Houston
Grew up in NOLA and live in Houston now. Lived in Dallas before
I find in life that things are what you make of them.
stole the words right out of my mouth.
i've been in Houston for almost 5 yrs now, after growing up in NOLA and spending the first 25 yrs of my life there, then living in CA for 6 yrs.. Houston is very much what you make of it-- i live 'in the Loop' which is a very cosmopolitan, diverse area near downtown.. i have friends who live in places like The Woodlands, Sugar Land, Katy, Spring, etc etc.. their lives and mine are probably very different in a lot of ways-- not better or worse, but different, more focused on good schools, community involvement, etc. whereas i am more of a city guy and i want access to things such as good, non-chain restaurants, museums, dog parks, and the like.. the best part about Houston, for me, is that after living in CA-- New Orleans seems like a hop and a skip away.. i can get in my car and be home to take advantage of NOLA, see family, etc. in a little over 5 hrs.. Oh, and the number of Saints fans and (especially) LSU fans (if you care) is pretty mind-blowing.. i'm convinced that there are more LSU fans per capita in Houston than in New Orleans, with Saints fans not far behind... Not sure about the job market though-- i have been on the lookout for a new job for the last yr and a half, and i've seen better options in other places such as Dallas.. but i guess it depends on what you do.