# Would I - a soon to be ex-New Yorker - like living in Houston, Texas? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133 "2015-01-06T16:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/61 "2015-01-08T17:19:56Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Well-adjusted adults can agree to disagree without trying to silence the opposition. Just a friendly tip. Nobody is trying to silence you- we’re just telling you that, in this specific instance, you’re wrong. ARE there places in Texas where gays would be treated with hostility. Sure. ARE there places in Texas where you’d get dirty looks for “living in sin”? Sure. ARE there places in Texas where where liberals could never get elected dog catcher, let alone mayor? Sure. But Houston isn’t one of those places. If you thought it was, now you know better. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/62 "2015-01-08T18:20:46Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Yeah, even living a couple hundred miles north, the building standards are different. Building standards should be adequate for typical climatic conditions. Since metro Houston typically has a few nights of subfreezing lows every year, it should be a given that pipes don’t freeze. Since frozen/busted pipes evidently _are_ a fairly common occurrence during these normal cold snaps, it indicates _shoddy_ building standards. You don’t hear our local news media issuing dire Pipe Warnings for temps a few degrees below zero, because that happens nearly every winter. ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/63 "2015-01-08T21:55:40Z")
Someone wasn’t sure how to describe the humidity in Houston… It’s like trying to breathe through a wet,sweaty,used wool sock. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/64 "2015-01-09T00:00:35Z")
Houston is not fun to drive through, especially during rush hours. You might want to try to live on the same side of the city that you work in. It’s been said: _If you’re ever in Houston, you’d better act right. You better not gamble and you’d better not fight._ ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/65 "2015-01-09T00:51:46Z")
Some things not mentioned yet in the thread. NYC is famous for being a city that never sleeps. This is not so much the case with Houston. There are all night restaurants and clubs, but I don’t think they exist in anywhere near the number that they do in NYC. I think it would be possible for the OP to live in the Montrose—a fairly-dense, hip, LGBT-friendly neighborhood—and be able to walk to the grocery store or other places. It’d definitely be sub-optimal though, especially in summer. Cars and bicyclists are still learning how to co-exist here, and there aren’t anywhere near the bike paths that there are in places like Portland or even Austin. As mentioned already, Metro (the transit agency) sucks. The bus timetables are often mere suggestions and the routes can require much longer journeys than simply hopping in the car. Light rail is expanding, slowly, and I have found that it does run on time usually. The food selection, in either restaurant or grocery store form, is outstanding. I agree on the lack of German food (I just stock up at Kuby’s in Dallas when I get that particular urge), and the BBQ is meh compared to Austin, but there is a staggering variety of East and South Asian choices available. Oh, and Little Nemo’s observation about the friendliness vs efficiency difference between New Yorkers and Southerners reminded me of [this commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BdSoLE8ZeU). ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/66 "2015-01-09T01:30:35Z")
> [@bump](#): > > it’s definitely hot in the late spring through early fall, but it’s not actually that _hot_. The average summer high is **only** around 94, . Emphasis added. “Only” he says, “only.” A regular temperture of 94 degrees with 75% humidity sounds like pure shrieking hell to me :D. Don’t get me wrong, I have friends in Houston ( very liberal, very gay-friendly natives ) and they love the place. But I’m definitely not man enough for that climate. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/67 "2015-01-09T01:48:21Z")
I will likely be moving to Houston soon so I am following along here with interest. I have visited a few times already so I can vouch that it’s not redneck town and the driving is pretty crazy. Cloverleaf and over/underpasses abound. Onramp on the right and you got 200 yards to take your offramp on the left. Loco. I’ve enjoyed my visits though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/68 "2015-01-09T15:35:48Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Emphasis added. “Only” he says, “only.” A regular temperture of 94 degrees with 75% humidity sounds like pure shrieking hell to me :D. > > Don’t get me wrong, I have friends in Houston ( very liberal, very gay-friendly natives ) and they love the place. But I’m definitely not man enough for that climate. Or as was explained to me one day when the temperature hit eighty “This is unusually hot for this time of year.” It was mid-February. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/69 "2015-01-09T16:08:59Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Emphasis added. “Only” he says, “only.” A regular temperture of 94 degrees with 75% humidity sounds like pure shrieking hell to me :D. > > Don’t get me wrong, I have friends in Houston ( very liberal, very gay-friendly natives ) and they love the place. But I’m definitely not man enough for that climate. It’s all relative… Dallas and Austin trade a few percentage points of humidity for a few more thermometer points. So when Houston’s 94 degrees/75% RH, Dallas may be 97/50% There’s nowhere to go in Texas that isn’t atrociously hot in the summer. Like I was saying, Houston’s not actually _that_ hot, but it is humid. The flip side is that in January, the coldest month, the average low is only 43, and the average high is 63. So pretty comfortable by most people’s standards. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/70 "2015-01-09T19:17:26Z")
One other thing that I recall about Houston is the apparent lack of zoning laws. In some areas you can buy a nice little neighborhood 1950’s Craftsman houses and then, some time later, a developer builds a 50 unit condominium complex across the street. I once saw a strip area with a liquor store, a bar, and a gun store, all in a row. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/71 "2015-01-11T20:06:18Z")
> [@bump](#): > > It’s all relative… Dallas and Austin trade a few percentage points of humidity for a few more thermometer points. So when Houston’s 94 degrees/75% RH, Dallas may be 97/50% > > There’s nowhere to go in Texas that isn’t atrociously hot in the summer. Like I was saying, Houston’s not actually _that_ hot, but it is humid. The flip side is that in January, the coldest month, the average low is only 43, and the average high is 63. So pretty comfortable by most people’s standards. The temperature in January isn’t bad, but it’s STILL extremely humid in Houston in January. Try to jog on a 65 degree day in Houston, and you’ll still be miserable! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/72 "2015-01-11T22:43:55Z")
> [@DrumBum](#): > > One other thing that I recall about Houston is the apparent lack of zoning laws. In some areas you can buy a nice little neighborhood 1950’s Craftsman houses and then, some time later, a developer builds a 50 unit condominium complex across the street. Or, as in [this story](http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/baytown-news/article/Roller-coaster-roils-its-Kemah-neighbors-1821598.ph), a rollercoaster. And not some guy’s backyard monorail. A 1-acre, 5-story, open-to-the-public, wooden rollercoaster. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/73 "2015-01-11T23:37:10Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Or, as in [this story](http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/baytown-news/article/Roller-coaster-roils-its-Kemah-neighbors-1821598.ph), a rollercoaster. And not some guy’s backyard monorail. A 1-acre, 5-story, open-to-the-public, wooden rollercoaster. FWIW, though I agree that Houston’s lack of zoning can lead to eclectic results, this isn’t a good example of it, IMHO. The roller coaster is on an existing amusement park in Kemah, a suburb about a half hour away, depending on traffic. The Ashby Highrise controversy (developer wants to build umpteenth story highrise in well to do suburb with mostly single family homes and townhouses) or the issues a highrise condo is having with Hans’s Haus of Bier, are much better examples, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/74 "2015-01-12T01:29:21Z")
> [@DrumBum](#): > > I once saw a strip area with a liquor store, a bar, and a gun store, all in a row. I saw a place that advertised it sold alcohol, guns, and insurance. And I was thinking nobody’s going to stay in business selling that combination. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/75 "2015-01-12T01:36:19Z")
The worst combination I saw was a place north of Houston in Conroe. It was a small restaurant with a big hand-painted sign that said “SHRIMP AND DONUTS”. I don’t think it lasted too long. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133/76 "2015-01-12T02:29:08Z")
Has the “Condoms To Go” franchise I’ve noticed in Metro D/FW spread to Houston? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-a-soon-to-be-ex-new-yorker-like-living-in-houston-texas/709133.md?page=3)