*Thinking about moving out of Houston ** (Dallas, Fort Worth: places to live, beach, pool)

[visitingthisplanet]

A few thoughts about Houston:

I lived there from 1995 until this summer, some of that inside the loop (610/Memorial Park area), some in midtown, some in Sugar Land. Since 1995 I've seen the city change a lot and mostly in negative ways, unfortunately.

PROS: huge thunderstorms (if you like extreme weather, as I do), plenty of restaurants and good food, nice cosmopolitan mix of cultures, decent arts/entertainment scene, proximity to NOLA and Galveston (tacky but still fun for the occasional weekend visit), plenty of sunshine, reasonable cost-of-living (used to be better, though), lots of shopping and theaters if you're into those, a few fun annual events and festivals, some good museums, 2 decent parks, plenty of meetup groups and other ways to meet people.

CONS: huge thunderstorms, crowded highways that are often under construction, ugly buildings in bad need of pressure washing, lousy radio options, oppressive heat (fine if you're in the pool or laying out, but gets old when you're not), poor air quality, hazy, proliferation of billboards and signage, daily random crime, overly-aggressive police, over-crowded schools, tacky areas with no zoning, rising property tax rates, mediocre music scene, substandard public transit in most areas, pollution from ship channel industries, football-obsessed, too far from nice beaches or mountains.

I really enjoyed most of my time in Houston, and milked the city for all it was worth. But over the last year (perhaps in part due to its rapid growth and my own increasing age) I grew increasingly tired of many of its negatives and decided to leave it in my rear view mirror. There are certain things I'm sure I will always miss about Houston, but many others I'm relieved to be free of now.

[LeavingDetroit]

So I'm at the end of reading all these posts and feeling like chiming in. I'm not a native Houstonian but I've really liked the years that I've lived here. Like an article posted (perhaps it was in this thread; by U of H Bauer school), it's about the people. I've generally found people here to be welcoming and friendly here. I like the cosmopolitan feel of the city, the diversity in people, culture, food etc. the museums, theater. Not a huge fan of the mosquitos but have gotten used to the heat (more/less) and the months indoors as a result thereof. It's the same as staying indoors up North in the winter if you're not a fan of the cold. Allergies here though have been killing me the last few days !!!

But like many these days, I'm contemplating a move due to lack of lack of professional opportunities here in Houston after parting ways with my employer recently. There's an opportunity in Dallas, which I've always viewed as somewhat less friendly, more materialistic than Houston. Possibly just stereotyping based on what I've heard from Houstonians. If not Dallas, may have to go to one of the coasts - housing costs be darned ! Several of you here have said you've spent time in Dallas. What are your impression of the Dallasites and are they welcoming ?=

[visitingthisplanet]

Originally Posted by LeavingDetroit

What are your impression of the Dallasites and are they welcoming ?=

There are plenty of friendly folks there too. But compared to Houston I think you'll find it a lot more "white" (for lack of a better word) -- it's not nearly as cosmopolitan. The highways are crazy but the humidity's not nearly as bad, so that's a plus. For me, Dallas has always seemed a little too glitzy and fake.

[detachable arm]

Dallas is hot as hell and I wouldn't say it is any better than here.

Also kudos for recognizing there is absolutely no diversity within "white people".

[crone]

We used the pool in Dallas , unheated from April until Thanksgiving. Weeks longer than Houston.

Shopping was better.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by crone

We used the pool in Dallas , unheated from April until Thanksgiving. Weeks longer than Houston.

Shopping was better.

My pool is usable nearly a month longer on each end than my parent's pool, both in Houston. This is due to factors such as shade, color of pool, depth, etc.

Did you move you entire home, pool and yard from Dallas to Houston?

[Houston parent]

I've lived in Houston most of my life other than college and three years in the northeast (over 40 years and counting). A lot of the changes over the past decades have been wearing on me (more litter, crappy air quality, ugly scenery along the freeway corridors). I'd love to move somewhere cleaner, less densely populated, etc. The problem is that the city is growing because there are jobs here, and most of the places that seem nicer to me do not have many jobs. Guess I'll have to wait to retire someplace else.

[Yumbunnies]

Long thread! Lol My SO and I are considering the move to Houston, so it's good to read all these cons. I'd like to know what we'd really be getting into since the times we've visited were suspiciously great experiences. Ha I love the city life, the weather really doesn't bother me (coming from Louisiana) and the economy is MUCH better than my home town.

[Houston parent]

This city is a place to "make your mark", not retire.


I once read a book that described the distinct cultural differences among the original 13 colonies in the 1600's and 1700's. From the very beginning, what became New York City was a place where random people from all over the world gathered for the primary purpose of making money. That's Houston now. This city is about one thing: economic opportunity. That's why most of my extended family moved here in the 60's, 70's and 80's.


As people get older, however, they often start to appreciate non-economic factors more than they might have when they were younger, more ambitious and more single-minded.

[crone]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

My pool is usable nearly a month longer on each end than my parent's pool, both in Houston. This is due to factors such as shade, color of pool, depth, etc.

Did you move you entire home, pool and yard from Dallas to Houston?

No, Pedro. Both houses were south facing, pools were same distance from the house. It is hotter in Dallas.