I live in NYC and my brother lives in Houston, pre Covid I visited twice a year. I think it depends on the lifestyle you’re looking for. He is married with 3 kids under 10. I am married with 0 kids. He has a huge house (McMansion really with pool, etc..) and it’s super nice and spacious but to me that’s because a lot of time is spent at home with family.
I love visiting but I would hate living there full time.
I think Texas is great. Apart from heat, it also has very southern culture, which is obviously very different from NYC. Sometimes it may be off putting when you yourself come from a very different background, so that’s something to consider. But overall the quality of life is pretty amazing in my opinion. Houston is also very humid btw.
The politics are absolutely reprehensible, showing a vehement distaste for queer people, PoC and women. Texas has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world. Houston will continue to see hurricanes and other extreme weather events, which, thanks to its non-existent zoning, means that the whole city is a flood risk waiting to happen. And chunky cowboy boots look stupid.
I’m originally from Texas and work in NYC now. Yes, you will save money and your income will go farther but you are also giving up quite a bit. 1. I know you said don’t mention the heat but it can not be understated how oppressive the heat is. You will NEVER want to go outside and when you do be prepared to sweat the entire time. No hanging out in the park, no going for walks, just stay inside - and even the two-three weeks each spring and fall when it’s nice out you will be so acclimated to being inside you will forget to plan stuff to do outside. Also, you may be able to get a bigger home for your money but you will be paying a ton more in electricity to cool your house. 2. Property taxes - if you plan to buy, some of the savings you will have in Texas will go towards property taxes. 3. Cars - cars are a must because you can’t get anywhere without them so you will also need to put $$ here for car/gas/insurance/maintenance. 4. Allergies. They are REALLY bad. 5. Politics. Some parts of Texas are more liberal but this doesn’t translate to NYC liberalism. There are no public services. This may not matter to you or you may see it as a benefit. 6. When I moved to NYC I was constantly amazed by how smart people were. Like every single day because I had became so accustom to people not understanding very basic things.
Ultimately you may love it and it might be the right fit for you but those are some of the reasons I would never move back. The food is good, and there are foods that are much better in TX than anywhere in NYC (dispute the diversity) - Houston has a great Chinatown. That’s one pro.
I live in NYC and my brother lives in Houston, pre Covid I visited twice a year. I think it depends on the lifestyle you’re looking for. He is married with 3 kids under 10. I am married with 0 kids. He has a huge house (McMansion really with pool, etc..) and it’s super nice and spacious but to me that’s because a lot of time is spent at home with family.
I love visiting but I would hate living there full time.
I think Texas is great. Apart from heat, it also has very southern culture, which is obviously very different from NYC. Sometimes it may be off putting when you yourself come from a very different background, so that’s something to consider. But overall the quality of life is pretty amazing in my opinion. Houston is also very humid btw.
The politics are absolutely reprehensible, showing a vehement distaste for queer people, PoC and women. Texas has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world. Houston will continue to see hurricanes and other extreme weather events, which, thanks to its non-existent zoning, means that the whole city is a flood risk waiting to happen. And chunky cowboy boots look stupid.
I’m originally from Texas and work in NYC now. Yes, you will save money and your income will go farther but you are also giving up quite a bit. 1. I know you said don’t mention the heat but it can not be understated how oppressive the heat is. You will NEVER want to go outside and when you do be prepared to sweat the entire time. No hanging out in the park, no going for walks, just stay inside - and even the two-three weeks each spring and fall when it’s nice out you will be so acclimated to being inside you will forget to plan stuff to do outside. Also, you may be able to get a bigger home for your money but you will be paying a ton more in electricity to cool your house. 2. Property taxes - if you plan to buy, some of the savings you will have in Texas will go towards property taxes. 3. Cars - cars are a must because you can’t get anywhere without them so you will also need to put $$ here for car/gas/insurance/maintenance. 4. Allergies. They are REALLY bad. 5. Politics. Some parts of Texas are more liberal but this doesn’t translate to NYC liberalism. There are no public services. This may not matter to you or you may see it as a benefit. 6. When I moved to NYC I was constantly amazed by how smart people were. Like every single day because I had became so accustom to people not understanding very basic things.
Ultimately you may love it and it might be the right fit for you but those are some of the reasons I would never move back. The food is good, and there are foods that are much better in TX than anywhere in NYC (dispute the diversity) - Houston has a great Chinatown. That’s one pro.
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“Texas Heat” aged well here...