My wife and I disagree on entertainment, I think the Rodeo is entertainment, she doesn't want to go to the Rodeo until she knows who the band playing will be. We both agree on the Symphony, we like the Pops.
There are such an abundance of places to go for entertainment or a gourmet meal that it is often difficult to make a decision. The downtown, at night, is at the same time, exciting and a bit humbling. The skyscrapers, built by oil money; make one feel a bit insignificant in the scheme of things.
Housing is relatively cheap in Houston, we sold a class home for about $200,000 on the inner beltway, a short drive for Jeanmarie to go to work in the downtown. We bought a condo in its place for about $100,000. and built a home in Brevard for about a million dollars. The home in Brevard is nicer but not that much nicer than what we had in Houston.
The hate part of the relationship that I feel for Houston has to do with 110 degree days, a total absence of seasons, and traffic that would make New Yorkers pine for the carefree driving in Manhattan.
Houston stretches for about 70 miles across at the widest point and is the poster child for urban sprawl. I am always impressed by the cities of Europe where so many people fit into such a tight land area. Because of the structure of European cities, you can function quite well without an automobile and the mass transit can be very efficient. With people spread out over so much land area in Houston you cannot function without an automobile and you must subject yourself to the tortuous traffic.
The downtown deals with the excessive heat by having a system of walking tunnels that connect virtually all of the downtown buildings to one another. The tunnels are cooled and there are restaurants and shopping areas in the tunnel system.
I like the people of Houston, there is a simplicity of life there that one doesn't find in New York. People are not as complicated, you can impress just about anyone who comes to dinner with a good BBQ beef brisket.
With oil and NASA firmly planted in the city, the future for Houston is more secure than cities of the Midwest that are dealing with declining manufacturing. There is no income tax in Texas and it is the fastest growing state in the union.
On balance, I feel more love for Houston than hate. I think it to be a very well run city and there isn't much that the city fathers can do about my complaints regarding the heat.
