Hi I know this replay maybe a little old it is just i have simple question , if you are working at a multinational company in Houstan and your salary is way beyond the sky like, 75000 US dollar per year, Wouldn't you be happy ? or at least you can do whatever ou want. ? Is it possible for a young person to go there and work and makes a lot of money, like can i save 1000 US dollar a month for myself or that would be diffcult ?
AHMED | Ogden, UT | Report Abuse

I agree with you Danny! I know this post is kind of old, but I am weighing the pros and cons of moving back to Chicago from Houston. I HATE Houston with a passion. I am actually shocked by all of the blogs that praise living in Houston. There is nothing to do except go out to eat and if you're religious, go to church! I can't get out of here fast enough. The economy is great, but that's it. I know that people complain about the cold and snow in Chicago, but at least there are fun things to do in the snow! Kids can go sledding, build snowmen, have snowball fights go skiiing, etc... Although Houston is beautiful in the winter, what is there to do really? And in the summer, you have two options- go swimming or stay inside. Sorry for all the negative comments, but I have had a really bad experience living down here being from the midwest. The people and culture are so incredibly different. Cost of living should not be the only consideration when moving to a new city!!
Sarah | Ogden, UT | Report Abuse

I was born and bred a Houstonian - actually grew up in a little town west of Houston, so Ive seen it change a lot. You know what I can't wait for? To move away from Houston because of it being overrun by Yankees who think they know better and who bring their failed policies with them! You wanna go back home? DO IT. I want my Texas back.
Sharon | Richmond, TX | Report Abuse

I bag on Houston constantly and I feel like your review is spon on. I've live in Houston all my life and have travelled extensively - Houston is a place where jobs are plentiful but is socially inept. People are not in Houston for the culture or spring fed lakes (because there are none). They live in Houston for a materially rich life, which does not equal a happiness. Yes, you can own a home, commute an hour to everything (stree management?), own lots of stuff, pay nearly the highest auto insurance rate in the country - but is this a life? Desiree sounds like she speaks one language and has never left the country. The suburbs are a different kind of hell and Houston has been rated the worst city for pedestrians and manual modes of transportation (I am a cyclist). Cycling in Houston is one of survival and necessity if you want to stay in shap, not pleasure. People are fat because the effort and opportunity it takes to do anything healthy is too high and infrequent. The environment was based on economic efficiency - use and spend on cars, gas, things you don't need at a high rate, not about an environment meant to further human interaction or beauty. It's no wonder why creativity happens where people are happy and there are free exchange of ideas. Houston is a dumb place - literally and figurively.
John | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

Danny, Your apartment is so high because you live in Yuppy land downtown (used to be trashy not many years ago). Go downtown in any big city and you will see crime. I lived in Houston for 25 years and I loved it. Just moved to Colorado a year ago. In Houston we lived in a very nice neighborhood in the suburbs in a beautiful house (half the price in CO) our children when to great schools, never heard a shooting or no one broke into our cars. There are outdoors activities you can do: you can go swimming every day, buy a house with a pool, go to the beach, go water skiing to any of the lakes. People go cycling all the times, there are all sorts of 5K or 10K, go dirt biking, we have festivals every week going on. Great theaters also great golf courses. Move to Woodlands, Sugarland, Kingwood, Katy (Cinco Ranch), West University, Friendswood, League City close to the sea, Memorial, Coles crossing subdivision is pretty. Cost of living in Houston is 13% lower than the US cost of living and unemployment is 8%. You don't have to be fat if you don't want to...lol but Houston has the best restaurants. I really don't know were you live that you hear shootings everyday but be realistic there are shootings in bad areas of San Diego, Arizona, Denver, etc. You have to live in a good area of town anywhere you go. I think you just miss San Diego and that is why everything is negative in Houston to you. We hated moving to Colorado in the beginning... old houses and ridiculously expensive, missed all the big city shopping and things to do, southern hospitality, etc. Now I like living here...I think you have to do what is best for you but please don't bash Houston based on your choices and opinions. Good Luck ;)
Desiree | Fort Collins, CO | Report Abuse

Danny, I'm not sure if you've explored other areas of Texas yet but I, like you, found that Houston; strong economy, low cost of living was great for many, but also didn't work for me. Being from the west coast also, I'd check out Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth....not perfect however, much, much happier. just sayin'.
Phil | Tucson, AZ | Report Abuse

I moved here two years ago from Ohio and I highly disagree. I love Houston. You can find a nice one bedroom apartment for about $525-$800. It all depends what you are use to. And if you don't mind living alittle outside the city there are huge nice homes and great neighborhoods for sale at great prices. And the crime seemed worse in Ohio. Like any major city you just have to be smart about where you are going at night.
David | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

I agree with Marco's review above, if you chose to move from someplace like San Diego for a better cost of living such as Houston, DEAL with it. I'm a native Texan, and though Houston is not my first choice in Texas, Id rather live in Texas than in sunny california the rest of my life. Out here (Orange County), everyone is a skinny//neurotic/healthFREAK who actually PAYS to get a 'spray' sun tan. Out here, you drive a Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, but you live in a tiny house that costs 5 times as much as it would in Houston just so you can be close to the beach. All your income goes to just paying for your housing. My husband and I were lucky we were able to buy a tiny bedroom condo for $400K in Huntington Beach (2 miles from the beach), but we never go to the beach as we can't stand fighting the tourists. You say you like to do things outdoors, well, so does everyone else, so when you go hiking, biking, or running, you better get use to the human traffic. and Crime? it's the same everywhere and Ive lived in several places in the Country. Like Sharon said below who is also a native Texan, I'd tell you to 'get the heck' out of my State, we don't care for loud mouth Yankees, nor those So.Cal spray-tanned/gym rats who are neurotic about working out. You don't deserve to enjoy Texas low cost of Living. I personally can't wait to get out of Southern California and finally go home-Sweet-home to the Great State of Texas.
Eunice | Midway City, CA | Report Abuse

I´ve lived in Boston, Virginia, Maryland, New Orleans, Houston and now I´m overseas. Out of all places I´ve lived, Houston is FAR THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE! I suggest for you to move to the Galleria or West University area. Or it you don´t mind the drive, Katy, The Woodlands, Clearlake or Sugarland. All great places to live. Your problem is the place you live. The only advantage (today) is its proximity to downtown. Also, the Houstonians are warm and great people. I´m not living in Houston right now and could live anywhere in the States if I wanted to, but would not change Houston for any other place!
Neize | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

I´ve lived in Boston, Virginia, Maryland, New Orleans, Houston and now I´m overseas. Out of all places I´ve lived, Houston is FAR THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE! I suggest for you to move to the Galleria or West University area. Or it you don´t mind the drive, Katy, The Woodlands, Clearlake or Sugarland. All great places to live. Your problem is the place you live. The only advantage (today) is its proximity to downtown. Also, the Houstonians are warm and great people. I´m not living in Houston right now and could live anywhere in the States if I wanted to, but would not change Houston for any other place!
Neize | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

I also moved to Houston from California and hated it passionately with a few months. I am still stuck there due to financial problems. Please people. Read these reviews and take them seriously. Houston is a horrible city, and has only gotten worse in the three years since 2012. Horrible traffic, terrible crime, and hideous all the way around. Ugly city full of religious fanatics. Awful place.
Gioconda | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

You should have done a little research before you moved here. The towns surrounding Houston are beautiful and family-oriented with low crime and great housing. I live in Katy (25 minutes from downtown) and I am always amazed at how many people I see jogging or riding bikes here. Houston is a great city with lots to offer and a great economy, but living near downtown is probably not so great. Try Katy, Sugarland, The Woodlands, Cypress. I'm just saying....maybe do a little research before you move someplace and then decide you hate it.
Guy | Katy, TX | Report Abuse

I agree with Danny 100%. I've been living here for 10 years now and can't wait to move. First, yes the job market is very good, housing cheap, the cost of living is cheap but if you and have an active lifestyle and love the outdoors this is not theplace for you. The weather is horrible from April to November its too hot to do anything outdoors and if you wait for the evening the mosquitos will eat you. It is one of the uglies cities I've ever seen, the schools are ok, when people say great schools I ask compared to what? Texas standard? The lakes and beach are nasty the water is brown. The festivals are ok all you do is eat, people are fat, thats why they love the festivals, the museums and zoo are nice but how many times can you go. Restaurants are good that's all people do here shop and eat and crime yes there's a lot of it. It's hard to find festivals, clubs with descent people.
Ann | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

I moved here from California for a job transfer 10 years ago. I lost track of the amount of times I contemplated moving back in the first year...yet here I am. The weather was the first noticeable thing. We did move here in August which did not help. I quit playing outdoor sports. Struggled to do triathlons which I previously enjoyed doing. Many people mention cycling being dangerous here....that is so true. Ive had several friends get hit by drivers. I have family that come to visit that refuse to come anymore. My grandparents finally moved here after 5 years of us begging them to but complain regularly about how ugly it is here. Almost all of my coworkers including my husband are transplants from other cities. My husbands family won’t visit either, I don’t blame them. There is nothing to do once you have visited once or twice. We live inside the loop and have ran out of things to do. And don’t tell me to move around...I have. I have lived in Clear Lake, The Woodlands, Conroe, Huntsville, Pasadena, Magnolia and now in Montrose. Montrose and Clear Lake have been my favorite so far in terms of things to do and drivablitly. The Woodlands is a bubble of rich stay at home moms and strip malls. It’s nice but has this creepy Stepford Wives vibe. Montrose at least has some culture to it and is drivable to downtown, the museums, and bars. That being said within a year of living in Montrose paying $2,000 for rent, my car has been broken into at the gym twice. Our apartment package room regularly gets broken into even with cameras. I travel extensively for work and literally every time I drive home from the airport I ask myself why am I still here? It is by far one of the ugliest cities in terms of commuting. It’s so flat and just full of concrete. Do not get me started on the drivers here (and we have lived in LA). Traffic horrible and dangerous. People will cut you off the road even if you are going over the speed limit. The lack of public transportation is also agrivating. I used to drive over 2 hours round trip daily and recently moved closer to my job. I now live 4 miles from my job and the lack of options for public transportation is pathetic. I’m over it. My lease is up in March and I’m getting out. Ive lived in 3 states now and this has been the worst by far. Cost of living has gone through the roof since all the other California/ oil and gas transports have moved here. Yes the cost of living was once a selling point but not anymore. The weather, ugly billboard filled highways, gross polluted beaches you can’t even swim in because there is e-coli warnings constantly, religious uneducated nut jobs, fat people literally everywhere! Seriously I don’t need to look for my gate number at the airport....just walk to the gate where the most overweight passengers are. Anyone wondering about the schools? I quit being a teacher in this state because I had too many parents tell me to stop talking about evolution in my lessons (I was a freaking science teacher). I have never been surrounded by so many close minded uneducated people in my life. I was in Boston recently at a conference and literally everyone I talked to that had been to Houston or lived there felt the same way I do. The only people on this thread that seem to enjoy Houston are those that have not traveled much or enjoy the suburb life. This city is exactly like an abusive relationship you leave for a while and then come back then I get used to it and feel like it’s OK. The place is a god forsaken hellhole of sprawl. Rant over.
Judith | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

I have to disagree with you on the depiction of Houston. I lived in the Heights for four years where my rent for a 1100 SF house was $800 a month. The rest of the 20 years have been in Montrose, which is one of the more expensive neighborhoods due to ongoing gentrification (just on the cusp of downtown). The suburbs suck and I'd never live there with the cookie-cutter homes and strip malls. I rent a duplex built in 1920--three bedrooms, spacious dining, kitchen and living room--1500 SF for $1500 a month. It's rich in culture. Top-notch museums, contemporary arts scene, amazing music scene, the Orange Show, the art car museum and parades, countless meet-up groups for all interests, and weekly cultural festivals (like our infamous Gay Pride parade) are just a few examples. I know most of my neighbors and we always say hello and look out for each other. Summer weather is hell, but you learn to adjust. It sounds like you're unaware of any of these deep cultural opportunities--and made no effort to do so. Pick up a copy of the Houston Press and you'll see many events, including intimate nightclubs (for example, the Continental Club) featuring live music by local and national/international bands. Sounds like you haven't made any effort to meet people or take advantage of any goings-on I mention here. The rent you pay for where you live is over-priced and probably was the result of not doing any due diligence (or "do diligence"--sic). My suggestion is to leave your house/office and explore. Or quit your job and move back to (no sarcasm here) Southern California. We don't want you if you're to lazy to integrate and instead whine.
Karen | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

You have obviously never visited nor lived in Detroit. I'm from Houston and would love to move back. I thought a urban exciting downtown would expand in MI, it didn't. Now I'm stuck in Detroit where multiple shootings happen with in the hour and long to move back to Houston. If your going to bag on "uppity" yankee's and terrible crime, try living on the other side.
Katherine | Royal Oak, MI | Report Abuse

Sorry for necroing this thread but I just had to comment. I moved to Houston in June of 2013 after my husband died so I could be closer to my son so he could help take care of me. I am disabled. And that is where my nightmare begins....and ends. We lived in California (YaY San Fran) for many years and I was on Medicaid. That is the only help we have EVER received and we only got on Medicaid when my husband was diagnosed with cirrhosis (which is how he died) and could no longer work. We worked hard our entire lives before that and never asked for help.. Anyway...I digress. So I moved to Houston. I bought a beautiful home with the life insurance money (it was my husbands dying request) and applied for Medicaid. I was floored when I was denied because apparently in Texas you have to be ON Social Security (my application is in) AND receiving Medicare to qualify for Medicaid. The process to get on SS can take literally years and to make matters worse there is a 2 year waiting period for Medicare once you finally get approved. This is ridiculous and I have no idea what other disabled people who arent yet on Social Security do but here is what I was forced to do: I left. Lucky for me I had that option. Oh and BTW. I am back on Medicaid. The exact same program that Texas says I do not qualify for. So to all of you people telling us to leave: some of us do. I hope you all have a nice life with your litter strewn, filthy, crime infested, pollution filled (the recycling program there is shameful), poor excuse for a "city". Im back in a place where the people actually care what their city looks like and strive for a healthy, clean and happy population.
mary | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

Several people have mentioned the operative phrase "if you don't mind the drive." Houston is a concrete jungle. If you work close to downtown or Galleria, or even Katy you're going to find yourself in several hours traffic every day to get anywhere. People drive like they've never seen a road before. I get that most people are transplants, but come on! I've never seen worse drivers in my life - and I've lived in Boston! We moved here from Colorado, and I admit I'm homesick. I never thought I'd miss the snow. But if you think that because Houston is close to the gulf you're going to get beaches and water sports, think again. a 2 hour drive through the sprawling metropolis to Galveston to stand shoulder-to shoulder with the sweating masses on a polluted, brown beach isn't a weekend. It's more relaxing to stay home. If you want warm weather and seashore living go to Florida. You can't even fish here without driving several hours to a body of water that isn't polluted. Okay, it's a big city - the fourth biggest in the US - but even keeping that in mind, the quality of life here sucks. Come here, make your money, and get the hell out!
Michael | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

I am from Houston, TX and lived there until I was 22. My family is till in Houston until today. I've been living in Nashville for 6 years now and it's way better. Houston is ugly compared to other cities like nashville. No matter how many new homes you put up it will never look as good. I can live in a lower income area and till see the lake and mountains with out going an hour out the city. The people are waaaaayyyyyy more friendly. Most people who don't travel or never been outside of Texas get offended when you tell the truth. I've been to many different states and I tell you Houston is not the top of the list. I get way better paying jobs her and I actually see all the seasons of the year. Fall is so beautiful here. Houston doesn't have a Fall. OH, and I Love the mountains. For the price of housing in houston for less crime I get more modern and spacious living. I'm glad I left Houston and saw how life really is better when you don't have to worry about your safety constantly. I pay $700 for an apartement that would be $1,200 in Katy, Woodlands, Pearland and Sugarland. I agree life is too short don't waste it in a city where you can't enjoy nature.....
krystal | Antioch, TN | Report Abuse

Let's see...you moved down here to sponge off of our economy? Cool. Please leave. Now...let's address the b.s.: Cloudiest city: not true. Crime rates: lower than any comparable city. Sorry, Boston is higher and smaller. Denver is smaller. Phoenix is way smaller. SoCal is far worse. Cost: Not much different than comparable cities. Actually, nevermind...Houston is terrible and dangerous and expensive...avoid it like the plague. We get tired of people moving down here to sponge off of our economy and low taxes who then decide to whine and moan all the time but never leave.
Doug | Ogden, UT | Report Abuse

Thanks for telling it like it is. Houston freaking sucks. They have the rudest, arrogant, inconsiderate douchebags in the states. They have road rage they drive like they own the roads. They constantly cut people off and cause accidents. Fuck Houston
Jaime | Katy, TX | Report Abuse

Very accurate and well said! I do hope others pay attention to you words.
Jim | Houston, TX | Report Abuse

Wow. I was born and raised in upstate NY until 2009 When my husband and our daughter moved to Atlanta, Ga. I fell in love with it. Can't imagine leaving it. We have never thought of going back to NY. We do have a wonderful opportunity to relocate to Houston from here, but after reading all of these comments about "Yankees" and "get out of my state," I'm reassured that what I heard before was not a rumor. Many, if not most, "born and bred Texans" are arrogant and look down their noses at people who were not born there. What a shame. Many people who were born there think it's a horrible place to live. Other people move there and love it but are made to feel unwelcome. I will surely have to talk to my husband before we move our now extended family to a place where my children may not feel liked because they aren't a member of the "born and bred" club. Very sad. :(
Lisa | Ogden, UT | Report Abuse

I couldn't agree with you more, Danny. This place is the worst place I have ever lived in. I have lived in Florida, NYC, LA and San Diego. Let's see... which is worst? The weather? The crime? The people? Ok. If you like hot and humid. If you don't mind your car getting broken into or a home invasion. If you like fat people, that are two faced, religious hypocrites and think that having a big house and carrying a Coach bag is the most important thing in the world. Then Come ON Down!!!! I have never met so many uneducated people in my life. There is nothing to do but eat. And boy, you will see a lot of eaters here. Roads and traffic are horrendous. Pros? Cost of living is good outside "The Loop". But you will be shunned by people outside of it. ("The Loop" is a highway around the city) Ummmmm, if you like Rodeos, they make a very big deal over it. Oh and hope that the football team is doing well because the Texan fans get very angry when they are losing. I know. Don't worry, Texas. I don't like and I am getting out.
Shannon | Humble, TX | Report Abuse