Kate23
Vienna
A question about this place:
Answers:
etcook
0 places
The single thing that I have heard the most about Houston is ‘I wouldn’t raise my kids here’, of course one man’s trash is another man’s treasure as they say…so really in the end you have to take everything into consideration and make your own decision. It certainly isn’t as ‘financial’ and ‘pretentious’ as some people view Dallas, but many people consider that one of its positive aspects. I personally far prefer Dallas, and after living in Houston for 5 months, decided that it wasn’t the place for me.
Many of the individuals that I talked to while there, when I was really considering moving there permanently, said that it took 3-4 years before they really felt like they loved Houston, it is one of those ‘learned loves’.
One other thing to consider is…Houston is very diverse…when you say Houston, do you mean downtown Houston, or do you mean one of the outlying areas…or even further north like Spring or Woodlands. The latter are actually quite charming in my opinion, but are only an option if you don’t have to go to Houston itself that often. I can’t imagine living in Woodlands and driving to downtown everyday for work. The traffic in Houston is horrid.
All in all, there is a lot of culture and diversity in Houston. It is true, downtown Houston is absolutely disgusting. I lived in a ‘nice’ area of downtown, and every morning was greeted with very aggressive bums that go so far as to grab your arm demanding money from you. But again, some people see this as a pragmatic view of reality, and appreciate the diversity that Houston makes visible to their kids.
There are some other charming areas, including The Heights etc, but the houses are older, thus requiring quite a bit of upkeep. Also, don’t listen to people that tell you that the cost of living is very cheap, if you live within the loop, you will be paying an arm and a leg for real estate. Housing is exponentially cheaper once you get outside of the loop, but if you take into account the age of the properties, what you are getting, the condition, the schools, the location etc…the cost of living is NOT cheap.
In summation, there is a lot of culture here, the different sections of downtown are actually big tourist attractions. Lots of sports, lots of museums, lots of things to do…but honestly, if you think about it, there is nothing more here than you would find in any metropolitan area. In fact, if you go look at reviews of other areas, people always cite the exact same things about their particular area, and how good it is for kids…’there are lots of museums, amusement parks, etc etc’...so I would take that with a grain of salt.
Again, all personal opinion, and I can’t stress to you enough the need for you to go yourself, and really experience all that Houston has to offer before you make your decision. It is definitely a personal decision, and your perception is the key variable.
Kathamo
Cambridge
I loved growing up in Houston, and everyone I grew up with will tell you the same. You certainly will not pay an “arm and a leg” to live inside the loop. Also, downtown has experienced some major renovation in the past few years, and I think it’s quite nice. It is a driving city, but I like that, and the traffic is not as bad as other places I’ve lived (Los Angeles, Boston).
This being said, there is a huge difference in culture between the city and suburbs.
People who like diversity, culture, the arts, and a “cosmopolitan” feel will love Houston. It is a place where (in my experience) conservatives and liberals coexist happily.
If you want a conservative, sheltered environment for your kids and a small-town lifestyle with the benefits of being connected to a larger metropolitan area, you will probably prefer the suburbs. Since Dallas is a more conservative city, it makes sense that a preference for Dallas tends to be correlated with a preference for the suburbs of Houston.
This is a personal choice, but the city itself shouldn’t be written off because it’s different than the latter preference. Different strokes for different folks.
Other things I like are the green space, the WONDERFUL restaurants, and the great museum and theater districts.
And about kids, the one thing I really appreciated about growing up in Houston (at least compared to Los Angeles) is that the children grow up with a cultured mind and cosmopolitan experiences, while still getting the benefit of a neighborhood, family-oriented upbringing. Another city I would recommend for this is Austin, and certain parts of Dallas.
