your opinions needed

[Professor]

My Dad got offered a job today.Â*Â*In Houstin, Texas.Â*Â*My family would be making a move from Chicago, IL to there.

My questions are primarily for those in Hustin or Texas.Â*Â*What is it like?Â*Â*I am into theatre, meseums, ect; how is that scene?Â*Â*What is the culture of the city, what sort of attitudes do the people have?Â*Â*Are there well any known colleges that you can recommend? What about healthcare?Â*Â*

And the one I am afraid of most of all, is the sterotype of the red neck, Bible thumpin', barbaquing, hunting, grunting, Republican, cowboy hat wearing, true for the average citizen?Â*Â*Obviously I could always find someone, but in general?

For everyone, knowing me, do you think this is a wise move?Â*Â*

I'd like other's perspectives here.

Thank you.

[Alonzo]

I don't know anything down south. I've only been there twice, one to disney in florida when I was 3 or 4 (which I remember almost nothing of), and the other time to new orleans a few years ago (which is more unique than southern).

That being said, I don't think areas like houston and dallas are conservative redneck areas. I know dallas is very liberal, I assume houston, since it's very large, is also liberal.

Though do you like warm areas? That alone would make me not want to go south.

[BoogyMan]

My Dad got offered a job today. In Houstin, Texas. My family would be making a move from Chicago, IL to there.

My questions are primarily for those in Hustin or Texas. What is it like? I am into theatre, meseums, ect; how is that scene? What is the culture of the city, what sort of attitudes do the people have? Are there well any known colleges that you can recommend? What about healthcare?

And the one I am afraid of most of all, is the sterotype of the red neck, Bible thumpin', barbaquing, hunting, grunting, Republican, cowboy hat wearing, true for the average citizen? Obviously I could always find someone, but in general?

For everyone, knowing me, do you think this is a wise move?

I'd like other's perspectives here.

Thank you.


Don't listen to the redneck stereotyping stuff that Zo posted, he's projecting. There are loons everywhere and Texas is no different.

There are wonderful universities like Rice, U of H, Texas Southern, and just up the road a ways is Austin which has its own great schools.

There are some great museums in Houston, like the Houston Museum of Natural Science which houses the Cockrell Butterfly Center. It's awesome. See here -> http://www.hmns.org/

Houston is extremely hot and humid, if you move to Houston, be prepared for a long acclimatization period.

What is up with the bigoted redneck stereotype commentary though? I previously thought much better of you. :(

[CheesyMuslim]

Sorry bout that,

1. But Houston is a Liberal cesspool, you will do fine, jump in the waters hot.
2. Houston is huge, spread out forever.
3. Its humid in the summer.
4. Its nice during winter months.
5. Its rich.
6. Rednecks are hard to find except on the freeways.
7. Taxes are kind high for property.
8. As it is up here in the Dallas area.
9. Expect to pay 3k a year for a 100k house.
10 They have wingdings every Friday night, you gonna love those.
11. That's where all the rednecks come up into the rich neighborhoods in their pickup trucks blasting country and western music and drink beer in-front of rich peoples houses while they hoot an holler that them folks inside better send out their young damsels so they can get a good look at em.
12. This works great in getting people of all kinds to connect.

Regards,
SirJamesofTexas

[Professor]

What is up with the bigoted redneck stereotype commentary though?Â*Â*I previously thought much better of you. :(


One of my friends used to live there and she hated it. I thought it was a sterotype so I disregarded it, then she said it was the majority of the people and started in on horror stories. So I added it as a question to get someone else's opinion.

Don't worry, I don't actually think that.

[Mayberry]

What is up with the bigoted redneck stereotype commentary though? Yeah, what's wrong with a little Bible thumpin, barbequeing, hunting, Republicans, or cowboy hats? OK, maybe not QUITE so much bible thumpin' (everyone needs to drink and dance once in a while), but the rest is great stuff! Houston is a pretty diverse place, as most monstrous cities are. Most people are "Texas Friendly". There's tons to do and see in and around Houston. It's beautiful country with big "piney woods" and several lakes nearby to the north, and coastal plains to the south. To the east is Galveston, Kemah, and Clear Lake for a little coastal getaway. The weather is great (to me anyway). It's warm most of the year, and it rains frequently (as far as Texas goes) so everything stays lush and green. Winters are relatively mild (not this year!). My only complaint about Houston is the TRAFFIC, but I hate cities and I say that about all of them. Your offensive rednecks live mostly to the north of Houston around the Beaumont area (they don't like cities). Rednecks are all over the country, and aren't really bad people if you get to know some. Some of my best friends are rednecks!:P

[Buck Laser]

Houston has an outstanding arts scene, from all I've been able to gather. The climate is execrable, but air conditioning actually works pretty well now. Because of the high tech and medical communities there, it's really pretty cosmopolitan. I spent an extended stay at MD Anderson Cancer Institute a couple of years ago, and the staff there are truly international.

Offsetting that, Houston does have a high crime rate, major pollution problems, and being as big as it is, I find it hard to comprehend the entire city. I'm more comfortable in cities the size of Austin--650,000 or so.[/b]

[lily]

Sorry bout that,


10 They have wingdings every Friday night, you gonna love those.
11. That's where all the rednecks come up into the rich neighborhoods in their pickup trucks blasting country and western music and drink beer in-front of rich peoples houses while they hoot an holler that them folks inside better send out their young damsels so they can get a good look at em.
12. This works great in getting people of all kinds to connect.

Regards,
SirJamesofTexas



Ok......now that's funny!

[ECW]

I found Houston to be one huge mess. They have no planning commission which means people can put up a gas station next to a church or next to a school. There is a downtown area but it is not well defined. As previously mentioned, the traffic is one big nightmare. The weather is muggy most of the year and there is no scenery to speak of in Houston proper.

There are racial problems as well. The city is far from being a liberal enclave. As with most big cities, there are Liberals in large numbers but they don't run the place. It is very diverse culturally but that tends to keep folks apart as opposed to bringing them together.

I was not very impressed with the place and I have been there more than once. To me, it is just the rectum you have to pass thru to get to Galveston where you can really have some fun. I go a couple times a year to have fun on the gulf.

You couldn't give me Houston on a platter. I won't even go to sporting events there anymore because it is so unpleasant. Good luck if you get stuck there. I'd rather deal with the ugly winters, the plethora of bluebellies and all those Cubs fans before I'd move to Houston. But that's just me.