Kiplinger Names Houston #1 City to Work, Live & Play

Go on and leave. But know this: You'll be back. You'll ALL be back. When it finally comes time for you to settle down, have kids, get a stable job, and buy a house, and you're crunching the budget figures like a madman just to break even in your "exciting" and "interesting" location, only then will you truly understand the power of Houston. ... And then you'll be back. And after awhile, you'll start to wonder why you ever left in the first place.

Give in to the power of Houston. It is... inevitable.

 

lo lthat must be a joke, I could see how Austin or Woodlands is on there but I dont think drink demands are a good way to measure or rank a city lol

 

I'm not necessarily looking for "exciting" and "interesting". I'm looking for "peaceful" , "less ****ing clutter everywhere", "less traffic", "less summer than 5 months out of the year".

Those keywords don't necessarily translate to me being broke. I'm looking more for a rural city like Mesquite or Tomball,TX. Even slightly more urbanized cities like Clear Lake appeal to me just because they aren't a concrete jungle. I was considering Cypress, TX but that'll just be engulfed by Houston in another 3-4 years. I'm not quite looking to exactly go the "bellville/sealy, tx" route, but enough of a city that feels like a city but has plenty of "rural" in it too.

As far as the coming back, absolutely. I still have family here. If theres any type of serious medical condition in my family, then Houston will be my first stop. Coming back long term? I don't see that happening though.

 

Why couldn't you just respond like this the first time instead of resorting to the empty name calling post?

Actually I HATE driving (ask my wife) and hate long commutes as well. That's why - even though I live in Kingwood and work on Allen Parkway - I only drive 1 mile (round trip) a day. You see, I already use mass transit; I take the Park and Ride. It costs me $6/day (barely enough for a gallon and a half of gas) to commute the 50 miles it takes me to get to and from work.

Yes, I like things that are convenient. Who doesn't? I'm sorry, but I fail to see how Houston having strip malls (like every other city in the country...) is keeping us from being a world class city.

 

It never ceases to amaze my how so many people who seem to hate the city so ****ing much spent all their free time on a Houston message board.

 

Here's a cool site:

http://www.walkscore.com/

Just type in your address and you get a walkscore based on proximity to stuff. My score is 71.

 

i agree

houston is badass. all you haters can **** off.

this city is growing, theres always construction going on, especially now in downtown. we got a new park, their building all sorts of stuff, lots of highrises and stuff like that

its getting better.

 

house i grew up in 52.
where i live 88.

 

I realize I'm in the minority, but as long as businesses continue to come here, I dont care if we are considered "world class"....we got too many damn idiots here already, I dont want more.

those of us who like it here can stay here, if you dont like it....get out. You aint hurting my feelings none.

 

ultimately, we're getting better, but it doesn't exactly forgive the ways the city's developed in the past.

it's horribly unsustainable. i blame the city's lack of development control... annexing all these cities and then building freeways and strip malls to connect them and "fill in the space" is ridiculous.

we should have developed much, much more inside the loop with residential stuff to support a healthy rail system in the first place. it would avoid crazy traffic and un-ending freeway construction, which is arguably our top problem. the sheer sprawl makes it impossible to support a decent rail system, which if done correctly, would be more convenient than personal cars. you develop mass transit in high density, then provide links to bedroom communities if need be. this reduces congestion and makes for interesting walkable communities in central areas, while allowing for low-cost housing. i always thought that if you could provide the lower-income households a ride to work (typically in the larger part of the city) cheaply, you've done your job as a city planner.

if not, each annexed "city" should have had its own central business district to shorten the commute. it's bad for the environment, bad for the people's wallets, bad for the utilities companies, bad for the police and fire forces, and bad for people's time constraints. if you say that driving a personal car with one person in it is "convenient", you are partially right, but if you've ever been to a place with great transportation infrastructure - you'd understand. whoever brought up barcelona is spot on - it is an amazing city.

who is houston's design good for? oil/energy companies, construction companies, mechanics, homebuilders, and amateur developers.

i for one, am tired of seeing traffic build up by beltway 8 for no reason. yes i could move closer, but i'd rather like to know why we're continuing to build I-10 capacity when the only time we hit max capacity is during rush hours. we should instead be focusing on commuter rails. forget the 20-lane freeway. it won't be full all the time, it's just wasted capacity.

 

House In Which I Grew Up (Sugar Land): 29
Current Address in Austin (South Congress): 80

Damn.

 

My score was 88. That's right. In Houston, TX, derided as a "car-infested wasteland" by its suburban hangers-on, I can literally walk to anything I might need.

And I do. You see, I don't own a car. I don't drive a car. I don't even have a bicycle. I live and work in Montrose without the aid of the internal combustion engine. I'm what's known as a pedestrian.

I've lived in the burbs, too... went to high school in the Woodlands and lived/worked in Galveston/Clear Lake. Commuting isn't fun, and I can see how it could grind you down. I-10 West destroys souls. It's one of the reasons I moved into the inner city. Today I live in a gentrifying neighborhood with neighbors that smile and wave. I've never been the victim of crime and I walk the streets at night without fear, even though there is no shortage of junkies, bums, and hustlers in my area. Sometimes they say hello, too.

I suppose there are valid reasons to be dissatisfied with the place, but I really can't complain. I live a pretty bucholic existence. I understand that it might not work for folks who are interersted in a nice backyard, new schools, upscale amenities, etc. But I'm living proof that one can thrive in Houston without ****ing with a car. I recommend it.

As far as Houston being unsustainable, I strongly disagree. Houston is the Changeable City. Currently, those of us inside the loop are watching old neighborhoods and downtown transform before our eyes. Property turnover is relatively cheap and easy in this town. If business or residence can't pay for its property taxes, it's simply knocked down and a new concept goes up, and there are no rules as to what that can be. As a result, much of the city's history disappears like a fart in the wind, which is why some people seem to have difficulty connecting with the place. On the upside, Houston is an extremely adaptable place that can be quickly transmogrified to suit changes in the economic and cultural landscape. Flipmode mentioned a lack of in-fill within the loop, but I see that changing every day. I do think that the suburban, commuter culture is waning, largely due to petroleum costs. But I feel that's merely one symptom of a changing American way of life. There are going to be a LOT of changes in the next couple of decades, across the nation. I have full confidence that Houston has the diversified populace and marketplace as well as a unique malleability to survive and even thrive in the coming years.

 

I agree, well said

 

i hope this malleability includes a network of hike/bike trails similar to portland or seattle.

 

You must be close to a lot of strip malls! Good thing that, out of the 58 Starbucks located in Austin, there are 2 within 2 miles of your address. Or if you're hungry, you can just go to one of the 15 Chili's restaurants.

 

It well may! Currently, I'm an urban hiker. I get pleasure from hiking through the "concrete jungle." Houston will never have the west coast's unique landscape and weather, but then again, neither will Paris. Have you you checked out these locales? Perhaps one or more is up your alley.


Bayou Park-- Along the banks of Buffalo Bayou runs a well-manicured park, with wide biking and jogging trails, plenty of space for Frisbees and dogs, and fabulous scenery. Enjoy a great view of the downtown skyline while you are hiking.

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge-- Visitors to Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge can drive the auto tour route or hike the bird watching trails. The refuge is also open for waterfowl hunting, saltwater fishing, bird watching, canoeing, and hiking.

Brazos Bend State Park-- Just an hour south of Houston, this state park covers nearly 5,000 acres. More than 300 species of birds have been seen in the park, including neotropical masked ducks, which are rare in the U.S.

Memorial Park-- Just west of downtown and just east of Loop 610 lies 1,431 acres of bike and jogging trails, volleyball courts, picnic areas, tennis courts, five softball fields, two soccer and rugby fields, and golf course.

 

i was thinking more along the lines of commuter hike/bike trails. as gas prices continue to rise, i think more and more people would be more willing to commute by bike if there were dedicated trails that links suburbia to downtown.

 

I don't even know where to start! I have this mental image of all the HOV lanes being full of bikers every morning and afternoon......in the middle of August...

 

Good points...let me make another. I live off I-10 on the west side. My office building is about 5 blocks from where I live. We have this notion that all commerce happens downtown, but there's no place where that's less true than Houston. I need a car for my job...to get to the courthouse...to visit clients....for depositions, etc. But despite living on the west side of town, MOST of my day happens within a 5 block radius.

 

Hm. It could be a while before you see a lot of people biking from Conroe to downtown. I DO think that as more people move into the city proper that you'll see more and more people biking to work, and for pleasure as well. There are numerous cyclists in my hood.

I feel it's inevitable, however, that there will be significant mass transit options for suburbanites in the future. I think the demand is growing every day, and if there's money to be made, someone will start collecting it.