Florida, I get: weather, ocean, inexpensive

But I have a hard time figuring out Texas. It's inexpensive, but the heat is like some kind of punishment, and its coast is more Galveston than Santa Monica, if you know what I mean.

What's the attraction?

it rarely snows.

Texas in July/August is awful, but New York in July/August is pretty awful too, and at least in Texas you can get a nice little mcmansion with a pool for the price of a decent apartment in NYC.

Wow!

Black people think Houston is Blacker than it really is. White people love the idea of a red state with big cities that matter. Mexicans are indigenous.

at least compared to other states.

but when I think outdoor activities, my mind goes to hills, mountains or lush woods.

its just spread very far apart so it might as well be another state.

Unless you're ready to combat heat stroke/exhaustion. The whole time I lived there, I felt like I was in hibernation from like May to October.

But I grew up on a football field. If you can wear pads and shells in a Texas July you're good to go for life.

I didn't cake out in the sun though, shade and beverages are the way to go. And do all of your yard work before the sun rises.

in Texas.

and appeals.

There was a college, the capital, hippies and black people.
Prior to the tech boom Austin and central Texas was a place that you could be close to live music, great food, a "city", and the country all at the same time. It wasn't even considered as much of a city as San Antonio was. After the 90s the entirety of central Texas has changed. It's a place to settle and raise a family, with good schools, decent weather, see some culture and still call your self a city dweller even though it's more of just a continuous sprawl and creep. It's appeal though is definitely with tech, live music, good food, good living, affordable living, nice landscape, and continuous development. From Georgetown down to San Antonio I think you'd be hard pressed to find a more "liveable" region in this country.
The traffic sucks though and hipsterdom and gentrification ruin everything, so even things that were legitimately cool at one point are becoming watered down and the "in thing".


The gulf coast has jobs as long as oil and gas has jobs. And that's hard to beat a lot of the times from the standpoint of stability. The region is affordable, the sprawl is real, but the highway system does a decent enough job of keeping up. If you like the coast, you're set, but it's in little ways a pretty coast. Most of it stinks, the sand is shitty, and even the food isn't that great. But it's close enough to New Orleans without having to live in Lousiana. And Houston has a great craft beer scene as well as crawfish.

I couldn't tell you about Laredo (the south) or El Paso (the west) I've heard they do a good job of mimicking the areas they're close to, while still being Texas enough to separate them. I

Up north you have the panhandle and the Dallas region. I don't know much about the panhandle except that it does snow and Lubbock is a terrible place with terrible people.

I feel the same way about Dallas, but I hate most things Dallas and I can't give a fair assessment of it.

As far as east Texas, backwoods racism, fundie Christians, and good footballers the end.

And I have a friend from Cleveland who moved down to San Antonio and swears by it.

In New York, we grew up thinking everything looked like 'Dallas', but having been to Houston, it felt a lot more like LA than a shitkicker town.

I'm still intrigued by a state bigger than France.

Weed is decriminalized here. I don't think I can go backwards from that.

Probably looking at Colorados boom.

Alhamdullah For Everything!

I'm here and living it.

I'll take 95f and humid over 15f with a frozen ground and ice everywhere. The people in Texas do what the people in the north do in bad weather: Stay indoors or in a car with AC.

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

I have never been to Texas personally but food network and travel channel has me very familiar with the famous bbq and steak houses down there. I got a "list" if I ever visit.

with the dearth of good bbq in NY until a few years ago
after that i saw all signs pointing to texas lol
and a lot of the places in NY coming from there



bless those good folk
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

and living in Houston for the past 14 years.
I would trade Houston weather for MA weather in a heartbeat.
I miss snow, I miss winter and fall and spring. I miss the milder summers. yeah I know this past winter in the Northeast was brutal, but fuck if this summer in Houston hasn't been pretty awful as well.
and I would much rather shovel snow in the cold, than do yard work in this heat.

EDIT: things i like about texas, tex mex, BBQ, my wife and kids, cheap cost of living, my job(just the fact that it's here, i don't really like it)

I miss the seasons in Mass. It's been brutal this summer in Georgia as well. And hell, summer has been going since May and it's still in the mid 90s EVERYDAY here in eastern Georgia. I haven't wanted to be outside at all. It's too damn hot. If it was hot from like June-August I'd be fine. But it's been A/C constantly on since April. And it's gonna be hot all September into mid-Oct. Tired of this.

Heat but this summer has taken its toll! Like u said it feels like it's been str8 90 degree days since May

august 8th, when i left boston it was like 75 degrees, when i got into houston that same day the heat index was around 110.

We got guns here in PA (as well as many other hick states) tho, so I don't think that's a big reason that people would be attracted to Texas.

NJ is really restrictive with their firearm laws. Also NY, MA and MD. I'm surrounded by these states, so I see both sides.

1) Austin
2) Houston (although I think I'd rather live in Dallas)
3) Dallas
4) San Antonio
5) Corpus
6) El Paso (where I've never actially been)





87867868) Waco

The quintessential Sunbelt city.


That said, it's highly diverse, has a thriving economy and every (non-public transit related) amenity you'd expect from the nation's 4th largest city, but you may have to drive an hour to get to them.

and talking to friends who live(d) there.

Beer culture as evidenced by boom of microbrews
Solid local music scene that's been going on forever
Multiple sports teams nfl, mlb, nba, mls
Large LGBT population and area of town
Museum district with something like more than 30 free museums
Ballet hall, orchestra, and playhouse all within a block
Which is only a few blocks from the house of blues and warehouse live, two major music venues.

Houston isn't missing much except for good bbq.

Burbs are burbs no matter where you go and even many city centers can feel like the burbs. Not Houston though.

If I never had to go west of montrose, north of the heights, east of downtown, or south of the museum district I'd move back.

I asked about it's character. Houston doesn't have a look or a feel, or even much of an identity. It's very sunbelt boomtown.

It's on if you're not into those things but to act like a place with an over thirty mile geographical radius which houses 6.3 million people could possibly have a singular definitive culture or character then hey, all yours.

I n ver said it was devoid of culture, only character and identity.

Houston's character is blue collar. We are the poor but proud sister city of Dallas. Houston is a city known for valuing authenticity above all else. Our rappers don't just talk about the money and fame but also the prison and the grave. We are God fearing, family oriented, hard working and hustling people. We work hard and we play hard. Houston breeds musicians, artists and mosquito's.

And who the hell said htown didn't have good BBQ? Are you on drugs?

Pappas doesn't even register and they're the same company.
Houston doesn't do BBQ as well as any other part in the state.

But I'm gonna need you to show bonafides when you talking Houston BBQ.

Definitely relative to their resources.

you just ain't been around the city enough
houston has a very distinct character/culture

Women....thick and nice.....

Do u really think u encompass the "northeastern perspective "

it seemed like a state full of mega churches, divorce attorneys and waffle houses.

In a lot of ways it reminds me of Louisiana.

The people are hard working middle class folks & it's hella diverse.

The cost of living is reasonable, it's a lot of colleges & universities.

The food is great

my current ties are keeping me here.

but we could move to TX and make more money while spending less on housing. that's a win.

i don't know how the job market is for locals but i know a few people who have had TX based companies offering big salaries & relocation packages to get them to move.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/next-texas-energy-boom-solar-1440149400

Who would EVER think of Texas as an anchor for environmentally sound alternative energy???

Pretty dope.

For energy.

but I'm not sure it's worth it.

Eneegy bill is usually $55 a month for 9 months out of the year. It jumps to $85 during 3 months in the summer due to AC.

To be abused, to abuse people.

Texas is great for that.

and this too, see how many times
r.perry was elected as governor.

Namely guns, meat, and if I was single, latinas

However I think the lack of west indian food and west indians in general would get on my nerves after a while.

small town but some aspect are BIG (get it)


and no state income tax even though property tax will get you.

Low cost of living
Lots to do
No state tax

I can handle the heat as long as there's an AC option
and I don't have to be in it for long.

AMAZING food, cool nightlife, cheap living, mid size city thats going through a huge expansion.. not much to dislike to be honest.
Pretty liberal town and a LOTTA Cali transplants in this city so i almost feel at home. Especially when NBA season rolls around. lol

nah not yet.. ive been getting my bbq fix at La Barbeque to be honest and Rudy's when Im feeling grimey (lol its good though). Ive heard good things about Lockhart though.

San Antonio. Please make it to Blacks or Smittys or Kreuz's

ha! Rudys is relatively close to me.. Im in North Austin by Lakeline and there isnt much around me besides Rudies or Dickies (shudders) . La Barbeque and all the "cool" spots are closer to downtown.. Driving 10-15 miles one way aint the business when IM just trying to get my fix on..lol Ill check those spots out in San Antonio in September when Im down there.. thanks!

I think it's the best in town, some people say it's not as consistent, but every time I go it's ridiculously good, especially the fatty brisket and the ribs

heard very good things about it.. havent been yet.

More manageable than La Barbeque's ribs...he has a heavier hand with the black pepper than the other Austin spots. Works well with the richness of the beef rib.

When I return what should I try?

preferred Salt Lick

Thing is man.. Rudys on its absolute worst day is better than the best bbq in LA (off the yelp reviews alone).. Yea Im looking at you Bludso's in Compton and Phillips. BBQ snob cats was givin me the stink eye out here like you just went to Rudys? The spot with the gas station out front of it? lol yup

Kreuz's is my favorite : https://www.kreuzmarket.com/

My parents like: http://www.blacksbbq.com/ & http://www.smittysmarket.com/

You'll win with any of those

Most transplants end up here because of jobs. High paying jobs on cheap
ass land (in the big cities at least).

It and would visit again but to me I felt no desire to move there becuz it was very similar to Atlanta and not better than Atlanta imo

I imagine moving from New York to Houston would be a big adjustment but Houston *does* have a light rail so maybe that could work for u in terms of a transition

Austin may be the more unique city. I have a friend who just moved there and she loves it

They are expanding it so it least the powers that be have faith in the model, do u still live in Houston?

I'd make it work for me, as a transplant I wouldn't have any ties to or desire to be in any far flung neighborhoods

I was able to go running outdoors without any ear muffs or mittens.

Houston is a bigger, but not better version of Atlanta. Atlanta has way more character.

maybe traffic...by a hair

larger in population, but Atlanta is more of a cosmo city if that makes sense

I visited and have no desire to go back or spend a lot of time there

and I've been to them all except San Antonio

Austin is attractive, could use more black folk tho lol.

The rest come off wild average. Not bad, but not hitting you over the
head with dopeness either lol.

comfortable in any city that doesn't feel... i guess like a northeast city. can't stand the sprawling, non-walkable/sh*tty public transit cities.

cost of living is cheap
great for young blk professionals
dating scene is easy
good art scene, both music and visual
great food
good place to raise families
good school systems

i grew up in houston and it was really diverse. big vietnamese, chinese, indian, pinoy, mexican, nigerian populations. plus they have a gay democratic mayor.

i can't fuck with it bc my parents are there and the heat.