Members RSBro Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 If you like big citys and city life with lots of sprawl, you may like Houston cuz it is so big there is a bit of everything there. There is some cool stuff to do, for sure and some nice places to go. If you liked the beaches in Miami, you will be a bit disappointed because the water is not as nice. You have to go down to South Padre for that. Now if you move to Houston, youre going to come to Austin at some point and say "Why The Hell Dont I live here" because the music, the woman, the hills and the lakes, the liberal atmosphere, and the culture make it the Oasis of TX. That too.There is no comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members picker13 Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 I live an hour east of Houston, but if you have to live in a city, Houston ain't so bad. The first thing you notice is that it's flat. I mean so flat they have to haul in dirt to build overpasses. Not a hill in site. It's coastal plains. Secondly, the first time you walk out of a hotel in the morning on your way to the interview your glasses will fog up and then start forming water droplets immediately. We are talking humidity beyond belief. It doesn't get over 100 in the summer that often, but it's a wet heat ( ). Like other's have said, Houston and it's suburbs is way spread out. It takes over an hour to get from one side to the other, unless your driving during rush hours (emphasis on the "S"), then double or triple it. Driving's a mess, and the drivers can be quite dangerous. Nightlife -- so many clubs it's unbelievable. Most have their own niche, but also generic clubs. And if you're going to be in a band, many places to play. There are also numerous big and medium sized professional venues for touring acts. You can see someone in Reliant Stadium from the nosebleed section, or you can be at a small informal venue where you can reach out and touch the artist. The Beach -- party town that Galveston is, it's good that there are other attractions besides the beach. I call it the beach because everyone else does. It's really just a big sandy mud bank. And if you go often enough, you might actually get lucky and see your feet in two feet of water after about 4 years of going. Sports -- Pro baseball (the Lastro's), football (the Hexan's), Basketball (the Rockets -- they do OK). No Hockey ( ). Multicultural. Black, white, asian (esp. vietnam), huge hispanic population. Some gangs, but every city has 'em. Arts - Nice, with some good traveling shows as well. Cost of Living - -REDICULOUSLY INEXPENSIVE. You will literally laugh when you find out how much of a home you can buy for your money. And gasoline is as cheap as it is anywhere in the country. Traffic -- a nightmare. Everyone drives by themselves -- it's a Texas thing. You might have to buy a pick-up truck if you move here. State Income Tax -- NONE. ZERO. NILCH. Enough said? In the end, it's not a bad place to live. Natural disasters include hurricanes and tornadoes. But they are rare, and since Houston is an hour inland, the damage is less than living on the coast. There are some very nice neighborhoods at great prices, and you can find decent schools, private and public (out side of Houston) for the kids. Go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members venturawest Posted May 16, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 wow guys, thanks for all the great info!!! it sounds like...well, it sounds like houston is *exactly* like miami. i mean, everything you guys said i could have said about miami. it's spread out here, the traffic is obscene (just rated the #1 worst city for traffic in the US), and the humidity guarantees that you can't keep a shirt dry if you have to walk from the parking lot to the office. and no state income tax. however, the cost of living is stratospherically high here - which i trade for the obscenely fun night life and the RIDICULOUSLY high number of hot women in this town. so i could do what i do here - live 5 minutes from work and not deal with the commute. party hard on the weekends. and double my salary, which means i could keep my place in miami and commute here on the weekends if i wanted, right? i'm worried about being lonely. i've lived everywhere and i have friends everywhere - well, everywhere except houston. and at my age, most people are already married and don't go out much. sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members picker13 Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 i'm worried about being lonely. i've lived everywhere and i have friends everywhere - well, everywhere except houston. and at my age, most people are already married and don't go out much. sad. You've got all your HCBF Houstonite friends, and when you get desperate, there's always Lug And one thing Texas is famous for -- being friendly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members G-Bass-Austin Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 Yeah, you wont have trouble making friends in Texas. Probably the friendliest peeps around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Synonym Music Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 If you like big citys and city life with lots of sprawl, you may like Houston cuz it is so big there is a bit of everything there. There is some cool stuff to do, for sure and some nice places to go. If you liked the beaches in Miami, you will be a bit disappointed because the water is not as nice. You have to go down to South Padre for that. Now if you move to Houston, youre going to come to Austin at some point and say "Why The Hell Dont I live here" because the music, the woman, the hills and the lakes, the liberal atmosphere, and the culture make it the Oasis of TX. {censored} no. Rush hour starts and ends the same time here, at least now. The condo and store development (especially along ruddy Lamar) is just bringing more socialites out... But really there's been an economic fallout. The cost of living is unbeliveable unless you're living in a crack house (in which case you do crack and don't pay rent!) The music scene is mostly good, yeah, but that doesn't come close to saving a town. Everyone's a musician in Austin, so while it's great that you can play, not many people care. The last thing in the world I would recommend is moving down here; it is bursting at the seams with people and can't handle the influx in population. What about Houston? That place is synonymous with mosquitoes because of the humidity. I hope your job pays a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurfu Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 i'm worried about being lonely. i've lived everywhere and i have friends everywhere - well, everywhere except houston. and at my age, most people are already married and don't go out much. sad. Well... since you'll be making so much money, when you get here I'll let you buy me a beer and be your friend for 10 minutes. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1tallbassguy Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 Oh...Defensive Driving doesn't work here either. Offensive Driving is required. Everyone learns it fairly quickly, because if you don't you will be run over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lug Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 Well... since you'll be making so much money, when you get here I'll let you buy me a beer and be your friend for 10 minutes. :D You can buy my house and I'll buy you TWO beers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ezstep Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 beers! ANOTHER reason - Shiner Bock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurfu Posted May 16, 2007 Members Share Posted May 16, 2007 ANOTHER reason - Shiner Bock! No way... that stuff makes me fart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members venturawest Posted May 17, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 No way... that stuff makes me fart! mental note: do NOT go out drinking with kurfu. do NOT go out drinking with kurfu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurfu Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 mental note: do NOT go out drinking with kurfu. do NOT go out drinking with kurfu. I'm fine with Miller Lite and tequila. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassesofalessergod Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 pack your overalls! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lug Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurfu Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 Meh. Seen enough strippers since I moved here 12 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lug Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 Meh. Seen enough strippers since I moved here 12 years ago. Strippers! I was told these girls were working their way through college! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurfu Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 Strippers! I was told these girls were working their way through college! Close - they are working their way through some guy's poor kid's college fund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lug Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 Close - they are working their way through some guy's poor kid's college fund. voice of experience huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurfu Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 voice of experience huh? Not personally, I don't have any kids, but I know people... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members funkrockfreedomfighter Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 So did you graduate med school then? Last time I checked you were in your residency I think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members venturawest Posted May 17, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 So did you graduate med school then? Last time I checked you were in your residency I think... sorry brother, you got me confused for andy rontal, i'm guessing. i finished med school in 1995, finished residency in 2000 and fellowship in 2002. i've been in practice in miami for 5 years...holy crap, i'm old!!! :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members picker13 Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 Oh, didn't realize you were a physician. Well, one more reason to come to Texas is our Tort Reforms, backed by a state constitutional ammendment. Limits non-economical damages to $250,000. Liability insurance rates have been dropping nicely, and competition is increasing due to more providers coming back in state. Still, keep in mind that Texas is a hot bed for personal injury attorneys, and there are plenty of hungry ones around. Houston has a few that regularly advertise. Yes, there is a increased chance of being named in a suit compared to some regions of the country, but perhaps no more that what you are used to in Miami. Plus, with all the industry in Houston, there is pretty damn good reimbursement from the insureds. If you're looking to get into a partnership, there is a state business tax of 1% of gross, but some of the income is exempt, and 1% isn't nearly as bad as other states. Getting a Texas license can be a bear. Talk about dot your I's and cross your T's. And you have to study and take a test on Texas jurisprudence. Not too bad, but another pain in the rear. Still, not as onerous as Florida's requirement to retake boards or FLEX if you've been out in practice for a while. Ouch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members funkrockfreedomfighter Posted May 17, 2007 Members Share Posted May 17, 2007 sorry brother, you got me confused for andy rontal, i'm guessing. i finished med school in 1995, finished residency in 2000 and fellowship in 2002. i've been in practice in miami for 5 years...holy crap, i'm old!!! :eek: Oops! Yeah, be on the look out for a PM because a confused soon to be graduating college student might be asking you a few questions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members venturawest Posted May 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 18, 2007 Oh, didn't realize you were a physician. Well, one more reason to come to Texas is our Tort Reforms, backed by a state constitutional ammendment. Limits non-economical damages to $250,000. Liability insurance rates have been dropping nicely, and competition is increasing due to more providers coming back in state. Still, keep in mind that Texas is a hot bed for personal injury attorneys, and there are plenty of hungry ones around. Houston has a few that regularly advertise. Yes, there is a increased chance of being named in a suit compared to some regions of the country, but perhaps no more that what you are used to in Miami.Plus, with all the industry in Houston, there is pretty damn good reimbursement from the insureds. If you're looking to get into a partnership, there is a state business tax of 1% of gross, but some of the income is exempt, and 1% isn't nearly as bad as other states.Getting a Texas license can be a bear. Talk about dot your I's and cross your T's. And you have to study and take a test on Texas jurisprudence. Not too bad, but another pain in the rear. Still, not as onerous as Florida's requirement to retake boards or FLEX if you've been out in practice for a while. Ouch. holy crap, you know a lot about it. are you of the 'md' type as well? miami is in many ways a *terrible* place to practice, especially for a pediatric surgical specialist. i see over 60% medicaid, my liability risk is through the roof, and my reimbursement rate is atrocious. thus why i could double my income in little time in a practice that sees 1/3 the medicaid i do... florida makes you retake boards? they didn't make me do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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