Moving to Houston

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by P1

Houston checks none of those boxes, minus the seafood. Pacific Northwest and the Carolinas are your best bets.

Yeah, it's a massive spread out city and if you don't like heat....

Houston summers are a BEAST. Heat and insane humidity.

[M0J0]

Originally Posted by E92inPHX

So the three places on my mind are Houston, Raleigh and the pacific NW. I want to be near the coast (Raleigh has the business triangle and inland enough I don’t have to worry too much about hurricanes). I’m thinking of a 6-9 month lease to get to know the area before buying and if I don’t like the area/lifestyle I’ll go to Raleigh and then the NW.

-I’d like a place on the outskirts in a quiet area/non congested with around a 15-20 minute drive to work, 30 minutes max. I don’t want to be sitting in traffic jams.
-Nearbodies of water so I can go bass fishing on foot or by kayak.
-Trails or hills to hike
-Seafood

Currently looking into the southern west-east part of Houston, any suggestions on areas?

Where would your work be? 15-20min drive to work in Houston is rare. Traffic is part of a big city. Hills? lol We do have plenty of good places to eat seafood. You will find that the outskirts food is not the best. I also think it depends on your budget. Need to know what area of town your work would be in. Houston is a really fun city to live in, but it sounds like you want to live in the suburbs. It is by far the best city in Texas. I am not sure if it is your cup of tea. To each their own.

[E92inNC]

I put in for a few days off early November so I can spend three days in one of these places, I’m leaning towards Raleigh now that no one has anything good to say about Houston with regards to my list of wants.

[erickonphoenix]

Originally Posted by M0J0

Where would your work be? 15-20min drive to work in Houston is rare. Traffic is part of a big city. Hills? lol We do have plenty of good places to eat seafood. You will find that the outskirts food is not the best. I also think it depends on your budget. Need to know what area of town your work would be in. Houston is a really fun city to live in, but it sounds like you want to live in the suburbs. It is by far the best city in Texas. I am not sure if it is your cup of tea. To each their own.

I know I'm kind of hard on my home town but after living in Vancouver, Denver, Atlanta and Miami it seems people that really enjoy Houston enjoy it for the food and bar scene and/or raising kids. They have some killer school districts in some of the more affluent suburbs. But it's not a lifestyle city, especially if you like access to nature outside of shallow bays.

oh yeah, I should probably add it's cheap as dirt to live here. That's kind of nice.

[smrtypants44]

I dont think Houston is that bad myself. It definitely has more character than Dallas IMO.
World class museums (museum district)
Big theatre district
Lots of parks
World class zoo
Top tier healthcare (Largest hospital complex in the world)
Great food
NASA
And i happen to like Galveston.

Plus, no state income tax (although offset by higher property tax), and its home to 2 large airline hubs (Southwest, United).

It is hot and muggy in the summer but bonus you can run summer tires year round. Other downside is Texas has front license plates but yeah lol

[damnitBobby]

I've been in Houston for over 20 years now. I would say Houston is a mixed bag, but definitely has more character over Dallas.

Nature seems to be topping your list. Houston has Galveston about a hour drive away. The water may look nasty, but the actual vibe from Galveston is nice. You can go biking (along the seawall is nice), kayaking, boating, fishing, etc. They have pretty good restaurants and good bars. Other than that there isn't much nature stuff to do around Houston other than some minor hiking trails. Compared to the NW and NE the nature here is relatively boring.

The worst part about Houston is the humid and hot weather we get for like half of the year. Definitely the part I hate most about Houston. Yes we get occasional hurricanes but you learn to deal with them and it's not a big enough reason for me to leave this city. The traffic is bad but you get to know which times and areas will be horrible so you learn to avoid it (when it's possible). The public transport in the city sucks - not a walking city at all.

But there are some aspects which are really nice. The medical center is one of the biggest nationwide, restaurant scene is world class, the lounges and bars are nice (not my thing but to each their own), big sports culture (Rockets, Astros, and Texans), major airport hub for traveling anywhere, great universities for higher education, located within easy driving distance to other destination cities like Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, New Orleans, etc. Also there are numerous great suburbs to choose from which allow you to live a more settled (and less expensive) life while still within driving distance to the city (I fall under this category). Houston's cost of living isn't as bad as the west or east coast.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by E92inPHX

I put in for a few days off early November so I can spend three days in one of these places, I’m leaning towards Raleigh now that no one has anything good to say about Houston with regards to my list of wants.

Yeah youre going to be better off in a midsized city in the east. We have warm weather but not horrible thanks to the elevation, the trees, etc. You have the hills (hell you're going to have more elevation changes inside the metro of Atlanta than you'd have in 99% of Texas). Also those towns in the mountains couldnt spread out like they can in the midwest or plains like Texas, so you MIGHT get more of a denser population even for smaller stuff. But if you go to major metro like Atlanta, and arent finding a job out in the burbs, youre gonna be driving. Im lucky enough to be 20 minutes (unless there is some horrible wreck, then 40) from my job when I commuted but that is like 3.5 miles each way. But living IN the city is also expensive as hell.

My brother lives in the burbs of Houston and loves it, but he is also doing the old school family life thing so he just works, doesnt eat out, doesnt really do much. And he doesnt mind the heat. But holy god I visited him ONCE in August, it just timed that way. Fing HOT, humidity was so high your glasses would fog up when you want into buildings and left them, the wind was just basically making it feel like you were in a blow dryer. Cool nightlife though when he was there and single, and USUALLY no winter but you did see the news lately.

[M0J0]

Sometime I can say about Houston. Most people I know that move to Houston stay in Houston. I know many that have moved to different cities only to move back. It is a city that gets a bad rap. It is in Texas, but it is nothing like Texas. The weather can suck at times, but it is nice having no winter. The food and culture is some of the best in America. But I am really speaking about the city. The suburbs are a different animal. People from the suburbs rarely go into the city.

[Bimmersandmopars]

Originally Posted by erickonphoenix

Houston is Texas' biggest shit hole. It's a sea of billboards, power lines and traffic. I'd recommend a strong pass unless your priorities are restaurants, bars and strong employment opportunities. I've tried to get out of this city four times but it keeps dragging me back with new business opportunities. I used to think it was because I was talented but now I think it's a giant trap.

If you do end up in Houston, settle around the big airport so you can easily leave to spend your vacation time somewhere else.

This is one confusing ass post.

If outdoors and entertainment are your thing then Austin is more your beat.

If opportunity and income potential with a reasonable cost of living Hoiston for the win.

We have seen a nearly 20% property value boom recently as result of blue state folks running from the problems they created all to try and create it somewhere else. Irony is the urban demographics are not able to keep up which is causing a much larger income gap and as result lower quality of living in certain areas due to the local business such as restaurants and services not being able to provide a wage that can keep up with the essential transplanted re-gentrificarion that's going on.

[Bimmersandmopars]

Originally Posted by M0J0

Sometime I can say about Houston. Most people I know that move to Houston stay in Houston. I know many that have moved to different cities only to move back. It is a city that gets a bad rap. It is in Texas, but it is nothing like Texas. The weather can suck at times, but it is nice having no winter. The food and culture is some of the best in America. But I am really speaking about the city. The suburbs are a different animal. People from the suburbs rarely go into the city.

Yep, the NW Houston area is largely a stay at home/ work from home community. Lots of good ole boy $ that floats around, and honestly everything about inner Houston(inside the Beltway) is stereotypical big city nonsense.

Our weather is not for the faint of heart, but I love it.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by smrtypants44

I dont think Houston is that bad myself. It definitely has more character than Dallas IMO.
World class museums (museum district)
Big theatre district
Lots of parks
World class zoo
Top tier healthcare (Largest hospital complex in the world)
Great food
NASA
And i happen to like Galveston.

The thing is that every city has world class museums, zoos, parks, theaters, good food options, etc. It's the subjective stuff that makes all the difference: walkability, urban density, natural beauty, and the overall vibe of the city. This stuff is not quantifiable but is very real, akin to steering feel in cars. Some people care about this stuff, some don't.

Texas medical center is definitely a redeeming quality for those of us that work in the medical field. I have some friends completing their Residency training there. That place feels like a city in of itself.

[M0J0]

Originally Posted by Bimmersandmopars

Yep, the NW Houston area is largely a stay at home/ work from home community. Lots of good ole boy $ that floats around, and honestly everything about inner Houston(inside the Beltway) is stereotypical big city nonsense.

Our weather is not for the faint of heart, but I love it.

I lived inside 610 for most of my life. I always said the only way I would move out is if I moved out of Texas. You could not pay me to live outside 610. But if you are conservative and like boring then the suburbs may suite people fine. There is just infinite fun to be had in the city and it is anything but nonsense.

[tom2021]

Why don't you consider Dallas or Austin?
I've been to Dallas. It is nice.
I heard good things about Austin.

[MsGoGoMoto]

Originally Posted by tom2021

Why don't you consider Dallas or Austin?
I've been to Dallas. It is nice.
I heard good things about Austin.

Dallas, hell no. What you trying to do, depress the man ? Loool
Used to live there for work. One year.
Criiiiime.
I stayed at a Candlewood suites Richardson.. it's like 5 mins from Dallas.. there was a pre- lobby… with a person at a bullet proof window that you had to be buzzed into in order to get to the regular check in lobby. Just FAAACK MAN.

South Dallas has more steel on windows than Detroit has steel.
The first time I saw a subdivision of nice 5 bedroom homes with an iron bar enclosure at the front door. So you have an iron cage with a door, then your normal door.

I need to dig up the pic of the church bus enclosed in a steel cage. That damn photo made it around 2500 people at the company I worked for then.

Subcontractor dropped off a rented mini excavator at a public school for his men to dig up a wier inlet to fix a flooding issue. Came back in the morning to meet and manage the sub (I was a superintendent for a Nationwide GC)…… IT WAS STOLEN. Sorry sunbelt rentals…I didn't do it. I swear.

Dallas public schools…… bullet holes in the storefront glazing….. I was told….. a parent did it…. I kept ALL these pics too. I couldn't wait to hop on out of there lol

Holy cow
Austin. College town. Still stuck in Texas.

Just get over to Carolina and thank us later.
When the winter hits and you're snuggled up in a mountain cabin, put some cognac in your coffee for me please.

[stevenc]

I grew overseas and moved to Houston for College and never left. I travel 40 weeks a year for my job and would not live any where else but Houston.

Pros
Diverse Community
Strong economy
Great restaurants
Good outdoor areas for a major city.
Road infrastructure that makes sense and has grown with the city.
Lakes and Galveston near by (Although Galveston isn't great)
One of the lowest cost of living cities in the US.
Fourth largest city in the US so absolutely everything is here!
Best medical system in the world

Cons
Heat and Humidity are nearly unbearable.
City is huge. It can easily take 1.5 hours to get from end to end without traffic. With traffic, its a bear.
City is not pretty. Bland and flat.
Occasional hurricanes.

Its one of those cities that is more than the sum of the parts. Once you live here, you will see why everyone moves here. The hard part will be picking where to live. Being close to work and being close to your hobbies probably isn't going to happen since the city is so huge.

[Alfisti]

The answer to your problem is Brisbane, Sydney if you can afford it.

[Nativetexan]

Native Texan here : )

The struggle of Texas' heat and humidity is rough & unrelenting at times.

"Summer" can easily be from May 1st-Halloween seeing above 100* on almost every day. 2-3 months a year the overnight lows are 80-85. So by 10am it's 95 and you gotta go back indoors.

I ask northerners who recently move here, "would you rather have the cold or this heat?" I assume since they moved south they always pick "heat". But they ALL say "b/c at least you can go outside in the morning for a bit"

I guess the grass is always greener…every summer I want to high tail it out of here. But then the other 6 months of the year are gorgeous and the sun is overly plentiful.

Shade is like gold in Texas.

[XutvJet]

I've been to Houston a number of times for work. I'm convinced the town has no real zoning ordinances. I've been all over this country for work. Houston is my least favorite city to travel to. It's largely a shit hole and it's boggling so many people live there.

OP -Check out North Carolina. Beautiful country, topography, great mountain roads, excellent beaches from NC all the way down to Saint Augustine, FL.

[fiveohwblow]

Originally Posted by Bimmersandmopars

This is one confusing ass post.

If outdoors and entertainment are your thing then Austin is more your beat.

If opportunity and income potential with a reasonable cost of living Hoiston for the win.

We have seen a nearly 20% property value boom recently as result of blue state folks running from the problems they created all to try and create it somewhere else. Irony is the urban demographics are not able to keep up which is causing a much larger income gap and as result lower quality of living in certain areas due to the local business such as restaurants and services not being able to provide a wage that can keep up with the essential transplanted re-gentrificarion that's going on.

Did you confuse the word confusing for “conflicting” with your own beliefs?

[MsGoGoMoto]

Originally Posted by Bimmersandmopars

This is one confusing ass post.

If outdoors and entertainment are your thing then Austin is more your beat.

If opportunity and income potential with a reasonable cost of living Hoiston for the win.

We have seen a nearly 20% property value boom recently as result of blue state folks running from the problems they created all to try and create it somewhere else. Irony is the urban demographics are not able to keep up which is causing a much larger income gap and as result lower quality of living in certain areas due to the local business such as restaurants and services not being able to provide a wage that can keep up with the essential transplanted re-gentrificarion that's going on.

It's not a blue or red state thing on this post. It's just that it's not a favorable state to live in.

I can say this partially as I've lived in Dallas, SanAntonio, and Austin long term for work (each city 1 plus years). Now, don't get me wrong here, I've not tried to raise a family there, was born there. Relocation? Definite hard pass. I've turned down job offers just not to go there.

All states have good and bad points, but nothing about Texas screamed to us (14 coworkers from different divisions in the nation) Pick meeee! Stay here! Move here!
Actually, we all couldn't wait to get out of the state, probably because it's just so big.

San Antonio.
Great place to visit for vacation,
Great place to get lost and explore,
Great place to hunt,
Sucky place to live for me and a ton of other coworkers who temporarily relocated from all around the US.

Austin
Sweet place.
Felt like I was stuck on an island.
Felt like when I lived in Vegas except without casinos in which I lived there for a year as well.
People in San Antonio would say… yeah SA sucks but you should try Austin. It's not far from here.

Dallas?

This is coming from me who lived on the east coast a majority of my life and had quick access to multiple states with terrain features, a beach, some snow, sub tropics.
Probably say different if I was born in Texas and raised a family there.
My relatives bounced from Texas to Raleigh, sooo… yeah. They said it just sucked being stuck in Texas. Trust me, I can't stand relatives, each trying to use my home as base camp to get established here in Atlanta. Glad they got sucked up into NC. Lol.

[E92inNC]

Thank you all for your personal insights, I’ve never been east of AZ so it was very helpful and got Houston of my list. Gotta change the thread title to “Getting out of AZ” lol

First, I’ll never move to Dallas just because of their football team and their delusional “this is our year” fans alone.

I booked a three day in Raleigh for middle of next month. Now I gotta put a list together for a few places to eat if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. I’m looking for seafood(shellfish is 1A) and some good bbq and whatever the area is famous for to try out. Other things I need to put down are places to see, I’ll jot down 3 or so apartment complexes to visit while I’m there. I’ll probably be doing a lot of driving bc I want to see as much as I can in Raleigh and maybe Durham to see where I would move to and how far they are from business areas and what the daily commute would be like. My first preference is on the west side around Cary so I’m not in the city and I can get to Durham without go across Raleigh.

If the place doesn’t blow me away I’m going to head up to Tacoma in early December.

[3.0L]

I've been to Houston and I was not favorably impressed. Hot, humid and spread out. On ramps and Off ramps go into orbit - Texas big. Zoning sucks. I've seen auto repair shops next to homes - all mixed up.

Having said that, if you must move there, be sure to have good flood insurance.

Good luck.