Hah $1.80? thats nothing its more like $2.00 now in LA Just horrible. Traffic sucks, pollution sucks, people suck. Pasadena is alright the people are a tad bit more normal, but I would much rather live in Houston with its crappy weather and roadside ditches
awwww, is the wittle baby sad that wittle ol' houston got the nfl team and the super bowl? and that things just can't be done in LA. awwwww. ooh, you have the golden globes, that really kicks the super bowl's ass now doesn't it. houston: put on a smile, company's coming. los angeles: waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, look at us, please look at us, give me some attention, please, waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh.
You say "tomayto", I say "tomauto". Same difference. Other then riots (we're a little bit too mellow for that), earthquakes (instead we get floods), and state income taxes, I'd say Houston is slowly creeping up (or down) to LA's standards. I know cost of living has risen steadily in H-town and we're up there in the murder capital list. Again, not bashing H-town, and I wouldn't want to live in LA, but just noting the similarities.
Can finally participate in one of these Houston Good/Bad thread.... Los Angelos is a city without a soul. When I think of my least favorite places in the world, L.A. rivals Buffalo, Las Vegas, and DisneyWorld. It is plastic, it is the definition of urban sprawl, it is smoggy, no one walks, everyone joggs, blades, or drives, it is the epicenter of the cellebrity-worship culture I hate, and people lose 40 IQ points and talk in the latest LA'isms by wrote within amonth of moving there. God, what a crappy place. Of course, I've mainly been there for work, and the kind of people my work had me around all the time were probably the epitome of the stuff I hate about LA, but oh well. Now, on the devil's advocate side, I'd also point out that: Almost everyone would say that their city has 'nice people'...and to an outsider, while this LA guy might sound defensive, if you read some of the reponses, it might ring a similar tone...
I have never encountered the kind of open racial hostility that I experienced in LA. In Houston I've never seen police officers with their guns drawn on a single unarmed black man. In Houston I have never been threatened because I was a white man minding my own business in a "black" neighborhood. The segregation is unbelievable. I thought the South was supposed to be bad... Compared to LA, Houston's ridiculous traffic seems perfectly manageable. The smog really is so thick that you can't even see the mountains surrounding the city. Yes, the women are all incredible looking and seem as though they just stepped out of a magazine, yes the beaches, weather and landscape are hard to beat. No, it isn't fun living in a brick shack with no air conditioning in a neighborhood that could erupt at any random provocation. As has been said, nice place to visit.
Houston? EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!! Nuff said, I hate Houston and will never live there ever again. Traffic, pollution, construction....I guess thats about it but I guess thats enough. All these papers "bashing" Houston, hmmmmmm, you think all these collective opinions might hold some truth? ok theres my 2cents worth of bashing...enjoy your life wherever you live.
Yes there are similarities, but there are also huge differences, and 99% of them have to do with traffic, smog, money and crime. Being someone who actually lived in Los Angeles for nearly 13 years, I can tell you from personal experience that, as a whole, people who live in Houston have a better quality of life than do people who live in Los Angeles, without a doubt. It's more affordable and a much better place to raise a family. The people are nicer and MUCH more down to earth. Your dollar goes a lot further here than it does there. Hands down, in my opinion, there is no question that Houston is a better place to live (not to visit, but to live).
Of course the cost of living is considerably higher in LA. The nicer the city, the higher its respective cost of living. Although I didn't live there like RMTex did, the traffic on 405 wasn't any different than what you see on I-10, 45, or SW Freeway on a day-to-day basis. The women were on par with Texas' chicks, as well. As for the smog, it's more evident, because LA is surrounded by hills. I don't think that anyone can argue that Houston is nicer than LA. However, where you prefer to live is another matter. If you enjoy cookie cutter subdivisions in the burbs, where you can buy a 2500 sq. ft house for $175K, then Houston is your best bet. But if you put a premium on outdoors activities like mountain biking, camping, jogging, and going to the beach, then you're better off in LA. If you prefer to spend your weekends at the mall or at an Astros game, then you'd find Houston more desirable.
For example: San Francisco San Diego Denver Seattle ...all of these places are pretty scenic, and offer nice landscapes. Unfortunately, housing is at a premium in the nicer neighborhoods too. Meanwhile, housing is dirt cheap in a place like ohhh..let's say Omaha, Nebraska or Wichita, Kansas. Personally, I consider myself lucky. The tech bust here in Austin, has dropped rents to ridiculous lows. My 1100 sq. ft apt in the hill country costs only $795. The same unit was going for $1350 back in '99-2000.
I respectfully disagree. My last few years in Los Angeles, my job (in the hills above Brentwood/Pacific Palisades) was about 5 miles from my apartment (in Santa Monica). My commute home took 30-45 minutes. In Houston, my job (Greenway Plaza) is about 5 miles from my house (Meyerland/Westbury). My commute home takes 10-15 minutes. Also, when I lived in LA, I was once stuck in a traffic jam on the 405 freeway in which the traffic did not move. People (including me) were actually stepping out of their cars and walking on the freeway to talk to each other. An 18 wheeler had turned over, blocking the entire freeway. It took CHP 2 1/2 hours to move it. This occurred at 4:30 AM on a Sunday morning (I was on my way home from a gig). Needless to say, this has never happened to me or anyone else I know in Houston.
Well, Toronto routinely ranks in the top 10 ( usually top 5) in those Best Cities To Live In studies done every year, and while the cost of living is high relative to mcuh of it's environs, ti's probably a whole lot lower than L.A., which never even makes the cut.
I, too have lived in both Houston and LA, But I was too young to remember how exactly it was. I visited recently, Stayed mostly in Fullerton. It definately gets points for having U. Studios, Disney Land, and Ofcourse a beach... but otherwise Houston can challenge it in any way. I would rather live a normal life, then be a minor spec in the whole celebrity infused town of LA. Plus You cant beat the 2.99 haircuts in Houston
I sent an email to a friend in Los Angeles, pointing out the TJ Simers column in today's LA Times. Here is his response: "Like this town could actually support a football team, much less host a freakin' Super Bowl! Nothing but ENVY spewing from the veins of the politicians out here! "Gee, we're losing how much revenue per season w/o a team? DAMN! Guess we should start bashing the cities around the country to arouse support for a team in LA!" WHO F'ING CARES!! I like getting double-header games on Sundays. SCREW an LA team - too many gang-bangers attend the games, give the city MORE of a bad name!"
Houston does have it faults but the corny billboards and the cheesy tv commercials about "Company Coming" are a bit much. It seems like the city is trying too hard to impress out of towners by constantly telling visitors about the changes that have been made. It's like a Jenny Jones from geek to sheek, look at me now episode. Yes, the city is on the right track and is starting to look more like a big city rather than a big suburb but Houston is still playing catch up to the other big cities across the country. For visitors from these cities a rail system, pedestrian friendly urban areas and night clubs downtown are nothing new. The city should just focus on putting the best foot forward this week and not worry about impressing everbody and out of towners don't like the city, **** EM!
this is no different than the change of perception campaigns we've seen in other big cities around the country.
