Why is Houston so damn poor?!

[drecey]

I understand what Patrix is trying to say. She understands that there is poverty in every city, there just happens to be more noticeable look to Houston's. I have noticed that. And that reason could honestly be due to no zoning. For example, no matter how nice of an area you live in, your destined to pass by some hoods. And the reason it LOOKS worst than most places is that Houston, yea it has a crime problem, but the main issue in towns like 5th ward are honestly drugs. Or crime related to drugs. Trust me, I'm not some Houstonian telling you what their friends heard, I actually lived in 5th Ward, Settegast, Sharpstown, Gulfton, Braeswood, and Third Ward and I know first hand. However, if you are to make I-45 (North Freeway) and 288 the dividing line of Houston, aside from the Gulfton/Sharpstown/Alief area, the majority of it isnt bad. and on the east side of that division, EaDo and the MacGregor area are about the only descent parts.

The reason I think sooo many people notice the poverty in Houston are:
1) Houston is huge. If Houston is twice the city of Dallas, it has twice the poverty. (Example, not true)
2. No matter where you come from or go, you are BOUND to run into a hood. Take visitors: The arrive at IAH, drive down disgusting Aldine and Tidwell area. Coming in from Hobby-ugh, need I say more? or students from out of state paying UH a visit, they are forced to look at Third Ward. So, basically, most people's ideas of Houston are poverty stricken. [I have SEVERAL friends who think Houston is hood, ghetto and poor just based off of their visit to UH and that's it!!]

I honestly feel that if what you see off of the freeways is the feel you get of that city. And most people will try to deny that, but that's the truth. If 45 going from downtown to the loop (EaDo/Third Ward area) was cleaned up, that would help the perspective of people.

One last thing, I really won't get on Patrix for using Google Maps to look at places. I do it all of the time. Ever since Google introduced it, I've been using it. I use it before most of my trips. And you do draw generalizations, but I never jump to conclusions. I use it with optimism when it comes to Houston because I like to think they either demolished the ugly, built on the empty or densified the urban areas. I can't WAIT to go back home!!!

[Redlionjr]

Funny because I always hear people from other cities with much higher crime rates and I mean people who actually lived in the ghetto in other cities with higher crime rate say the complete opposite about Houston hoods or ghettos. They didn't say it was beautiful but they weren't impressed by it's "grit" basically it didn't look intimidating to them being that they came from places that look much worst and were actually worst. Houston doesn't hold a candle to most cities hoods in the midwest at all.

But the conflicting statement that it's obvious alot of people don't realize is assuming that these "poor" looking areas are actually poor areas when in reality they are not. Houston has alot of uninteresting architecture. And guess what? They don't do a good job of hiding it when you're driving through some of the freeways esp. I-45 North once you're leaving Greenspoint heading south.

But once you drive deep off in those areas away from the freeways it's either a mix of ugly architecture to some nice looking neighborhoods. But that is more so due to the fact that Houston has a lack of zoning and has a large amount of unincorporated areas. Not the fact that people are poor.

Also some one said students going to UH are forced to look at THIRD WARD. While 3rd Ward does have some poverty stricken areas it also has some of the nicest looking areas in the whole entire city of Houston. Even in the areas of in UH it's not hard to run into some beautiful neighborhoods in 3rd ward. Which leads me to another conclusion most people are sheltered to minority neighborhoods and poverty areas. They actually assume because an area doesn't look cookie cutter then it's poor. Me growing up in a hood majority of my live I've witness people not from the hood always try to label the area or generalize the area where I grew up at.

[jeremy2788]

I mean.. I guess..

I just don't consider a city such as Compton, that has red and blue spray paint markings on the ground everywhere, barbed-wire fencing around office buildings, signs at places of employment telling the residents that they hire local residents only in order to reduce crime at their facilities in hopes that they wont rob their own instead of outsiders, gang members that will literally block your car to see why you're in their hood,etc. as nice looking.

But hey, maybe it is just a perception thing which makes me think it is uglier than Houston. /shrug

[DanielWayne]

Originally Posted by TVC15

So about Houston's poverty?

Did you look at the link?

Your point is rather silly when you look at the Census Bureau and compare US cities of the similar size. Just silly and a waste of CD space.

Here I did the work. See how silly your post is?

NY 19.4%

Chicago 21.4%

LA 20.2%

Houston 21.5%

I agree it is silly.

Unfortunately the arm-chair quarterback that is patrix has refused to address any numbers. Nor has she taken the time to even look up city-data stats on poverty (they are there) to see that Houston ain't that -damn- far off when it comes to poverty. Instead we just get more lecturing about photos from google maps.

[texdav]

Houston is the largest city in teas xas and has the saqme problems and income devide that any such large city has. But for a large city Hosuton overall is pretty rich and gettig richer.Large cities with large number of inductrial jobs that are good middle class will la alweays draw alot of lower pid workers too.Just the numbers of epople moving into Houston mnay without jobs in huge.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by patrix542

Western houston looks great so does south west and "Greater Heights" but 90% of hispanic and black neighborhoods look absolutely horrible

You just described every other city I have ever visited.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

Funny because I always hear people from other cities with much higher crime rates and I mean people who actually lived in the ghetto in other cities with higher crime rate say the complete opposite about Houston hoods or ghettos. They didn't say it was beautiful but they weren't impressed by it's "grit" basically it didn't look intimidating to them being that they came from places that look much worst and were actually worst. Houston doesn't hold a candle to most cities hoods in the midwest at all.

But the conflicting statement that it's obvious alot of people don't realize is assuming that these "poor" looking areas are actually poor areas when in reality they are not. Houston has alot of uninteresting architecture. And guess what? They don't do a good job of hiding it when you're driving through some of the freeways esp. I-45 North once you're leaving Greenspoint heading south.

But once you drive deep off in those areas away from the freeways it's either a mix of ugly architecture to some nice looking neighborhoods. But that is more so due to the fact that Houston has a lack of zoning and has a large amount of unincorporated areas. Not the fact that people are poor.

Also some one said students going to UH are forced to look at THIRD WARD. While 3rd Ward does have some poverty stricken areas it also has some of the nicest looking areas in the whole entire city of Houston. Even in the areas of in UH it's not hard to run into some beautiful neighborhoods in 3rd ward. Which leads me to another conclusion most people are sheltered to minority neighborhoods and poverty areas. They actually assume because an area doesn't look cookie cutter then it's poor. Me growing up in a hood majority of my live I've witness people not from the hood always try to label the area or generalize the area where I grew up at.

You might be overthinking it just a tad. I've seen several Midwestern ghettoes, and based on appearances alone, I can't say they're worse looking than Houston.

For me, it's not about which place seems more intimidating or dangerous, because I'm not scared to go into any neighborhood. It's purely aesthetics.

[annie_himself]

Houston's hoods don't seem that ugly to me. Some of them are middle class, some of them just look like a hood.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

You might be overthinking it just a tad. I've seen several Midwestern ghettoes, and based on appearances alone, I can't say they're worse looking than Houston.

For me, it's not about which place seems more intimidating or dangerous, because I'm not scared to go into any neighborhood. It's purely aesthetics.

Not overthinking at all i'm stating alot of people who come to Houston from other cities look at Houston on the outside and it doesn't come off intimidating or dangerous because it doesn't look as bad compared to areas they've live in.

Go to St.Louis/East St.Louis/Detroit/Flint/Youngstown/Gary,Ind./Cleveland. Houston aint got nothing on them. You're talking about aesthetics but I've been to all those cities and it's depressing as all hell. Depressing on awhole different level. Not the whole city but the poor areas are in horrible shape. And like I've stated I've heard from many people that move to Houston laugh at the site of Houston hoods. They just think they look country and ugly but not in a "wow this is horrible poor looking". Just lack of grit and country rural kind of way.

Welcome to the dark side,,, My bad, its the eastside of Detroit, enjoy the shea show - YouTube
Detroit

Real Streets & Hoods: Gary Indiana - YouTube
Gary

Lets Take A Trip To My Old Hood. East Saint Louis,Illinois Feb 2012 - YouTube
E. Saint Louis

Like I said before I didn't even grow up in any Houston hood and I've been to damn near every hood or worst looking area in Houston. I've seen much worst in other cities and people from the hood in those worst cities laugh at Houston's grit like "THIS IS IT". It's somewhat of a backwards way of thinking because the worst an area looks to some people is almost like a badge of honor. Like look what I made it out of compare to where you've lived, it's nothing.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by patrix542

and the biggest thing that shocked me was simply oh how bad poor parts look like, even Compton, ca and east LA look nicer but now i got my answer of why Houston is the way it is.

Since you got all your answers, I think it's a good time to close this thread.