Southern California vs. Houston
Oct 31st, 2006, 12:47 PM
#21
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I've been to Dallas in July so I assume the heat is similarly stifling in Houston.
Yes I agree about the landscape - very flat and boring. I love the ocean, mountains, variety of landscapes. My roots are Mediterranean so California reminded me of that environment in many ways.
Houston also has many of the problems expected of a large city...not to mention being so susceptible to flooding and hurricanes.
I'll have a better idea when I visit, for now I am enjoying the great feedback, thanks to all.
Yes I agree about the landscape - very flat and boring. I love the ocean, mountains, variety of landscapes. My roots are Mediterranean so California reminded me of that environment in many ways.
Houston also has many of the problems expected of a large city...not to mention being so susceptible to flooding and hurricanes.
I'll have a better idea when I visit, for now I am enjoying the great feedback, thanks to all.
Oct 31st, 2006, 12:52 PM
#22
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I lived an eternity in Houston for three years. Summers were unbearably hot and humid. My wife considered the socio-cultural climate to be unacceptable as well; if you did not go to church or temple, you were considered weird. In terms of weather, Santa Barbara would be the ideal, with the coastal areas of San Diego a close second.
Oct 31st, 2006, 01:46 PM
#23
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A previous post mentioned that SoCal is expensive for a reason; Houston is - or at least appears to be - cheap for a reason. Several reasons, actually.
One is that it is a relatively "new" city with lots of undeveloped area. Related to that is the total lack of zoning and the very strong political influence of real estate developers. They build cookie cutter developments and McMansions with super high density (e.g., you are on top of your neighbor)in areas where the infrastructure lags, so you wind up with nasty traffic. Of course, that is also typical of SoCal.
The other thing to keep in mind is the tax sructure. Texans brag that there is no state income tax, but there ARE all sorts of other taxing districts - county, hospital district, water/utility district, school district, junior college district, bridge and flood district, etc. that all add up quickly.
Another thing to keep in mind is that real estate appreciation rates in Texas tend to be much lower - nowhere near what you see in SoCal. So if you are buying a property in Houston, count on living in it and not making it an investment.
To be fair, the weather is only truly horrid 2-3 months out of the year. Another 2-3 it is just unpleasant, and the remaining 6 months is tolerable to absolutely delightful. And in SoCal ther ARE bad weather days - ask some in San Diego about the grey fog doldrums.
As for the hyperreligiousness thing, there certainly are communities where that may be an issue but it's a big enough city that there is a little bit of everything. In the business community most of the power is vested in white males who stress conformity, but that is true just about everywhere.
Culturally, Houston offers some oustanding things, much more than it gets credit for. There are fine resident ballet, symphony, opera and theatre companies and a nice arts district with some great performance spaces, along with a fair amount of local theatre. There are also some nice museums, including the recently expanded Art Museum. The restaurant scene is terrific - something for everyone in all price ranges.
Another downside of being a "new city" is the lack of a lot of history - one joke is that in Houston, "historic" means the paint is dry. There ARE some historic things, just not as much as in cities with a longer history. To be fair, most SoCal cities don't have much in this regard, either, aside from some old Spanish missions in the area (and the Houston area can also boast things from that era, too.)
So, having said all that, I have not looked back since leaving Houston and confess that I still think of it as the largest trailer park in the country, just one with enough money to buy some trappings of sophistication. I could survive if I had to live there again, just would rather not.
One is that it is a relatively "new" city with lots of undeveloped area. Related to that is the total lack of zoning and the very strong political influence of real estate developers. They build cookie cutter developments and McMansions with super high density (e.g., you are on top of your neighbor)in areas where the infrastructure lags, so you wind up with nasty traffic. Of course, that is also typical of SoCal.
The other thing to keep in mind is the tax sructure. Texans brag that there is no state income tax, but there ARE all sorts of other taxing districts - county, hospital district, water/utility district, school district, junior college district, bridge and flood district, etc. that all add up quickly.
Another thing to keep in mind is that real estate appreciation rates in Texas tend to be much lower - nowhere near what you see in SoCal. So if you are buying a property in Houston, count on living in it and not making it an investment.
To be fair, the weather is only truly horrid 2-3 months out of the year. Another 2-3 it is just unpleasant, and the remaining 6 months is tolerable to absolutely delightful. And in SoCal ther ARE bad weather days - ask some in San Diego about the grey fog doldrums.
As for the hyperreligiousness thing, there certainly are communities where that may be an issue but it's a big enough city that there is a little bit of everything. In the business community most of the power is vested in white males who stress conformity, but that is true just about everywhere.
Culturally, Houston offers some oustanding things, much more than it gets credit for. There are fine resident ballet, symphony, opera and theatre companies and a nice arts district with some great performance spaces, along with a fair amount of local theatre. There are also some nice museums, including the recently expanded Art Museum. The restaurant scene is terrific - something for everyone in all price ranges.
Another downside of being a "new city" is the lack of a lot of history - one joke is that in Houston, "historic" means the paint is dry. There ARE some historic things, just not as much as in cities with a longer history. To be fair, most SoCal cities don't have much in this regard, either, aside from some old Spanish missions in the area (and the Houston area can also boast things from that era, too.)
So, having said all that, I have not looked back since leaving Houston and confess that I still think of it as the largest trailer park in the country, just one with enough money to buy some trappings of sophistication. I could survive if I had to live there again, just would rather not.
Oct 31st, 2006, 04:10 PM
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I would say the "Katrina effect" varies by part of town. There are certainly areas that have been impacted greater than my general area. There is no doubt that there has been an increase in crime in the general Houston area.
Nov 1st, 2006, 04:43 AM
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My sister has noticed the increase in crime over the last year, as well. It is not in her area since she is in the suburbs, but she has noticed an increase in certain areas, as moldyhotels stated.
Nov 2nd, 2006, 03:21 PM
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tonianyc, this is quite a comparison. I grew up in Texas and right now I am living in California (and lived in NYC for a short stint), but I can't wait to get back to Texas. I have loved living in California but the price of everything is SHOCKING! Everything that has been mentioned about San Diego and Santa Barbara is true. It is beautiful and fun etc.
bkluvsNola is right Austin would be a better comparison because people just fall in love with Austin. Even people in Texas have very strong opinions about Houston (good and very bad). It may have grueling summers but the winters are amazing, it is basically fall weather from October to January, a little winter weather in February and spring from March to May.
The last thing I will say is based on your comment that you want a friendly place where people say hello, Texas is your place. California is way nicer than New York but you just can't beat the friendliness in Texas.
Looking at your comments it sounds like you really want to move to Houston. You can always visit San Diego and Santa Barbara after you save all that money on living in Texas.
bkluvsNola is right Austin would be a better comparison because people just fall in love with Austin. Even people in Texas have very strong opinions about Houston (good and very bad). It may have grueling summers but the winters are amazing, it is basically fall weather from October to January, a little winter weather in February and spring from March to May.
The last thing I will say is based on your comment that you want a friendly place where people say hello, Texas is your place. California is way nicer than New York but you just can't beat the friendliness in Texas.
Looking at your comments it sounds like you really want to move to Houston. You can always visit San Diego and Santa Barbara after you save all that money on living in Texas.
Nov 2nd, 2006, 03:37 PM
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I heve two general comments:
My daughter, a native Californian (Northern), has enjoyed her time in Austin so far. She has found the hot summers grueling. She is anxious to get back to CA next year, even with higher housing costs.
SGBrou- Where in CA did you live? I'm puzzled by the friendlier comment, and it's hard to generlize that one state is friendlier than another. It varies from place to place in all states.
My daughter, a native Californian (Northern), has enjoyed her time in Austin so far. She has found the hot summers grueling. She is anxious to get back to CA next year, even with higher housing costs.
SGBrou- Where in CA did you live? I'm puzzled by the friendlier comment, and it's hard to generlize that one state is friendlier than another. It varies from place to place in all states.
Nov 15th, 2006, 07:29 AM
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While it does get hot in Austin, the hottest days are usually dry, and there are plenty of places where you can cool off. My favorite thing to do on the hottest of the hot days is to go to Barton Springs, which is a natural spring fed pool that is a constant 68 degrees. There is nothing more refreshing than swimming in that cold natural pool when it's 100+ degrees outside. It's simply paradise, and I'm literally refreshed for the rest of the day after that.
Hamilton Pool is another popular "swimmming hole" that has a waterfall, a pebbly beach and clear water.
Boating/water sports are very popular because of the long summers. They are a great sport!
Another option for the more risky is to go to Hippie Hollow and sunbathe and swim "au natural". It's a great way to pass the summer
By the way, which part of CA do you live in now trippinkpj?
Hamilton Pool is another popular "swimmming hole" that has a waterfall, a pebbly beach and clear water.
Boating/water sports are very popular because of the long summers. They are a great sport!
Another option for the more risky is to go to Hippie Hollow and sunbathe and swim "au natural". It's a great way to pass the summer
By the way, which part of CA do you live in now trippinkpj?
Nov 24th, 2006, 08:49 PM
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Avoid Houston, definately consider Austin. Coming from New York you will find the political and social climate much more open, accepting and comfortable. It is a young, active city with a great music scene. Dallas may be an option for you as well, but Austin is comparable to San Diego for quality of life. Enjoy the lakes, run, walk, wakeboard, kayak... go to gallery openings, hang out on Sixth Street. You will love Austin!!
Nov 25th, 2006, 07:54 PM
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As a kid/teen, I lived outside of Houston (near Clear Lake) and also outside of LA (near Anaheim). Both times in the suburbs.
Houston was very hot and humid. My school system was absolutely fabulous academically. (As our house was newly built in an area of fields, we had huge cockroaches that would unexpectedly run across the room. That took some getting used to. I also remember the hills of fire ants scattered throughout the newly planted yard.)
LA has gorgeous weather and a laid-back lifestyle. It is also expensive, smoggy, crowded and many people's commutes are very long. There is a huge variety of things to do. My school system, which is known as one of the better ones, was not very good - I would say it was a great social experience, but I did not progress too much academically (although there are some very good teachers, I thought the curriculum was not very challenging and expectations were low).
People in both locations were great. Californians were definitely more laid-back.
Houston was very hot and humid. My school system was absolutely fabulous academically. (As our house was newly built in an area of fields, we had huge cockroaches that would unexpectedly run across the room. That took some getting used to. I also remember the hills of fire ants scattered throughout the newly planted yard.)
LA has gorgeous weather and a laid-back lifestyle. It is also expensive, smoggy, crowded and many people's commutes are very long. There is a huge variety of things to do. My school system, which is known as one of the better ones, was not very good - I would say it was a great social experience, but I did not progress too much academically (although there are some very good teachers, I thought the curriculum was not very challenging and expectations were low).
People in both locations were great. Californians were definitely more laid-back.
Nov 27th, 2006, 10:31 AM
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I'll add to the pile-on....
If real estate cost were the only factor, Houston.
Anything else? Southern California. By a few thousand miles.
San Diego has plenty of culture (one of the country's leading regional theatres is there), as do Santa Barbara and Houston. The scenery is often breathtaking (the coast at La Jolla is gorgeous) in SD and SB. The only thing that can take your breath away in Houston is the summer humidity. And, once in a while, the smog.
I have cousins that live in Houston and love it. I will also pointedly add that they've never been outside of the two-state area of Louisiana and Texas. And they love having a HUGE house to get away from each other. So they're in Heaven.
You have to hit Houston in the dead of summer, and southern CA in the winter (where it may get down to a chilly 50 at night!), to gauge your tolerance of the extremes. The economics of the move are your call.
If real estate cost were the only factor, Houston.
Anything else? Southern California. By a few thousand miles.
San Diego has plenty of culture (one of the country's leading regional theatres is there), as do Santa Barbara and Houston. The scenery is often breathtaking (the coast at La Jolla is gorgeous) in SD and SB. The only thing that can take your breath away in Houston is the summer humidity. And, once in a while, the smog.
I have cousins that live in Houston and love it. I will also pointedly add that they've never been outside of the two-state area of Louisiana and Texas. And they love having a HUGE house to get away from each other. So they're in Heaven.
You have to hit Houston in the dead of summer, and southern CA in the winter (where it may get down to a chilly 50 at night!), to gauge your tolerance of the extremes. The economics of the move are your call.
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