Houston vs. Nashville... (Memphis, Columbia, Louisville: best city, house, job market)

[MusicMan01]

I just graduated, and I would like to understand the pros and cons of both cities in particular. I currently live in Mississippi, and have been offered jobs in both cities. I would like to move outside of this state and see what else is actually out there. This is proving to be a larger decision than I had planned, but it has to be done.

Which would be the best city for a recent grad that offers the friendliest and easiest people to meet? I am a musician and hear that both cities have great musical influences throughout, which do you think would be the best? And are there any other considerations that I have overlooked? Please feel free to criticize and give your honest opinions of both.

[cheryjohns]

This thread just caight my eye on the way to somewhere else and out of curiousity, I opened it. (Mainly, because of late, the whole world seems bent on making constant comparisons of Houston VS. fill in the blank.)

I love my city and think it has a lot to offer with opportunity and friendliness - but I really would think Nashville has us beat as to music.

[susansong]

Originally Posted by MusicMan01

I just graduated, and I would like to understand the pros and cons of both cities in particular. I currently live in Mississippi, and have been offered jobs in both cities. I would like to move outside of this state and see what else is actually out there. This is proving to be a larger decision than I had planned, but it has to be done.

Which would be the best city for a recent grad that offers the friendliest and easiest people to meet? I am a musician and hear that both cities have great musical influences throughout, which do you think would be the best? And are there any other considerations that I have overlooked? Please feel free to criticize and give your honest opinions of both.

Go with Houston. I have lived in both cities, and there is no comparison.

Houston is a cosmopolitan, international city. Nashville is a regional city with a poor public educational system and strong social stratification between the haves and have nots. The diverse culture of Houston - restaurants, arts, shopping, etc - blows Nashville away.

The music scene in Nashville is almost exclusively country. It is dominated by industry insiders. Nashville isn't that great for live music - Houston has as many, if not more, venues for live music and definteily a much wider variety of music. Plus you are not far from Austin, which blows Nashville away in live music.

Houston offers better long-term career prospects in most fields, meaning it will be easier to find your second and third job in Houston than in Nashville. I think health care management is one area where Nashville has a heads up due to it being the headquarters of Columbia/HCA, but Houston has incredible medical facilities and is home to many international companies and is in business-friendly Texas.

If you want to buy a house later, housing costs in Houston are lower due to the fact that there is no zoning in Houston. Nashville housing costs in decent school districts (a fact you should consider for resale even if you don't have kids) are extremely high for the quality of house and repetitive red brick colonial facade.

You're young - go to the real city - Houston. And don't think the summers in Nashville won't be just as humid for at least three-four months of the year anyway.

[MusicMan01]

Thanks Susan, That is a great answer. The job in Houston actually has better pay and has more opportunities for advancement than the job in Nashville like you said, and I hear the job market in Houston is one of the strongest in the nation in case I do need to find another job.

[brentwoodgirl]

Houston would have better long term business prospects just because it is bigger and there are more companies to choose from.

I couldn't live in Houston because of the heat and humidity. My sister lived there for several years and their neighborhood pool was open 10 months of the year. I was always pretty miserable when I visited her, and I grew up in Memphis, so I am no stranger to heat and humidity. Nashville has been miserable this summer but as started cooling off this week. The nice thing about Nashville is even if we have a really bad summer, you know that when the football games start, the weather will start getting better. That doesn't happen in Houston.

Nashville has all kinds of music- both being played and recorded here. Because there are so many places trying to break into the music business, we have tons of great live music. You can find every kind of live music here every night of the week.

Houston is cheaper on housing- but the property tax in TX is MUCH higher than in TN. My sister lives in Dallas now and they pay almost $1,000 a month property tax on their 3000 sq. ft house. It is a really nice house but was significantly cheaper than ours. But the property tax makes their payment higher then ours. (But you can write off property tax on your federal income tax, so that's a bonus).

Houston has fabulous shopping. Nashville has good shopping for a city of its size, but it doesn't compare to Houston, esp. in the high end market.

[IngleDave]

Sorry, but susan, it sounds like your Wheaties got wet.

Sure, Houston's a huge international city, but who here ticked you off so bad? Bless your heart.

[JMT]

I just finished watching a French talk show on TV5 (the French TV station on the Dish network). They were talking about American music. The interviewer and the guest star both said that in America the two places to go for the best music are New Orleans and Nashville. Not Houston, and not Austin.

To the poster who said that Nashville is almost exclusively country: first of all, that's absolutely not true. Secondly, so what? Is country music not really music? Does it take less musical talent to play country music than it does to play R&B or rock or jazz or classical?

Nashville is obviously a heck of a lot smaller than Houston. But it's certainly big enough to offer almost everything Houston does except for chronic traffic, some high-end shopping and IKEA. Otherwise, I'll take Nashville's rolling hills, change of seasons, and more down-home atmosphere any day of the week.

[vivelafrance]

Originally Posted by JMT

I just finished watching a French talk show on TV5 (the French TV station on the Dish network). They were talking about American music. The interviewer and the guest star both said that in America the two places to go for the best music are New Orleans and Nashville. Not Houston, and not Austin.

To the poster who said that Nashville is almost exclusively country: first of all, that's absolutely not true. Secondly, so what? Is country music not really music? Does it take less musical talent to play country music than it does to play R&B or rock or jazz or classical?

Nashville is obviously a heck of a lot smaller than Houston. But it's certainly big enough to offer almost everything Houston does except for chronic traffic, some high-end shopping and IKEA. Otherwise, I'll take Nashville's rolling hills, change of seasons, and more down-home atmosphere any day of the week.

Nashville is very popular with the French...but they all think it is in the "wild west" and that everyone wears cowboy hats and owns cattle.

Nashville is a great place to break into the music (any type) business if you are determined....just ask Kings of Leon, Ke$ha, or the Raconteurs!

[CountryGirl2b=]

I agree. Nashville is NOT only Country Music. Went to see a way cool band called The Smoking Section last night . . NOT country! Nothing compares to Texas HEAT. This summer in Nashville has been rough but it sure beats just a couple of HOURS in Texas. We're close enough to Atlanta for IKEA. When you're in Houston, you've got Texas. When you're in Nashville you ALSO get Memphis, New Orleans, the Smokey Mountains, Cincinnati (which I really love), Louisville, Asheville . . I mean, there are a lot of long weekend change of scenery places to go. I do think with music, there's a LOT happening here. More than Houston, anyway . . . IMHO. You should come visit! Have you never been here????

[brentwoodgirl]

I totally agree with JMT. At one point we actually considered moving to Houston to live closer to my sister. The recruiters had tons of opportunities for my husband- he's in the high tech field and his skill set is more needed in Houston than here.
While the recruiters were lining up interviews for him, I was in TX for a meeting and stopped in Houston to spend a few days with my sister's family. It was October and unbearably hot. The traffic was awful, and Houston just wasn't as pretty as Nashville to me.
I called him and told him to tell the recruiters we were not moving after all.

Houston definitely has a lot to offer, but we prefer Nashville. My sister was not crazy about Houston either. They like DFW much better, esp. the weather.