Lived there for 35 years. Lived it, loved it.
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1/31/2020
I lived in H-town for 35 great years. Work took me away, and I miss it terribly.
It's not the prettiest place you'll ever see, nor the most enjoyable summers.
However, when you take a moment to look at the character of its citizenry, you'll see something pretty impressive, and dare I say, beautiful. For a huge city, the people were pretty darn congenial. You can get into a conversation just riding the elevator, no joke. There's a likable optimism in the populace.
You can have Ethiopian food for breakfast, English for lunch and Albanian for dinner, if you wish. With 4K plus restaurants....yeah, we like to eat well.
I do believe more people in Houston are non-native (like me), than those that were from there. I never had a bad time or heard someone moaning that "we had a great town until other people moved here" nonsense.
It's a welcoming city, that strongly believes in creating entrepreneurs. The Medical Center is one of the best on the planet. LBJ and Ben Taub (with a 24 hour trauma center) are publicly supported hospitals, for those without means. The city citizens abundantly support the creative arts. The Hobby Center, Jones Hall, The Wortham, on and on. Talk about sports teams and venues?! H-town has got you covered! Good gosh, where should I start? Every popular musical act shows up in Houston. If you're into retro acts from the past, there are smaller theaters where they perform. True, Houston could do more to push local music talent. That's a valid critique, I feel.
Economics: The availability of well paying jobs is still alive and well there. Sure, if you want to live inside the 610 loop, you are going to PAY for that convenience. No doubts about that. Think of any major American cities, dear reader, and ask if you can still buy a terrific home for 200K? Try that in NYC. In Houston, you can!
In summation, once you get past brutally hot summers, traffic and the flat terrain; you'll find a welcoming smile, good jobs, great after work life and awesome people.
Ferd | Alamo, TX