucky enough to have cancer, you would go to the wonderful M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, which has ranked #1 (even before the famed Sloan Kettering in NYC) for something like the last three years.

It's not to everyone's taste, but Houston is surprisingly livable, lively and pleasant. It even has beautiful parts. When my friends from Canada come down to visit (again, something like Seattle) then they all love it. And I am always surprised and delighted.

I hope you continue to thrive in Houston. Best wishes, kk

PS. When very cosmopolitan friends visited here from Russia, people who had shopped all over the east coast and Europe, they proclaimed Houston's shopping the best anywhere. I'm not sure it quite beats out NYC, but it's close.

rkkwan,

I am sorry if my comments about air quality were offensive. I appreciate your fierce defense since it reveals a sense of pride for your city.
Unfortunately, we cannot deny the pollution issue or else the description of the city wouldn?t be quite honest. Let me clarify what I meant when I said, "while I don?t feel it, the fact is that it is here". It is like high blood pressure. Most people don?t feel it or don?t know they have it but it is still silently deteriorating their health. So, while I do not feel air pollution here, EPA has established that it does exist and that it can be unhealthy. Thus, in terms of air quality, smaller cities or non-industrial cities definitely have an advantage over Houston, or any big city for that matter.

Now, having said that, let me make one correction. It would be unfair to single out Houston for air quality. It is a common trait among big industrial cities and is an issue in just about any one of them.

uhhhh,

Prior to my relocation to Houston, there were some long threads discussing Houston as a city to live. You probably missed those. This is simply a follow-up on that.

Besides, since I have moved here only recently, I still think of myself as a tourist rather than a resident.

You forgot to mention property taxes - those and the constant deterioration of the already "low quality" of life are forcing me out of my Dallas home of nearly 25 years.
The poor public primary and secondary education systems are a national joke -check the Wilmer-Hutchins ISD articles in the recent DMN www.dallasnews.com
Summer in Houston makes Dallas seem like LaJolla.
M

qz - Really nothing personal. And as I said, I agree with most of your post too!

Again, welcome to Houston.

Hey, gz... glad to hear your thoughts. Sounds like you're starting to get acclimated. You didn't mention anything about the friendliness of the people in Houston. I always look at this as one of our strengths.

Have you discovered any restaurants yet that you particularly like ? Have you been to Central Market yet? I LOVE that place!

Welcome to Houston! When are you going to change your screen name?

Susan

qzseattle, thanks for the update. Having lived much of my life in Houston, and still visiting annually, I found your observations to be very accurate. Glad to hear that you are overall liking your new home.

What area did you decide to settle in, if you don't mind my asking? (Or did you mention it in your post and I missed it?)

How interesting that so many people from different cities say we have the biggest this and the best that. kk, Maybe your friends from Russia say that where ever they go! I also don't believe that Houston has the largest medical center. The Mayo Clinic is nearly an entire city not just a few buildings, and Manhatten surely has more facilities. Just my two cents. Houston was built on the power of making money at any cost. I lived there in the late 90's.

Hey wemr,

I did some quick search and it does seem that Texas medical center is the largest in the world. At least according to this site:
http://www.tmc.edu/institutions/tmc.html

Also, the intention here was not to claim Houston as the best city in the world or compare with cities such as New York, but just to point out the pros and cons of living here (from my perspective). In fact, I dont think any one claim that any one city is the best in the world for everyone. For any given city, there are some people who dislike it for what it is, and other don't.

I work at the TMC, and people should realize that unlike most "medical centers" in the world, this one is made up of many very large, independent and competing institutes, including two medical schools. So, it's not surprising that it is the largest in the world, because very few such multi-institute "center" exist.