UNDERrated Houston - It's a great place
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11/4/2006
Houston is a great place to live. It has some beautiful areas and some not so great, just like all cities. The downtown is undergoing a significant revitalization with fountains, art, closed walking blocks, art galleries, restaurants, parks, lofts/apartments, the metro train and of course, the sports arenas for baseball and basketball. Houston's Memorial Park may be the country's largest urban park, only a few miles from downtown. Heavily wooded and with a gorgeous Arboretum within the park. Inside the 610 loop are upscale, downscale and some rather eclectic/progressive/artsy neighborhoods such as Montrose, MidTown, West University, and the historic Heights. Houston has a symphony, ballet, opera, several playhouses, many museums and lots of cultural venues. It also has a very active arts scene and some of the best live music in the country (blues, jazz, rock, classical). Many of the suburbs are very nice as well. Sugarland, Clear Lake, The Woodlands are especially well done. We have a thriving economy and often have jobs when no one else does due to the strong oil & gas and financial institutions home based here. And of course, comparatively speaking, we have a low cost of living. Some consider us part of the South, some of the West and some the Southwest. But Houston is definitely more cosmopolitan, more progressive (read open minded) and more tolerant of diversity than many big cities in the US. Biggest drawbacks (IMO) are hot summers (but we have air conditioning in all businesses, homes and cars and our winters are glorious), air pollution, and traffic (although it's better than it used to be because of new freeway construction). Houston has walking neighborhoods such as the Montrose or the Heights, but no city-wide public transportation except city buses which don't go everywhere.
Mary Anne | Houston, TX