Vancouver To Houston

[thisnameisnottaken]

Originally Posted by irwin

Hey. I have been to Vancouver a couple of times while visiting a friend in Seattle and can tell you that Houston and Vancouver are very different. Both have advantages, but they are different.

Houston has more crime than Vancouver, but that's going to be the case with most large American cities when compared to Canadian cities. Basically for large American cities it is pretty average. Gangs are around but no worse than what you get in any large American city.

Ethnically, Vancouver has a much more international feel but surprisingly Houston has a large Asian population. Just nowhere near the Asian influence that Vancouver has. When I first drove into Vancouver and looked at the skyline it immediately made me think of Asia. Houston's just not like that.

Houston is a much bigger city, both population and in total area. But it is also a sun belt city, so it's VERY sprawling; think LA but more spread out. You are not going to get the walkable streets like you do in Vancouver. Not sure if you are going to have a car in Houston but it will be very hard to get around without one. The public transit system in Houston stinks, especially when compared to what you get in Canadian cities. That's a big negative, at least in my book.

The weather, well....during the summer Houston is miserable. Horribly hot and humid. You will be crying for the summer back in the Pacific Northwest. That being said the winters in Houston are extremely mild and most wouldn't call it a winter at all. As far as rain, Houston may get more total rain but it comes in huge downpours not the constant spitting you get in places like Seattle and Vancouver.

The other huge difference is, although Houston is also a port and located on a bay, the city doesn't have anything near the natural beauty or outdoors mentality you get in the Pacific Northwest. Camping, hiking, etc is simply not as popular in Houston. No mountains, very little public land, no wilderness areas, a lot more industry but at least the water is warm enough to swim in! The water is a lot dirtier though but not all of it is man-made pollution (thankfully!). Because of all the rivers dumping silt into the Gulf of Mexico (exhibit A being the Mississippi), the water is brown. Nothing like the blue water you get in Vancouver.

Finally, the people in Texas are of course much different. They are VERY nice and may seem alarmingly nice to the more reserved mentality you get in the Pacific Northwest. Some would even call Texans loud mouths. But they really are nice people and very friendly. There are other differences, like Houston is much less health conscious than Vancouver (more fried foods, grease, beef, etc). As you would expect Houston is MUCH more conservative politically and socially than Vancouver as well. Sometimes they are also a bit provincial and untraveled. You will find people who never have left the State of Texas and will be openly proud of that fact. But again they are very nice and always there for a smile.

Anyway, hope this helps. Sounds like quite an adventure. Good luck! I sure hope to make it up to Vancouver again VERY soon!

Not true, I've lived in Houston for about 10 years, some winters it can get as cold as 40F in the day, and into the 20s at night.

[TX_AGGIE13]

I lived in the 77003 Zip. It's where Minuite Maid Park is. I lived in the Loft's at the Ballpark across the street. Is this where you are going to be living? Deffinately a "Major" change from Vancouver. You can make the best of it, but not near as nice as Vancouver. The Papa's BBQ Downtown has great breakfast!

[jd2008]

Originally Posted by thisnameisnottaken

Not true, I've lived in Houston for about 10 years, some winters it can get as cold as 40F in the day, and into the 20s at night.

It's over 70 degrees right now and it will be in the 70's all weekend.

I rest my case.

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by jd2008

It's over 70 degrees right now and it will be in the 70's all weekend.

I rest my case.

70s yea but so much rain that we will be stuck indoors anyway. So it might as well be too cold to go out just the same.

Besides people, you are arguing about a post that is more then a year and a half old. The OP has not been back since. I do wonder how he made out.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by jd2008

It's over 70 degrees right now and it will be in the 70's all weekend.

I rest my case.

omg you must be dieing in such horrible weather, especially when you could be outside shoveling snow in below freezing weather. poor you.

[thisnameisnottaken]

Originally Posted by jd2008

It's over 70 degrees right now and it will be in the 70's all weekend.

I rest my case.

True, but it isn't always that warm

[jd2008]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

omg you must be dieing in such horrible weather, especially when you could be outside shoveling snow in below freezing weather. poor you.

My point was that the weather during the winter in Houston is mild in response to another poster that stated that it was "not true."

Reading comprehension...

[jd2008]

Originally Posted by thisnameisnottaken

True, but it isn't always that warm

Average temps in January are in the 60's...that is warm.

In the main, Houston winters are a breeze and extremely pleasant.

[coog78]

Originally Posted by TX_AGGIE13

I lived in the 77003 Zip. It's where Minuite Maid Park is. I lived in the Loft's at the Ballpark across the street. Is this where you are going to be living? Deffinately a "Major" change from Vancouver. You can make the best of it, but not near as nice as Vancouver. The Papa's BBQ Downtown has great breakfast!

My words of advice are to avoid living in Lofts at the Ballpark like the plague. Crime is bad, walls paper thin, management lathergic, parties that go on all night on the weekends, skinny dipping in the pool, cigarette butts, beer bottles, and trash all over the hallways. That place was a nightmare.

You're going to find Houston's inner loop very liberal and not all that religious outside of the Catholic East End. You will nevertheless have a wide variety of choices to make your church choice.