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Old 03-11-2013, 07:13 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
335 posts, read 975,006 times
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I currently live in central NJ, and I'm looking for a change. I'm sick of the combination of high cost of living, traffic and cold weather here.

Can someone compare the pros and cons of living in Houston, TX vs. San Antonio, TX vs. Orlando, FL vs. Atlanta, GA, with regards to factors such as cost of living, quality of schools, safety, hurricane and flooding risk, diversity of residents and differences in year round humidity?

I am considering the above cities as I am pursuing vacancies within the VA (Veterans Affairs).

Thanks in advance for any helpful feedback!
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Old 03-11-2013, 07:19 PM
 
Location: The East
1,557 posts, read 3,306,781 times
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Since you are from New Jersey; The most condensed state in the union, I think San Antonio would be a nice change of pace. Not as big as Houston or Atlanta and with great Southwestern cuisine and dry Texas weather. The cost of living is also refreshing.
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Old 03-11-2013, 07:46 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX
17,029 posts, read 30,929,122 times
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Use the tools and search function on the main part of the CD website.
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Old 03-11-2013, 09:15 PM
 
1,574 posts, read 2,966,582 times
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The only advantages SA has over Houston is friendlier people, less traffic, drier climate, more family type entertainment.
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Old 03-12-2013, 01:09 PM
 
193 posts, read 340,344 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Dollar View Post
The only advantages SA has over Houston is friendlier people, less traffic, drier climate, more family type entertainment.
the only?
I could name a few more....

better water and utilities (municipal owned..near lowest rate in nation)
better sports teams
nicer middle income homes (lots of quary rock there)
high amount of public spaces, parks per capita
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Old 03-12-2013, 01:23 PM
 
Location: Up on the moon laughing down on you
18,495 posts, read 32,959,536 times
Reputation: 7752
Quote:
Originally Posted by baddoctor View Post
the only?
I could name a few more....

better water and utilities (municipal owned..near lowest rate in nation)
better sports teams
nicer middle income homes (lots of quary rock there)
high amount of public spaces, parks per capita
SA has cheaper utilities but more problems.
Better sports teams? SA has ONE major league team.
Houston has nice middle income homes, and they are not in the middle of nowhere like SA. The 1604 developments are a pain to get to.

Houston has more parks per capita than any major city in the US. SA doesn't come close. Plus SA has nothing close to Hermann Park, memorial park, disco green, etc.

Travis park in the heart of DT SA is a patch of dirt lined with trees where homeless people Chill.

None of your examples are based on actuality
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Old 03-12-2013, 02:08 PM
 
193 posts, read 340,344 times
Reputation: 233
Quote:
Originally Posted by HtownLove View Post
SA has cheaper utilities but more problems.
Better sports teams? SA has ONE major league team.
Houston has nice middle income homes, and they are not in the middle of nowhere like SA. The 1604 developments are a pain to get to.

Houston has more parks per capita than any major city in the US. SA doesn't come close. Plus SA has nothing close to Hermann Park, memorial park, disco green, etc.

Travis park in the heart of DT SA is a patch of dirt lined with trees where homeless people Chill.

None of your examples are based on actuality

It´s obvious you haven´t been there often or got around

They do have better utilities. SA´s water supply Edwards Aquifer makes Lake Houston look like raw sewage. Taste alone easily proves this. But if that isn´t enough

Houston makes list of worst water quality | abc13.com

For some reason their power rates are some of the lowest, and they still provide some of the best solar power tax credits in the nation.
CPS Energy: Solar PV Rebate Program - EnergySavvy.com
That pays for itself for most people in 7 years.

Brackenridge Park also makes Hermann Park look like a Coal Tar landfill.


The city is at least 100 years older and filled with a bunch of historic architecture. SA also has a relatively low amount of hipsters according to this. Good for some people
https://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...l#post28637228


Houston is a trailer park on flat ground in comparison. Oh, but it has more business. That´s why I´m here.

Last edited by baddoctor; 03-12-2013 at 02:17 PM..
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Old 03-12-2013, 02:44 PM
 
Location: Up on the moon laughing down on you
18,495 posts, read 32,959,536 times
Reputation: 7752
Quote:
Originally Posted by baddoctor View Post
It´s obvious you haven´t been there often or got around

They do have better utilities. SA´s water supply Edwards Aquifer makes Lake Houston look like raw sewage. Taste alone easily proves this. But if that isn´t enough

Houston makes list of worst water quality | abc13.com

For some reason their power rates are some of the lowest, and they still provide some of the best solar power tax credits in the nation.
CPS Energy: Solar PV Rebate Program - EnergySavvy.com
That pays for itself for most people in 7 years.

Brackenridge Park also makes Hermann Park look like a Coal Tar landfill.


The city is at least 100 years older and filled with a bunch of historic architecture. SA also has a relatively low amount of hipsters according to this. Good for some people
https://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...l#post28637228


Houston is a trailer park on flat ground in comparison. Oh, but it has more business. That´s why I´m here.
Try again.
I have not been to SA? I lived there for four years.

You sound like you are no t familiar with the area talking about edwards aquifer. When i was there it was constant restrictions. Never had one restriction in 11 years in Houston.

As fire Brekenridge park it is just a chunck of land. Nothing interesting about it other than proximity to the Zoo and sunken gardens. It is more on the level if Tom Bass park, not on Hermann Park level or memorial or Disco green.

You call Houston a trailer park but SA corners the market on those. Not to mention that the entire west and south side of the city is low income mexican slums.

Even Alamo heights is kinda ghetto. I see people use toilets at the front of their house as planters in the supposedly better neighbourhoods in SA. I couldnt wait to leave Ghettosville TX. Since i have been back in Houston I can honestly say i Dont miss SA at all.

Its nice to visit but crappy place to live
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Old 03-12-2013, 03:28 PM
 
1,416 posts, read 4,439,525 times
Reputation: 1128
I lived in SA for 18 years, and I think y'all are splitting hairs a bit. To someone from the NE, SA is probably more aesthetically pleasing, at least at the base of the hill country where the terrain is more interesting. It's a nice place to live, slower pace of life (even in the city). SA has some serious drought problems, though, and it's only going to be getting worse. So if lush is your thing, SA is moving more and more away from that.

Cost of living-wise, it's a wash between them. Some things are higher, some are lower. Houston likely has the stronger job market, and kind of has more of everything. When I go back there to visit my family, I am reminded why I live in Houston: Houston is grittier, but it also is less master-planned and just feels more vibrant.

Visit each, check out job listings, and see which appeals more to you. Depending on what you value more, you have your answer (same with Orlando and Atlanta).
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Old 03-13-2013, 11:17 AM
 
15 posts, read 26,939 times
Reputation: 33
Warning. If you move to San Antonio you will be stereotyped as "cowboy with a pistol" by outsiders. In addition, its impossible to order a pizza downtown without knowing fluent Spanish. The town is filled with tourists and it's pretty much a tourist town. If you like the culture of 'San-An' then it won't be a problem for you, but I think it's really sort of a unique city that you need to visit & study before you move. And if you visit stay for 5 days and try to explore the town or else you're still a tourist.

Houston is a pretty fine town. It is growing quickly and filled with different races, but not as Spanish as San-An. It's just the right distance to the gulf that it's not filled with the "beach-town" aspect. Beautiful master planned communities sprawl in all directions, and if you pick right, you'll be in the best school districts in Texas. Avoid the northeast, direct east, and direct south. Also make sure to avoid buying within I-610. Check up on school districts and avoid Houston ISD the most. The best towns are Clear Lake, Spring, Woodlands, Cypress, Katy, and Sugar Land.

Orlando can be a nice city. It has everything you need because they built it for the tourists. It would probably drive me crazy after a while though. I read somewhere that 41% of billboards and businesses are tourist-related. 12% of all billboards in town have Mickey Mouse on it. It's just filled with tourists everywhere and with being in Florida it has the "beachy-town" feel all over it and the palm trees would get on my nerves immediately. I guess if you plan on taking your kids to the resort everyday then it would be nice. I'm guessing that the government spends more on tourism and less on other stuff, so I'd expect my services like education and other stuff to be worse than usual.

I can't say anything about Atlanta though. Personally I'd go with Houston but that's just because I live there. I would avoid San-An and Orlando. I think Atlanta and Houston are your best options.
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