Houston - Need Opinions Please

[muskrat]

look at it this way.  make some money, enough to retire earlier and then you can move wherever you like.

[Triple J]

look at it this way.  make some money, enough to retire earlier and then you can move wherever you like.

That's the plan in general.  Thanks for your input as well..I missed it earlier. interesting you say you hate Austin...my wife's dad hates Austin as well, but really liked living in Houston. 

Your local motorcycle racing club, CMRA, seems pretty active as well with races at 5 or 6 tracks. That's very cool!  We only race a 2 tracks here, and mainly at 1.

[fastwin]

Houston is the suck! I worked with my brother in the family trucking business years ago. We had a satellite office in Houston. We'd make them come to Dallas rather than going to Houston for business meetings. I am a Dallas native and I don't like Dallas so how bad does that make Houston? IZ and I just had a PM swap about Dallas so he knows what I'm talking about.

CMRA is a good racing outfit. I used to belong to them when they were CRRC in the late 80s-early 90s. You wouldn't believe the famous racers that came out of that gene pool! Start with Ben Spies and go up from there!!

[akmnstr]

I live about 60 miles southeast of Houston, along the Coast.  I try to spend as little time as I can in Houston.  My impression is that it is hot, congested, and angry.  The heat has been mentioned before but it is worth repeating.  You will find it uncomfortable to ride in the summer.  Riding in town is dangerous.  Temps run about 5 degrees hotter than where I live.  I think that the buildings and pavement just suck up the heat.    Here in rural Texas there seems to be a brain drain.  I've become so jaded that when I meet someone new I wait for them to prove to me that they are not a moron.  Until they show some intelligence, I assume the worst. The education system is weak and underfunded.  It is the bible belt (I won't say more on that).  One thing that hasn't been mentioned are the wildlife refuges along the coast.  I work for them.  They are world class.  If you are a bird watcher or hunter this is heaven for 3 to 6 months of the year.  People come from all over the world to see them.  Funny, that many locals don't even know they exist.

[Triple J]

Here in rural Texas there seems to be a brain drain.  I've become so jaded that when I meet someone new I wait for them to prove to me that they are not a moron.  Until they show some intelligence, I assume the worst.

Is the education system underfunded just where you are, or do you see it as a statewide problem?

[muskrat]

That's the plan in general.  Thanks for your input as well..I missed it earlier. interesting you say you hate Austin...my wife's dad hates Austin as well, but really liked living in Houston. 

Your local motorcycle racing club, CMRA, seems pretty active as well with races at 5 or 6 tracks. That's very cool!  We only race a 2 tracks here, and mainly at 1.

I like to live where people don't meddle in your business and Austin is the KING of meddling IMO.  The traffic there sucks just as bad as Houston since they "don't" build any roads. 

[akmnstr]

Is the education system underfunded just where you are, or do you see it as a statewide problem?

The education system in TX has been taking budget hits and the state is currently being sued by many school districts over the way the state handles funding.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/texas-schools-sue-state-s_n_1006353.html
It seems to me the quality of education varies.  My Nephew just moved to a suburb of Austin and thinks his kids school is great.  The local schools in my area rate low on HS Graduation rates.  If you have kids it is something to investigate before you settle into a community.   

[muskrat]

pretty much any surrounding "affluent" suburb has very good schools.  There is a slew of Montessori schools as well that are substantially cheaper than where you are.  Inner City schools have been the hardest hit. 

[DesmoLu]

There are only three places I would live in Houston.

The heights, where I currently live, Montrose, and downtown. If you live here, you can walk places and be close to everything you could ever need, with awesome food, schools and nightlife within a stones throw. Anything else, you will turn into a seething, hate machine stuck in a car for 3 hours a day.

[Triple J]

Hmmm...Houston traffic ranked 4th worst...the 2 places I've lived also on the list: SF (5th) and Seattle (9th). Not good, as traffic pisses me off.

[muskrat]

determine your job situation and pick accordingly.  plenty here to help or move to Dallas where the Autobaan is a minimum 90 mph. 

[Adamm0621]

I grew up there, and my Dad still lives there.  I happen to enjoy hot weather, so Houston doesn't bother me.  I mainly lived on the outskirts (Sugar Land), and there was always plenty to do.  The traffic sucks, but traffic sucks in a lot of places.  Moving around in the Army, I've come to realize that your outlook, and what you put into a place, usually has more impact on whether you enjoy living some where or not.

[akmnstr]

A few years ago, don't remember when, Houston was ranked for having the worst air in the nation.  Seems it is a little better now, but still ranks near the bottom.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30476335/ns/us_news-environment/t/report-lists-worst-best-cities-air-quality/#.TpwhguxuK7s

A few months ago I had to go to Texas City (an industrial suburb) and the sky was brown.  I felt the bad air in my chest and I drove as fast as I could to get out of town. 

[fastwin]

Driving fast to get out of any big city is always a good thing. I'm getting the hell out of town this Wednesday for my farm in east TX. Good fall cold front is coming our way and I don't want to be in the city when it gets here. Looking forward to my last mowing of the year, good cigars and cold adult beverages, peace and quiet, deer at the feeders, cows mooing in the distance and oh, did I mention I wouldn't be in the city?

PS  don't move to Houston!

[Triple J]

PS  don't move to Houston!

Thanks for all the input everyone.  I think we've decided it has to be one sweet ass job offer for us to move, so we'll see. The hot weather actually sounds kinda nice, but maybe that's because I know I have about 9 months of cold, wet, and gray to look forward to.  From my time in Vegas, I know it would get old after a few months (as would the AC bills). The houses sure look nice compared to here (for what we can afford), but that alone is no reason to move. We've been in Seattle for 9 years come March, so I think we both have a mild case of 'grass is greener' going on.