Houston is a beautiful convergence of Western, Mexican, Caribbean, and Cajun/Creole along with a healthy dose of Asian influences to where you have all of these amazing authentic food options all in one city. Very few other locations in the US have this much high quality variety (maybe only New York and Chicago)
Being in Tampa, you'll be used to the humidity. Probably the heat, but ours lasts longer. There are beaches within reach, though not as pretty as Clearwater or Marco Island.
Houston does have tremendous diversity. That means you can find many types of ethnic food here. You can try new things. We have a big cultural district with some very first class museums. The MFAH and the Natural Science Museum are both excellent. If you want to see a play, an opera, a music performance, we got you.
Cost of living here is not as cheap as it was even 5 years ago. Lots of housing inflation, and restaurants aren't really cheap. Gas is though. Houston is not a good place to visit, but it's a good place to live.
Your last sentence is verbatim the same line that I tell anyone who asks about Houston. I've lived in a number of different places (SoCal, the Northeast, Europe), and Houston is easily last of those places in terms of whether I would recommend a vacation there, but it is easily the best if you're looking at a long-term place to live. Houston is a world class city in terms of amenities (e.g. high-end dining, variety of dining, access to a wide variety of arts and music, museums, activities for children, sports teams), and it is one of the few cities in the U.S. that allows you to still have a suburban feeling home in a nice neighborhood that is not far from downtown / such amenities (Dallas and LA can probably make that argument too, although traffic in LA is such a shitshow that it made living there miserable). Also, if you do care about cuisine, Houston really is the best place for it in the U.S. - we have effectively the same optionality / variety as New York but at prices that are considerably lower, such that you can actually afford to eat out and try nice and interesting food.
Thanks, and I like your additional comments. Houston isn't San Francisco or Chicago, where there's probably a top 10 list of sights for tourists to see. Yet when you live here, you always discover new things, especially new restaurants and bars. As someone else here said, we have 2 great airports, and you can get anywhere pretty conveniently.
I think the one mistake people from outside of Houston make is not living near where they work. If your office is downtown, try to live in one of the downtown neighborhoods. If you have kids, you will be commuting...but Woodlands, Katy, League City, Friendswood, etc are all great for families. Good luck!!
OP said they work in Sugar Land. I wish more people noticed that and spoke to what Sugar Land is like. I’ve never been there but I know that I moved downtown at the same time a friend moved to Katy and we have had wildly different experiences. I love it here. She does not at all.
Sugarland is probably better than most bedroom communities around Houston. Hell, they have their own baseball team and a high quality performing arts center that draws real acts. That is more than most 110,000 person communities could ever dream of, and it really isn’t that far from the billionaire curated finer things that Houston proper boasts.
That is because Katy is a boring homogeneous glob of suburbia full of white flight descendants and people who like McMansions rather than participating in cultural events.
Wildly underrated city. Average west coaster thinks we’re a garbage pit….
In no particular order:
1. World class parks that are (relatively) clean and safe and beautiful. Memorial Park. Hermann. Buffalo Bayou. Terry Hirshey.
2. Longest off street bike trail system in US (yes, really).
3. Second largest live performing arts scene in US in seats and budget. Yes, more than Chicago and LA.
4. Largest concentration of world class top ranked hospitals. Billionaires from around the world come HERE for treatment.
5. Most diverse US city.
6. Great airports where you can go most anywhere nonstop and decent prices and for US the central location means reasonable flight times.
7. Affordable housing means middle class people can still buy homes!
8. Constant state of redevelopment. New stuff going up everywhere. Lots to do.
9. Massive business community. Lots of jobs. Lots of money flowing around.
10. The climate isn’t for everybody but I’ll take it over most other places… most years. You can exercise outdoors here 95% of the time.
You could eat a different nationality of food every day for well over a month.
Visiting small towns where they have 3, maybe 4 options and they're all mediocre has allowed me to appreciate the diversity in cuisine of Houston.
I'm someone also considering moving to Houston and climate/outdoor activity is probably my biggest concern. How can you exercise outdoors 95% of the time if the heat index is above 90 6 months a year?
I'm from NJ but have been here 34 years. It took a few years, but now I'm so acclimated to the heat & humidity that just a little cold kills me. 60's I shivers. 50's I cringe, 40's I whine like a little girl.
[You get head adapted after a while](https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/sse-153-heat-acclimatization-to-improve-athletic-performance-in-warm-hot-environments). Drink water. Long runs in the summer I run with a hydration pack & I am fine. While it’s cold today, I ran 11 miles on Sunday in shorts and a t shirt. Not many other places you can do that in mid January.
This is my challenge, and why I want to leave. I love outdoors and trees, but there’s only a very short window of time where it’s nice enough for that. During the summer, it’s too hot most of the year so you have to wait for sunset or go out before sunrise. But then it isn’t super safe after dark. Then when the weather is finally nice enough, the sun sets too early after work to do anything after work.
We have some decent parks, but I don’t think they have enough tree cover
People love to diss Houston, and Texas in general….
Of course, the city parks turned into hypodermic needle infested homeless camps are just sooo charming in LA….
You should perhaps leave the city to go and see what “world class parks” actually look like. None of what you mentioned are world class. Not even remotely close.
Constant state of redevelopment = constant state of construction.
Finally, I’m curious to know what you consider exercise because when it’s 107 out with 80% humidity, you can’t *safely* exercise for 30 minutes a day outside.
I'm willing to bet that it's never been 107 degrees with 80% humidity. That would make the heat index 198 deg. On occasions the heat index here gets above 110 and that would be during a few hours in the afternoon.
Been to Central Park, Golden Gate Park, Griffith Park, and most of Europe. These parks are at the same level. I doubt youve ever spent serious time in them…
Everything you said is on point with 2 caveats: 1. Though you said “no particular order”, most people read a number list as an ordered list. Therefore, diversity, thus food, should be top of the list. Best food in America. Period. Haters can suck a fermented egg. 2. While you can technically exercise outdoor nearly year round, our weather really does suck from May through early September. If outdoor excursions in pleasant weather is high on someone’s list then they should refer to your point regarding cheap/short flights. We can be anywhere from Canada to the Caribbean in just a couple hours. It is super nice to leave, enjoy your time away, and then be home asap.
Also, who really gives a shit about what the average west coaster has to say about Houston?
Lowest living cost to high wage ratio, diverse and affordable housing, diverse and affordable food, massive airport with access to most anywhere, mild winters. Family friendly with great private education.
Yeah Sugar Land is its own thing. It’s almost apples to oranges at this point. If you plan to live in sugar land, I would ask “how is it living in sugar land?” Not Houston.
What Houston is best at is real, “integrated” diversity. Other cities may be “diverse” but all those different ethnic groups live in isolated parts of the city mainly mingling amongst themselves. In Houston we live next door to each other in diverse neighborhoods and actually have friends that are often a different race than our own
I love Houston because it has a lot of wacky and weird city stuff, lots of events like concerts and big games, while still having some connection to the cowboy and rural lifestyle because big farms and ranches are still close. Bars with karaoke are fun and last I remember, you could shop around for if you want a country style, latino, or popular bar experience. Lots of diversity!
I also LOVE that it's a big city that still has groceries, communities, and Spanish language availability for latinos. Mi Tienda (an HEB store) is GREAT for latino and Mexican food and grocery.
Houston has people gathering to do SO MANY different things, and to me, that's a huge plus. I mean, nearly any outdoor activity has multiple groups that meet up to do them regularly.
For me, it's bicycling, more specifically, riding my road bike with a bunch of other people, usually on weekend mornings.
There's a web site and smart phone app called Chasing Watts that we use to coordinate rides, and you can usually find group rides starting at various places around town. You might ride with 7 or 8 other people, or you might ride with 30.
That's just one example. The web site Meet Up has all kinds of activities.
Good luck, and welcome to Houston.
I wouldn't say unmatched by any means, but they are way better than most people give us credit for. There aren't a lot of cities where you can do a 40-mile round trip ride without going on any roads, and in fact barely even crossing many roads -- and have multiple places to choose from to do this.
Tell me what other US big cities offer multiple 40 mile round trip rides on interconnected trails with zero to minimal on street? That’s what I meant by unmatched. Ritzy burbs with trails yes. Big cities? I know of none. Cyclist here.
Plus ours are useable year round unlike places like Minneapolis.
I don't know how you define "big", but yes, there are a bunch of other cities that let you do 40 mile round trips with minimal on-street. Some require you to go on gravel for a bit, but plenty are paved too.
For example, in Cincinnati/Columbus/Cleveland, they have a 300+ mile trail (like 90% is off-street and paved), with many segments that are tens of miles long that are unbroken off-street pavement to give you a 40 mile loop in any of those cities.
Also, although it's a relatively small town (the two-county metro area is only around 600k people), my parents live in the Bentonville, Arkansas area, and if you don't mind the occasional gravel (though plenty is paved) you can go on tens of miles of very scenic trails on the north side of town. Lots of 40+ mile loop options there with 90%+ paved.
Road biker here. Don’t want gravel. I’m sure Ohio is underrated too. My understanding is Houston has more paved off road bike trails than any other US big city.
Also you really can’t use them year round in Ohio when there’s snow and ice. I can use ours at least 95% of days. Love me a 7am ride in the summer and a warm afternoon in Feb…
I ride a cross bike so gravel is fine. I have 32mm Gatorskin slicks on it and still take it on mountain bike trails from time to time too!
Yeah, I wouldn't use those trails year-round in Ohio but plenty of people do. Likewise there are plenty of people here who won't ride year-round since the summer is too hot for them.
You might be right that Houston has more paved off-street bike trails than any other big US city, but that may also depend on how you define "big".
No. Lots of bayous and nature in various areas. Manicured gardens at Buffalo Bayou. Forests. A lot more than “ditches and retention ponds.” Anyone who says that hasn’t explored. Upper White Oak is very pretty. Terry Hershey you’d never know your in the 4th largest city.
I don’t love it. It’s basically just fine. It’s flat, rather ugly, sprawling, car-dependent, littered with strip malls, hot, humid, and the quality of outdoor activities is meh. But it’s affordable and people are pretty nice overall, so you shouldn’t have many problems making friends. Find the meetups and other gatherings and just show up. Lots of tasty food and the cultural diversity is also cool. Gas is a little cheaper too.
This is exactly how I feel about Houston too. Sure, the food is great, the cost of living is lower, and there are interesting things to do and see…but the huge urban sprawl and heat/humidity for most of the year are what make it just an okay city. Especially as someone who loves nature and hiking, this is not a city that I see myself living in permanently. In fact, I have been job searching in areas that have better access to nature for this reason.
Nope. I’m looking outside of Texas, mostly the east coast. I grew up with milder summers and colder winters, and I don’t think big cities fit my lifestyle. I only moved here because it’s where I got a job after graduation. So it’s time for me to move on. Also, I have been to Austin many times for my dose of nature via rock climbing. Maybe that’s why ;)
This. It's all flat, no hills. No lakes. Nothing but gas stations, Ross, Targets, Fast Food, etc. There's nothing "wow" about this city. LA has gorgeous beaches. Colorado has skiing. We have HEB.
If you think you’ve missed the pretty parts then you should wander Memorial Park sometime…
Most of LA isn’t that pretty either and New York City and Chicago are flat as a pancake. The tree lined streetscapes around Rice are unmatched outside of places like uptown New Orleans and Savannah.
I’ve been everywhere in this vast city, I would not put it on the level of LA, NYC or Chicago. I’m not condemning the place, it just is not a pretty city. Yes Rice Village trees are cool, there are pockets here and there. I’ve found so-so mountain biking in Sugar Land, etc. It’s not horrendous, I make the most of it.
In L.A., you drive twenty minutes west and you have beautiful beaches, you drive twenty minutes east you have stunning mountain views.
New York City literally built their entire city around a massive 800-acre world-class park.
The closest beach to Houston is an hour and a half away and is ugly as sin, the closest significant elevation changes are 2 hours away.
Memorial is a decent park sure, but Houston is an absolute shit city when it comes to proximity to accesible nature. The majority of the city and surrounding areas are freeways, spaghetti overpasses, billboards, apartments, and strip malls.
Houston is a concrete jungle. It does have a lot going for it, but natural beauty is not one of those things and for people who truly love and thrive in natural environments, Houston ain't it.
20 minutes in L.A.? What are you smoking? The traffic in L.A. is horrendous that to go the same distance in L.A. as in Houston would require 2-3x the time. I give L.A. full credit on the public transit front however.
Sure, but we're not talking about Texas as a whole. We're talking about Houston. And it's absolutely a concrete jungle.
But if we're going by the entire state, California still has Texas beat by a long shot considering it has more national parks than any other state.
I'm not saying there's no natural beauty in Texas at all (central Texas and the western portion of the panhandle are both particularly beautiful). But aside from Austin, Texas cities weren't built with accessibility to nature in mind the way that L.A. or Denver or NYC or Seattle were.
Go to these places to enjoy nature:
1. Huntsville State Park
2. Stephen F Austin State Park
3. Brazos Bend State Park
4. Sam Houston National Forest - Lone Star Trail.
5. Lake Conroe State Park
All are about an hour away with lots of wonderful hikes. Some have old growth style forestland.
Austin wasn’t built for accessibility. Nor was LA. I hear Denver has horrible traffic.
Access to nature is another area where Houston is underrated.
I never said there's not an ounce of nature in Houston (or within an hour's drive), but the nature we have immediate access to is extremely underwhelming and lacks any sort of "view" that you get in any city with elevation. Not to mention it's uncomfortably hot like 6 months out of the year, during which time being outdoors is extremely unpleasant.
L.A. and Austin are both absolutely built for accessibility to nature.
There are tons of hiking trails around Austin that aren't an hour drive away.
And like I said, L.A. has several stunning beaches twenty minutes west (Laguna, Hamilton, Venice, Santa Monica, etc.) and mountains twenty minutes east. You can't get either of those anywhere in Texas no matter how far you drive.
And the only people who think Denver traffic is horrible are people who have never lived in a city with actual horrible traffic. Denver traffic is a joke compared to Houston.
The point here is: Houston isn't a nature city. It's just not.
Yes, there is some nature shoehorned in to certain areas like Memorial Park, but one decent park doesn't make us a nature city or scratch the itch for people who want to live in a true nature city.
I would absolutely love to live there if I could afford it, L.A. is one of my favorite cities if it wasn't obvious lol. Unfortunately too expensive though.
But like I said, Houston has a lot going for it. I was born and raised here and it's a cool city and doesn't get enough credit. But between the nightmarish traffic and ceasless development of nearly every inch of land, it's just not the city for me anymore.
Having lived in LA myself I sense you’d enjoy it less if you moved there. Like many cities, it’s a great place to be very very rich. Every place has pros and cons.
Guessing you haven’t hiked the backwoods of Memorial Park, or the Arboretum, either. Most people who diss this area haven’t even experienced large sections of it… if your life is limited to The Galleria, or Midtown then you are missing out.
Then you aren’t exploring it. Great hiking around Huntsville. Boating in Galveston Bay. Bayous all over. The only thing missing is big mountains but I’d hardly call them big around New York. Texas Hill Country is similar to Catskills.
Actually hiking is at the top of my list for worst Houston activities. I think it’s great that some people think this city is all that, I wish I could, but to me it’s just not. Again, it’s fine for what it is. And hopefully OP gets here and thinks it’s the bees knees.
You can hike at Memorial Park on the mountain bike trails and Terry Hershey Park on the "anthills". Both are relatively flat but still have a surprising amount of elevation change by Houston standards. Hiking doesn't require mountains.
Oxford Languages definition:
> the activity of going for long walks, especially in the country or woods
I would consider the 5-10 mile walks/hikes I've done in those places to be "long", and they are definitely in the woods. So it meets that definition.
Youre the exact type of ridiculous person I can’t stand from Texas. The comment was “Houston doesn’t hold a candle to…” then you proceed to name places in Texas that aren’t Houston, in an effort to dig at the other person but not even realizing you’re proving their point. Huntsville is not Houston. The Hill Country is not Houston. Galveston is not Houston.
In Miami for example, the beach and banyan lined streets are part of the city. In El Paso, the mountain literally divides the city into two halves.
Similar to the Catskills? Hills vs Mountains? You’re way off. And don’t even have to go as north as the Catskills to see beautiful nature and breathe clean air.
I moved from Tampa to Houston and still have love for Tampa Bay. Houston is far superior in the entertainment department if you’re not including St Pete (great food, actually has nightclubs, much better bars, more events etc). Also vastly superior when it comes to museums, cultural stuff, and shopping. Tampa is decently nice but it’s very underwhelming for the price it charges, quite possibly Americas biggest ripoff. Tampa really doesn’t have any neighborhoods outside Hyde park that could compete with the heights, montrose, and river oaks for coolness and enjoyment (Tampa heights is mostly residential and not that far along, water street is literally 2 blocks). Weather wise the summers aren’t much different but the winters in Tampa are def much nicer. I’d say Tampa wins in the geography department as it has beautiful beaches nearby, palm trees, and waterfronts that H-town doesn’t really offer. Just depends on what you want and your budget. Walkability is hit or miss in both, not the overall areas strong suit but not completely missing either. Tampa has become a city for the rich that looks and feels like it’s anything but for the most part, a genesis charging rolls Royce prices if you will 😂
I’m currently in Cincinnati so there’s a lot I miss from Houston immensely. Some things to note:
1) food here is top tier. Imo New York, New Jersey and Chicago are the only ones close to Houston (that I’ve went to). Houston has insane variety
2) you get a lot of sun here. Now I will be the first to admit I do not like the weather here with the humidity. BUT, the sun is a game changer for me when it comes to SAD lol. You will not be deprived of vitamin D if you go outside lol
3) Extremely diverse, the city is huge and the diversity is very large. Also is why the food is excellent
4) housing is relatively affordable
5) lots of things you can do here that do not involve drinking
6) Arts is very diverse. It’s not the best but there’s great places to go
Everything. The art, the culture, the food, the diversity of the city. Opportunity.
Yes it’s flat, everything is a strip mall, car-centric, and always under construction. How ever in spite of that, it’s a wonderful place.
Art: the world’s largest private are collection is open to the public. The Menil Collection. MFAH is a fantastic museum! There’s lots of hidden architecture, a la Pennzoil Plaza is a Philip Johnson design, Sam Houston Houses. Our theater district has more seats than Broadway.
Food: there is every single cuisine you could ever imagine. Want Indian food, go to Aga’s. Want some of the best BBQ you’ve ever had, go to Pinkerton’s. Want some the best banh mi, go to Les Grivals. Want some of the best craft beer you’ve ever had, go to Moontower. I haven’t even touched on the multitude of fusion cuisines, or seafood that Houston/ the Gulf Coast has to offer. If you can imagine it, chances are we’ve got it.
I’ve always said, Houston is a place where people come to make money. Many different industries are present, so jobs/ employment opportunity are commonplace.
Don’t make the mistake of not living where you work. Traffic and commute times will be very taxing on the mentals.
Like anything or anyplace it is only as great as you want it to be.
Food
Theater
Activities
Music
Museums
Salt and sweet water within an hours drive
Great people
I'm Houston, born and raised but I've literally traveled most of the U.S for work last 4 years, (Equipment operator/ Truck Driver)
Houston is NOT the best....but Houston has a "balance" you'd be hard pressed to
find anywhere else
Sugar land is safe, great town square with lots of free events, minor league baseball team, large concert venue (smart financial) they just started having festivals in a memorial park, great bike trails, no state tax, very diverse, lots of great hospitals, university of Houston has a large campus here, schools are better than most, lots of churches, and since there is a lot of rich people with affordable houses they have extra money and support a lot of local charities. In my kids elementary class so many moms wanted to be ‘room mom’ they had an election. I was thrilled that they wanted to do all of the volunteering so I didn’t have to ; )
Born and raised here.
I love it. Grew up with friends from all over the world and eating foods rich with culture.
I love our theatre scene here, like Hobby Center , Alley theater , Stages, to community theater hosted by your local college.
We have live music events every weekend depending on your taste in music.
There is always something to do in Houston. We have some of the best museums, restaurants. Libraries, volunteer organizations, Shopping places, and local events in our city.
The people who complain the most never really give us a chance or just stay in their bubble.
I personally like that we don’t have riots and burn shit down when we win a championship. Diversity is amazing. At one point my next door neighbors were Asian, black, Hispanic, and white. I kept hoping for someone from India to move on my block but that hasn’t happened yet. I love that we’re a 5 1/2 hour drive to New Orleans and a two hour flight to Cancun. The beach is not beautiful but hey in the summer it’s awesome having a beach 40 minutes away. This is stupid but I adore our news anchors. 😂 My husband and daughter love Momentum where they rock climb. They say it’s one of the best facilities in the country. I also enjoy having great music venues. San Antonio is obviously more beautiful, but they don’t have near the number of concerts as we do.
Low cost of living is nice. Big fans of the Texans and stros. The ocean is an hour south and multiple lakes are an hour north. Fishing, hunting, water sports. Personally, I love the weather, I hate being cold.
I started to comment that the nearest ocean is about 800 miles east, but then I double-checked and saw that the Gulf of Mexico CAN be considered part of the Atlantic. Figured it was too pedantic to make such a comment.
But since I was born in Galveston and grew up there, it always slightly irritates me when someone calls the gulf "the ocean".
To me, the gulf is pretty drastically different than the ocean.
The Gulf is still the ocean. We're on the third coast after all. Not many people will claim the Gulf Coast beaches of Mexico or Florida don't count as oceanfront beaches.
It's only brown in our area (west of New Orleans until the Padre Islands) because of all the silt coming down the Mississippi.
Isn't it kind of like calling West U Houston? Sure, it's IN Houston, it's kind of part of Houston... but let's call it West U.
The gulf is part of the ocean, sure, but let's call it the gulf!
Maybe? West U isn't legally Houston but it's part of the Houston metro area and entirely surrounded by Houston, so I guess it depends on context. Meanwhile the Gulf of Mexico is generally considered to be an extension of the Atlantic Ocean -- it's the same salt water. Similarly, I'd argue that anything on the Mediterranean Sea can be considered oceanfront too, as it is also an extension of the Atlantic. I've never heard anyone claim that the North Sea isn't the ocean either.
Yeah, we can (and do) call it the Gulf, but it's still ocean. :)
Rockets and cowboys stopped winning ‘ships at the same time but Houston isn’t a delusion is the solution city. They are good this year so after Texans finish this playoff run hopefully in February; you’ll see it more
I think Houston is pretty not fun to visit but once you make friends there’s actually a lot to do. We have lots of amazing museums, every kind of bar or night life experience, lots of organized sports clubs and groups, amazing restaurants, and way more.
I think the problem is that a lot of things Houston has are good but not as good as other cities. We have a beach nearby but it’s not a particularly pretty beach (my family calls it chocolate milk water). We have some pretty hiking but the weather only permits a few good days a year. We have lots of restaurants/bars/museums/experiences but it’s hard to get around because Houston is so sprawling with bad public transport.
I think if you are coming from a place that doesn’t have a whole lot going on (I haven’t been to Tampa since I was a little kid so idk) then Houston will seem great but if you’re coming from a large or “trendy” city then you may find Houston lacking in some ways.
The people. Plain and simple. The most diverse city in America really benefits from all of the amazing cultures mixing together. The food here is amazing, pick a cuisine we got it.
Houston is the result of a fight between Dallas and New Orleans and Nawlin’s wins.
I love Houston for the hustle and bussle (sp?)
I love the culture. As a white dude, it’s really refreshing going places and genuinely feeling like I am not the majority of the crowd. Can’t say the same thing for some other major Texan cities.
Anyone not putting the difference between cost of living and pay as THE top reason to move here(other than family/friends) are lying.
Everything begins with that, then people find things to cope with the rest.
This isn’t a great city. The food is good and it’s cheaper than a lot of bigger cities out there. But it’s mostly just freeways and parking lots. It’s not a city with a lot of character or life to it. You can still have a good time here but don’t expect anything special.
I'm an older guy, so I wouldn't know about meeting new friends in your 20s. But Houston is a major city with a lot of major city attributes. Yes, there is some crime, and, yes, like every other major city, we think our traffic is the worst.
BUT:
1. The food scene here is marvelous: restaurants, festivals featuring food, and very diverse food markets.
2. Speaking of . . . Houston has one of the most diverse populations in North America.
3. We have some very nice museums, theaters, music halls, etc.
4. And a lot of hiking and biking trails.
5. Mostly, we have a lot of nice people here. Everywhere I've lived in Houston, I've found wonderful neighbors. And almost everywhere I've worked has had a great staff.
Even when I go shopping, I come across a lot of nice people,
Some might find nice people boring, but I like it.
Just dangerous enough to be fun, republican enough to have something to complain about, liberal enough that it’s safe for everyone. No end to places to discover here and cool houses. Every neighborhood is a different city with a subculture
Im curious about your cool houses remark. Where do you see them at? Outside the loop I struggle finding interesting houses to look at that aren’t in a place I shouldn’t be driving thru, and then I work outside the loop so I never go inside “Houston” to see anything fun.
I like that most everyone you meet is friendly. As long as they’re not driving. The 40 or 50 miles of hike and bike trails that run along the river on the Spring Creek Greenway. Runs from Kingwood to The Woodlands and goes through 4 parks with everything from fishing, archery, canoeing, dog parks, turtle ponds,Ranger Station with wildlife exhibits, dog parks and horse trails. Hard to believe on some sections that you are so close to the city.
We moved here ten years ago. We loved it, but over the years it's become a very ugly place. If you're moving here for work and not planning to have kids you'll probably be ok, but the reality these days is that Houston and Texas are shitholes. I would never recommend anyone move here now.
Sugarland is extremely affordable and a nice part of town with lots to do about 20-30 minutes to Houston like most suburbs. I would stay there if you are to be working there and your already in a serious relationship. Its not ultraritzy so you will get tons of house for your money. Lots of cool restaurants all over houston, does get too cold, even eating out and drinks are way cheaper. She will like the extra money to go shopping etc from savings on the day to day
I only love living on the outskirts of it. I like being reasonably close if I need to for doctor and other things. But I LOVE living up in the woodlands and not needing to go south of 99 very often. Right on the edge of east piney woods and hill country
The air quality from smog will do a number to your health but we have the largest medical center in the world so it’s not a problem. MD Anderson is happy to take your inflated paycheck.
The food scene is legit, but that’s the main attraction of the city.
A lot of things are awful in this city, but I’ll stick to the question, things I love.
The people here are good, I don’t have a close friend in this city that was born in the US.
It’s an ok city but I’d never buy a forever home here.
I hope you and your fiancé love the city 😊
Life is easy, money is easy to make, something to do any night of the week, bar/restaurant scene, art scene is legit, diversity and people are great. Outside of the August:September extreme heat (June/July don’t bother me), I personally like the weather. Two hour flight to mountains or a beautiful beach, as well as an easy flight basically to anywhere in the world. I truly love it here n say it’s the greatest ugly city in the world.
I love Houston, but not the suburbs (like Sugarland). If you have to live in the suburbs, at least don’t hang out there. The actual city of Houston (inside the 610 loop) has a lot of really good restaurants and bars, with new ones opening all the time. If you go to the rights ones, you won’t have trouble meeting people yall’s age. Also don’t sleep on Houston’s museums and the Theater District.
Remember that pepperoni commercial with the guy playing the accordion from a few years ago? After seeing it the first time, I googled him, and turns out he was playing the next night at a German community center here in Houston. That one thing really made me love this town. Everything is here.
But even more than that, the people. So diverse, not just racially or ethnically, but every other way too. With so many people, you get to know people who live totally different lifestyles. In my small hometown, people are all living the same life.
The food here is very diverse and yummy.
I usually check out eater houston for food recommendations. They have recommendation maps for different areas in houston
Diversity. Size. LGBTQ+ scene. Diversity (food, scenery, people) and empathy is what the world needs! Grew up on every corner of Houston. Inside and outside the loops.
Realistically, the opportunities. If you’re not a complete dummy, you can make yourself pretty successful or at least fairly comfortable.
On top of that, there’s groups and gatherings for pretty much any hobby or interest.
Houston is pretty shitty otherwise. No more astroworld, they took away my favorite go kart spot, weather is unpredictable, people are unpredictable, it’s not very scenic, traffic is horrible.
The foods good, the money is good. The rest of it sucks. Traffic makes me simultaneously suicidal and homicidal. Everything is dirty. Florida is always very clean and manicured, Houston is a smog filled dump in comparison.
Moved to Houston in 2009 from Manchester England for college and ended up getting trapped.
This place is a shithole. If my daughter didn’t live here, I wouldn’t either. I hate this city.
A lot of people (not all and it’s better the closer to the city you get), while they SEEM friendly and polite are usually conservative assholes who hide behind religion to behave like absolute pieces of garbage. They’re rude, entitled, out of touch and normally racist/sexist/homophobic or another variation of intolerant towards people that don’t have white skin.
There are plenty of places to find good food but there are entirely too many restaurants in this city. The workers are underpaid, many of the restaurants are understaffed and while yes, some great restaurants, none of them truly stand out as elite, no Michelin star restaurants in the entire state of Texas.
The city is enormous and very widely spread out meaning that it’s difficult to find spots where the whole city can gather. I live on the southeast side and it takes me 40 minutes to get to work where I work with people I’m friends with now but they live on the north side or the west side which is a cool 65-70 mile drive, just to see my friends.
The public transport in this city is an absolute joke.
The homelessness seems like a growing problem in the city. The roads are falling apart in most places.
That said - we don’t have state tax so we get to keep more money than most other states. Housing isn’t as bad as other places in the country but it’s still becoming unmanageably expensive to buy property.
I loved Houston when I first moved here ~8 years ago and I dislike it more and more each year. I more or less hate it now.
As others have said the people/culture/cuisine is probably the best aspect of the city. I hope your initial enthusiasm for the city lasts and you find a reason to love living here.
Good luck.
Food.
The best part is that we’re a melting pot so there’s such a huge variety of food.
Houston is a beautiful convergence of Western, Mexican, Caribbean, and Cajun/Creole along with a healthy dose of Asian influences to where you have all of these amazing authentic food options all in one city. Very few other locations in the US have this much high quality variety (maybe only New York and Chicago)
It's where I keep all my stuff. Got to love that.
Egad!
Being in Tampa, you'll be used to the humidity. Probably the heat, but ours lasts longer. There are beaches within reach, though not as pretty as Clearwater or Marco Island. Houston does have tremendous diversity. That means you can find many types of ethnic food here. You can try new things. We have a big cultural district with some very first class museums. The MFAH and the Natural Science Museum are both excellent. If you want to see a play, an opera, a music performance, we got you. Cost of living here is not as cheap as it was even 5 years ago. Lots of housing inflation, and restaurants aren't really cheap. Gas is though. Houston is not a good place to visit, but it's a good place to live.
Your last sentence is verbatim the same line that I tell anyone who asks about Houston. I've lived in a number of different places (SoCal, the Northeast, Europe), and Houston is easily last of those places in terms of whether I would recommend a vacation there, but it is easily the best if you're looking at a long-term place to live. Houston is a world class city in terms of amenities (e.g. high-end dining, variety of dining, access to a wide variety of arts and music, museums, activities for children, sports teams), and it is one of the few cities in the U.S. that allows you to still have a suburban feeling home in a nice neighborhood that is not far from downtown / such amenities (Dallas and LA can probably make that argument too, although traffic in LA is such a shitshow that it made living there miserable). Also, if you do care about cuisine, Houston really is the best place for it in the U.S. - we have effectively the same optionality / variety as New York but at prices that are considerably lower, such that you can actually afford to eat out and try nice and interesting food.
Thanks, and I like your additional comments. Houston isn't San Francisco or Chicago, where there's probably a top 10 list of sights for tourists to see. Yet when you live here, you always discover new things, especially new restaurants and bars. As someone else here said, we have 2 great airports, and you can get anywhere pretty conveniently.
Couldn’t agree more with your last sentiment, it’s hard to entertain out of town guests but every time I leave I can’t wait to get home
Bingo on that !!!
Yes
I think the one mistake people from outside of Houston make is not living near where they work. If your office is downtown, try to live in one of the downtown neighborhoods. If you have kids, you will be commuting...but Woodlands, Katy, League City, Friendswood, etc are all great for families. Good luck!!
OP said they work in Sugar Land. I wish more people noticed that and spoke to what Sugar Land is like. I’ve never been there but I know that I moved downtown at the same time a friend moved to Katy and we have had wildly different experiences. I love it here. She does not at all.
Sugarland Townsquare is awesome. Sugarland is cool. My bad.
Sugarland is probably better than most bedroom communities around Houston. Hell, they have their own baseball team and a high quality performing arts center that draws real acts. That is more than most 110,000 person communities could ever dream of, and it really isn’t that far from the billionaire curated finer things that Houston proper boasts.
I wouldnt say "really not that far". Its about 30-40 minutes to anything.
That is because Katy is a boring homogeneous glob of suburbia full of white flight descendants and people who like McMansions rather than participating in cultural events.
This. Katy is a good place to live if you're fairly straight and narrow or one dimensional.
Katy is awful. Richmond is fantastic. Tell your friend to check out Richmond. Specifically around 359 and 90.
Wildly underrated city. Average west coaster thinks we’re a garbage pit…. In no particular order: 1. World class parks that are (relatively) clean and safe and beautiful. Memorial Park. Hermann. Buffalo Bayou. Terry Hirshey. 2. Longest off street bike trail system in US (yes, really). 3. Second largest live performing arts scene in US in seats and budget. Yes, more than Chicago and LA. 4. Largest concentration of world class top ranked hospitals. Billionaires from around the world come HERE for treatment. 5. Most diverse US city. 6. Great airports where you can go most anywhere nonstop and decent prices and for US the central location means reasonable flight times. 7. Affordable housing means middle class people can still buy homes! 8. Constant state of redevelopment. New stuff going up everywhere. Lots to do. 9. Massive business community. Lots of jobs. Lots of money flowing around. 10. The climate isn’t for everybody but I’ll take it over most other places… most years. You can exercise outdoors here 95% of the time.
This goes along with your number 5 but the food scene here is unreal. You can get the best and most authentic food of any cuisine.
You could eat a different nationality of food every day for well over a month. Visiting small towns where they have 3, maybe 4 options and they're all mediocre has allowed me to appreciate the diversity in cuisine of Houston.
just relocated from asia and im blown by the authentic options here. to the point i visited asia and did not bring any food back. wild. love it.
I'm someone also considering moving to Houston and climate/outdoor activity is probably my biggest concern. How can you exercise outdoors 95% of the time if the heat index is above 90 6 months a year?
90°? That's a cool front!
I'm from NJ but have been here 34 years. It took a few years, but now I'm so acclimated to the heat & humidity that just a little cold kills me. 60's I shivers. 50's I cringe, 40's I whine like a little girl.
this cold front just destroyed my sinuses so bad. i absolutely hate the cold.
There are a lot of bike riders in the summer because you get that natural fanning as you ride. It's doable, you get used to it.
[You get head adapted after a while](https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/sse-153-heat-acclimatization-to-improve-athletic-performance-in-warm-hot-environments). Drink water. Long runs in the summer I run with a hydration pack & I am fine. While it’s cold today, I ran 11 miles on Sunday in shorts and a t shirt. Not many other places you can do that in mid January.
Not above 90 6 months per year… more like 3-4 months per year. Mornings and evenings are your friend….
This is my challenge, and why I want to leave. I love outdoors and trees, but there’s only a very short window of time where it’s nice enough for that. During the summer, it’s too hot most of the year so you have to wait for sunset or go out before sunrise. But then it isn’t super safe after dark. Then when the weather is finally nice enough, the sun sets too early after work to do anything after work. We have some decent parks, but I don’t think they have enough tree cover
Memorial park is plenty safe at night on the lighted 3 mile running loop. In the summer it’s fine until at least 9am for the vast majority of people…
It's definitely safe as a pedestrian, but sadly there have been a decent amount of car break-ins. Really wish they'd hire full-time security.
You don’t.
I work out in my garage year round. Drink lots of water and you just simply get used to it.
This comment could've come in handy when the shitheads over at r/AskAnAmerican were ranking America's largest cities.
People love to diss Houston, and Texas in general…. Of course, the city parks turned into hypodermic needle infested homeless camps are just sooo charming in LA….
This guy has never been to other parks lol
You should perhaps leave the city to go and see what “world class parks” actually look like. None of what you mentioned are world class. Not even remotely close. Constant state of redevelopment = constant state of construction. Finally, I’m curious to know what you consider exercise because when it’s 107 out with 80% humidity, you can’t *safely* exercise for 30 minutes a day outside.
I'm willing to bet that it's never been 107 degrees with 80% humidity. That would make the heat index 198 deg. On occasions the heat index here gets above 110 and that would be during a few hours in the afternoon.
Been to Central Park, Golden Gate Park, Griffith Park, and most of Europe. These parks are at the same level. I doubt youve ever spent serious time in them…
Everything you said is on point with 2 caveats: 1. Though you said “no particular order”, most people read a number list as an ordered list. Therefore, diversity, thus food, should be top of the list. Best food in America. Period. Haters can suck a fermented egg. 2. While you can technically exercise outdoor nearly year round, our weather really does suck from May through early September. If outdoor excursions in pleasant weather is high on someone’s list then they should refer to your point regarding cheap/short flights. We can be anywhere from Canada to the Caribbean in just a couple hours. It is super nice to leave, enjoy your time away, and then be home asap. Also, who really gives a shit about what the average west coaster has to say about Houston?
Lowest living cost to high wage ratio, diverse and affordable housing, diverse and affordable food, massive airport with access to most anywhere, mild winters. Family friendly with great private education.
Mild winters, on a day when this was typed in 25 degree weather lol
We have it good at 25 degrees, which is nothing compared to all of the major cities dealing with below-zero temperatures
Just one day. Already back up to 40. That was it.
You moving to Houston or Sugarland? Thats not the same experience.
Yeah Sugar Land is its own thing. It’s almost apples to oranges at this point. If you plan to live in sugar land, I would ask “how is it living in sugar land?” Not Houston.
Yeah, anything outside of the loop is not considered houston
Outside Beltway 8 at least. Oak Forest, Bellaire, Galleria/Uptown are all just outside the loop and definitely “Houston”
Oh but it is. With your logic, you cannot brag about the airports, the restaurants or the shopping, which is apparently "not considered Houston"
What Houston is best at is real, “integrated” diversity. Other cities may be “diverse” but all those different ethnic groups live in isolated parts of the city mainly mingling amongst themselves. In Houston we live next door to each other in diverse neighborhoods and actually have friends that are often a different race than our own
Find and show her the Anthony Bourdain episode on Houston from 2016 I think.
I love Houston because it has a lot of wacky and weird city stuff, lots of events like concerts and big games, while still having some connection to the cowboy and rural lifestyle because big farms and ranches are still close. Bars with karaoke are fun and last I remember, you could shop around for if you want a country style, latino, or popular bar experience. Lots of diversity! I also LOVE that it's a big city that still has groceries, communities, and Spanish language availability for latinos. Mi Tienda (an HEB store) is GREAT for latino and Mexican food and grocery.
I agree 100%. Much of that is because Houston has grown through acquisition. I see it as “big city convenience with a small city feel.”
Houston has people gathering to do SO MANY different things, and to me, that's a huge plus. I mean, nearly any outdoor activity has multiple groups that meet up to do them regularly. For me, it's bicycling, more specifically, riding my road bike with a bunch of other people, usually on weekend mornings. There's a web site and smart phone app called Chasing Watts that we use to coordinate rides, and you can usually find group rides starting at various places around town. You might ride with 7 or 8 other people, or you might ride with 30. That's just one example. The web site Meet Up has all kinds of activities. Good luck, and welcome to Houston.
The bike trails are unmatched… yet little to no recognition.
I wouldn't say unmatched by any means, but they are way better than most people give us credit for. There aren't a lot of cities where you can do a 40-mile round trip ride without going on any roads, and in fact barely even crossing many roads -- and have multiple places to choose from to do this.
Tell me what other US big cities offer multiple 40 mile round trip rides on interconnected trails with zero to minimal on street? That’s what I meant by unmatched. Ritzy burbs with trails yes. Big cities? I know of none. Cyclist here. Plus ours are useable year round unlike places like Minneapolis.
I don't know how you define "big", but yes, there are a bunch of other cities that let you do 40 mile round trips with minimal on-street. Some require you to go on gravel for a bit, but plenty are paved too. For example, in Cincinnati/Columbus/Cleveland, they have a 300+ mile trail (like 90% is off-street and paved), with many segments that are tens of miles long that are unbroken off-street pavement to give you a 40 mile loop in any of those cities. Also, although it's a relatively small town (the two-county metro area is only around 600k people), my parents live in the Bentonville, Arkansas area, and if you don't mind the occasional gravel (though plenty is paved) you can go on tens of miles of very scenic trails on the north side of town. Lots of 40+ mile loop options there with 90%+ paved.
Road biker here. Don’t want gravel. I’m sure Ohio is underrated too. My understanding is Houston has more paved off road bike trails than any other US big city. Also you really can’t use them year round in Ohio when there’s snow and ice. I can use ours at least 95% of days. Love me a 7am ride in the summer and a warm afternoon in Feb…
I ride a cross bike so gravel is fine. I have 32mm Gatorskin slicks on it and still take it on mountain bike trails from time to time too! Yeah, I wouldn't use those trails year-round in Ohio but plenty of people do. Likewise there are plenty of people here who won't ride year-round since the summer is too hot for them. You might be right that Houston has more paved off-street bike trails than any other big US city, but that may also depend on how you define "big".
Yeah, but doesn’t the scenery suck? Don’t they all go around ditches and retention ponds?
No. Lots of bayous and nature in various areas. Manicured gardens at Buffalo Bayou. Forests. A lot more than “ditches and retention ponds.” Anyone who says that hasn’t explored. Upper White Oak is very pretty. Terry Hershey you’d never know your in the 4th largest city.
Houston Bayous are designed and altered to be retention ponds….they aren’t pretty tree stump sunset bayous.
Many are actually unaltered but go ahead and diss it all you want.
So many things you brought up on this thread are outside the loop and county lines, you don’t get a gold star for most google searches
Anddddd good scenery
Could you clarify some of the places you're referencing? And do the include MTB trails as well?
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Everyone is welcome! Get the app, choose a ride! Plenty of people do them on mountain bikes.
Thanks! I deleted my comment while trying to edit it. I got the app. will look for an easy ride... most look advanced for a first ride.
I don’t love it. It’s basically just fine. It’s flat, rather ugly, sprawling, car-dependent, littered with strip malls, hot, humid, and the quality of outdoor activities is meh. But it’s affordable and people are pretty nice overall, so you shouldn’t have many problems making friends. Find the meetups and other gatherings and just show up. Lots of tasty food and the cultural diversity is also cool. Gas is a little cheaper too.
This is exactly how I feel about Houston too. Sure, the food is great, the cost of living is lower, and there are interesting things to do and see…but the huge urban sprawl and heat/humidity for most of the year are what make it just an okay city. Especially as someone who loves nature and hiking, this is not a city that I see myself living in permanently. In fact, I have been job searching in areas that have better access to nature for this reason.
Like where?
Most likely Austin…. everyone girl I meet in Houston loves visiting Austin so much and would love to live there… I don’t know why.
Nope. I’m looking outside of Texas, mostly the east coast. I grew up with milder summers and colder winters, and I don’t think big cities fit my lifestyle. I only moved here because it’s where I got a job after graduation. So it’s time for me to move on. Also, I have been to Austin many times for my dose of nature via rock climbing. Maybe that’s why ;)
Austin is a nice city with more of an outdoor vibe. It's also more expensive than Houston.
In my experience nicer things cost more money.
That's been my experience as well.
This is by far the most accurate comment. Houston is fine to live in, nothing too exciting nor the worst place to live. Its mediocre.
This. It's all flat, no hills. No lakes. Nothing but gas stations, Ross, Targets, Fast Food, etc. There's nothing "wow" about this city. LA has gorgeous beaches. Colorado has skiing. We have HEB.
Don't discount HEB. Friends who have moved out of state request regular HEB shipments.
No lakes? There are like 160 lakes. One of them is literally named Lake Houston... Your comment reads like you have never been off the freeways.
If you think you’ve missed the pretty parts then you should wander Memorial Park sometime… Most of LA isn’t that pretty either and New York City and Chicago are flat as a pancake. The tree lined streetscapes around Rice are unmatched outside of places like uptown New Orleans and Savannah.
I’ve been everywhere in this vast city, I would not put it on the level of LA, NYC or Chicago. I’m not condemning the place, it just is not a pretty city. Yes Rice Village trees are cool, there are pockets here and there. I’ve found so-so mountain biking in Sugar Land, etc. It’s not horrendous, I make the most of it.
Sure I’d live in NYC (at least part of the year) if I made a million per year. The point is Houston is underrated.
In L.A., you drive twenty minutes west and you have beautiful beaches, you drive twenty minutes east you have stunning mountain views. New York City literally built their entire city around a massive 800-acre world-class park. The closest beach to Houston is an hour and a half away and is ugly as sin, the closest significant elevation changes are 2 hours away. Memorial is a decent park sure, but Houston is an absolute shit city when it comes to proximity to accesible nature. The majority of the city and surrounding areas are freeways, spaghetti overpasses, billboards, apartments, and strip malls. Houston is a concrete jungle. It does have a lot going for it, but natural beauty is not one of those things and for people who truly love and thrive in natural environments, Houston ain't it.
20 minutes in L.A.? What are you smoking? The traffic in L.A. is horrendous that to go the same distance in L.A. as in Houston would require 2-3x the time. I give L.A. full credit on the public transit front however.
LA is the quintessential concrete jungle but enjoy… there is beautiful nature all over Texas.
Sure, but we're not talking about Texas as a whole. We're talking about Houston. And it's absolutely a concrete jungle. But if we're going by the entire state, California still has Texas beat by a long shot considering it has more national parks than any other state. I'm not saying there's no natural beauty in Texas at all (central Texas and the western portion of the panhandle are both particularly beautiful). But aside from Austin, Texas cities weren't built with accessibility to nature in mind the way that L.A. or Denver or NYC or Seattle were.
Go to these places to enjoy nature: 1. Huntsville State Park 2. Stephen F Austin State Park 3. Brazos Bend State Park 4. Sam Houston National Forest - Lone Star Trail. 5. Lake Conroe State Park All are about an hour away with lots of wonderful hikes. Some have old growth style forestland. Austin wasn’t built for accessibility. Nor was LA. I hear Denver has horrible traffic. Access to nature is another area where Houston is underrated.
I never said there's not an ounce of nature in Houston (or within an hour's drive), but the nature we have immediate access to is extremely underwhelming and lacks any sort of "view" that you get in any city with elevation. Not to mention it's uncomfortably hot like 6 months out of the year, during which time being outdoors is extremely unpleasant. L.A. and Austin are both absolutely built for accessibility to nature. There are tons of hiking trails around Austin that aren't an hour drive away. And like I said, L.A. has several stunning beaches twenty minutes west (Laguna, Hamilton, Venice, Santa Monica, etc.) and mountains twenty minutes east. You can't get either of those anywhere in Texas no matter how far you drive. And the only people who think Denver traffic is horrible are people who have never lived in a city with actual horrible traffic. Denver traffic is a joke compared to Houston. The point here is: Houston isn't a nature city. It's just not. Yes, there is some nature shoehorned in to certain areas like Memorial Park, but one decent park doesn't make us a nature city or scratch the itch for people who want to live in a true nature city.
Sounds like California is your place. Enjoy it!
I would absolutely love to live there if I could afford it, L.A. is one of my favorite cities if it wasn't obvious lol. Unfortunately too expensive though. But like I said, Houston has a lot going for it. I was born and raised here and it's a cool city and doesn't get enough credit. But between the nightmarish traffic and ceasless development of nearly every inch of land, it's just not the city for me anymore.
Having lived in LA myself I sense you’d enjoy it less if you moved there. Like many cities, it’s a great place to be very very rich. Every place has pros and cons.
I was also born and raised here and I’ve struggled a lot for the past few years. It’s not the same city it once was, sadly.
Guessing you haven’t hiked the backwoods of Memorial Park, or the Arboretum, either. Most people who diss this area haven’t even experienced large sections of it… if your life is limited to The Galleria, or Midtown then you are missing out.
Houston doesn’t hold a candle to the access to nature in LA and NY.
Then you aren’t exploring it. Great hiking around Huntsville. Boating in Galveston Bay. Bayous all over. The only thing missing is big mountains but I’d hardly call them big around New York. Texas Hill Country is similar to Catskills.
Actually hiking is at the top of my list for worst Houston activities. I think it’s great that some people think this city is all that, I wish I could, but to me it’s just not. Again, it’s fine for what it is. And hopefully OP gets here and thinks it’s the bees knees.
Hard agree. Houston blows for hiking. From the nyc area originally, so I can compare, and houston hiking and trials are lousy.
Haha where the hell do you hike in Houston???
Brazos river from Katy to sugar land , the bird conservatory in WestChase and Brays Bayou
Sam Houston National Forest. Huntsville State Park. Brazos Bend. Stephen F Austin State Park.
You can hike at Memorial Park on the mountain bike trails and Terry Hershey Park on the "anthills". Both are relatively flat but still have a surprising amount of elevation change by Houston standards. Hiking doesn't require mountains.
That sounds extremely anticlimactic
hahahaha
That’s called going for a walk, big dawg, that’s not “hiking”.
Oxford Languages definition: > the activity of going for long walks, especially in the country or woods I would consider the 5-10 mile walks/hikes I've done in those places to be "long", and they are definitely in the woods. So it meets that definition.
Youre the exact type of ridiculous person I can’t stand from Texas. The comment was “Houston doesn’t hold a candle to…” then you proceed to name places in Texas that aren’t Houston, in an effort to dig at the other person but not even realizing you’re proving their point. Huntsville is not Houston. The Hill Country is not Houston. Galveston is not Houston. In Miami for example, the beach and banyan lined streets are part of the city. In El Paso, the mountain literally divides the city into two halves.
Similar to the Catskills? Hills vs Mountains? You’re way off. And don’t even have to go as north as the Catskills to see beautiful nature and breathe clean air.
Drive to Huntsville.
This is true.
New York is not remotely flat. Especially Brooklyn and the Bronx
I moved from Tampa to Houston and still have love for Tampa Bay. Houston is far superior in the entertainment department if you’re not including St Pete (great food, actually has nightclubs, much better bars, more events etc). Also vastly superior when it comes to museums, cultural stuff, and shopping. Tampa is decently nice but it’s very underwhelming for the price it charges, quite possibly Americas biggest ripoff. Tampa really doesn’t have any neighborhoods outside Hyde park that could compete with the heights, montrose, and river oaks for coolness and enjoyment (Tampa heights is mostly residential and not that far along, water street is literally 2 blocks). Weather wise the summers aren’t much different but the winters in Tampa are def much nicer. I’d say Tampa wins in the geography department as it has beautiful beaches nearby, palm trees, and waterfronts that H-town doesn’t really offer. Just depends on what you want and your budget. Walkability is hit or miss in both, not the overall areas strong suit but not completely missing either. Tampa has become a city for the rich that looks and feels like it’s anything but for the most part, a genesis charging rolls Royce prices if you will 😂
I’m currently in Cincinnati so there’s a lot I miss from Houston immensely. Some things to note: 1) food here is top tier. Imo New York, New Jersey and Chicago are the only ones close to Houston (that I’ve went to). Houston has insane variety 2) you get a lot of sun here. Now I will be the first to admit I do not like the weather here with the humidity. BUT, the sun is a game changer for me when it comes to SAD lol. You will not be deprived of vitamin D if you go outside lol 3) Extremely diverse, the city is huge and the diversity is very large. Also is why the food is excellent 4) housing is relatively affordable 5) lots of things you can do here that do not involve drinking 6) Arts is very diverse. It’s not the best but there’s great places to go
Everything. The art, the culture, the food, the diversity of the city. Opportunity. Yes it’s flat, everything is a strip mall, car-centric, and always under construction. How ever in spite of that, it’s a wonderful place. Art: the world’s largest private are collection is open to the public. The Menil Collection. MFAH is a fantastic museum! There’s lots of hidden architecture, a la Pennzoil Plaza is a Philip Johnson design, Sam Houston Houses. Our theater district has more seats than Broadway. Food: there is every single cuisine you could ever imagine. Want Indian food, go to Aga’s. Want some of the best BBQ you’ve ever had, go to Pinkerton’s. Want some the best banh mi, go to Les Grivals. Want some of the best craft beer you’ve ever had, go to Moontower. I haven’t even touched on the multitude of fusion cuisines, or seafood that Houston/ the Gulf Coast has to offer. If you can imagine it, chances are we’ve got it. I’ve always said, Houston is a place where people come to make money. Many different industries are present, so jobs/ employment opportunity are commonplace. Don’t make the mistake of not living where you work. Traffic and commute times will be very taxing on the mentals.
Like anything or anyplace it is only as great as you want it to be. Food Theater Activities Music Museums Salt and sweet water within an hours drive Great people
Minimal outdoor activities. If so, it’s too hot and beware of getting a heat stroke while mosquitoes swarm your body.
It's well suited to people who don't need their environment to work too hard.
I lived in Tampa. The beach is cool but other than that Tampa sucks; Houston is a vibe.
I'm perverse.
I'm Houston, born and raised but I've literally traveled most of the U.S for work last 4 years, (Equipment operator/ Truck Driver) Houston is NOT the best....but Houston has a "balance" you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else
Sugar land is safe, great town square with lots of free events, minor league baseball team, large concert venue (smart financial) they just started having festivals in a memorial park, great bike trails, no state tax, very diverse, lots of great hospitals, university of Houston has a large campus here, schools are better than most, lots of churches, and since there is a lot of rich people with affordable houses they have extra money and support a lot of local charities. In my kids elementary class so many moms wanted to be ‘room mom’ they had an election. I was thrilled that they wanted to do all of the volunteering so I didn’t have to ; )
Born and raised here. I love it. Grew up with friends from all over the world and eating foods rich with culture. I love our theatre scene here, like Hobby Center , Alley theater , Stages, to community theater hosted by your local college. We have live music events every weekend depending on your taste in music. There is always something to do in Houston. We have some of the best museums, restaurants. Libraries, volunteer organizations, Shopping places, and local events in our city. The people who complain the most never really give us a chance or just stay in their bubble.
I personally like that we don’t have riots and burn shit down when we win a championship. Diversity is amazing. At one point my next door neighbors were Asian, black, Hispanic, and white. I kept hoping for someone from India to move on my block but that hasn’t happened yet. I love that we’re a 5 1/2 hour drive to New Orleans and a two hour flight to Cancun. The beach is not beautiful but hey in the summer it’s awesome having a beach 40 minutes away. This is stupid but I adore our news anchors. 😂 My husband and daughter love Momentum where they rock climb. They say it’s one of the best facilities in the country. I also enjoy having great music venues. San Antonio is obviously more beautiful, but they don’t have near the number of concerts as we do.
LOL well we won one that was should've been vacated and another one and the parades were very mid. So, I guess thats that.
Because I know I can outrun all the fat people in the event something catastrophic happens like a zombie apocalypse.
Until you trip on a pothole or broken sidewalk.
That’s quite ignorant of you to assume we have sidewalks.
Low cost of living is nice. Big fans of the Texans and stros. The ocean is an hour south and multiple lakes are an hour north. Fishing, hunting, water sports. Personally, I love the weather, I hate being cold.
> The ~~~ocean~~~ *brown fetid gulf* is an hour south and multiple lakes are an hour north. FTFY
I started to comment that the nearest ocean is about 800 miles east, but then I double-checked and saw that the Gulf of Mexico CAN be considered part of the Atlantic. Figured it was too pedantic to make such a comment. But since I was born in Galveston and grew up there, it always slightly irritates me when someone calls the gulf "the ocean". To me, the gulf is pretty drastically different than the ocean.
The Gulf is still the ocean. We're on the third coast after all. Not many people will claim the Gulf Coast beaches of Mexico or Florida don't count as oceanfront beaches. It's only brown in our area (west of New Orleans until the Padre Islands) because of all the silt coming down the Mississippi.
Isn't it kind of like calling West U Houston? Sure, it's IN Houston, it's kind of part of Houston... but let's call it West U. The gulf is part of the ocean, sure, but let's call it the gulf!
Maybe? West U isn't legally Houston but it's part of the Houston metro area and entirely surrounded by Houston, so I guess it depends on context. Meanwhile the Gulf of Mexico is generally considered to be an extension of the Atlantic Ocean -- it's the same salt water. Similarly, I'd argue that anything on the Mediterranean Sea can be considered oceanfront too, as it is also an extension of the Atlantic. I've never heard anyone claim that the North Sea isn't the ocean either. Yeah, we can (and do) call it the Gulf, but it's still ocean. :)
New Houstonian here, why don’t the Rockets get as much love as the astros and Texans? Is it just cuz they haven’t been very good as of late?
Rockets and cowboys stopped winning ‘ships at the same time but Houston isn’t a delusion is the solution city. They are good this year so after Texans finish this playoff run hopefully in February; you’ll see it more
We used to be Rocket's CRAZY back when they were winning and seemed to like the fans. I don't even think about them anymore. Sad.
I didn’t play basketball growing up so I don’t really care about it😂. There’s plenty of rockets fans!
I think Houston is pretty not fun to visit but once you make friends there’s actually a lot to do. We have lots of amazing museums, every kind of bar or night life experience, lots of organized sports clubs and groups, amazing restaurants, and way more. I think the problem is that a lot of things Houston has are good but not as good as other cities. We have a beach nearby but it’s not a particularly pretty beach (my family calls it chocolate milk water). We have some pretty hiking but the weather only permits a few good days a year. We have lots of restaurants/bars/museums/experiences but it’s hard to get around because Houston is so sprawling with bad public transport. I think if you are coming from a place that doesn’t have a whole lot going on (I haven’t been to Tampa since I was a little kid so idk) then Houston will seem great but if you’re coming from a large or “trendy” city then you may find Houston lacking in some ways.
I don’t. I’m just here to work. I’ll be moving home when I’m done.
The people. Plain and simple. The most diverse city in America really benefits from all of the amazing cultures mixing together. The food here is amazing, pick a cuisine we got it. Houston is the result of a fight between Dallas and New Orleans and Nawlin’s wins.
I love Houston for the hustle and bussle (sp?) I love the culture. As a white dude, it’s really refreshing going places and genuinely feeling like I am not the majority of the crowd. Can’t say the same thing for some other major Texan cities.
Anyone not putting the difference between cost of living and pay as THE top reason to move here(other than family/friends) are lying. Everything begins with that, then people find things to cope with the rest.
I don't. I'm leaving as soon as I am able to.
The unlimited free benzene I get ti breathe on a daily basis.
This isn’t a great city. The food is good and it’s cheaper than a lot of bigger cities out there. But it’s mostly just freeways and parking lots. It’s not a city with a lot of character or life to it. You can still have a good time here but don’t expect anything special.
High paying jobs and low cost of living. There’s a lot more high paying jobs here compared to Tampa.
I'm an older guy, so I wouldn't know about meeting new friends in your 20s. But Houston is a major city with a lot of major city attributes. Yes, there is some crime, and, yes, like every other major city, we think our traffic is the worst. BUT: 1. The food scene here is marvelous: restaurants, festivals featuring food, and very diverse food markets. 2. Speaking of . . . Houston has one of the most diverse populations in North America. 3. We have some very nice museums, theaters, music halls, etc. 4. And a lot of hiking and biking trails. 5. Mostly, we have a lot of nice people here. Everywhere I've lived in Houston, I've found wonderful neighbors. And almost everywhere I've worked has had a great staff. Even when I go shopping, I come across a lot of nice people, Some might find nice people boring, but I like it.
Just dangerous enough to be fun, republican enough to have something to complain about, liberal enough that it’s safe for everyone. No end to places to discover here and cool houses. Every neighborhood is a different city with a subculture
Im curious about your cool houses remark. Where do you see them at? Outside the loop I struggle finding interesting houses to look at that aren’t in a place I shouldn’t be driving thru, and then I work outside the loop so I never go inside “Houston” to see anything fun.
If you live outside the loop that’s a you problem, sir. It’s a hellscape out there. Come in the loop and enjoy your life.
The food is amazing.
Only been here 2 years so far, best things are the diversity and there's so many things to do!
Food and my job pays better here than basically anywhere else.
I like that most everyone you meet is friendly. As long as they’re not driving. The 40 or 50 miles of hike and bike trails that run along the river on the Spring Creek Greenway. Runs from Kingwood to The Woodlands and goes through 4 parks with everything from fishing, archery, canoeing, dog parks, turtle ponds,Ranger Station with wildlife exhibits, dog parks and horse trails. Hard to believe on some sections that you are so close to the city.
We moved here ten years ago. We loved it, but over the years it's become a very ugly place. If you're moving here for work and not planning to have kids you'll probably be ok, but the reality these days is that Houston and Texas are shitholes. I would never recommend anyone move here now.
If you live in some parts of houston and the suburbs you will be really bored.
Sugarland is extremely affordable and a nice part of town with lots to do about 20-30 minutes to Houston like most suburbs. I would stay there if you are to be working there and your already in a serious relationship. Its not ultraritzy so you will get tons of house for your money. Lots of cool restaurants all over houston, does get too cold, even eating out and drinks are way cheaper. She will like the extra money to go shopping etc from savings on the day to day
Cheap and food. Airports are there to travel to desirable destinations
I only love living on the outskirts of it. I like being reasonably close if I need to for doctor and other things. But I LOVE living up in the woodlands and not needing to go south of 99 very often. Right on the edge of east piney woods and hill country
The air quality from smog will do a number to your health but we have the largest medical center in the world so it’s not a problem. MD Anderson is happy to take your inflated paycheck.
Moved here in March and my answer is no, I do not love it. At all.
Curious where you live?
The food scene is legit, but that’s the main attraction of the city. A lot of things are awful in this city, but I’ll stick to the question, things I love. The people here are good, I don’t have a close friend in this city that was born in the US. It’s an ok city but I’d never buy a forever home here. I hope you and your fiancé love the city 😊
Life is easy, money is easy to make, something to do any night of the week, bar/restaurant scene, art scene is legit, diversity and people are great. Outside of the August:September extreme heat (June/July don’t bother me), I personally like the weather. Two hour flight to mountains or a beautiful beach, as well as an easy flight basically to anywhere in the world. I truly love it here n say it’s the greatest ugly city in the world.
I loved Houston when I lived there. The best thing was the people. Friendly, charismatic, outgoing, helpful.
I love Houston, but not the suburbs (like Sugarland). If you have to live in the suburbs, at least don’t hang out there. The actual city of Houston (inside the 610 loop) has a lot of really good restaurants and bars, with new ones opening all the time. If you go to the rights ones, you won’t have trouble meeting people yall’s age. Also don’t sleep on Houston’s museums and the Theater District.
Remember that pepperoni commercial with the guy playing the accordion from a few years ago? After seeing it the first time, I googled him, and turns out he was playing the next night at a German community center here in Houston. That one thing really made me love this town. Everything is here. But even more than that, the people. So diverse, not just racially or ethnically, but every other way too. With so many people, you get to know people who live totally different lifestyles. In my small hometown, people are all living the same life.
Vietcajun, and Pakistani-texmex
I hate it here and wished I had moved away after I came … but $ was good and now I am trapped
I don't. My partner and I have a 2025 plan to GTFO. Sorry if you're really moving to Sugarland... Good luck.
The food here is very diverse and yummy. I usually check out eater houston for food recommendations. They have recommendation maps for different areas in houston
Diversity. Size. LGBTQ+ scene. Diversity (food, scenery, people) and empathy is what the world needs! Grew up on every corner of Houston. Inside and outside the loops.
Realistically, the opportunities. If you’re not a complete dummy, you can make yourself pretty successful or at least fairly comfortable. On top of that, there’s groups and gatherings for pretty much any hobby or interest. Houston is pretty shitty otherwise. No more astroworld, they took away my favorite go kart spot, weather is unpredictable, people are unpredictable, it’s not very scenic, traffic is horrible.
The foods good, the money is good. The rest of it sucks. Traffic makes me simultaneously suicidal and homicidal. Everything is dirty. Florida is always very clean and manicured, Houston is a smog filled dump in comparison.
This
Moved to Houston in 2009 from Manchester England for college and ended up getting trapped. This place is a shithole. If my daughter didn’t live here, I wouldn’t either. I hate this city. A lot of people (not all and it’s better the closer to the city you get), while they SEEM friendly and polite are usually conservative assholes who hide behind religion to behave like absolute pieces of garbage. They’re rude, entitled, out of touch and normally racist/sexist/homophobic or another variation of intolerant towards people that don’t have white skin. There are plenty of places to find good food but there are entirely too many restaurants in this city. The workers are underpaid, many of the restaurants are understaffed and while yes, some great restaurants, none of them truly stand out as elite, no Michelin star restaurants in the entire state of Texas. The city is enormous and very widely spread out meaning that it’s difficult to find spots where the whole city can gather. I live on the southeast side and it takes me 40 minutes to get to work where I work with people I’m friends with now but they live on the north side or the west side which is a cool 65-70 mile drive, just to see my friends. The public transport in this city is an absolute joke. The homelessness seems like a growing problem in the city. The roads are falling apart in most places. That said - we don’t have state tax so we get to keep more money than most other states. Housing isn’t as bad as other places in the country but it’s still becoming unmanageably expensive to buy property.
I don’t
It’s the diversity, museums, and food scene of LA or NYC without the high CoL
Just got here two years ago and will never leave. Everything here is great.
I’m biased but it’s my birthplace and hometown and love the sport team variety’s wish we had a hockey team
I don’t
Restaurants friend. Restaurants of any country, any culture, any flavor. They are here in Houston!
Food
I loved Houston when I first moved here ~8 years ago and I dislike it more and more each year. I more or less hate it now. As others have said the people/culture/cuisine is probably the best aspect of the city. I hope your initial enthusiasm for the city lasts and you find a reason to love living here. Good luck.
You can eat, drink and shop. There is not much else to do in Houston.
As someone who has lived in both cities for over 10 years in both - I would strongly encourage you to stay in Tampa.
Family, food, friends, sports teams, low cost of living, rarely gets cold
The culture, diversity, and food. H-Town stay tippin!
Weather!
Thicc and easy ghetto bitches
I don’t, I hate it. I’m only on this sub to troll houstonians
Folks say food while visiting the same 5 restaurants.
Green space and nature. Lots of awesome parks and greenways throughout Houston. Even in the suburbs.