Texas??

[d1sneyf4n]

What can you all tell me about Houston or Austin Texas? My DH was just contacted by a recruiter for a possible job in one of those places. Never have we even talked about moving to Texas. Tell me, if you would, the good and the bad. Although he has not even written her back yet, I am just curious as to what it is like. We have never been into any place in Texas. TIA!!

 

[angelmom27]

I love TX. At least the part that I was there for. I had moved there with my aunt in the dallas area and it was really nice. I ended up getting home sick and moved back to be with my now husband. We had just started dating when I left and decided I wanted to come home and be with him. But we were looking into moving out there but I am too afraid of moving with my special needs kids. They have a great school and get the extra things they need so I would hate to move my family and find out they wouldnt get eh stuff they need. But I have lots of friends and family out there and they all love it. They are spread out all over TX. I think the heat is the only down fall.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

I love TX. At least the part that I was there for. I had moved there with my aunt in the dallas area and it was really nice. I ended up getting home sick and moved back to be with my now husband. We had just started dating when I left and decided I wanted to come home and be with him. But we were looking into moving out there but I am too afraid of moving with my special needs kids. They have a great school and get the extra things they need so I would hate to move my family and find out they wouldnt get eh stuff they need. But I have lots of friends and family out there and they all love it. They are spread out all over TX. I think the heat is the only down fall.

Is it hotter than FL? I do love the heat!

 

[lunalibre]

Texas is a great place to live! Of course, I'm biased.

I grew up in Houston, went to school in Austin, and now I live in the Dallas area. I really like Austin. It's probably the prettiest area of the whole state. Be warned that the cost of living there is also the highest in the state. If you're coming from either coast, it won't bother you because it'll still be lower than where you are now. Austin has that great college-town feel because you've got the University of Texas right in the center of downtown Austin.

Houston is a highly cosmopolitan, very geographically dispersed city. I swear, no matter where you live in Houston, chances are good you're at least a 20 minute drive from whatever you want to do - but there's plenty to do here. The cost of living is reasonable, there are good cultural activities and sporting events, and you're close to lakes and the ocean.

One thing I can't stress enough is that Texas is HOT. Houston is Orlando-hot -- all year long. Austin isn't as sticky, but it's still pretty hot. We Texans can take the heat, but my Illinois-born DH has been in this state over 20 years, and he STILL complains about how hot it is in the summer.

I'm not sure what information you're looking for, but feel free to PM me for more details. If you know any more information -- like what area of Houston and Austin those companies are in -- that will help all of us give you more specific information. For example, I grew up in far northwest Houston, so I don't know much about the south side (near NASA).

Good luck! Texas is a great place to raise kids.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

Texas is a great place to live! Of course, I'm biased.

I grew up in Houston, went to school in Austin, and now I live in the Dallas area. I really like Austin. It's probably the prettiest area of the whole state. Be warned that the cost of living there is also the highest in the state. If you're coming from either coast, it won't bother you because it'll still be lower than where you are now. Austin has that great college-town feel because you've got the University of Texas right in the center of downtown Austin.

Houston is a highly cosmopolitan, very geographically dispersed city. I swear, no matter where you live in Houston, chances are good you're at least a 20 minute drive from whatever you want to do - but there's plenty to do here. The cost of living is reasonable, there are good cultural activities and sporting events, and you're close to lakes and the ocean.

One thing I can't stress enough is that Texas is HOT. Houston is Orlando-hot -- all year long. Austin isn't as sticky, but it's still pretty hot. We Texans can take the heat, but my Illinois-born DH has been in this state over 20 years, and he STILL complains about how hot it is in the summer.

I'm not sure what information you're looking for, but feel free to PM me for more details. If you know any more information -- like what area of Houston and Austin those companies are in -- that will help all of us give you more specific information. For example, I grew up in far northwest Houston, so I don't know much about the south side (near NASA).

Good luck! Texas is a great place to raise kids.

Thanks for the relpy. Once we get more info on the job I am sure more questions I will have. I have 3 kids, 8, 5, and almost 1 so schools are very important to us. Also safety is also a concern.

 

[Debbie7452]

Hi,

Texas is friendly and welcoming. With Houston, you'll most likely pick a suburb to live in if you want good schools. Austin is nice (I've only visited) and offers some pretty scenery, definitely a lot smaller size-wise. I live outside Houston in a small town atmosphere with a small school district. That's what I like, so it suits me.

Right now, we have been experiencing a drought throughout the state so everything is brown and dead. That is NOT the norm. It is not hot year round! Only 10 months out of the year

 

[amym2]

I grew up in the Dallas area and went to college in San Antonio. I had a lot of friends from Houston, and they all liked it, but personally I would never want to live there. It is a very artsy city, very diverse with lots to do, but the humidity would kill me. It's also very flat and very dry and very smelly in some areas. If you're used to Florida, you'd probably handle it better.

Austin is a great city, very diverse but also very liberal. You wouldn't think so, knowing it's the state capital of a very conservative state, so it's just something to be aware of. Lots to do in Austin, much greener and hillier than the rest of Texas.

Both cities have good suburban school districts. Lots of pressure in Texas with standardized testing. My mom taught in Texas for 25 years and I taught there 2 years, and the pressure was crazy. I understand accountability, but not when it hampers a teacher's ability to do what they have been trained for and know what to do.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

I've always lived in Texas. However, I live in a little town between Waco & Temple.

Texas has lots of advantages...we have the seashore, the hill country, piney woods, San Antonio riverwalk area & lots more. Texas is huge so it takes awhile to drive to get to different places though.

I haven't been to Houston very many times. When we do it is to pass though on the way to Galveston. Galveston is the beach area & really a neat town.

As others state Texas is hot. No joke! This year it was really really hot & dry. We don't feel as hot as Florida as we are drier & less humidity. I mean I'll be outside on a 100+ day in the country at our place & it is hard to believe it is so hot.

Downside to Austin to me is crazy traffic. We live fairly close to I35 that goes from Dallas to Austin & it gets really busy...especially on fridays.

I love Texas...it is Home!

 

[sukhakuli]

I don't love Texas. I'm glad we experienced it, but I'm ready to move on. The best thing about living here is that every place we go has sweet tea, lol.

I don't find the people friendly, and they have real issues when they drive. Houses are cheap, but property taxes are high. Groceries are very high, and electricity, water and trash are also high. Money goes about as far as when we lived in S CA, even though the housing costs are higher. I also don't find that produce is good quality here in general.

I do enjoy that we can swim in our pool 9 months out of the year. Winter was chillier here than I prefer, but not terrible. We did get a hard freeze and snow last winter. But it didn't last very long. I hate winter weather.

Texas is in kind of an awkward place in the US for the way we like to travel. It's a long way to the west, and too far from Disney. It's a BIG state. When we go to visit my sister, it takes us 10 hours just to drive out of Texas.

Fun fact, Texas has their own power grid. The rest of the nation is split up in to East and west grids, so the US has 3 total.

The critters are very cool for the kids. We have skinks, snakes, scorpions, geckos, anoles, giant centipedes, road runners, beetles the size of chickens. Oh, and enormous spiders and tarantulas. The kids have learned a lot about animals since we moved here.

Hmmmm, I'm trying to think of positives, and I'm kind of drawing a blank, lol. It's very mediocre. It reminds me a lot of where I grew up in the midwest, so it's just the same old same old for me.

 

[moonpie85]

Texas is a great place to live! Of course, I'm biased.

I grew up in Houston, went to school in Austin, and now I live in the Dallas area. I really like Austin. It's probably the prettiest area of the whole state. Be warned that the cost of living there is also the highest in the state. If you're coming from either coast, it won't bother you because it'll still be lower than where you are now. Austin has that great college-town feel because you've got the University of Texas right in the center of downtown Austin.

Houston is a highly cosmopolitan, very geographically dispersed city. I swear, no matter where you live in Houston, chances are good you're at least a 20 minute drive from whatever you want to do - but there's plenty to do here. The cost of living is reasonable, there are good cultural activities and sporting events, and you're close to lakes and the ocean.

One thing I can't stress enough is that Texas is HOT. Houston is Orlando-hot -- all year long. Austin isn't as sticky, but it's still pretty hot. We Texans can take the heat, but my Illinois-born DH has been in this state over 20 years, and he STILL complains about how hot it is in the summer.

I'm not sure what information you're looking for, but feel free to PM me for more details. If you know any more information -- like what area of Houston and Austin those companies are in -- that will help all of us give you more specific information. For example, I grew up in far northwest Houston, so I don't know much about the south side (near NASA).

Good luck! Texas is a great place to raise kids.

Another vote for Austin from another Texas girl

 

[LaurenLC]

I was born and raised in Houston (outside Houston, Spring actually) and went to college in Dallas. If I were to move back to Texas, (I live in Chicago now) Austin would be my first choice! It is the BEST city! It's beautiful, clean affordable and there is ALWAYS something to do! My brother and his wife live there and it's so fun to go visit them! My second choice would be Houston for one reason (besides family).... It's CHEAP! You can get a TON of house there for VERY little money. Good luck with your choice! Texas is a GREAT state! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

 

[mom2val]

y.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

Thanks for all the replies. It was good to read what you all had to say about Texas. Everything that was said is very helpful. I will keep you all posted as to how this job thing turns out. Thanks again all. Very much appreciated!!

 

[momofrrr]

I am a native Texan and have lived in Houston or the Houston area since 1970. Needless to say I am bias. Before I married I lived in heart of Houston but once I married we bought a home on the west side and now live in a small town between Houston and Galveston but very near NASA. I would not want to live in Houston proper simply because of the school district. HISD is much too large to be efficient. I think that if you check out the area school districts and choose the area to live in from that you would be in a great family area.

We have a wonder Theater district with great shows and productions. A wonderful zoo and museums. Great restuarants. Sports (unless you only count on the Astros). Higher learning at it finest and medical facilities second to none. I would not want to be anywhere else. Yes, it is hot in the summer and no, we don't really have seasons but I don't think that it should keep you from making a good career move.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I have lived in Texas and don't care to ever move back, but agree that I would live in Austin over Houston any day.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

I have lived in Texas and don't care to ever move back, but agree that I would live in Austin over Houston any day.

Why do you care not to move back?

 

[riley2008]

I like Texas, for the most part. It's HUGE compared to the states in the northest, so there is LOTS of driving between the sites.

There's a culture to Texas that is all it's own. For example, "most" people born and raised in Texas, tend to go to colleges...in Texas. Certainly there are plenty of people you do go out of state, but it's the exception, not the norm.

The Texas education standards are VERY high, especially with state accountability. Education funding has been cut and the enthusiasm for teaching in public schools does seem to be deteriorating. We have a new "higher stakes" standardized test with sample questions just out this week. Everyone is dreading it. Many students from other states do find the rigor in their enrolled grade level quite difficult for the first year or so, especially in the elementary grades. (You can likely check out sample state tests from your state and compare them to Texas to see how they match up.)

We don't have state income taxes, but we do tax everything but food.

I'd second the Austin area for best places to live in Texas.

Good luck,

 

[ireland_nicole]

We have been in Austin 5 years now and I absolutely love it here- cost of living is reasonable, the vibe of the city is awesome! It's a cosmopolitan, thriving, vibrant unique place . It is hotter than the surface of the sun for about 8 months of the year, and there have been wildfires due to the drought, but otherwise it's one of the best places I've lived- and I have lived in Chicago, tennesee, north carolina, Florida, California and Ireland - there were aspects of all of them I loved, but this is a great place to raise a family

 

[d1sneyf4n]

Thanks again all. I love hearing what you all have to say.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Lived in Austin for two years many years ago to go to the University. It wasn't bad way back when. Now the traffic is atrocious. Went there about two years ago for a wedding and have no desire to ever return. It has changed a lot since I lived there. It has lost its soul.

Lived in Houston area for about 12 years about twenty (is it that many already) years ago and have lots of family there still. Have no desire to go back there either. Traffic is almost worse in Houston, but not quite as bad because of all the loops around the city. I lived on the WSW side of the city in the city and on the NE side outside the city in Harris County, almost Montgomery County. You would probably want to live outside the city. There are a lot of communities on all sides of the city.

Now we live in a smaller city of about 150,000 people not in Texas (still big enough to offer lots, but not so big I can't get to work in 10 minutes). We're four hours from Houston but I can't remember the last time we were there.