Moving to Houston... general info? (1 Viewer)

[Marianne]

Houston has IKEA

 

[Peter Kim]

So does the Twin Cities. We are also the home for Target & Best Buy, whatever that means.

It's sad to hear of an exodus by a fellow TCian. I hope you find greener pastures down south (Everything is south of here - many have the preconceived notion that the TC's is such a remote, barren outpost. Just enjoyed an afternoon at the Walker Art Center with my son and shopping with my wife at Neiman Marcus , and we're looking forward to the new season at the new Guthrie...the point is, I'm sure you'll find same ability to maneuver throught the stigma).

Something I've only heard touched briefly in this post...how do native/long-time confederates treat recent northern expats? Sort of a pointed question - the few aquaints that I've met here almost unanimously comment on the bad treatment toward northerners.

As long as you're prepared for a culture shock, I think you'll eventually be able to dismiss the jarring differences and discover good and compatible lifestyle and perhaps even discover something about yourself.

 

[Scott Wong]

Peter:

Thanks for the kind words...

I'm assuming that with Houston being such a big melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, I'll blend right in. Hahaha. I'm prepared for the culture shock but only to a certain extent. I think it's a situation where I won't believe my eyes 'til I get there. It's definitely gonna take some getting used to... and I've prepared myself for that much. If I live life down there constantly comparing it to the Twin Cities... I'll always have a defeated outlook and attitude. And as I've stressed before, I'm really tryin' to keep a positive spin on things...

One thing I am looking forward to that I don't think I mentioned before is the drive down there. We're driving from Minneapolis to Houston in our moving truck. I know diesel fuel is going to cost me a small fortune but I've prepared for that, too. Aside from that, I'm bringing along my digital camera fully charged, a spare battery and a 1GB memory card so I can snap photos along the way. It should be a fun and nice drive... My buddies initially told me to just take I-35 all the way down... but surprisingly enough, MapQuest and Yahoo! Maps both advised me to ditch I-35 somewhere in Missouri and pick up I-45... taking I-35 all of the way down to Texas (not necessarily Houston, since I think I-35 goes through Dallas) is actually an extra 200-250 miles, thus making this long trip... even longer.

Nonetheless, road trips are fun.

 

[Jeff Savage]

Living in the Dallas area and having visiting Houston several times I would have to say that both cities are far from having "confederates" wildly roaming the streets. This is not the deep South, this is the Southwest. I have never had any problems being from "up North". If anything the people are so much nicer than say NYC.

Heck there is not really any culture shock. I think I have only met a handful of "native" Texans since I have been here. Most people are from someplace else. The heat tends to make people move at a more relaxed pace and Texas is a heavily Republican state but those are really the only things I noticed when I moved here.

I have never noticed or felt anything close to this statement:

"As long as you're prepared for a culture shock, I think you'll eventually be able to dismiss the jarring differences and discover good and compatible lifestyle and perhaps even discover something about yourself."

Good god that makes it seem like you are moving to France or something

Now one thing that you will notice is that Texans take pride in the State and many still feel that it should still be its own country. So there is lots of Texas pride but that is not a bad thing in my mind.

As for all the talk about the lack of culture outside of the city center uh hello welcome to America. Suburban America is Suburban America no matter where you live. No big suprise there.

Laters,
Jeff

 

[Andy Sheets]

Heh, that reminds me of when my wife and I started dating and she kept asking me about Texas. "What's with Texans always going on about being their own country, and not wanting to be part of the U.S. anymore? Do you hate America? You're like an American version of Quebec." I couldn't stop laughing as I told her that just because some independence-minded nuts get on the news sometimes doesn't mean all Texans want to secede. It's just a part of the state history that lots of people take pride in

 

[Craig S]

I've lived in Houston (well, in the Clear Lake/NASA area) for over 25 years. So first, let me just say: Welcome to H-Town!

As an "outside-the-loop" resident, I have to comment on Anton's hateful post. Thanks for painting me and several hundred thousand other folks as evil, dude. I guess I never realized I was such a bad person just because of where I live. Seriously, that post is a huge load of bull. Don't let him scare you, Scott.

Traffic: Yeah, it sucks. Just like any other major city. But you do have to get used to how BIG the Houston area is. If I was to drive from my home in League City up to your new digs in The Woodlands, it's a good 75-100 minutes, depending on traffic. Luckily, most of your daily needs are going to be concentrated in whatever area you choose to live. The only time I have to go into town to do shopping anymore is when I go to the aforementioned Ikea (there's only one, on I-10 & West 610).

Housing - The Woodlands is a nice area. If you're a suburb person you'll be very happy there. And I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much house you can get for your money.

Weather - If you live on the North-Northwest side, you're well out of the danger zone for hurricane storm surges. However, street-flooding is always possible anywhere if we get one of those tropical deluges (like we have the past few days). 9 months out of the year it's hot & humid. You will learn to love the A/C. But, you will never, ever have to shovel snow!!

Culture: As others have said, inside-the-loop is where most of the action is. But, the 'burbs are not totally bereft of cultural opportunities. For example, the Clear Lake area has an orchestra, a ballet company, a chorus, and several community theaters. I know the Woodlands has a lot of options as well. If you're interested in this kind of thing, you just need to seek them out and support them.

Movies: Being this is the Home Theater Forum, I thought I might comment on the film situation. The megaplexes are king of the suburbs. If you want the smaller films, you're going to have to venture inside the loop to the River Oaks, the Greenway, and the Angelika.

Food - Damn, this city is full of good eating. Yes, the suburbs are full of chain places, but there are plenty of locally-owned one-off eateries everywhere in town if you take the time to look. You come down to Clear Lake and I can point you to a great Italian restaurant (Enzo's), a top-notch burger joint unlike any you've ever been to (Tookie's), a wonderful little old-fashioned diner (Seabrook Cafe), several great seafood choices (stay away from the Landry's-owned places, but the Pappas restaurants are pretty good), and any number of family-owned Mexican & Asian joints. None of these places are fancy - Houston dining is first and foremost casual - but the food is great and that's all that matters. And finally, there's TexMex. One of life's great little pleasures is a steaming hot plate of TexMex washed down with a cold Dos Equiis or Shiner Bock. Throw in the bottomless chips & salsa that are required by Texas law ( ), and you'll soon be thinking Houston's not so bad, after all!

People - Friendly. Also, this is a very diverse city, and everybody seems to get along just fine. I remember one of the city's proudest moments, when the Rockets won their first championship in the 90s. Richmond Street (the main party/clubbing drag) was full of thousands of people: white, black, brown, yellow, all partying together, hugging each other, etc. The cops were perched up on their cars, hats back, enjoying it like everyone else. No riots like some other cities I will not mention here. No trouble at all. Just people of all races from all walks of life enjoying the moment and having a good time.

Yup, if you give it a chance, Houston can be an allright place to live.

 

[Joe RZ]

LOL.... Yeah being raised here I think Texan then American.

I live only 2 hours from H-town favorite city in the state,second San Antonio.

 

[Shane Martin]

Jeff or whomever,

Correct me if I'm wrong here but in Texas you don't have sales tax on groceries IIRC.

 

[Jason L.]

I just wanted to get an update from Scott to see how much he hates living in Houston.

 

[Scott Wong]

Jason:

Thanks for the post.

I didn't fare too well in Houston. I ultimately ended up driving from Houston to Appleton, WI last week. I guess it is kinda ironic that you replied to this post.

A couple of things... my wife and I really went to Houston to make the best out of an already bad situation. I assisted my mother-in-law with her coffee shop while in Houston and did various odd jobs for my father-in-law and a few of his friends. And yes, working with my in-laws really was as bad as it sounds.

Things I disliked:

1.) The traffic was horrific everywhere and every hour of every day. I know that sounds exaggerated but I just could not find a window where you could leisurely get in a vehicle and go cruise around... without having to allow an extra 45-60 minutes for heavy traffic. I lived with my in-laws in the Willowbrook/Tomball area right off FM1960 and yeah.... it wasn't that pleasant of an experience, IMO.

2.) The job market seemed really poor. I actually began looking for a job toward the end of December. By January 25th, 2007 - I had submitted 54 resumes and applications for various data entry/administrative positions. Towards the end, I even went so far as to start applying for retail positions at Target, Wal-Mart, Circuit City, Best Buy, grocery stores, etc, etc. Before leaving Houston, I had two employers call me back... A.) Kroger Grocery Store as an overnight stock clerk for $6.30/hour and that *includes* the overnight shift differential. B.) Automotive car detailer for $6.00/hour

That just seems unacceptable to me. And I think the downfall lies with the amount of immigrants in Houston. These are individuals willing to work around the clock for next to nothing. And I think that ultimately kills the job market, IMO. I guess I'm just speculating but unless you've got a top-notch highly qualified white-collar position... I don't see how someone could live [comfortably] in that city.

I did enjoy The Woodlands area, but again, I never got to live there. There was no way in hell I'd be able to afford an apartment for $800+/mo. with not being able to land a job of any kind.

I ultimately got extremely discouraged and even depressed... my brother and his wife live in Appleton so I am now staying with them to get back on my feet after wasting eight horrendous months in Houston. My wife is working part-time at a job in the mall... part-time with a major airline and still helping her mother in Houston. I figure, once I get things situated and financially stable up here... I can get our shit in Houston and we can drive back up here together.

I've been in Appleton, WI for 12 days and after submitting just one resume... I've already managed to land a full-time entry position at a corporation here making $30,000/year and I start this Monday. It's no vice-presidency but it sure as hell beats $6/hour.

*shrug* I guess to each his own. I tried Houston but just didn't enjoy it... lesson learned. I really love the four seasons and I don't mind winter. I don't love it... but I've lived in Minnesota prior to this for 12 years so I'm used to it. And I enjoy the lakes and the "up north" atmosphere.

I guess that's what's new...

 

[Neal_C]

Well congrats on the new job Scott. I hope the first few days have been good for you. Good luck getting things turned around. It must have been a bad experience in Houston to move away from your wife for a while. Hopefully you can change that soon.

 

[joomanji]

How was the move? I'm helping out my sister who's moving to Houston in two months. She's a single mom of two and is in dire need of help.