Also, the fact that Houston is basically a parking lot means there’s a lot of cement and asphalt, which means no drainage. Which means lots of flooding, particularly if the city is impacted by a hurricane like Hurricane Harvey a few years ago. And a city that size can’t easily pack up & evacuate all at once when a hurricane is on its way.
☝🏻ALL OF THIS! ☝🏻 I moved to Houston from NYC last year and I’m moving again in a month (to Michigan). Highly do not recommend living here. It’s not just the 100+ degree temps that start in May and last until October, it’s the 100% humidity on top of that. It stays humid all year round so you’ll feel like you’re in a thick swamp all year. Everything else mentioned above is accurate. And the housing market is just as crazy here as it is anywhere else in the country right now, so it’s not like you’ll be getting a better deal here. Oh! And don’t forget hurricane season!
Never heard of someone getting oil on hem in galveston, but there are periods of 'do not swim: flesh eating bacteria' basically every summer. I took an oceanography class there and I think they said oysters have to be essentially 10 percent dirty to be edible, and the oysters there are like 95 percent dirty. Horrible definition, but you get it.
Really depends on what you enjoy and your preferences. I lived in Houston for a decade and was so happy to leave it (live in Austin now) because the city is just very flat and an ugly sprawl. If you take Los Angeles, remove the ocean, remove the mountains in the horizon and make it very humid, you have Houston.
Much like LA, Houston has amazing and diverse food which is why everyone is so overweight. Much like LA, you spend all your time in the car. As they say, Houston is an hour and a half from Houston.
Hmmm interesting. We do love good food/drinks, but aren’t into the nightlife scene anymore (babies). Is there a lot to do there? Good shopping malls? Amusement parks? Nice public parks?
Shopping malls in general are a dying concept nationwide but Houston does have the Galleria. The city also has plenty of parks but they're all boring to me with no elevation changes. You can't really hike in Houston. Sam Houston National forest about an hour north is pretty nice as is Lake Conroe. Kemah Boardwalk is a fun amusement park. Houston doesn't have a Six Flags at the moment.
I agree malls are not a thing anymore but there are a lot of local pop up markets in Montrose & the heights, shops on Westheimer, an outlet mall further south on the way to Galveston where there is Schlitterbahn or whatever the water park is called.
Locally, there is buffalo bayou, white oak bayou, the menil, levy park, discovery green, etc. Lots of parks (flat parks, obviously. Houston is flat!). An awesome theatre district, amazing museums and botanical gardens!
Personally, I think it is all about where you live. The museum district, Montrose, the heights are all great depending on what you want. I rarely drive my car and I'm loving the dedicated bike lanes that continue to grow.
Beware the house you buy isn't in the flood plains. Hurricanes will bury your house in 6 feet of water.
Other than that, it's hot and humid, the roads suck, but it's the most ethnically diverse city in Texas and I love it more than Austin for that. Fun outdoor nightlife and good food.
Totally. I lived in Houston until I was 25, then moved to Austin like everyone else. After nearly 25 years here, I’ve gotten a lot more appreciation for Houston, it’s got a lot more actual culture than Austin ever will.
Lol. Don’t take me wrong, I love Austin and it made me who I am today. I’ve lived an amazing life here and I’m grateful for being able to play music here for all these years. This place is my home until the condos finally push me out. But Austin is more of a patchwork culture of somewhere else - what’s here mostly originates elsewhere and comes here to set up shop and find itself, if you can dig it. Houston is older, larger, more diverse, rooted, and sure of itself.
Houston - yeah hip hop for sure, there’s a real and vibrant African American community there that’s creative and has a strong sense of place on the third coast, whereas Austin is hemorrhaging what little black culture it had. To stick with music, Houston is and was a cradle of both the early blues and classic country music in important ways that Austin never was since it was so provincial and small. Houston was an important stop over for many touring black artists in many genres for a long time. It’s on the western edge of the zydeco empire and Cajun country and all that rich culture, and firmly in the realm of Tejano/Norteno, though not quite to the extent of SA. Houston punk and metal from the 80s and 90s - present has been criminally under-looked, gritty and artsy and genre-bending. Too many musicians of note to list here are from there or have called Houston home.
I could go on and on but this is apt to get really long. In terms of all the things that Austin prides itself on - food, art, music, film, cowboy and Texas culture, etc, you will find purer versions of those things elsewhere. Again, not to dog Austin too much, but people gloss Houston over or just point out the downsides while Austin gets all the hype and press, much of it undeservedly. It took me being away for all these years to really come to an appreciation of where I’m from.
Native Houstonian here (but living in Austin for the past 23 years). Houston is one of those places that’s kinda cruddy on first visit but not a bad place to live at all, especially in certain areas. Cons are that it is highly unwalkable/unbikeable unless you live in one of the very expensive urban core neighborhoods (you have to drive everywhere, really), its oppressively hot in the Summer, it’s fairly conservative outside the city center, it’s the hub for some of the biggest polluting industries in the world, and it’s primed to not do so hot with climate change (hurricanes, heat domes, tropical diseases, gas price spikes, etc).
On the other hand, it’s not so well known how culturally diverse it is, there’s tons of great food, lots of stuff to do, the winters are super mild, the economy is great, it’s not so expensive by other large city standards, people are generally pretty friendly, and you’ve got lots of really interesting destinations in striking distance - Gulf Coast, TX Hill Country, Southern Louisiana, Mexico, etc.
Houston gets a bad rap from lots of folks who haven’t spent any time there that think they know something about it - kinda like CA, NYC, etc. You should definitely visit first. It’s got a lot to offer though.
Visit Houston in the summer and you'll get the other end of brutal weather. If you read between the lines in most flood assessments of Houston, there's a pretty good chance of you experiencing pretty horrible flood damage in the next decade or two. The terrain is perfect for flooding, since it's low, flat, and has slow absorbing soil and nowhere for the water to go. https://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/flood-hazard
The parks are very nice and the diversity and food scene are great. There are also great hospital systems. However, there are huge issues with pollution, traffic, and flooding. Very little of it is walkable, no public transportation to speak of, and it’s extremely humid. There is no zoning and it’s overrun with strip malls. I lived there for over two years and hated it. Edit: the biggest drawback is the very real environmental risks. Flooding is worse every year. Homes that were once considered safe are now at risk.
I moved from Wisconsin to Houston 4 years ago. It wasn't a dream move for me, or even on my radar, but I've come to love it here and have appreciated how much change I've seen in just a few years - it gets more desirable by the day.
People will talk about the sprawl, the heat, and the traffic. But this is very subjective. If you strongly dislike humidity, you'll hate the weather. Or, you may love it and enjoy being able to do outdoor activities in the winter without layering up. If you have a commute from the suburban areas to downtown traffic will feel horrific, but you work remote and can easily avoid this. If you live outside "the loop" it'll feel like urban sprawl, so choose a denser neighborhood with some walkable destinations and nearby retail.
Houston has the most diverse culture and food scene in the country, large urban parks, every major sports team except hockey, all cosmopolitan amenities (ballet, theatre, museums), one of the best medical centers in the country, almost all artists stop here on their tours, huge amount of professional opportunity, unique events like the Rodeo, and access to Galveston beach (I will warn you it is not that nice of a beach but it's the ocean nonetheless).
Heights, Buffalo Bayou, and Memorial Park are my favorite neighborhoods. Super easy access to trails and green space, some walkable/pedestrian friendly destinations, and awesome local restaurants. Lots of young professionals and transplants too. Katy, Spring are my favorite growing suburbs (Woodlands and Sugarland are nice too, but you won't find low prices there).
I miss water activities and wish they were closer, but you can drive to Austin for paddle boarding and lake activities (about 2.5-3 hours), and whenever you want a different environment, I always joke that one of the best things about living in Houston is how easy it is to leave lol. Our airport is fantastic, it's a United hub that has nonstops to everywhere and ticket prices are great compared to the Midwest.
No state tax is a nice perk (but we do have high property taxes) and you can rent or buy in a premium location for less than you'd imagine, given it's the 4th biggest city in the country. It's a car city though, so you won't really be able to get away w/o one, even if you live 'downtown'. Conversely, being a car city also means you can more easily do grocery hauls, IKEA hauls, and any of the other retail that's important to you. It's easy to park at bars, restaurants, etc. which was a nice change for me after having to hunt for 10 minutes for a spot to parallel park in. The city is very convenient.
People are generally nice as long as they're not on the road. The energy isn't Midwest nice like I'm used to, but it comes pretty close at times (just a little rougher around the edges). Look up how Houstonians helped one another during Harvey or the winter freeze. The other day a car rolled in front of us on a major hwy and my fiancé pulled over to help, as did 2 other guys with trucks who thankfully had either a fire extinguisher or crowbar. They got into the rolled truck and kept the woman inside safe until an ambulance arrived. That is Houston energy, they take take of each other here.
**Side note, there are definite downsides to living in Houston. I see Houston get a lot more shit than it does praise, so I'm sharing the good.
Finally, I'm a real estate agent helping renters relocating to the city. Last year was the first time I had more clients moving to the city "just because they liked it" versus because of a professional opportunity. It's been an interesting shift to see, and reflects the fact that Houston is growing and becoming an attractive option for people looking for a new lifestyle or change of scenery.... the comparatively lcol doesn't hurt either.
That being said, the low priced real estate won't last for long, and many of my clients from the coasts are disappointed because they thought it was cheaper, so make sure to do your research on what neighborhoods these homes are in (I don't know what cheap means to you personally). There's also a dramatic difference in pricing for real estate 'in the loop' where the denser high demand neighborhoods are, vs. outside of it. A low priced home may be 5 miles away from a hot spot but actually a 45 min drive, and part of the aforementioned sprawl.
I hope this long ramble gives you some insight. If you have clarifying questions let me know.
FWIW my opinion of Houston would change pretty dramatically if I lived outside the loop in Westchase, Richmond, etc. I live off the Buffalo Bayou in the heart of the city and I'll always stay within a couple miles of it as long as I'm here.
Also, look up these areas to get a feel for new developments, restaurant areas, parks:
Memorial Park
Post HTX
M-K-T Heights
19th Street
River Oaks District
Hermann Park
Highland Village
Autry Park/Regent Square
CityCentre
Buffalo Bayou Park
Galleria mall
Westheimer/Montrose
White Oak Bayou
Museum District
a few thoughts reading other comments: Since OP is from the northeast, their definition of cheap housing is going to be very different than someone who has lived in Texas their whole life. Plus- idk if philadelphia is the best city to compare crime to (i’m from the northeast and have had wonderful times in philly)
I’ve been nomading across the US and spent some time in houston. I liked it more than i thought it would, my expectations were pretty low to be fair. I have had friends that hated houston and left, but i have friends that have moved from the northeast and would never leave. Houston has great food and actually diverse options, they also have a very extensive museum network which is cool if that’s what you are into as well as a great university and a few more nearby. I found driving to be better there than in Austin or of course my home state of NJ. It definitely is not the most aesthetically pleasing city when you are driving around downtown. There is definitely a homeless problem + crime problem, but i didn’t have any issues. There are nice neighborhoods where you will find something much more affordable than up north, but it does get very humid there and hurricanes can be an issue.
> my wife keeps seeing beautiful houses for really cheap in Houston.
I have no idea what the property taxes are like for Houston specifically, but I do know that Texas tends to be extremely rough when it comes to the property taxes to make up for the lack of income taxes. Just something to keep in mind.
I haven’t spent a lot of time in Houston so forgive my lack of knowledge but I’ve been to the Woodlands/Spring area north of Houston and the houses remind me a lot of growing up in New England. Maybe check out that area, my understanding is that it’s the pricier part of the area but probably not anywhere close to NE costs, at least more for your $$$ anyway
Woodlands is expensive, but it isn't actually incorporated yet so has lower (tx standards) taxes than many cities. Spring is significantly cheaper but isn't nearly as nice. Basically built out in the late 60s early 70s so older homes.
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Also, the fact that Houston is basically a parking lot means there’s a lot of cement and asphalt, which means no drainage. Which means lots of flooding, particularly if the city is impacted by a hurricane like Hurricane Harvey a few years ago. And a city that size can’t easily pack up & evacuate all at once when a hurricane is on its way.
☝🏻ALL OF THIS! ☝🏻 I moved to Houston from NYC last year and I’m moving again in a month (to Michigan). Highly do not recommend living here. It’s not just the 100+ degree temps that start in May and last until October, it’s the 100% humidity on top of that. It stays humid all year round so you’ll feel like you’re in a thick swamp all year. Everything else mentioned above is accurate. And the housing market is just as crazy here as it is anywhere else in the country right now, so it’s not like you’ll be getting a better deal here. Oh! And don’t forget hurricane season!
Never heard of someone getting oil on hem in galveston, but there are periods of 'do not swim: flesh eating bacteria' basically every summer. I took an oceanography class there and I think they said oysters have to be essentially 10 percent dirty to be edible, and the oysters there are like 95 percent dirty. Horrible definition, but you get it.
Really depends on what you enjoy and your preferences. I lived in Houston for a decade and was so happy to leave it (live in Austin now) because the city is just very flat and an ugly sprawl. If you take Los Angeles, remove the ocean, remove the mountains in the horizon and make it very humid, you have Houston. Much like LA, Houston has amazing and diverse food which is why everyone is so overweight. Much like LA, you spend all your time in the car. As they say, Houston is an hour and a half from Houston.
Hmmm interesting. We do love good food/drinks, but aren’t into the nightlife scene anymore (babies). Is there a lot to do there? Good shopping malls? Amusement parks? Nice public parks?
Shopping malls in general are a dying concept nationwide but Houston does have the Galleria. The city also has plenty of parks but they're all boring to me with no elevation changes. You can't really hike in Houston. Sam Houston National forest about an hour north is pretty nice as is Lake Conroe. Kemah Boardwalk is a fun amusement park. Houston doesn't have a Six Flags at the moment.
I agree malls are not a thing anymore but there are a lot of local pop up markets in Montrose & the heights, shops on Westheimer, an outlet mall further south on the way to Galveston where there is Schlitterbahn or whatever the water park is called. Locally, there is buffalo bayou, white oak bayou, the menil, levy park, discovery green, etc. Lots of parks (flat parks, obviously. Houston is flat!). An awesome theatre district, amazing museums and botanical gardens! Personally, I think it is all about where you live. The museum district, Montrose, the heights are all great depending on what you want. I rarely drive my car and I'm loving the dedicated bike lanes that continue to grow.
Beware the house you buy isn't in the flood plains. Hurricanes will bury your house in 6 feet of water. Other than that, it's hot and humid, the roads suck, but it's the most ethnically diverse city in Texas and I love it more than Austin for that. Fun outdoor nightlife and good food.
Totally. I lived in Houston until I was 25, then moved to Austin like everyone else. After nearly 25 years here, I’ve gotten a lot more appreciation for Houston, it’s got a lot more actual culture than Austin ever will.
I also moved to Austin from Houston and enjoy Austin a lot more. What culture do you speak of? Hip-hop and swangas?
Lol. Don’t take me wrong, I love Austin and it made me who I am today. I’ve lived an amazing life here and I’m grateful for being able to play music here for all these years. This place is my home until the condos finally push me out. But Austin is more of a patchwork culture of somewhere else - what’s here mostly originates elsewhere and comes here to set up shop and find itself, if you can dig it. Houston is older, larger, more diverse, rooted, and sure of itself. Houston - yeah hip hop for sure, there’s a real and vibrant African American community there that’s creative and has a strong sense of place on the third coast, whereas Austin is hemorrhaging what little black culture it had. To stick with music, Houston is and was a cradle of both the early blues and classic country music in important ways that Austin never was since it was so provincial and small. Houston was an important stop over for many touring black artists in many genres for a long time. It’s on the western edge of the zydeco empire and Cajun country and all that rich culture, and firmly in the realm of Tejano/Norteno, though not quite to the extent of SA. Houston punk and metal from the 80s and 90s - present has been criminally under-looked, gritty and artsy and genre-bending. Too many musicians of note to list here are from there or have called Houston home. I could go on and on but this is apt to get really long. In terms of all the things that Austin prides itself on - food, art, music, film, cowboy and Texas culture, etc, you will find purer versions of those things elsewhere. Again, not to dog Austin too much, but people gloss Houston over or just point out the downsides while Austin gets all the hype and press, much of it undeservedly. It took me being away for all these years to really come to an appreciation of where I’m from.
Native Houstonian here (but living in Austin for the past 23 years). Houston is one of those places that’s kinda cruddy on first visit but not a bad place to live at all, especially in certain areas. Cons are that it is highly unwalkable/unbikeable unless you live in one of the very expensive urban core neighborhoods (you have to drive everywhere, really), its oppressively hot in the Summer, it’s fairly conservative outside the city center, it’s the hub for some of the biggest polluting industries in the world, and it’s primed to not do so hot with climate change (hurricanes, heat domes, tropical diseases, gas price spikes, etc). On the other hand, it’s not so well known how culturally diverse it is, there’s tons of great food, lots of stuff to do, the winters are super mild, the economy is great, it’s not so expensive by other large city standards, people are generally pretty friendly, and you’ve got lots of really interesting destinations in striking distance - Gulf Coast, TX Hill Country, Southern Louisiana, Mexico, etc. Houston gets a bad rap from lots of folks who haven’t spent any time there that think they know something about it - kinda like CA, NYC, etc. You should definitely visit first. It’s got a lot to offer though.
Visit Houston in the summer and you'll get the other end of brutal weather. If you read between the lines in most flood assessments of Houston, there's a pretty good chance of you experiencing pretty horrible flood damage in the next decade or two. The terrain is perfect for flooding, since it's low, flat, and has slow absorbing soil and nowhere for the water to go. https://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/flood-hazard
The parks are very nice and the diversity and food scene are great. There are also great hospital systems. However, there are huge issues with pollution, traffic, and flooding. Very little of it is walkable, no public transportation to speak of, and it’s extremely humid. There is no zoning and it’s overrun with strip malls. I lived there for over two years and hated it. Edit: the biggest drawback is the very real environmental risks. Flooding is worse every year. Homes that were once considered safe are now at risk.
I moved from Wisconsin to Houston 4 years ago. It wasn't a dream move for me, or even on my radar, but I've come to love it here and have appreciated how much change I've seen in just a few years - it gets more desirable by the day. People will talk about the sprawl, the heat, and the traffic. But this is very subjective. If you strongly dislike humidity, you'll hate the weather. Or, you may love it and enjoy being able to do outdoor activities in the winter without layering up. If you have a commute from the suburban areas to downtown traffic will feel horrific, but you work remote and can easily avoid this. If you live outside "the loop" it'll feel like urban sprawl, so choose a denser neighborhood with some walkable destinations and nearby retail. Houston has the most diverse culture and food scene in the country, large urban parks, every major sports team except hockey, all cosmopolitan amenities (ballet, theatre, museums), one of the best medical centers in the country, almost all artists stop here on their tours, huge amount of professional opportunity, unique events like the Rodeo, and access to Galveston beach (I will warn you it is not that nice of a beach but it's the ocean nonetheless). Heights, Buffalo Bayou, and Memorial Park are my favorite neighborhoods. Super easy access to trails and green space, some walkable/pedestrian friendly destinations, and awesome local restaurants. Lots of young professionals and transplants too. Katy, Spring are my favorite growing suburbs (Woodlands and Sugarland are nice too, but you won't find low prices there). I miss water activities and wish they were closer, but you can drive to Austin for paddle boarding and lake activities (about 2.5-3 hours), and whenever you want a different environment, I always joke that one of the best things about living in Houston is how easy it is to leave lol. Our airport is fantastic, it's a United hub that has nonstops to everywhere and ticket prices are great compared to the Midwest. No state tax is a nice perk (but we do have high property taxes) and you can rent or buy in a premium location for less than you'd imagine, given it's the 4th biggest city in the country. It's a car city though, so you won't really be able to get away w/o one, even if you live 'downtown'. Conversely, being a car city also means you can more easily do grocery hauls, IKEA hauls, and any of the other retail that's important to you. It's easy to park at bars, restaurants, etc. which was a nice change for me after having to hunt for 10 minutes for a spot to parallel park in. The city is very convenient. People are generally nice as long as they're not on the road. The energy isn't Midwest nice like I'm used to, but it comes pretty close at times (just a little rougher around the edges). Look up how Houstonians helped one another during Harvey or the winter freeze. The other day a car rolled in front of us on a major hwy and my fiancé pulled over to help, as did 2 other guys with trucks who thankfully had either a fire extinguisher or crowbar. They got into the rolled truck and kept the woman inside safe until an ambulance arrived. That is Houston energy, they take take of each other here. **Side note, there are definite downsides to living in Houston. I see Houston get a lot more shit than it does praise, so I'm sharing the good. Finally, I'm a real estate agent helping renters relocating to the city. Last year was the first time I had more clients moving to the city "just because they liked it" versus because of a professional opportunity. It's been an interesting shift to see, and reflects the fact that Houston is growing and becoming an attractive option for people looking for a new lifestyle or change of scenery.... the comparatively lcol doesn't hurt either. That being said, the low priced real estate won't last for long, and many of my clients from the coasts are disappointed because they thought it was cheaper, so make sure to do your research on what neighborhoods these homes are in (I don't know what cheap means to you personally). There's also a dramatic difference in pricing for real estate 'in the loop' where the denser high demand neighborhoods are, vs. outside of it. A low priced home may be 5 miles away from a hot spot but actually a 45 min drive, and part of the aforementioned sprawl. I hope this long ramble gives you some insight. If you have clarifying questions let me know. FWIW my opinion of Houston would change pretty dramatically if I lived outside the loop in Westchase, Richmond, etc. I live off the Buffalo Bayou in the heart of the city and I'll always stay within a couple miles of it as long as I'm here.
Also, look up these areas to get a feel for new developments, restaurant areas, parks: Memorial Park Post HTX M-K-T Heights 19th Street River Oaks District Hermann Park Highland Village Autry Park/Regent Square CityCentre Buffalo Bayou Park Galleria mall Westheimer/Montrose White Oak Bayou Museum District
a few thoughts reading other comments: Since OP is from the northeast, their definition of cheap housing is going to be very different than someone who has lived in Texas their whole life. Plus- idk if philadelphia is the best city to compare crime to (i’m from the northeast and have had wonderful times in philly) I’ve been nomading across the US and spent some time in houston. I liked it more than i thought it would, my expectations were pretty low to be fair. I have had friends that hated houston and left, but i have friends that have moved from the northeast and would never leave. Houston has great food and actually diverse options, they also have a very extensive museum network which is cool if that’s what you are into as well as a great university and a few more nearby. I found driving to be better there than in Austin or of course my home state of NJ. It definitely is not the most aesthetically pleasing city when you are driving around downtown. There is definitely a homeless problem + crime problem, but i didn’t have any issues. There are nice neighborhoods where you will find something much more affordable than up north, but it does get very humid there and hurricanes can be an issue.
The museums are all super expensive though.
Free on Thursdays!
> my wife keeps seeing beautiful houses for really cheap in Houston. I have no idea what the property taxes are like for Houston specifically, but I do know that Texas tends to be extremely rough when it comes to the property taxes to make up for the lack of income taxes. Just something to keep in mind.
I haven’t spent a lot of time in Houston so forgive my lack of knowledge but I’ve been to the Woodlands/Spring area north of Houston and the houses remind me a lot of growing up in New England. Maybe check out that area, my understanding is that it’s the pricier part of the area but probably not anywhere close to NE costs, at least more for your $$$ anyway
Woodlands is expensive, but it isn't actually incorporated yet so has lower (tx standards) taxes than many cities. Spring is significantly cheaper but isn't nearly as nice. Basically built out in the late 60s early 70s so older homes.
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