Finally, the introduction is done and I can dive straight into the heart of things. Houston. Is. Ugly.
Those that love Houston and are used to this criticism are probably rolling their eyes and scoffing right about now. I've read blogs by some Houston-lovers and I know that if they hate *any* of the complaints about Houston, it's the "ugly" complaint.
Well add me to the chorus!
These people are quick to point out that *all* cities are ugly, just like Houston. And just like Houston, there are pockets of "pretty". This may be true. However, Houston to me is a different kind of ugly--on it's own level. It has it's own category for ugliness. Let me explain it to you:
The pockets of pretty are.....pretty. The downtown skyline is great. I've only walked downtown a few times but it definitely has some character. There are great neighborhoods in the Museum District, the Medical Center, Montrose, etc. Even some of the suburbs are gorgeous, like the Woodlands, Sugarland, etc.
But these pockets of pretty do not negate the fact that overall, the sprawling metropolis known as Houston is one ugly city.
What I hate about Houston it's like everything is made of concrete. It's just roads, and freeways, and tollways, and roads, and roads. And it's so expansive. And flat. Once you're outside "the loop" (Downtown) it is just repetitive nothingness.
To better illustrate, let's make some "Greater Houston Chex Mix". The recipe calls for a Target; a Walmart; a Starbucks; a Home Depot; a Lowes; and about 10 strip centers that all include a nail salon, an emergency vet, a tiny mexican restaurant, a drycleaning store, a checks cashed place, and some type of cell phone store. Then throw in about 3 gated apartment complexes, 3 housing developments, 5 or 6 small gas stations, a grocery store or two, a bunch of churches and some schools.
Mix all of it up in a bag. Season with pollution and mosquitoes, then lay it all out on a cookie sheet.....paying no attention to whether or not the layout makes sense. Then bake it in the oven at 110 degrees for eight months. There you have it. Except, you need to repeat this recipe about 50 times over to get the full idea of what the whole Greater-Houston area looks like.
Imagine for a second, driving down a long street and seeing the same thing over and over and over again. It's so ugly. So boring. It can be convenient. For example one time I needed something at target, but they were out. They sent me to another target that had the item two miles away. For the most part though, it's painfully boring. Painfully predictable. Painfully unexciting.
Houston wasn't built to be a tourist city, though they are trying to change that now. What are the claims to fame? Well, there is NASA. There's a great museum district. A bustling downtown...among other things. But it's missing that character and identity that other cities deliver. It's flat, and yet everyone drives SUVs and pick-up trucks with 4 wheel drive. Bad drivers, I might add. It had no walkability....plus, why would you WANT to walk anywhere? It's excruciatingly hot and like I said earlier, you see the same things over and over again.
Almost every other city in the country has more to offer than Houston in terms of a nicer place to live. Even other cities in Texas such as Dallas, Austin, San Antonio have more character and things to do than Houston. One thing Houston does have is JOBS. I read an article the other day about how Texas is the new California during this recession. People are leaving California and Michigan in droves to get down here and find work. I can't help but wonder if when things start turning around people go back to where they came from. I would!
I envy other places. California for example, while it appears to be cursed in the natural disaster department you can't deny that it is a beautiful state from the sunny beaches of San Diego to the plush greenery of Napa Valley. New England, where I am from, is cold as a mo-fo but has quaint shops and beautiful rocky coasts that overlook the atlantic. Colorado is full of gorgeous vegetation, lakes, and mountain ranges. Florida has beautiful sandy beaches, glamorous city-scapes, and tons of attractions. Even New Orleans has an identity all its own.
There are so many beautiful areas in this country...beautiful cities. Think Harvard Square in Boston, the culture of Charleston, the walkability of Seattle. Houston has none of that. Nada. Nothing. Everything pretty in Houston is man-made. Economically speaking, Houston has a lot to offer in terms of real estate and job opportunities. You get a lot more for your money here than you do in other places. But at what cost?
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Let's just dive right into it
Houston, We Have a Problem...You
In case you can't tell by the title this blog will not be an ode to my city. Rather, it is more of a critique. Okay, I will flat out say it...this blog is for me to bitch and complain about how much I fucking HATE it here.
So a word of forewarning, if you dislike negative, whiny outlooks on life this probably isn't the blog for you. I'm really writing this for myself anyway, though I would be delighted if it turns out others shared my sentiments. I'm considering it therapy. I feel trapped in this city and I really need an outlet for my frustration.
Now that you know WHY I'm starting this blog, perhaps it is fitting to tell you a little bit about myself. I grew up in the northeast. Freezing. Snow. Lots of snow. I graduated high school in 2001 and got the hell out of there as fast as possible. Never in a million years did I ever think I would end up in Houston, TX. But the funny thing is, having met hundreds of other transplants over the course of my eight years here, NO ONE WANTS to end up in Houston, Texas.
How did I get here, you ask?
A friend got a job here. His girlfriend wanted me to tag along to keep her company. What's funny is that they didn't even last a year down here. I, on the other hand, stayed. I got a job that I enjoyed...I was 18, free, living in my own apartment, dating. It just sort of "happened". Don't get me wrong, I have never liked it here. I can dig up an old online journal entry from 2002 (one year after moving here) where I weigh the pros and cons of staying in Texas or leaving. In the course of trying to figure out whether or not to go home, I met my husband. Life happened. Moving back to the east coast was put on the backburner while I persued this relationship.
He's a transplant too, also from the east coast. Like me, he never imagined that he would live in Houston, though he isn't as desperate as I am to get out. We got married last year. Since this blog will be top secret and I don't plan on giving away too many details of who I am, I can confess that this is a conditional marriage. As much as I love my husband, I would leave him in a second if he told me that we were here to stay. Before people get all huffy puffy about my attitude, let me just say that we've had a million conversations about this, and as far as I know we are on the same page. I'm just saying....everyone has their deal breakers. For some people divorce isn't an option. For some they would get divorced if they weren't in love, or if they were beaten, or if there was infidelity. For me, I would get divorced if my husband told me he had no intentions of leaving Houston.
To put it another way.....some people would never consider marrying someone who didn't share their same religion. Some people who never marry someone who had bad credit. Some people would never marry someone who has had several prior marriages. *I* would not marry someone who was not willing to move out of Houston. So when I say that our marriage is "conditional", I mean that when I said my vows I did so on the condition that leaving Houston was a mutual goal that we both considered a top priority, especially before having children.
Really, this is a blog entry all on its own. I am sure I will touch upon it more in the future.
Now that you know who I am, and how I think, I would like to welcome you to my blog. The main topic will be how much I hate Houston. Through it, I am sure that you will learn more about me and why I feel this way. I know that I am excited to learn more about myself and why I feel this way.
Thank you for stopping by.
In case you can't tell by the title this blog will not be an ode to my city. Rather, it is more of a critique. Okay, I will flat out say it...this blog is for me to bitch and complain about how much I fucking HATE it here.
So a word of forewarning, if you dislike negative, whiny outlooks on life this probably isn't the blog for you. I'm really writing this for myself anyway, though I would be delighted if it turns out others shared my sentiments. I'm considering it therapy. I feel trapped in this city and I really need an outlet for my frustration.
Now that you know WHY I'm starting this blog, perhaps it is fitting to tell you a little bit about myself. I grew up in the northeast. Freezing. Snow. Lots of snow. I graduated high school in 2001 and got the hell out of there as fast as possible. Never in a million years did I ever think I would end up in Houston, TX. But the funny thing is, having met hundreds of other transplants over the course of my eight years here, NO ONE WANTS to end up in Houston, Texas.
How did I get here, you ask?
A friend got a job here. His girlfriend wanted me to tag along to keep her company. What's funny is that they didn't even last a year down here. I, on the other hand, stayed. I got a job that I enjoyed...I was 18, free, living in my own apartment, dating. It just sort of "happened". Don't get me wrong, I have never liked it here. I can dig up an old online journal entry from 2002 (one year after moving here) where I weigh the pros and cons of staying in Texas or leaving. In the course of trying to figure out whether or not to go home, I met my husband. Life happened. Moving back to the east coast was put on the backburner while I persued this relationship.
He's a transplant too, also from the east coast. Like me, he never imagined that he would live in Houston, though he isn't as desperate as I am to get out. We got married last year. Since this blog will be top secret and I don't plan on giving away too many details of who I am, I can confess that this is a conditional marriage. As much as I love my husband, I would leave him in a second if he told me that we were here to stay. Before people get all huffy puffy about my attitude, let me just say that we've had a million conversations about this, and as far as I know we are on the same page. I'm just saying....everyone has their deal breakers. For some people divorce isn't an option. For some they would get divorced if they weren't in love, or if they were beaten, or if there was infidelity. For me, I would get divorced if my husband told me he had no intentions of leaving Houston.
To put it another way.....some people would never consider marrying someone who didn't share their same religion. Some people who never marry someone who had bad credit. Some people would never marry someone who has had several prior marriages. *I* would not marry someone who was not willing to move out of Houston. So when I say that our marriage is "conditional", I mean that when I said my vows I did so on the condition that leaving Houston was a mutual goal that we both considered a top priority, especially before having children.
Really, this is a blog entry all on its own. I am sure I will touch upon it more in the future.
Now that you know who I am, and how I think, I would like to welcome you to my blog. The main topic will be how much I hate Houston. Through it, I am sure that you will learn more about me and why I feel this way. I know that I am excited to learn more about myself and why I feel this way.
Thank you for stopping by.
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