The Vibe
Houston has its share of ultra-friendly, boot-wearing, gun-loving Texans. However, as the 4th largest city in the country, it shouldn’t be too shocking that the majority of the people here don’t fit the urban cowboy persona. Houston has a huge population that’s made up of people from all walks of life, making this city as diverse as it is massive. With tons of big companies, manufacturing plants, universities, and ethnic neighborhoods, Houston has it all.
Local Flavor
Houston has ton of personality when it comes to the local culture, hosting several of the most unique events in the country. First and foremost, there’s the Art Car Parade, a truly one-of-a-kind event. Basically, people add a ridiculous amount of crazy decorations to their car and roll slowly down the street past more than 250,000 spectators, and is entertaining regardless of how many times you’ve been. A couple other awesome events that Houstonians look forward to every year are the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest and the Buffalo Bayou Regatta, the largest canoe and kayak race in
Texas.
Cuisine
When it comes to food in Houston, it’s all about the barbecue. Full of beef and pork dishes, often topped with a thick, sweet, tomato-based sauce, Gatlin’s BBQ and Corkscrew BBQ are two of the best barbecue joints this city has to offer. Tex-Mex is also huge here. Head to Teotihuacan Mexican Café or Lupita’s if you want to taste two of the local favorites.
Nightlife
In a city as huge as Houston, the residents have several options when it comes to how they want to spend their night out. This city is full of eclectic restaurants, dirty dive bars, craft breweries, and packed nightclubs. A few of the districts that are known for the exciting nightlife they host every weekend include Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, Washington Avenue, and Rice Village, home to Rice University.
Weather
There’s no way around it. Houston is hot and extremely humid. You’ll need an air conditioner wherever you are unless you want to be glazed with a constant layer of sweat. The average is 83 degrees during the summer months and 58 degrees during the winter, but over 100 days each year top 90 degrees. Of course, all that sunshine does make it super easy to get outside, and as a result Houston has a very active community filled with athletic people.
Safety & Crime
Crime rates are high in Houston, with roughly 6,046 reported criminal acts per every 100,000 residents, totaling in around 130,000 incidents a year. Some of this stems from Houston’s historical role as a key hub for trafficking illegal goods to the rest of America. However, it’s important to keep in mind that crime rates in most Texan big cities are relatively high and in recent years, the Houston crime rate has been on the decline.
Commute
Houston is notorious for having bad traffic and lots of congestion, with over 70 percent of residents driving by themselves to work each day. However, when you look at the numbers, it’s actually not that bad compared to most big cities. With commute times averaging 26 minutes, this number is relatively low compared to the 33 minutes someone from Chicago spends in their car each way every day. That might not seem like much, but over the course of a 40-year career making trips both ways 250 times a year, that’s nearly 100 days’ worth of extra time spent on the road.
Cost Of Living
One huge perk to living in Houston is that it’s affordable. Scoring an 89 on the cost of living index, with average America sitting at 100, it’s cheaper to live in Houston than most other places in the country. For a big city that’s insane, especially when the next three biggest cities stand with New York City at 167, Los Angeles at 142, and Chicago at 113. It’s also important to mention the favorable real estate market in Houston, with the median price of a home sold at around $125,000, significantly lower than almost any other city in America of a comparable size.
Sports
When it comes to Houston sports, the locals go nuts. They’ve got the Houston Rockets playing basketball, the Houston Texans on the gridiron, the Astros on the baseball diamond, and the Dynamo scoring goals on the soccer field. They’ve also got a very active rodeo community that’s constantly putting on shows and hosting contests. One of the best places to watch sports in the country, seeing a game in this city is an electrifying experience.
Culture
Believe it or not, Houston has more concentrated seating for performing arts events than anywhere else in the country, with the exception of Broadway. As you might imagine, live events like the opera, theater, ballet, and the symphony are a big deal here. There’s also a great museum district, with the Museum of Fine Arts, the Contemporary Arts Museum, and the interactive Children’s Museum. If you love a hands-on learning experience, Houston is a great place to find it.
Bats: The World Isn’t Ending, We Promise
More than 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats rush out from underneath the Waugh Drive Bridge near Buffalo Bayou. They’re just going out on the town for their nightly family dinner, but it doesn’t make it any less shocking when a sudden cloud of black dots appears erratically scurrying through the sky.
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