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Houston's Economy


H-Town Man

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Here's a list of the companies in Westchase from their website. I've highlighted the ones that I know are energy related. The company I work for is on this list and we account for 5% of the jobs in the district, there are a few on here that are bigger than us. There's only a few on this list that are major employers and not energy related. If there was a bust in energy I bet you could lose 30% of the jobs in Westchase and they would be the higher paying ones.

American InterContinental Univ.

Bank of America

Camden

Cantoni

Chevron

Cytogenix

Dow Chemical

G.E. Infrastructure Sensing

Granite Properties

Halliburton

Heartland Healthcare

Houston Marriott Westchase

Hunton Group

Jacobs Engineering

MemberSource Credit Union

MetroNational

MI Swaco

Omni Bank

Randalls

Sueba USA

Target

Thomas Properties

United Recovery Systems

CGG Veritas

Vaughn Construction

Weingarten Realty Investors Westchase Hilton

ABB

Affiliated Computer Services

Air Routing

Aker Kvaerner

BMC Software

Brown & Gay

Cameron International

Cardtronics

David Powers Homes

HFG Engineering US, Inc.

Haynes Whaley

Honeywell

ITT Technical Institute

KB Homes

Kroger

Landmark Graphics

Lockwood Andrews and Newnam

Maverick Engineering, Inc.

Men's Wearhouse

Microsoft

National Oilwell Varco

Quest Diagnostics

Smith, Seckman & Reid

Talent Tree

URS Corporation

U.S. Physical Therapy

Western Geco

Wood Group Pressure Control

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The economics of working and residing in Houston works out well, but we're lacking in too many other departments (not to mention the weather is crappy here 50% of the time, regardless of the time of year!).

I think you really meant to use the word "finances" rather than economics. Economics is a wholistic study of those factors that cause firms and households to do what they do. If 'coolness' is a factor, then it is accounted for in our population growth.

This is the same principle as if one were trying to determine why anybody in their right mind would be a university professor. The pay sucks (that is a pecuniary aspect), so finances not be as bright as if that same person were to dive totally into the private sector, but the benefits such as flexible hours, vacation time, and individual notions of pride in what they do (non-pecuniary aspects) are major factors that cannot be ignored. Without accounting for those, we'd have many fewer professors. Without Houston's non-pecuniary factors (or rather those that are negative), we'd have more people.

As for climate, I'd challenge the assertion that the climate is crappy. It beats the hell out of non-sunbelt parts of the country.

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There are certain types of employment within the energy sector that have been aggressively outsourced. One example is accounting. An aunt of mine lost her job at Shell for just that reason...they moved her whole department to the Philipennes. But GAAP accounting methods are much easier to teach than is engineering, and it is utilized in such a variety of industries that labor is relatively interchangable and also ubiquitously available in major labor markets.

Engineering (especially in oil & gas) is different because within the whole of the field are finely-honed specialties for which there are few schools. This is why energy firms chose Houston over New Orleans, Tulsa, Chicago, NYC, etc. It was an HR decision that was self-reinforcing. If they could actually find sufficient engineering talent locally, they'd hire them. Just think of all the bonuses that have been given not only to the new hires, but to those that referred them. They're desperate for qualified American engineers.

If they have to go to India, that really is a sacrifice. The labor may be cheap, but there are a lot of problems with going multinational. Firstly is bringing together a team of qualified persons that are presently geographically scattered (there isn't a labor market similar to Houston in India). Language, culture, travel, expats, tax implications, currency risk, law, lawlessness, war risk, and political risk come to mind at other complicating factors...I'm sure there are others.

There's very little engineering talent in India either. They bring in entry level people over there and train them, they can do that over there for pennies. They've not done that here because it's so much cheaper in India. There are plenty of people in Houston who would love to have entry level engineering jobs but they can't compete with the entry level people in India making less than our minimum wage. The entry level job I had when I got into the business is now gone, it's all in India now. I was lucky to make it in just in time. I see some signs of work like that coming back, not because we can compete with them but just so we have entry level work. They still need some people over here and without entry level positions half the workforce will be gone within a decade.

It's only within the last year that the companies over here have realized that India can't solve all their labor problems. They are finally actively looking for entry level people to train. They are losing the people in India as fast as they can replace them. The engineers in India get a couple of years experience and move to Canada for big money.

It didn't seem to be a sacrafice for us. One day the bosses just told us that we will send x amount of hours to India wether we use them or not. It seems to be a sales tool used to show clients how much money we are saving them. We gave them all the entry level work and cut our work force in half.

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If people keep stating that Houston is undesirable, or growing at a slower pace than other cities, then there must be some truth to those staements. IMO, the best way to stop people from saying these things is to have some critical analysis as to why people keep saying these things. Once you identify the reasons, then you can try to overcome them. My opinion is that the reason people keep saying these things about Houston is because there are problems which have never been addressed, because too many people walk around with a chip on their shoulder about Houston which causes them to go into instant defense and spin control mode, rather than problem solving mode. When you're so busy trying to condemn the critics and spin your way out of the criticism, you can't focus the proper attention on correcting the problems at hand. Do some people like living in Houston? . . .Of course! But that's not to say that Houston can't improve. The problem is, few people from Houston like it when a non-Houstonian points out the areas that need improvement, yet refuse to point out the problems for themselves, because they're afraid that they just might validate the critics. Get rid of the chip on your shoulder. Houston will be better for it.

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If people keep stating that Houston is undesirable, or growing at a slower pace than other cities, then there must be some truth to those staements. IMO, the best way to stop people from saying these things is to have some critical analysis as to why people keep saying these things. Once you identify the reasons, then you can try to overcome them. My opinion is that the reason people keep saying these things about Houston is because there are problems which have never been addressed, because too many people walk around with a chip on their shoulder about Houston which causes them to go into instant defense and spin control mode, rather than problem solving mode. When you're so busy trying to condemn the critics and spin your way out of the criticism, you can't focus the proper attention on correcting the problems at hand. Do some people like living in Houston? . . .Of course! But that's not to say that Houston can't improve. The problem is, few people from Houston like it when a non-Houstonian points out the areas that need improvement, yet refuse to point out the problems for themselves, because they're afraid that they just might validate the critics. Get rid of the chip on your shoulder. Houston will be better for it.

You are SO right! If all 5.5 million people in the Houston metro would just read a self-help book, the WHOLE city would be better off. We should take a vote! Should we read Dr. Phil or Jorl Osteen? Or, maybe Oprah could do a show here!

Or, maybe I'll just laugh at ridiculous posts like this one and go back to sleep. I'll leave the worrying about what the world (and former residents) think of Houston to someone else. For those whining about the weather, go to www.weather.com and type in Cleveland, OH. Then get back to me. And, for those crying about humidity, grow a pair. Sweating is good for you. Seriously. Look it up.

It's sunny and 78 degrees in February, and I'm responding to someone whining about our weather. It's days like this that I wish I could reach thru the internet and slap the s**t out of people. :angry:

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There's nothing that can be done, unless you can dig up this city and move it 200 miles west or north. Our location has us sunk (good for ships, not for people). There's a reason your big house and big yard is so cheap - because given the choice among other cities, and looking at the bigger work-life balance picture, your proximity to the nasty, humid Gulf of Mexico, people choose other places (yea, so 100K a year come here, but other 'nicer' places are growing faster - and there's a reason for it). The economics of working and residing in Houston works out well, but we're lacking in too many other departments (not to mention the weather is crappy here 50% of the time, regardless of the time of year!).

No amount of "coolness" or trying to be cool or electing politicians who would be as foolish to think they can change our image is going to change that, and I certainly wasn't advocating that position - and anyone who told me they were going to make Houston "a cool place to live," I wouldn't vote for simply because I don't believe in the principal of putting lipstick on pigs. Houston is what it is: a large, sprawling city that is a good place to work, but low on the list of places to live.

Not picking on you Bryan, but if Houston is attracting 100K new residents per year - it CAN'T be THAT low on the list of places to live. You make it sound as if that is not enuf or the reasons for people moving here are not valid or that it 'doesn't count' for some reason. Guess what, it counts. It's not about winning a contest. Would your perception change if Houston was actually growing faster than those other cities? It has grown faster than those other cities in the past (and could easily be growing faster again in the near future - if not already).

If humidity was really a deterrent to growth, then Houston would have died before it began. Houston is what it is. The humidity is not going anywhere. But the reality is, that Houston has done nothing but grown since it was founded. You can't take that away. I can't argue with the fact that SOME people move here for a job and don't like the climate, but SO WHAT? The point is they keep coming anyway for whatever reason. 100K new people decided that they could deal with frizzy hair last year. Say what you want, but Houston is NOT a prison, nobody forced 100K to move here last year. No job is worth living a place you don't like.

And anyway, as hard as it may be for you to believe, not everyone has a major problem with humidity. I can't even being to count the number of times I've heard people say that dealing with humidity is better than dealing with snow. Some people like that Houston stays green all year.

Your point seems to be that Houston will always have it's climate working against it, but so does Chicago and Dallas. Atlanta and Miami are no picnic either in the summer. I think it's just a personal preference, and that's O.K.

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If people keep stating that Houston is undesirable, or growing at a slower pace than other cities, then there must be some truth to those staements.

If people keep stating that Houston is desirable and growing at a faster pace than other cities, then there must be some truth to those staments too.

Remember, we are not talking about cities that are growing and cities that are not growing. We are talking about cities that are all growing at almost the same rate, with only a fraction of difference. Houston IS a fast growing city. There are plenty of things that are wrong with Houston, but growing at a slightly less faster speed than a few other cities in the country IS NOT ONE OF THEM.

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You are SO right! If all 5.5 million people in the Houston metro would just read a self-help book, the WHOLE city would be better off. We should take a vote! Should we read Dr. Phil or Jorl Osteen? Or, maybe Oprah could do a show here!

Or, maybe I'll just laugh at ridiculous posts like this one and go back to sleep. I'll leave the worrying about what the world (and former residents) think of Houston to someone else. For those whining about the weather, go to www.weather.com and type in Cleveland, OH. Then get back to me. And, for those crying about humidity, grow a pair. Sweating is good for you. Seriously. Look it up.

It's sunny and 78 degrees in February, and I'm responding to someone whining about our weather. It's days like this that I wish I could reach thru the internet and slap the s**t out of people. :angry:

I knew you'd be the first one to prove my point. IMHO, you are truly part of the problem. This is a discusssion, and everyone isn't going to share your point of view. Get over it, and stop taking this discussion so personally. Hurling insults, or otherwise attacking people who don't agree with your point of view makes you look out of control (you do this often). I don't have respect for people with little self control. . .and you're an attorney? Come on man, let's have an intelligent discussion without all of the indirect threats of physical violence that you could never make good on in the first place.

As for the topic at hand, these observations about Houston's growth and desireability compared to other cities is real. If you'd stop to take a deep breath, and take your "pro houston" hat off for a minute, then maybe you could see that a great many people believe these observations to be true. So they shouldn't be dismissed and/or diminished just because you don't like it. I don't beleive that these critiques are being made by individuals who want to belittle the municipality of Houston, or the residents in her corporate boundaries. On the flip side, I'd like to know if you can come up with one thing Houston could do to change this "undesireable" perception, or what it could do to increase its growth rate (not that Houston's gowth rate is shabby at all).

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Yes Red Scare, how can we get 200K to move to Houston next year. 100K is just not good enough. After some critical thinking I have decided that a giant humidity vacuum should be built and placed on top of Williams tower in order to suck all the humidity out of the air. Also, I have decided that every street should be torn up and every building should be torn down and rebuilt up to the sidewalks in order to trick people into thinking that Houston is Chicago. This would vastly improve our image across the nation and then people would like us.

Whatever we do, we should make it our top priority to bring more residents to Houston. This 100K figure is simply embarrassing.

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For there to be an intelligent discussion, I would first have to agree with the premise. I don't, and I do not care what a former resident thinks. The population is increasing, job growth is still positive in a down economy, the value of my home has skyrocketed in the 4 years I have owned it, and, as previously mentioned, it is 78 degrees and sunny outside. Life is good.

If I lived in California, Detroit, Miami, Las Vegas, or Phoenix, I would be concerned about my home's value. If my self worth was tied to what residents of cities with worse schools, higher crime and empty downtowns (like Dallas) thought of Houston, I might be depressed. But, the simple fact is, I couldn't care less what a former resident thinks.

As for our humidity, I see it as a form of Darwinism. Frankly, wimps cannot handle it. The weak leave, because they do not know how to use deoderant. Perhaps this is why our esteemed poster from the north left, because his silk shirts were being ruined by his sweaty armpits. Whatever the reason, Houston is better for it. There are enough insecure people here worried whether the hip and trendy crowd think we're cool already. I think he is in his element now.

As for me, it is not my job to change close minded people's view of Houston. I really don't care. I grew up here during our period of uncontrolled growth...the subject of this thread, BTW...and we had far more problems then. Frankly, if the only thing people here have to gripe about is our humidity, or some growth problem, we're in great shape. Dallas is completely landlocked by suburban cities stealing their residents and businesses. Atlanta is mired in a drought with no plan to fix it. And BryanS is worried about humidity? Please!

As MisterX said, we have plenty of problems...growth aint one of them. Pick a real problem, and maybe I'll play along. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to lay in my hammock and cry about the weather. :D

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For there to be an intelligent discussion, I would first have to agree with the premise.

. . .and there lies your fundamental problem. Contrary to your belief, intelligent discussion often times incorporates many differing viewpoints. As you've (indirectly) stated, you don't care to engage in intelligent discussion on this topic, so please indulge those of us who do by refraining from the usual personal attacks. Thanks in advance.

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OK, I'll play. Let's start with you naming those who have this "undesireable" perception. It was not stated in the article. The article actually said Houston is better positioned than it has been in the past. And anyone who has read anything written about Houston in recent years can sense a huge change in perceptions of the city. In the 70s, we were oilfield yahoos. In the 80s, we were still refinery rednecks, as evidenced by 'Urban Cowboy'. In the 2000 election, we were gross polluters, ruining the nation's air. But now, we are the global oil capital...not roughnecks...executives. We are the medical center. We are the city that could organize the nation's largest relief effort in 48 hours. Frankly, Houston has never had such a good reputation.

But, like I said, I'll play along. List the articles that point out this ugly reputation. Then we can debate whether it is correct. Pardon me if I do not take a bitter ex-resident's word for it. Show us the perception, then we'll talk.

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You talk about heat and humidity but fail to mention 2 of the most poplar tourist cities in the nation (NO & Miami) having the same problem.

...I am stepping all in it today...

I just said the Gulf was humid/nasty... not that there's anything wrong with a little nasty, once in a while (I couldn't resist). I put New Orleans below Houston, location-wise and, yes, both NO and Miami have the same weather issues, to some; however, weather is one factor. There are many, many others. You have to look at the aggregate of factors, ultimately. When I say "cool" - I'm not talking about superficial aspects. I mean location, cost of living, cost of labor, services, taxes, city management, politics to some extent, etc. I personally think that our location, which we cannot change, holds us way back - it is the boat anchor.

If we could merry our same healthy local economy, affordable housing with a coveted geographic location, Houston might be #1 in growth, a world-class city - that everyone wants to live in vs. many of us who have to live here. There'd be no need for discussions like these.

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There is already no need for discussions like these. Except to kill some time.

First, we can NOT pick up and move the whole city to the mountains or the caribbean or where ever YOU deem a "coveted" geographic location. So, I don't understand what you think can be done except to spend all your time here envying out of towners. What's to discuss?

Second, I don't how you can say Houston was ever held 'way back' or will be held back by this geographic location. Somehow, despite all this area's shortcomings, mosquitos, humidity, brown water, ect. Houston went from a collection of shacks along the bayou to the 4th largest city and 6th largest metro in 150 years. And there is only a handful of other cities growing faster. But that's still not enuf I guess. Seems to me, it would be a lot easier to move to the largest city in world than to just sit here and wait for Houston to become the largest city in the world - I mean if that's where you want to live.

BTW, there's no such thing as a city where EVERYONE wants to live in. But, you can fantasize about it all you want. Nothing wrong with that.

p.s. Nobody HAS to live here. Unless they are being incarcerated or they are under some kind of parental supervision. - and even then...

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I personally think that our location, which we cannot change, holds us way back - it is the boat anchor.

If we could merry our same healthy local economy, affordable housing with a coveted geographic location

That's a big IF. a large segment of our economy is based on our geographic location.
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The other big IF would be IF we are considered a bad geographic location. Virtually all of the world's greatest cities are located on coasts or waterways. The Port of Houston...a gigantic portion of our economy...would not exist if we were located in say, Arizona, nortwest Georgia or north Texas. We owe our entire existence to our geographic location.

Your point is lost on me.

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Your posts are always interesting and well-informed niche...

I wouldn't call the outsourcing of the engineering business a sacrifice though. I've been heavily involved with it for many years now and the one thing that drives it is cost. It is simply a tool to keep labor costs down. There is less motivation for people in the U.S. to go into businesses that are being outsourced, that causes the labor pool to shrink. Many people in the engineering business have left it because of the outsourcing, that's one of the reasons we have a shortage of talent today. I have many friends who have left to start a small business or new career, they aren't coming back now even though there is big money to be made.

I don't think there is anything we can do about this though. The economic imbalance between the U.S. and India is what causes it. The only solution is to end that imbalance. If we don't outsource then the petrochem engineering companies will just leave the U.S. altogether and go where the cheap labor is.

Ok You lost me on the last part. The Energy companies are not being stiffs when it comes to salaries, expecially now. One of the very few industries that want you to give 110% work, and actually pay you for it. Not like others where they want 110% and the very minimal cost to them, which is where outsourcing comes. But I don't see the Energy related companies packing up in droves... They're not looking for cheap labor, they're looking for good labor.

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I knew you'd be the first one to prove my point. IMHO, you are truly part of the problem. This is a discusssion, and everyone isn't going to share your point of view. Get over it, and stop taking this discussion so personally. Hurling insults, or otherwise attacking people who don't agree with your point of view makes you look out of control (you do this often). I don't have respect for people with little self control. . .and you're an attorney? Come on man, let's have an intelligent discussion without all of the indirect threats of physical violence that you could never make good on in the first place.

As for the topic at hand, these observations about Houston's growth and desireability compared to other cities is real. If you'd stop to take a deep breath, and take your "pro houston" hat off for a minute, then maybe you could see that a great many people believe these observations to be true. So they shouldn't be dismissed and/or diminished just because you don't like it. I don't beleive that these critiques are being made by individuals who want to belittle the municipality of Houston, or the residents in her corporate boundaries. On the flip side, I'd like to know if you can come up with one thing Houston could do to change this "undesireable" perception, or what it could do to increase its growth rate (not that Houston's gowth rate is shabby at all).

Geeez man, if that's not the pot calling the kettle black...

The insults were not initially thrown by Red, and as usual someone comes in here, starts making rude statements about Houston, and when someone defends the city their considered a problem. What the hell are we supposed to do, sit back and be called a pit by those who "want to discuss the issues"? Holy moley man it's human nature to defend oneself when a punch is thrown.

There are many, many times when those you critisize as "part of the problem", are the ones that bring up Houston's problems and failures. Funny that you fail to see that.

Here's a suggestion... Next time any of you want to hold an actual discussion about the success/failures in this city, please refrain from calling Houston a humid, mosquito infested, crap water, S*#T whole. You might find that the response would be much different.

Edit: Maybe I'm ignorant, but from where I'm standing Houston is doing fantastic compared to most.

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There is already no need for discussions like these. Except to kill some time.

First, we can NOT pick up and move the whole city to the mountains or the caribbean or where ever YOU deem a "coveted" geographic location. So, I don't understand what you think can be done except to spend all your time here envying out of towners. What's to discuss?

Second, I don't how you can say Houston was ever held 'way back' or will be held back by this geographic location. Somehow, despite all this area's shortcomings, mosquitos, humidity, brown water, ect. Houston went from a collection of shacks along the bayou to the 4th largest city and 6th largest metro in 150 years. And there is only a handful of other cities growing faster. But that's still not enuf I guess. Seems to me, it would be a lot easier to move to the largest city in world than to just sit here and wait for Houston to become the largest city in the world - I mean if that's where you want to live.

BTW, there's no such thing as a city where EVERYONE wants to live in. But, you can fantasize about it all you want. Nothing wrong with that.

p.s. Nobody HAS to live here. Unless they are being incarcerated or they are under some kind of parental supervision. - and even then...

...my point is that this city has a lot of good things going for it, but its geographic location isn't one of them (in my opinion), and we can't change that. I know you can't unearth and move an entire city to make it more livable, that there's no such thing as utopia - and I certainly don't fantasize about such things, believe me. If we didn't have the negative drag of our location on our reputation, we wouldn't have to preface discussions, time and time again, with "please refrain from calling Houston a humid, mosquito infested, crap water, S*#T whole" and more could appreciate our city's positive attributes. I really don't care what others think of the place. If that, or the weather, really bothered me, I would have moved a long time ago.

...back to the original point of my first response in this thread, the question was what could Houston do to match growth rates of "Phoenix or Atlanta, or even Dallas or Austin." There really is not much we can do (short of the impossible task of moving the whole city), because those places are regarded as better locations to live and work (their locations, local economies, housing, and their quality of life aspects, etc.), are just better than Houston - in the aggregate, their overall coolness. That is obviously the reality - because those places are growing faster than Houston, if you believe the chronicle article.

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...my point is that this city has a lot of good things going for it, but its geographic location isn't one of them (in my opinion), and we can't change that. I know you can't unearth and move an entire city to make it more livable, that there's no such thing as utopia - and I certainly don't fantasize about such things, believe me. If we didn't have the negative drag of our location on our reputation, we wouldn't have to preface discussions, time and time again, with "please refrain from calling Houston a humid, mosquito infested, crap water, S*#T whole" and more could appreciate our city's positive attributes. I really don't care what others think of the place. If that, or the weather, really bothered me, I would have moved a long time ago.

...back to the original point of my first response in this thread, the question was what could Houston do to match growth rates of "Phoenix or Atlanta, or even Dallas or Austin." There really is not much we can do (short of the impossible task of moving the whole city), because those places are regarded as better locations to live and work (their locations, local economies, housing, and their quality of life aspects, etc.), are just better than Houston - in the aggregate, their overall coolness. That is obviously the reality - because those places are growing faster than Houston, if you believe the chronicle article.

I think you just need a change of scenery. This all sounds very personal. Not exactly stuff that can be backed up with hard data as proof. I don't believe for one second that Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas or Austin are regarded as better places to live and work, just because they MAY be growing SLIGHTLY faster than Houston AT THE MOMENT. I think it's just YOUR opinion, and you totally have a right to think whatever you want. Just like me.

- I think Austin is small potatoes. It's a wanna-be pseudo-suburban city. It gets kind of boring once you grow up. They don't even have a professional soccer team. And I laugh at their stadium count. HA!

- Dallas is ugly, dry, and dead looking in the winter. They don't have the luxury of a pine forest or a beach within their reach like Houston. And it doesn't stay green all year like Houston. And their city parks can't hold a candle to Herman, Memorial, or even the Allen Parkway area. But if you like dried up prairies to the north, prairies to the south, prairies to the east and prairies to west, then it is definitely the place to be.

- That dry 120 degree Phoenix summer heat must be experienced to be believed. They can't even keep the outdoor swimming pools cool in that kind of heat. I never quite understood the attraction of living in a desert. Give me some shade, baby.

- Atlanta felt just as hot and humid as Houston during the summer that I visited, a few years ago. There was nothing about it that blew me away.

My only point here is that there is something not to like in every city. And you will NEVER convince me that Houston has more to dislike than those particular towns. Now if we start opening the competition to other cities, then I might concede a few points. But, if you think that those cities overall 'coolness' is the reason they MAY be growing faster than Houston AT THE MOMENT then that must mean that back in the 70s Houston must have been the 'coolest' city on earth (which it wasn't). Because back then, Houston was THE fastest growing city in America. But I'm telling you that even when it was the fastest growing city in America, it was not a better place to live than it is today (even tho we may now only be the 5th fasting growing city or whatever)

Judging a metro's quality of life based on how fast it's growing doesn't make a lot of sense to me. But again, you can think what you want. It won't stop the rest of us from enjoying where we live or the 100K that will be moving here next year or the year after that.

In other words, when it comes to attracting new residents, the problem is - we have no problem. If your mission is to make Houston an even better place to live, I'm totally on your side with that.

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Ok You lost me on the last part. The Energy companies are not being stiffs when it comes to salaries, expecially now. One of the very few industries that want you to give 110% work, and actually pay you for it. Not like others where they want 110% and the very minimal cost to them, which is where outsourcing comes. But I don't see the Energy related companies packing up in droves... They're not looking for cheap labor, they're looking for good labor.

They're only paying a lot right now because they have to. The energy industry is very well known for having no job security. They lay off all the high wage earners and replace them with lower paid people. My family has been in the business for three generations, we've been through layoffs and strikes over and over again.

The funny thing is thar the short-sighted penny pinching of the industry has now come back to bite them. They laid off so many people and got such a bad repuation that everyone left the business. Now there are very few workers left, that's why they are paying a lot.

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I think you just need a change of scenery. This all sounds very personal. Not exactly stuff that can be backed up with hard data as proof. I don't believe for one second that Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas or Austin are regarded as better places to live and work, just because they MAY be growing SLIGHTLY faster than Houston AT THE MOMENT. I think it's just YOUR opinion, and you totally have a right to think whatever you want. Just like me.

- I think Austin is a small potatoes. It's a wanna-be pseudo-suburban city. It gets kind of boring once you grow up. They don't even have a professional soccer team. And I laugh at their stadium count. HA!

- Dallas is ugly, dry, and dead looking in the winter. They don't have the luxury of a pine forest or a beach within their reach like Houston. And it doesn't stay green all year like Houston. And their city parks can't hold a candle to Herman, Memorial, or even the Allen Parkway area. But if you like dried up prairies to the north, prairies to the south, prairies to the east and prairies to west, then it is definitely the place to be.

- That dry 120 degree Phoenix summer heat must be experienced to be believed. They can't even keep the outdoor swimming pools cool in that kind of heat. I never quite understood the attraction of living in a desert. Give me some shade, baby.

- Atlanta felt just as hot and humid as Houston during the summer that I visited, a few years ago. There was nothing about it that blew me away.

My only point here is that there is something not to like in every city. And you will NEVER convince me that Houston has more to dislike than those particular towns. Now if we start opening the competition to other cities, then I might concede a few points. But, if you think that those cities overall 'coolness' is the reason they MAY be growing faster than Houston AT THE MOMENT then that must mean that back in the 70s Houston must have been the 'coolest' city on earth (which it wasn't). Because back then, Houston was THE fastest growing city in America. But I'm telling you that even when it was the fastest growing city in America, it was not a better place to live than it is today (even tho we may now only be the 5th fasting growing city or whatever)

Judging a metro's quality of life based on how fast it's growing doesn't make a lot of sense to me. But again, you can think what you want. It won't stop the rest of us from enjoying where we live or the 100K that will be moving here next year or the year after that.

In other words, when it comes to attracting new residents, the problem is - we have no problem. If your mission is to make Houston an even better place to live, I'm totally on your side with that.

Excellent post. IMO, the first step for Houston to improve its image is to stop apologizing for its faults.

As MisterX said, EVERY city has at least as many faults, but they don't tend to wear them on their shirtsleeves like Houstonians do.

Most cities have mosquitos, many much worse than Houston. Many very popular cities have high humidity. Many cities are hotter in the summer than is Houston, even after factoring in the humidity. Many cities have far worse traffic congestion. Houstonians (especially Houston media) need to stop including all the faults in their opening comments about their city, and in seemingly every story about the city in the Houston media.

For example, I have never heard a Chicagoan immediately turn a conversation about Chicago to the frigid winters or traffic congestion (or Minneapolis residents re: winter or mosquitos). Houstonians, on the other hand will introduce their humidity, traffic, and mosquitos at the first opportunity.

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Humidity? What humidity? Take a trip to Dubai in August and September and get back to me. 110-115 degrees and 85-90% humidity, it's over 80% humidity year round, stop complaining about Houston, it's nice here and we like it that way. Hell Chicago is probably as humid if not more than Houston, and believe me it gets plenty warm there too. And we don't have to deal with 4 months of harsh winter.

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Some of us just love Houston. I moved from Chicago to Houston years ago and it was love at first sight. I must say that I don't understand why some of you dislike the image of Houstonians with cowboy hats. When I lived in Houston, Harris County had more horses than any other county in the U.S. Horses + Cows = Cowboys. Of course, I always associate cattle with DFW and Oil with Houston. Wealthy oilmen with big ole Stetsons, lol. Anyway, I hope to be in Houston next month and am going to stay for a nice long visit this time. I am so looking forward to it. There is nothing wrong with Houston, it is just a big culturally diverse city with a beautiful skyline and lush green parks. Since Houston has the most manufacturing jobs of any U.S. city, I think someone must like the place. ;)

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I am still waiting for 713to214 to provide links to the dozens of articles that claim Houston is "undesirable" and not growing, links that I asked him to provide as the basis of his "discussion" of Houston's "problem".

Perhaps the volume of such articles has caused the delay.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I am still waiting for 713to214 to provide links to the dozens of articles that claim Houston is "undesirable" and not growing, links that I asked him to provide as the basis of his "discussion" of Houston's "problem".

I'll be glad to give him a head start. ^_^

From an article in today's Dallas Morning News, Upwardly revised Dallas job growth at 66,500 for 2007; Houston at 94,200.

EDIT: Another article from DMN, Office vacancy in DFW expected to increase past 20% in 2008.

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