lockmat Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Saw it in city-data first. Really, nothing surprising here...A new report from the Center for an Urban Future (whose previous report, "Attack of the Chains," sparked a bidding war between Fox and Warner Bros.) confirms the obvious: the so-called middle class can no longer afford to live in New York and are relocating in large numbers to the exburbs or far-flung cities like Houston, where $50,000 a year gets you the same standard of living as a $123,322 salary does in Manhattan. Don't scoff; Space City has theater, opera, ballet, air-conditioned skywalks, a Holocaust Museum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I think people don't quite realize how bloated Houston is and the incredibly great cost of living is calculated by not living in Houston "proper." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Man, I have been saying this for years. It is about the same for L.A. also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 TJ, brass kunuckles...what's up with that? And is your comment related to sevfiv's or the the article?Sevfiv...what do you mean, can you reword? You saying the cost of living is different from the burbs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I think people don't quite realize how bloated Houston is and the incredibly great cost of living is calculated by not living in Houston "proper."Housing, yes. The other things that go into cost of living, not so much. In fact, transportation in the city proper is much cheaper than the outlying areas for the simple reason that everything is closer. For those who use public transit, it is cheaper still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Housing, yes. The other things that go into cost of living, not so much. In fact, transportation in the city proper is much cheaper than the outlying areas for the simple reason that everything is closer. For those who use public transit, it is cheaper still.Transportation and housing costs in Houston can both get really low if you work in the suburbs and live close to work.Another thing to consider is that a comparison of housing between Houston and NYC has to also compare lifestyles. It isn't enough to compare median home prices because our housing stock is quantitatively and qualitatively superior to NYC's. An apartment in NYC has to be compared with an apartment in Houston of similar size.That same approach gets tricky when trying to compare transportation, but if you consider that people in Houston can very easily afford a vehicle (a decent vehicle) and then don't have to walk around in inclement weather, clearly ours is a superior lifestyle even if it costs somewhat more than riding the subway or what have you. Even in comparing the experience of mass transit between Houston and NYC, our experience is superior because of our climate...and that is also something not reflected in a straight cost comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I think people don't quite realize how bloated Houston is and the incredibly great cost of living is calculated by not living in Houston "proper."Disagree, I'm paying $1700 for a 3 BR one block from downtown. I'm quite sure the same $1700 would get me precious little in NYC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Disagree, I'm paying $1700 for a 3 BR one block from downtown. I'm quite sure the same $1700 would get me precious little in NYC.Yes, rents are incredibly variable - I have seen small centrally located apartments go for ~1,000, but I've also found place that were ~$550.I'm talking more about buying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Yes, rents are incredibly variable - I have seen small centrally located apartments go for ~1,000, but I've also found place that were ~$550.I'm talking more about buying.Apartment rents are an easier comparison to make. Buyers have to account for property taxes, whether the purchase is fee simple or obligates them to HOA Fees, condo fees, civic club fees, etc., and for the services/utilities that are provided through those fees.Besides, most of Houston does not have an abundance of condos, whether in the central city or in the suburbs, nearer to where most of our jobs are located. And if there were, it'd probably only exacerbate an attempt at playing down price comparisons between NYC and Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I'm talking more about buying.Still not seeing it. Could you buy this 2100 sq. ft. home in NYC for $189,000? Or this for $174,900? This, this, this . This kind of money wouldn't get you anywhere near Manhattan Island, yet it will get you within ten blocks of downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 TJ, brass kunuckles...what's up with that? And is your comment related to sevfiv's or the the article?Sevfiv...what do you mean, can you reword? You saying the cost of living is different from the burbs?Actually, it is just a picture of brass knucks, I like it. Secondly, I was commenting on your article, not sev's comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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