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The Economist on Houston: Life in the Sprawl

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by basso, Mar 13, 2015.

  1. peleincubus

    peleincubus Member

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    http://www.citymayors.com/gratis/uscities_growth.html
     
  2. Mr. Clutch

    Mr. Clutch Member

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    Beltway 8 is the new loop
     
  3. Scarface281

    Scarface281 Member

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    The East side of the loop is the new loop too. :cool:
     
  4. Shanxter

    Shanxter Member

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    I just bought a house 4 months ago in the heights. Hopefully things don't go south on me , although I am confident inside the loop properties hold their values very well
     
  5. basso

    basso Member
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    Houston is in the sweet spot of cheap housing and plentiful jobs:

    <script type='text/javascript' src='http://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'></script><div class='tableauPlaceholder' style='width: 554px; height: 769px;'><noscript><a href='http://blogs.wsj.com/sandbox.php?blog_id=8&amp;post_id=31111&amp;sandbox_id=0'><img alt='Dashboard 1 ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/Sw/SweetSpot-WSJ/Dashboard1/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' width='554' height='769' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='http%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='SweetSpot-WSJ/Dashboard1' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='no' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/Sw/SweetSpot-WSJ/Dashboard1/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='showVizHome' value='no' /><param name='showVizHome' value='no' /><param name='increment_view_count' value='no' /><param name='increment_view_count' value='no' /></object></div>

    http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
     
  6. Dairy Ashford

    Dairy Ashford Member

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    New York will probably always have net positive growth because of immigrants, the manner in which Glass-Steagall allowed them to monopolize wholesale banking, and the extent to which other popular professions like acting, print media and fashion are completely or increasingly unemployable in mid-size cities. But seemingly not being able to own a home or car are luxuries most of the middle class would never compromise on.
     
  7. Buck Turgidson

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    If I didn't know you were a Midtown douche, from old College Station douche stock, I'd swear you were a Dallas douche or a nouveau-Austin douche. Must be awesome to be so nondescript and interchangeable, just like those poor bastards in Katy and the other places you scoff at.
     
    1 person likes this.
  8. ItsMyFault

    ItsMyFault Member

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    That probably has to do with cost of living than preference. You left out the biggest one, Austin. Probably has the highest growth among youth, and also probably the cheapest in terms of COL compared to a place like Seattle.
     
  9. nono

    nono Member

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    I moved to San Francisco and I already find it much better than Houston. I don't mean this as a disrespect to you Houstonites, but there is nothing amazing about the city. The only thing I really miss about Houston is the weather, which is weird I know but I come from a much warmer climate. Where San Francisco has Houston beat :
    1. Way more beautiful. A port city with really beautiful views of the ocean and really hilly topography. Compare this to Houston which is just a concrete jungle.
    2. Better food. Don't really need to explain. If Houston had good food it wouldn't be the most obese city in the country.
    3. Way better transportation. Houston transport is pathetic, for lack of a better word. San Francisco is small, and feels like a "real city". Longest I've had to wait for a train any time of the day is 15 minutes.
    4. Better weather for the vast majority of people. Not for me but my preferences in regards to this are peculiar as I come from a much warmer climate (Pakistan).
    5. More beautiful women. There isn't a Mcdonald's around every corner here like there was in Houston. People are really into fitness and eating well. I find people who are very fat and have no desire to do anything about it to be really disgusting. If you are not working out then you should not be eating the food of 3 people. Sorry if you are offended by this.


    Where Houston has San Francisco beat :
    1. Cheap, and low taxes. That's honestly the only real reason. But to me, that's not really that big of a consideration. I always live extremely frugally. in Houston I was paying 500 for rent. Here I am paying 635 and a train runs right outside my home. Groceries run a bit more and that's about it. So about $200 more a month and I am living in a place which in my opinion is more than worth it for the reasons I outlined above.
    2. Rockets, although I find myself watching basketball less and less after Lin was gone(yeah I know it's pathetic).


    The cities in the US that I have lived in so far in the last 7 years ranked in order of preference.
    1. San Francisco
    2. Austin (absolutely in love with Austin but number 2 due to crippled transport system)
    3. Houston
    4. Philly
    5. Pittsburgh
    6. NYC (was only there for a month but was really broke and depressed and knew no one and it felt as if the city was trying to eat me alive).
     
  10. nono

    nono Member

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    I moved to San Francisco and I already find it much better than Houston. I don't mean this as a disrespect to you Houstonites, but there is nothing amazing about the city. The only thing I really miss about Houston is the weather, which is weird I know but I come from a much warmer climate. Where San Francisco has Houston beat :
    1. Way more beautiful. A port city with really beautiful views of the ocean and really hilly topography. Compare this to Houston which is just a concrete jungle.
    2. Better food. Don't really need to explain. If Houston had good food it wouldn't be the most obese city in the country.
    3. Way better transportation. Houston transport is pathetic, for lack of a better word. San Francisco is small, and feels like a "real city". Longest I've had to wait for a train any time of the day is 15 minutes.
    4. Better weather for the vast majority of people. Not for me but my preferences in regards to this are peculiar as I come from a much warmer climate (Pakistan).
    5. More beautiful women. There isn't a Mcdonald's around every corner here like there was in Houston. People are really into fitness and eating well. I find people who are very fat and have no desire to do anything about it to be really disgusting. If you are not working out then you should not be eating the food of 3 people. Sorry if you are offended by this.


    Where Houston has San Francisco beat :
    1. Cheap, and low taxes. That's honestly the only real reason. But to me, that's not really that big of a consideration. I always live extremely frugally. in Houston I was paying 500 for rent. Here I am paying 635 and a train runs right outside my home. Groceries run a bit more and that's about it. So about $200 more a month and I am living in a place which in my opinion is more than worth it for the reasons I outlined above.
    2. Rockets, although I find myself watching basketball less and less after Lin was gone(yeah I know it's pathetic).


    The cities in the US that I have lived in so far in the last 7 years ranked in order of preference.
    1. San Francisco
    2. Austin (absolutely in love with Austin but number 2 due to crippled transport system)
    3. Houston
    4. Philly
    5. Pittsburgh
    6. NYC (was only there for a month but was really broke and depressed and knew no one and it felt as if the city was trying to eat me alive).
     
  11. nono

    nono Member

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    Sorry for the double post.
     
  12. Harrisment

    Harrisment Member

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    Sorry but this invalidates everything else you say. Houston is nationally recognized as having one of the best restaurant scenes in the country.
     
  13. basso

    basso Member
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    how'd you feel about Philly? did you live in CC or in the burbs?
     
  14. BigShasta

    BigShasta Member

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    Why is PGH #5? Any reason. I'm a houstonian at heart, lived in Cali and currently in PGH so I'm just interested in seeing why.
     
  15. GanjaRocket

    GanjaRocket Member

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    Lol! Someone had to say it. Attractive women are more accessible in a place like that.

    In houston attractive, fit women get put on a pedestal and get an untouchable aura around them bc they are far and few in between.
     
  16. Scarface281

    Scarface281 Member

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  17. Mr. Clutch

    Mr. Clutch Member

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    SF is nice but I don't think the gap is big in women or food.

    Weather is too cold
     
  18. GanjaRocket

    GanjaRocket Member

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    The intellectual climate kills houston's
     
  19. plcmts17

    plcmts17 Member

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    It's Houstonians guey!! Houstonians.
     
  20. DudeWah

    DudeWah Member

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    Exactly. I've been to a lot of places a lot of times. Houston has one of the best restaurant scenes in not just the country, but the world.

    I get what you're saying. But this isn't true either. There's a lot of really attractive women in Houston. If you live in the loop and actually get out regularly, they're everywhere and easy to meet. On that note, the suburbs have a lot of beauties as well, but it's a lot tougher to meet them due to suburban life, so the accessibility thing you mentioned definitely comes into play.
     

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