On a quick visit we found Feyetteville a little too big and spread out. It started to look like a big city since it has grown in with all of the surrounding cities. Of course, that was our first impression with Springfield. We might reconsider it later.
Why aren't more retiring in Houston?
- Thread starter Orchidflower
- Start date
Poundkey
Recycles dryer sheets
I've lived in Texas all my life. Started out in Midland. Worked my grandad's ranch near Bandera (Pipe Creek). Then to Houston when Spring Branch was the western edge of town. In those days (late 60's) it wasn't too bad. West Belt was the last road then it was open country to Katy.
Houston just got out of control (IMO) because of the lack of zoning in those days. You never knew what was going to end up a block away. Over building of huge apartment complexes was another problem. Seemed like anything bad that happened in the neighborhood came from the apartments. By the early 80's we went from a nice part of town to inner city type problems. We thought about moving farther out like everyone else, but ended up in a small town south of Dallas and closer to family.
I don't think I could handle the problems that go along with Houston these days.
Houston just got out of control (IMO) because of the lack of zoning in those days. You never knew what was going to end up a block away. Over building of huge apartment complexes was another problem. Seemed like anything bad that happened in the neighborhood came from the apartments. By the early 80's we went from a nice part of town to inner city type problems. We thought about moving farther out like everyone else, but ended up in a small town south of Dallas and closer to family.
I don't think I could handle the problems that go along with Houston these days.
Leonidas
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I wouldn't live in the city and haven't since 1983. But living outside the city one of the better suburbs is a pleasant experience.
A lot of things have changed for the better in the city over the last decade or so, but some problems have hung on since the 80's and aren't getting any better. No zoning, overbuilding of apartments, way too many poor and uneducated legal and illegal aliens living in ghettos, and recurring funding problems at HPD have meant serious crime problems in some areas that tends to spill out to the better parts of town.
Outside the city most of the suburbs are well planned and have strict zoning laws, heavily restricted apartments, immigrants tend to be legal, educated, well employed and not concentrated in small areas, and there are plenty of police. We still have crime (it's everywhere), but my little town was the safest in Texas for its size a couple of years ago.
I have lived in Houston at three different times in my life, and it was among the first cross-outs when it came time to decide where to retire. All of the previously noted reasons apply, but there is one no one mentioned: with the exception of the Downtown area, Houston is just not a pretty city... and the traffic can be as frustrating at times as L.A.
One positive though: thanks to global warming, the city is now sprouting palm trees and tropical plants that in the 60's simply couldn't survive.
One positive though: thanks to global warming, the city is now sprouting palm trees and tropical plants that in the 60's simply couldn't survive.
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
The message IS getting through!!!!
You're in one of the better parts of the state even with the scorpions et al....
I haven't found enough benefits to living there to justify the property tax and other limitations.
Glad I could help your cause.
Leonidas
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
If you had asked, we would have shown you the pretty places
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haha
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
If you had asked, we would have shown you the pretty places
Houston is a wealthy city, and wealth is its own recommendation.
Ha
Leonidas
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Sorry, I missed this part.
Somewhat true, but that is why so many people live in the suburbs.
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REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
Other than the Woodlands and Kemah, those suburbs make for a very long commute...
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
One really nice part of ER that I am looking forward to, is no commute!! Right now, I only commute a mile and a half and that is long enough.
Texas is not on our radar, even if a pretty photo CAN be taken there. It's not the scorpions, snakes, and brown recluse spiders. Even the unbearable, relentless, burning heat of summer that lasts half the year wouldn't be so bad if the property taxes weren't totally insane. Besides, I have lived in Texas and I am ready to try someplace new.
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
If you take another look at those photos, you may notice a couple appear to have been taken in a foreign country...but then, that's Houston for ya!
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
If you take another look at those photos, you may notice a couple appear to have been taken in a foreign country - and no, I don't mean Texas.
They sure seemed like foreign locations to me, but then hey, what do I know? I'm not a Texan, even though I lived there for 13 years. Guess Leonidas had a hard time finding something pretty to photograph in ugly ol' Houston.
"Texas - - it's a whole 'nuther country!"
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
Actually, all the photos are from Houston or surrounding suburbs. Go figure.
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
Off topic, but I'm curious. What exactly is a Physical Oceanographer? And why the "physical" designation - are there "spiritual" oceanographers?
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
See? Toldja I wouldn't know.
My deep underlying motivation in life for many years, has been to have a home and roots somewhere. I have probably mentioned that before; thought I had put down roots in New Orleans, until da big K changed my plans. To me, the world consists of two places: home, and the infinite variations on what is not home. I don't yet have the first very well resolved.
unclemick
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Back in the 80's I tryed to get SO interested in Big Bend country with the old 28 foot camper. she drew the line at McAllen.
Are you nuts? Where's the Mall?
heh heh heh - heck if you are gonna do Texas - why not someplace nice where even the scorpions put on sunblocker?.
Are you nuts? Where's the Mall?
heh heh heh - heck if you are gonna do Texas - why not someplace nice where even the scorpions put on sunblocker?
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Leonidas
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Well, I'm retired and pffffttt on commuting!
Granted, Houston is a huge city and there are employment centers spread all about (Downtown, Med Center, Energy Corridor, Uptown, North Belt, NASA, West Belt, Greenway Plaza, etc.) so, I think the commute depends on where you live. Katy & Cypress are long drives to anything other than the Energy Corridor or West Belt. The Woodlands to downtown is a daunting drive. Kemah to downtown is a bear as well. Sugar Land is convenient to Uptown, West Belt, Med Center, and sort of the Energy Corridor as well. Ditto for Pearland. Clear Lake and Kemah are very convenient to NASA.
And of course many of those areas are now developing into employment centers as well. Sugar Land has Noble Enterprises, Texas Instruments, Fluor, Schlumberger, Minute Maid, and two new large branch hospitals (Methodist and Memorial Hermann) among others. The Woodlands has Chevron Phillips, Anadarko, Fox Sports, Compaq is close as well. Sugar Land was in the top 5 on Money Mags best places to live in 2006 and the Woodlands was in the top 100. They've both dropped down on the list in recent years.
Well, all of the photos were taken after the big weekly rattlesnake roundup. It's pretty much SOP, or else all anyone would say when they looked at the pics would be, "where's the city, underneath that mountain of snakes?"
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Come to think of it, I guess I consider myself to be a spiritual physical oceanographer. Physical oceanographers are experts on ocean physics and physical processes, such as waves, currents, eddies, and more. We are about equally divided between physicists and engineers, and that is why I have an engineering background.
People seem to think that oceanographer would be a marine biologist like Jacques Cousteau. I can testify that I have never trained a killer whale.
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REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
OK...but I'll bet you've got ol' Frank pretty well whipped into shape!
Leonidas
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
And for those of you who aren't easily scared by rattlesnakes, here's some pics of the less glamorous aspects. The last picture is of a statue of the great long-horned armadillo that legend says will come one day to eat all of the scorpions, rattlesnakes and brown recluse spiders.
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W2R
Moderator Emeritus
OK...but I'll bet you've got ol' Frank pretty well whipped into shape!
Frank? He's an aerospace/rocket engineer and a pretty capable guy. Like you might imagine, he doesn't take to being pushed around very much. unclemick
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Physical oceanographers are experts on ocean physics and physical processes, such as waves, currents, eddies, and more. We are about equally divided between physicists and engineers, and that is why I have an engineering background.
People seem to think that oceanographer would be a marine biologist like Jacques Cousteau. I can testify that I have never trained a killer whale.
Be very very careful - the little niece got out of the Academy in Physical Oceanography. Later married a dang Marine and became a civilian en ga neer.
Might be the water.
heh heh heh -
BTW - nephew got winged in greater Corpus - isn't Port Aransus and places around there a watersports area?
