Non-biased opinion about Houston
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12/9/2006
I have been reading a lot of entries from people asking about Houston. I moved to Houston in 1995 from Calgary Alberta Canada and I have lived all over Canada. Houston is a tricky place with many faces but it really boils down to the people you meet and the experiences you encounter which will make it a good or bad place. There is no zoning in Houston so it is a city of 4 million but it feels much smaller because it is spread out and no-zoning creates little towns (with their own personalities) all over the city. Also, there is a downtown and after 4PM it closes down except for the restaurants. They have began turning old businesses downtown into condos and there are restaurants and a few bars and of course many theatres but if you are looking for a place with a bustling downtown Houston is not it. In fact, Houston is not really a walkable city at all. BUT there are fantastic restaurants, it has a great ethnic mix, incredibly friendly people and unlike other cities - nobody expects anything from Houstonians so they dont try to be anything other than what they are. LA as the most obvious example is full of people that are trying to be something and are kind of plastic (for the most part). There is a LOT to do here. There are loads of theatres, museums, festivals, events - you name it. Plus I am Canadian and I love the outdoors - so what do I do in Houston? There is an excellent climbing gym, you can take any kind of fitness class you can think of, you can jog and rollerblade at various parks around the city and there is a good cycling community (nothing compared to other cities because you have to drive 30 miles out of town but decent). It is a lush city - it has some great rainstorms and it is a very green city. This city will surprise you. It has a lot to offer.
stephanie | Austin, TX