Many conversations I have with people both outside and at work always focus on the negatives of the Houston metro: hot humid weather with tropical storms/hurricanes, high property taxes, high crime, bad traffic, poor infrastructure, and the widely held belief that the metro area is geographically physically ugly and flat. During zoom calls at work, while people are waiting for everyone to join, they talk negatively about living here and about how they can't wait to leave when they retire or sooner.

I would like to ask what is your favorite thing about the Houston metro to bring some positivity to the conversation?

I will start.

The medical care here is absolutely world class. Every nook and cranny of the Houston metro is packed with amazing clinics, hospitals, and medical facilities. Methodist, Memorial Hermann, Kelsey, St. Lukes, and MD Anderson. You can walk into some random clinic in the suburbs, and your doctor went to BCM, did residency at Mass General/Harvard, and a fellowship at Johns Hopkins. I am also amazed by the patient care and empathy that our local physicians, nurses, physician assistants, midlevels, medical assistants, and clinic clerical staff provide and show. They really care about the patients. I can guarantee that if you can't find what you need in the suburbs and exurbs, go into the medical center and you will probably find the foremost expert on your medical issue in the whole entire world.

Astroworld !!

I thought you guys in Baytown ride the short bus.

Curious why the desert if you don't mind me asking? Not that I disagree because I left Houston after 28 years and moved to Arizona last year. Now I was raised in the desert so it wasn't a jolt to my system.

Don't you lump me in with those people. I only work there and I only go in twice a week. And, the only busses I see are from the old folks homes dropping at Walmart.

Does the stupid train count as metro? Cause I have ridden it 3-4 times. But, I never paid.

Charismatic Megafauna said:

---

Having moved out of state about a year ago and spent lots of time discussing the subject, Houston's greatest assets for us are:
Food (particularly tex-mex)
Airports (get anywhere in the world pretty easily from the tine)
Art/museums
Medical
HEB

---

Despite all the construction going on right now, IAH is one of my favorite airports in the US: good restaurants, bars, lounges, not too big, easy to get around, direct flights to most places. I had a connection in MCO recently and it took me one hour to get from one terminal to the next, I had to walk outside, take a shuttle to the terminal, recheck in with security, take another shuttle to the terminal etc. At IAH it would've taken 5 minutes to get to the next terminal via the Skyway.

Noname124398 said:

---

Coming from Dallas, the thing i like most about the Houston area is the access to hunting/fishing/outdoor activities.
Lots of public land between the WMAs/NWRs on the coast and the Sam Houston NF to the north. Access to saltwater for fishing and duck hunting to the south (could use a few more freshwater lakes though, that's Dallas' only advantage). Arrowheads in just about any stream within an hour radius.
Geographical diversity - Coastal prairie to the west which is great for duck and goose hunting, Pineywoods to the east for deer, squirrels, wood ducks.
Decent hiking opportunities and good soil that wont cake your feet in a pound of mud post-rain like Dallas' black gumbo mud.
Neat biodiversity - all sorts of snakes, gators, and other critters that you dont get to see everywhere else. Plants and mushrooms that are plentiful due to the tropical climate. Petrified wood and other cool rocks if youre into that sorta thing (Im really good at finding stuff to do outside lol)

---

100% this.

And I agree with the poster who had this list (except for golf, I don't golf)
1. Economy/job market
2. Year round Golf see above re: outdoor pursuits
3. Excellent food across many cuisines
4. The general southern hospitality of people
5. Healthcare (this is probably higher depending on your individual situation)

Economy and job market plus relatively low COL.
Food scene is really second only to NYC and arguably more accessible and broader diversity across more price-points.
People tend to be great.

One thing I find that some don't get his really how diverse and welcoming Houston can be. People don't care about race or how old your money is. The only color that matters is green and do you have the ability to make it.

And this is probably pretty true in a lot of other places but the overall opportunities for my kids academically and athletically. It doesn't matter what your kids are into or what you want them to be into there's very high-level opportunity and competition in everything.

jja79 said:

---

Curious why the desert if you don't mind me asking? Not that I disagree because I left Houston after 28 years and moved to Arizona last year. Now I was raised in the desert so it wasn't a jolt to my system.

---

I have always loved the dry arid climate. I love the sun. The only time the Az heat really bothers me is if I have to spend any time on the pavement. Otherwise I would definitely prefer 110 and dry over 92 and humid. Golfed in Scottsdale a few yrs ago and it was like 106-107 and felt great...just had to stay hydrated. I am one of those weirdos who also enjoys driving through the desert and finds it to be scenic. Wife thinks my love for the desert is weird. For some reason, dry sunny weather gives me like a 20% boost in energy.

I grew up on the road into Big Bend NP so hot, dry and brown suits me fine. Now living in the Phoenix east valley. 28 years in Houston suburbs and very much enjoyed most of it but never really acclimated to the weather.

Museums/Arts/Concerts/Live Entertainment - I think the city does a pretty good job of bringing in all kinds of festivals, artists, concerts and all types of live entertainment all the time. There's a plethora of venues that always have some kind of entertainment going on.

Not to mention access to pro sports with the Texans, Rockets, Astros, and Dynamo.

GrayMatter said:

---

Museums/Arts/Concerts/Live Entertainment - I think the city does a pretty good job of bringing in all kinds of festivals, artists, concerts and all types of live entertainment all the time. There's a plethora of venues that always have some kind of entertainment going on.

Not to mention access to pro sports with the Texans, Rockets, Astros, and Dynamo.

---

Love the Hobby Center valet.

So convenient.

jja79 said:

---

I grew up on the road into Big Bend NP so hot, dry and brown suits me fine. Now living in the Phoenix east valley. 28 years in Houston suburbs and very much enjoyed most of it but never really acclimated to the weather.

---

I get this.

Feel the same way.

Whenever I visit Dallas in the hotter months it feels much better than Houston.

The humidity is the real killer here.

As long as they aren't in cars, I'd say the people. I take it for granted that I can talk to anyone of any race, religion or socio-economic group here and genuinely get along and have a good time. Then I travel somewhere else, especially up north, and people aren't friendly in general and stick to their own groups. If and when I do leave, I'll miss that.

Moved here in '07 for law school figuring I'd leave eventually.

Almost 18 years later, I'm married and raising a family here....and will never leave.

I love the grit overlayed with entrepreneurial will/spirit. Ya, Dallas is pretty, but Houston gets sh*t done.

Quote:

---

very much enjoyed most of it but never really acclimated to the weather.

---

No one gets acclimated to the weather. Summers are miserable.

Houston has been real good to me. That's what I like most abouit it. Been here for almost 30 years now and grew up coming here regularly as a kid. I'm on the jja plan though and look forward to moving on at some point to a smaller/slower/prettier place.

I like the plethora of fusion food trucks. I'm still searching Vegan / Appalachian fusion. Strangely absent.

TheWoodlandsTxAg said:

---

I can guarantee that if you can't find what you need in the suburbs and exurbs, go into the medical center and you will probably find the foremost expert on your medical issue in the whole entire world.

---

Yep.

Years ago, one of my kids needed specialized surgery. We get referred to a doctor at Texas Children's.

Find out later he is world-renowned. His patients came from all over the world for treatment.

Today, many of the suburban hospitals affiliated with Memorial Hermann and Houston Methodist are performing procedures that would have been unheard of outside of an academic setting a decade or so ago. Highly specialized cardiac/neurological surgeries, etc.

Houston Methodist, for example, has four Level III NICUs outside of the Texas Medical Center.