Houston job relocation- Has anyone here moved from NYC to Houston for a job? Where you happy with the choice?

Don’t listen to Sha74. Austin is not 3 miles from Houston, it’s like a 3 hour drive. Plus Austin and Houston are quite different. I’ve lived in Houston my whole life and, like any big city, it has it’s ups and downs.

One of the obvious positives about HOU vs NYC is cost of living. New York has some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Living in Houston is quite reasonable, and you can use the extra cash for a vehicle, which you will definitely need. I’ve never been to NYC, but I’ve also heard that daily things, like groceries etc, are more expensive also. Though it does get hot and humid in Houston, the average humidity in New York is only about 12% lower. Y’all are near the coast, as are we, so both places are going to be humid. It does get hotter in Houston though, and there’s always hurricane season to think about. There’s plenty of different places to live. If you like the hustle and bustle of urban life there are plenty of lofts and high-rises in mid-town and the Galleria, plenty of suburban neighborhoods like West University, Friendswood, Clear Lake, etc, and even more rural areas, like Sugarland, The Woodlands, and Kingwood. Galveston is a cool place to go in the summer, it’s recovered well since Hurricane Ike. There’s a good night life here too, esp in areas like the Galleria, Rice Village, Bayou Place, and all over Downtown.

Some negatives: Traffic is pretty bad in Houston, and unlike NYC which has an expansive public transportation system, you will need a vehicle. There’s construction going on constantly, not just on the roads, but on buildings downtown too. If you’re a baseball fan and are used to seeing your home team go to the World Series, don’t get your hopes up here. The Astros aren’t on that level yet and from the looks of this season they won’t be on it this year. Houston is not as much of a cultural melding pot as New York is. There is a lot of diversity here, but much like Greenwich Village, UES and LES and UWS and into Brooklyn, gentrification has happened at a pretty fast rate. And though HOU has a lively night life, arts and theater district, a museum district, it’s no comparisson to New York.

All in all Houston is a great place to live, socialize and raise a family….well worth the move for a job transfer. I say go for it.