Do you think differently of Houston when you come back from a trip? (Sugar Land: place to live, zoning)
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What's with this "terribly" ugly? Isn't just plain ole ugly enough of an insult for you?
Dude, I love my home city. 2nd favorite behind LA and I've been all over. I rep Houston like Drizzy, and have no shame in wearing my Rockets jersey around LA. But the city, even with all the development, is still an uneven mess. But that's mostly my biggest gripe. Other than that c'mon son, h-town gets down like no other.
Many cities west of the Mississippi have incredible natural beauty and year round outdoor activities to enjoy. How does Houston compare to Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, San Fran, Albuquerque, and LA in that regard? They each have unique identities, and histories, which make them special and unforgettable. I've visited each and don't think Houston can compete with any.
I'd say Houston fares just as well as those cities in those department, maybe even better. Hopefully you aren't thinking that mountains are necessary for such traits, are you?
Houston has plenty of natural beauty without the need of mountains; a lush, verdant landscape year-round featuring subtropical jungles, swamps, coastal plains, and wetlands, with superfluous flora. That combination of superfluity and "exotic subtropicalness" in the vegetation is what Houston has over every single one of the cities named. LA, and San Diego may have the warm enough winter climate to grow many subtropicals, but they are not very lush and green at all, at least not to large extents. Portland and Seattle are very lush and green, but the vegetation is very "northern" looking (coniferous), and does not exude the "exotic" feel associated with subtropical vegetation. Such verdant landscape in Houston then has proximity to a subtropical coastline complete with coastal ecosystems, beaches, and islands.
With such mild winters, plenty of outdoor activities can be done in Houston year-round, be it wake-surfing, sailing, kayaking, hiking, biking, etc. Such a year-round time-frame for such activities (excluding winter options) is limited only to the California cities you mention.
So yes, contrary to popular belief, Houston does hold its own as it pertains to natural beauty, and recreational options, even when compared to those cities in the West.
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Originally Posted by 0825spring
Your blind arrogance astounds me. I grew up in Texas, have been taught about Texas history throughout primary schooling and the university. I've also sought to learn about it as an adult.
I've also been blessed to travel and live in many places across the globe. Houston is not a bad place to live but heck, it's far from the best.
I'm quickly learning this forum is not the place to say anything negative about this tropical paradise. It's best to fart rainbows and unicorns.
What's more astounding is your inability to comprehend the simple concept being discussed here; what is not special, unforgettable or unique about Houston's history, and identity compared to those Western cities you named?
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Originally Posted by 3shipguy
When outsiders think about Houston, the first things to come to mind are oil and NASA. That is Houston's unique identity. First and foremost, jobs and low COL are what draw people to live in Houston, not attributes like Discovery Green, Astrodome, Galleria, or even the San Jacinto historic site. These amenities provide for entertainment for residents, but they, alone, are not going to make many move here.
Your post was good at this point, and I wholeheartedly agree; when considering a place to live, the focus on lots of attractive, touristy scenes loses importance, while practical matters like COL gain greater importance. So you are right in the sense that those Houston activities listed aren't going to make people move there alone; the same applies for Rodeo Drive, or 5th Avenue, for LA, and NYC, respectively.
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Originally Posted by 3shipguy
These amenities may be great, but with the exception of NASA, not a single one is exclusive to Houston, nor the best in the nation.For every Discovery Green, there's a Central Park. For every Galleria, there's a Rodeo Dr. or 5th Ave. For every Houston historic site, there's Independence Hall...etc, etc. Hence, Houston is not a great tourist destination. And this is where the argument lies. Detractors argue that Houston is boring or lacks uniqueness. Whether they live here or not, their argument is viewed through the eyes of a tourist, not as a resident. There is plenty to do and see in Houston. There is beauty, too. You just have to look for it. That's my 2 pesos.
This marks the portion of your post wherein the disconnect lies.
As far as exclusivity, the field at which such activities for Houston lie may not be unique, but the experiences, inspirations, and/or influences seen in those activities are unique to Houston only, and are indeed found nowhere else in this country. The same applies for the amenities listed in the other cities as well.
For example, Independence Hall of Philly lies in the field of being a historic building, a field seen in many other cities in the country. So the historic nature of Independence Hall in and of itself is not unique; rather, its the influence received by the building, as well as the significance (its status as the location of writing of the Declaration of Independence, and Constitution) that create the unique experience. In much the same way, the unique experience created by the San Jacinto monument lies in the influences and significance it holds, relating to the Texan soldiers who overcame their enemy with wit and tactic to set in motion the making of independence for Texas
For another example, both Rodeo Dr. and 5th Avenue lie in the field of being high end shopping scenes. Such a field is clearly not unique to any city, made obvious by the fact that you gave multiple examples of such high end shopping scenes. But once again, as in the historic building example, it is the experiences, and influences seen in each shopping scene that allow them to occupy their own niches in the field, allowing for creation of an exclusive scene. Galleria is the same way; the experiences, and influences seen in the area make it clear that it indeed has its own niche in the high-end shopping scene, creating such a scene unique to Houston.
Central Park. Its field? Well, its just a park, found in every city in the country. But what makes it exclusive to NYC? The answer is: the experiences, influences, and inspirations resonating through the park. In much the same way, Discovery Green offers its own experiences, influences, and inspirations that allows it to occupy its own niche in the urban park field, and become another example of an offering unique only to Houston.
"Best in the nation" is subjective, and it all depends on what the individual is looking for. Different people may prefer historic buildings of different eras. 5th Avenue can be best on one person's list, while Rodeo Dr. can be on top in another list. Or some people may prefer their urban parks to exhibit a warm, year-round climate conducive to constant enjoyment of the park, in which Central Park won't fare so well.
So yes, those activities mentioned are unique and exclusive to Houston, and that is because of the niches they occupy in their respective fields; same applies to many of the activities and amenities mentioned for other cities.
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Originally Posted by radiolibre99
Houston is a town you love by living and exploring the city. Since it's not a tourist destination and is unplanned to the level of NYC or heck even LA, your happiness and quality of life is up to you and you alone. There is no canyon in your area to jog around, no hills or beaches already mapped out and ready for you and tourists.
Find your favorite park, your favorite watering hole, your favorite cafe or bookstore.
Now with that being said Houston is a terribly ugly city. It's also too practical as in offering the amenities of a go to work, go home kinda town. It's eat, drink, shop, sleep.
Travel is big component of a Houstonians life. And the way some of y'all say that xyz town/place is just a drive away yet we are talking a good three to four drive minimum! One guy posted one time saying he was only a five hour drive away from the lake he loves to fish at.
One gal I know can't go a couple months without some extravagant vacation to boast about on FB.
In sum I can both the views of detractors and boosters.
How so? Natural landscape? What is so ugly about a lush, verdant landscape filled with superfluous subtropical vegetation, criss-crossed by networks of waterways, and lying in proximity to miles and miles of coastline and beach? Urban environment? Well, the sprawl present in the area does bring some negative connotations regarding aesthetics, but nevertheless, there are plenty of attractive, well-designed areas for pedestrians in Houston.
Dude, I love my home city. 2nd favorite behind LA and I've been all over. I rep Houston like Drizzy, and have no shame in wearing my Rockets jersey around LA. But the city, even with all the development, is still an uneven mess. But that's mostly my biggest gripe. Other than that c'mon son, h-town gets down like no other.
Most of houston's ugly lies to the north side and east sides. But west houston, memorial drive, Allen parkway, west loop, bw8 (west chase area) uptown, Katy freeway/memorial city/energy cooridor, 290, are far from terribly ugly that you so blanketly described.
There's ugly in every city, even in austin tx where I live right now. True it may not be as much as houston, but they don't have the city and skylines that Houston has either.
I don't dread coming back to Houston after a trip, but I would agree that the drive south from IAH on 45 could be made more attractive. Years ago, there was talk in the media about doing something about it, but nothing came of it.
What's a good expression? Banal ugliness, flat void filled with cheap commercial crap? Unfortunately for Houston's reputation to outsiders, such views dominate their memories of Houston.
Houston uses it's major interstates as commercial/retail zones, and I love it.
Sure, when you are driving through Houston and see it, it doesn't look pretty, but I could care less if our freeways are lined by trees, because how we have it right now is convenient as hell. I use the freeways as transport to get from one place to another and having commercial/retail lining it makes for convenience. If you go to NYC, are you going to complain that when your riding in the subways you don't get to see anything pretty?
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Originally Posted by madrone2k
I agree. It's been said before, but boredom exists in the mind of the person who is bored. It's a mental state.
I'm sympathetic to people who feel that way; it can seem (and be) hard to deal with. One wrong way to deal with it is to move to some other place you idealize from having visited, only to find that you are bored there too once you have gotten used to it.
Very true. Boring people are bored.
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Originally Posted by atlbraves49
I personally never said that... There are things to do, but not more than most cities, and very few things that are "exclusive" to Houston.
Where in Denver, Memphis, Las Vegas, Atlanta, or St. Louis can you go offshore fishing, rig diving or sail on the ocean?
What city has anything exclusive? Is Miami the only city with pretty beaches? I'd say Pensacola, San Diego, Key West and a few places in Hawaii would disagree.
Is Denver the only place with skiing?
Is Las Vegas the only place with gambling?
Specifically what is exclusive about NYC? Are they the only US city with performing arts, a park or a subway?
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Originally Posted by Jack Lance
LOL How many times are you going to go to Niagra falls especially this time of the year. To say Buffalo has an identity other than a snow plagued wasteland is hilarious. Philly is nice but after you visit those historical buildings what do you do. Ill give you the other 4 but most cities would compare unfavorably to those 4. Your saying Houston has no identity does not make it so, Houston has a rich history especially when compared to most cities west of the Mississippi you just refuse to acknowledge it, even if its just oil, which it is not, that is still an identity..
Exactly.
"Niagra Falls again? Didn't we do that a few months ago?"
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Originally Posted by 0825spring
Many cities west of the Mississippi have incredible natural beauty and year round outdoor activities to enjoy. How does Houston compare to Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, San Fran, Albuquerque, and LA in that regard? They each have unique identities, and histories, which make them special and unforgettable. I've visited each and don't think Houston can compete with any.
How does Houston do against Denver in terms of beauty? Have you been to Denver? Sure, you can drive out to the mountains for beauty, but Denver itself can NOT be referred to as a beautiful city. Denver itself is a lot like Houston, but without the mountains in the background. Drive from the airport into Denver and count warehouses and such as you go. Take a deep breath through your nose once you get close to the Purina plant.
LA? What percentage of LA would you say is beautiful? I guess if you go there to visit and only hit the beach and the hills, you might get that idea, but LA is mainly a giant urbanish land of concrete and strip malls. If you have a lot of money, you can live in the beauty of LA; otherwise, how much time will you spend sitting in LA traffic getting to see those areas?
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Originally Posted by stoneclaw
Most of houston's ugly lies to the north side and east sides. But west houston, memorial drive, Allen parkway, west loop, bw8 (west chase area) uptown, Katy freeway/memorial city/energy cooridor, 290, are far from terribly ugly that you so blanketly described.
There's ugly in every city, even in austin tx where I live right now. True it may not be as much as houston, but they don't have the city and skylines that Houston has either.
Correct.
Houston actually does have pretty areas to it, but they are more of the exception than the rule. However, that is the case for most of the larger cities in the US.
The northeast side of Houston out by Lake Houston has some very very pretty areas. These would be well documented by the photos of Robert Ramsey - https://www.facebook.com/robert.ramsey.52/photos He takes beautiful shots of the Lake Houston area and if you're a fan of bald eagles, his photos of them nesting on Lake Houston are amazing.
If you really want to explore the beauty of Houston, it really helps to have a kayak or canoe, because there is a tremendous amount of beauty in the creeks, marshes, rivers and lakes of our area. I was blown away when a friend and I took his boat from the ship channel up the Buffalo Bayou and through downtown (which is restricted now).
I challenge anyone to go kayak in Armand Bayou and tell me there is no beauty in Houston.
Houston uses it's major interstates as commercial/retail zones, and I love it.
Sure, when you are driving through Houston and see it, it doesn't look pretty, but I could care less if our freeways are lined by trees, because how we have it right now is convenient as hell. I use the freeways as transport to get from one place to another and having commercial/retail lining it makes for convenience. If you go to NYC, are you going to complain that when your riding in the subways you don't get to see anything pretty?
Very true. Boring people are bored.
Where in Denver, Memphis, Las Vegas, Atlanta, or St. Louis can you go offshore fishing, rig diving or sail on the ocean?
What city has anything exclusive? Is Miami the only city with pretty beaches? I'd say Pensacola, San Diego, Key West and a few places in Hawaii would disagree.
Is Denver the only place with skiing?
Is Las Vegas the only place with gambling?
Specifically what is exclusive about NYC? Are they the only US city with performing arts, a park or a subway?
While it's true that every North American cities offer some of the same amenities except for those limited by geography, it is fair to say that differences exist in degree. Houston may offer the things you listed above but it does none of them particularly well. Anyone who is not a booster would give Houston a mediocre grade in each of these categories.
So what if gambling can be found outside of Vegas, musical theater outside of New York, and great beaches outside of Miami? At least these cities offer a top-tier experience in their strong categories. What are Houston's strong areas that visitors can appreciate?
While it's true that every North American cities offer some of the same amenities except for those limited by geography, it is fair to say that differences exist in degree. Houston may offer the things you listed above but it does none of them particularly well. Anyone who is not a booster would give Houston a mediocre grade in each of these categories.
We have more warm months per year than most other cities in the US for boating. Galveston bay is the 7th largest estuary in the US, and it covers 600 square miles. - Galveston Bay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Are you seriously going to say that we don't do pleasure boating "particularly well"?
I appreciate the fact that Houstonians see the beauty in their city and the inner loop is actually quite nice but once you exit the actual city of Houston and branch out past the galleria, I don't find anything attractive about the unplanned sprawl and endless suburbia. Memorial might be the nicest.
The Woodlands, Sugar Land and the new development out in Ft. Bend is nice in that mixed use development town center sorta way.
But seriously, you guys take it to another level by waxing on about the beauty of this or that spot, or the luscious greenery that springs up from the earth like one poster romanticized. When I visit Houston, I sense a very corporate, professional city. If it had an identity it would be practical, heavily business oriented. You can clearly see just what runs the town. The city us or exotically designed around business not the other way around like other cities. It wasn't made to be aesthetically pleasing. The amenities of the city clearly look to not be tourist destinations or grand things to put the city on a map, but amenities to keep the locals from
being totally bored outta their minds.
I appreciate the fact that Houstonians see the beauty in their city and the inner loop is actually quite nice but once you exit the actual city of Houston and branch out past the galleria, I don't find anything attractive about the unplanned sprawl and endless suburbia. Memorial might be the nicest.
If you don't see the beauty of a sun setting over the lake, a bald eagle perched on a tree, otters playing on the banks, a great blue heron stalking fish or an osprey returning to it's nest with food for it's young, life outside the loop may not be for you.
If you don't see the beauty of a sun setting over the lake, a bald eagle perched on a tree, otters playing on the banks, a great blue heron stalking fish or an osprey returning to it's nest with food for it's young, life outside the loop may not be for you.
How far out of the loop are you?! Lol.
If you're talking way out, almost in the boonies, I see nothing wrong with what you're saying. I was mostly talking of the city.
I appreciate the fact that Houstonians see the beauty in their city and the inner loop is actually quite nice but once you exit the actual city of Houston and branch out past the galleria, I don't find anything attractive about the unplanned sprawl and endless suburbia. Memorial might be the nicest.
The Woodlands, Sugar Land and the new development out in Ft. Bend is nice in that mixed use development town center sorta way.
But seriously, you guys take it to another level by waxing on about the beauty of this or that spot, or the luscious greenery that springs up from the earth like one poster romanticized. When I visit Houston, I sense a very corporate, professional city. If it had an identity it would be practical, heavily business oriented. You can clearly see just what runs the town. The city us or exotically designed around business not the other way around like other cities. It wasn't made to be aesthetically pleasing. The amenities of the city clearly look to not be tourist destinations or grand things to put the city on a map, but amenities to keep the locals from
being totally bored outta their minds.
What you seem to be overlooking is that these guy's (including me of course), are posting for the most part in defense of Houston. You act like Houstonians are posting out of the blue and that is not the case. If we didn't have these "flame bait" (my term) threads and post, I doubt you would ever see post about the natural beauty of Houston on the Houston or any other forum.
If you don't want to see post defending the Houston area quite attacking it......
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