Houston (1 Viewer)

[Saintree River]

I am currently living with a friend in Austin while I look for work, but not having a ton of luck here given my field, which is finance. When I utilize my network it keeps drawing me toward moving to Houston. I am originally from NOLA and the job market there for my line of work is almost non-existent. While things in Texas seems to be holding up very well. Better levels of employment, higher pay and reasonable cost of living sans property taxes. I, like most people my age, perhaps have an overly positive bias toward Austin. It is a young, vibrant, relatively diverse town. It is also not massive so it is easy to get around. That is what brought me here. I figured I would go somewhere "cool" and then just find work. However most people in my network and field tell me that Houston (or Dallas) are better options for jobs. Admittedly I did not want to hear this as I have developed a negative bias toward Houston. I have never lived there but been plenty of times. I would echo what most haters say in that it is massive urban sprawl with bad traffic and terrible public transit. Hot, humid, no culture, no identity, etc. However, in living here I am discovering that my positive bias toward Austin is not totally accurate, so maybe I should be more open-minded toward Houston as my negative bias is probably not totally accurate either. (Don't get me wrong, Austin is a great town, but I have traveled the world and it is not the center of the universe as its residents would have you believe, especially with all the Californians moving in jacking up prices).

So I guess the point of this thread is to get feedback about Houston from those familiar with it. I want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly.

 

[All The Way]

Grew up in NOLA and live in Houston now. Lived in Dallas before this.

I find in life that things are what you make of them. If you move to Houston with a negative bias, you will see that it lives up to it. If you move to Houston with an open mind and a bigger bankroll, you might actually like it. In the very least, you can get some valuable work experience that will allow you to move somewhere else later. From what I have seen, its much easier to find a new job when you have one to begin with.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

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.

 

[GhostFace]

None of you can make Houston or Dallas great.

 

[andyb33]

Hey, it's better than Dallas..

 

[FranklinSaint]

The biggest problem with Houston is that whenever anyone goes, it seems like they're always staying with relatives in suburbs like Sugarland, Katy, The Woodlands, etc, and so this is their impression of the city. Of course if you're used to living in a vibrant city like Austin or New Orleans, these Houston suburbs are going to suck. Houston, like any other major city, has a variety of different neighborhoods within the city, made up of different types of people. For a more Austin-esque feel, check out neighborhoods like Montrose and The Heights. I have friends who live in Montrose and they walk/bike everywhere within the area. There are older houses, more relaxed bars and cafes, decent non-chain restaurants, and close proximity to other decent inner-loop areas (Midtown, Downtown, Rice Village, etc.). As far as weather, can't really do anything about that.
Having lived in Houston and visiting my sister in Austin 3-4 times a year, Austin is definitely a "cooler" place, but contrary to popular belief, moving to Houston doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be relegated to Chili's happy hours on Friday nights.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

The biggest problem with Houston is that whenever anyone goes, it seems like they're always staying with relatives in suburbs like Sugarland, Katy, The Woodlands, etc, and so this is their impression of the city. Of course if you're used to living in a vibrant city like Austin or New Orleans, these Houston suburbs are going to suck. Houston, like any other major city, has a variety of different neighborhoods within the city, made up of different types of people. For a more Austin-esque feel, check out neighborhoods like Montrose and The Heights. I have friends who live in Montrose and they walk/bike everywhere within the area. There are older houses, more relaxed bars and cafes, decent non-chain restaurants, and close proximity to other decent inner-loop areas (Midtown, Downtown, Rice Village, etc.).

bingo.

pretty much what i was trying to say, but you said it much better.

As far as weather, can't really do anything about that.

the weather in Houston is identical to the weather in New Orleans.. some say it's hotter, some say not as hot-- but it is, in fact, exactly the same.. this is not a good thing, but it does remind me of home.

 

[Twyst]

Ive been in Austin for two years now after 6 years in Houston and my first 25 years in new orleans.

I would not live in Houston again unless I was getting paid a ridiculous amount more money than I could make anywhere else. Id start looking in other states etc for work, living in Houston after having lived in Austin would have killed me. I lived in one of the youngest trendiest areas of houston (midtown) and it does not hold a candle to life in austin. Sorry to be a debbie downer, but I really disliked Houston as a single guy.

EDIT: As for the traffic point you raised in the OP, I think austin traffic is worse than houston traffic TBH.

 

[FranklinSaint]

Ive been in Austin for two years now after 6 years in Houston and my first 25 years in new orleans.

I would not live in Houston again unless I was getting paid a ridiculous amount more money than I could make anywhere else. Id start looking in other states etc for work, living in Houston after having lived in Austin would have killed me. I lived in one of the youngest trendiest areas of houston (midtown) and it does not hold a candle to life in austin. Sorry to be a debbie downer, but I really disliked Houston.

Yeah, I lived in Midtown from 2008-2010, and not going to lie, I ran out of there as fast as I could back to New Orleans. But Midtown to me was all leased-BMW's, complete tools for dudes, stuck-up sorority princesses for women, etc. So being that all of the above was not my scene (and apparently not your scene either), Midtown was a horrible place to live. I stayed around Rice Village for a month and Montrose for two, and life was completely different there than in Midtown.
I can't believe I've just defended Houston two posts in a row