Houston to pass Chicago as third largest city in the USA

[Galway Eagle]

Chicago is unique because they essentially got a mulligan. The city developed at an extreme rate in the 19th century then obviously burnt down and they got to see what was the best way to develop an American city by learning from their own mistakes and by looking at what did and didn't work for other American cities in regards to development.

See Chicago's the best of both worlds a touch of modern thought with the culture of the older east coast cities. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Chicago is unique because they essentially got a mulligan. The city developed at an extreme rate in the 19th century then obviously burnt down and they got to see what was the best way to develop an American city by learning from their own mistakes and by looking at what did and didn't work for other American cities in regards to development.

True. The funny thing is that everything you read about the fire is that the city was built for a disaster like that. Wooden sidewalks with space underneath them, river was so polluted that the fire "jumped" over it. Really speaks to Chicagoans stubbornness to build the entire city again. I'm such a Chicago history nerd. Find the whole development of it so fascinating.

[HouWarrior]

I've never been to Houston but I just don't like cities that are developed this way. They're just a financial downtown with skyscrapers surrounded by miles and miles of generic looking sprawling suburban neighborhoods that are still considered to be in "the city". Urban and dynamic neighborhoods are to me what give a city it's character. Give me a real urban city like NY, Boston, or Chicago over Places like Houston, Phoenix, and Dallas all day.

This being said I really hope to be in Houston this spring for some BBQ and a Marquette national championship

I've never been to Fargo, but I saw the movie and I dont like cold wintery towns with all those bars and excons hatching kidnap plots. lol
Your description of cities with ...."just a financial downtown with skyscrapers surrounded by miles and miles of generic looking sprawling suburban neighborhoods that are still considered to be in "the city". ..."
demonstrates your lack of actually having been to H-town. In March, during the final four, I will take on an in person tour of Houston; then you can repost your actual experience here, and it will be an opinion of substance.

[Celtic Truth]

I've never been to Fargo, but I saw the movie and I dont like cold wintery towns with all those bars and excons hatching kidnap plots. lol
Your description of cities with ...."just a financial downtown with skyscrapers surrounded by miles and miles of generic looking sprawling suburban neighborhoods that are still considered to be in "the city". ..."
demonstrates your lack of actually having been to H-town. In March, during the final four, I will take on an in person tour of Houston; then you can repost your actual experience here, and it will be an opinion of substance.

That would be awesome. I love visiting, learning about, and experiencing new cities and their cultures. Good luck trying to convince me it's better than Boston though lol

[HouWarrior]

Dallas is the fourth biggest MSA (city proper plus the burbs).  It will be a while before the Houston MSA surpasses the Dallas MSA in population.

Dallas (assuming DFW)is 4th MSA (6.3 mil.)and Houston is 5th(6.1 mil). The Houston metro is the "city proper plus the burbs"; but Dallas metro reaches all the way over to grab Fort Worth (hence the term DFW).

Cowtown Fort Worth is NOT a suburb of snooty Dallas. Dallas and Fort Worth are the county seats of 2 different counties. If you have ever traveled west to Fort Worth you'll note the undeveloped expanses between these 2 completely separate metros. We think its cute how Dallas grabbed Fort Worth to compete in MSA size with Houston. It allowed them to add 2.1 million to their Metro, and to edge us by 200k

 Believe it or not but the DFW Metro EW distance is just 10 miles short of the distance between Austin and San Antonio. Like Dallas and Fort Worth, Keep it Weird Austin and Salsa San Antonio are two very different cities. However, You wont ever hear about either of these two proposing to link their metros. lol

Your claim that..."  It will be a while before the Houston MSA surpasses the Dallas MSA in population.", is wrong- we did this long ago.   In an apples to apples MSA comparison, Dallas MSA is 4.2 mil. and Houston MSA is 6.1 mil.

[HouWarrior]

That would be awesome. I love visiting, learning about, and experiencing new cities and their cultures. Good luck trying to convince me it's better than Boston though lol

That is something I will never do. Houstonians are bred polite. It is unseemly and provincial to try to say one one city is better than another. Houston is simply different, and its been perfect...for me and my family.
I lived for some years in Europe (Madrid, Rome, etc). they found it laughable when Americans go on and on about their city history and architecture. This Yankee (in Spain...all americans are "yankees") shut up and recognized that all of this is relative. Every city I have ever seen has something neat about it..people are more similar than different, and no one is better than someone else....except for Carnies and the Dutch (Austin Powers-lol).

[HouWarrior]

No ice? The last time I was in Houston, the entire city was shut down due to ice.

Also, hate Houston's development. Urban sprawl at it's worst. A city center with four different Napervilles around it.

You are right,  sir.
In Jan 2014 we had ice here in the same anomalous storm that shut down Atlanta (watching southerners freak out in such weather is a hoot) Here, it all melted the next day.

BTW, in fairness on Jan 3, 1985, birthdate of my daughter, it also dusted snow here, which melted by noon.

Houston gets the tail of huge arctic systems. When its -20 in N. Minn. we'll expect overnight frost here, on occasion.

Sorry you didn't get outside the Houston inner loop during your stay...there is a lot of Milwaukee, west of Marquette. lol

Houston is not a downtown, with four "Napervilles"; I hope you get a chance to experience it. We never will be Chicago, and Chicago will never be Houston...my guess is they both like it that way, and they respect the differences (at least we do- lol). 

[HouWarrior]

I am exhausted in my defenses of Houston.

It is a large, growing, dynamic city. Like all large cities, it has its warts and challenges. If you need it to feel better about your home, I am happy to apologize for mine, and to say your city is clearly better. What does that accomplish?

 As...Each of you travelled here from cities that you know have  their own warts and challenges ( of which you do not speak- lol).

Houston itself is made up totally of domestic and international people migrations. As our mayor said we are made up of "tolerant traditionalists". Our diversity mandates mutual acceptance. We make it work here, as best we can, and I trust your cities aspire to the same.

I simply cant bring myself to put down anything about your city to make me feel better about mine. Diversity mandates acceptance.

I like your city just fine--OK?

[DegenerateDish]

I went to Houston for the first time two months ago. I was both surprised and not surprised at how big of a city it was, if that makes sense. I went to a game at Minute Maid (I loved that place) and stayed in the medical district. It was interesting driving from the two, mainly because the city didn't stop. I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just a huge city.

One thing I love to do when going to a city I've never been to before is to try to read up on it, why it developed the way it did, important industries. I was fascinated about how/why NASA set up shop in Houston.

[real chili 83]

I am exhausted in my defenses of Houston.

It is a large, growing, dynamic city. Like all large cities, it has its warts and challenges. If you need it to feel better about your home, I am happy to apologize for mine, and to say your city is clearly better. What does that accomplish?

 As...Each of you travelled here from cities that you know have  their own warts and challenges ( of which you do not speak- lol).

Houston itself is made up totally of domestic and international people migrations. As our mayor said we are made up of "tolerant traditionalists". Our diversity mandates mutual acceptance. We make it work here, as best we can, and I trust your cities aspire to the same.

I simply cant bring myself to put down anything about your city to make me feel better about mine. Diversity mandates acceptance.

I like your city just fine--OK?

So, the ice fishing kinda sucks there, ai na?

[keefe]

I am exhausted in my defenses of Houston.

It is a large, growing, dynamic city. Like all large cities, it has its warts and challenges. If you need it to feel better about your home, I am happy to apologize for mine, and to say your city is clearly better. What does that accomplish?

 As...Each of you travelled here from cities that you know have  their own warts and challenges ( of which you do not speak- lol).

Houston itself is made up totally of domestic and international people migrations. As our mayor said we are made up of "tolerant traditionalists". Our diversity mandates mutual acceptance. We make it work here, as best we can, and I trust your cities aspire to the same.

I simply cant bring myself to put down anything about your city to make me feel better about mine. Diversity mandates acceptance.

I like your city just fine--OK?

Can a man get a decent bowl of chili down there? I mean, that real Green Bay kinda chili?

[HouWarrior]

Can a man get a decent bowl of chili down there? I mean, that real Green Bay kinda chili?

Houston's (world's largest) livestock show and rodeo kicks off its first weekend, every year with a two day bacchanal, the HL&R BBQ and Chili cookoff. There is some very serious competition among the 100 plus teams...someone is bound to make the chili you favor. It will be made with sirloin, and few if any beans. For Green Bay style, I guess you'd ask for extra cheese, and tell them to hold those darn fritos.

[HouWarrior]

I was fascinated about how/why NASA set up shop in Houston.

Most folks thank LBJ. Rice Univ. and Humble oil (Exxon) arranged for the 1000 acre land donation in Clear Lake.
First, .... A set of requirements for the new site was drawn up and released to the Congress and general public. These included: access to water transport by large barges, a moderate climate, availability of all-weather commercial jet service, a well established industrial complex with supporting technical facilities and labor, close proximity to a culturally attractive community in the vicinity of an institution of higher education, a strong electric utility and water supply, at least 1000 acres of land, and certain specified cost parameters.
Second, Politics played its role in the choice:
Henry C. Dethloff wrote in the NASA-published history Suddenly Tomorrow Came: "Although the Houston site neatly fit the criteria required for the new center, Texas undoubtedly exerted an enormous political influence on such a decision. Lyndon B. Johnson was Vice President and head of the Space Council, Albert Thomas headed the House Appropriations Committee, Bob Casey and Olin E. Teague were members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, and Teague headed the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Finally, Sam Rayburn was Speaker of the House of Representatives.

BTW in the Mid 80s, I was the first president of the Marquette Cub of Houston....and when we personally called and tracked down the MU alums in the area...I noticed a pattern. A large group were MU engineers who came to work at NASA in the 60's, then many were medical folks in the 70's, followed by full gamut of grads/majors who came here in the 80s. I am guessing the full gamut continued from the 80s to today. We have about 1000 MUers in the area today.

[77ncaachamps]

Chicago is getting Rahm'd and the city is paying for it.

Houston benefitted from Katrina. The families that moved there are staying and adding to the population.

[JWags85]

FWIW, I had a friend from the Midwest move to Houston and while he loved a fresh start, he hated it there.  And in my head I was like "knew it, Houston kind of sucks" (using a small sample set of my own, of course).  Within 3 months of being back, he missed it terribly and was looking for ways to move back, and this was summer so its not just because of cold weather or anything.  Its a massive city, I can only imagine how much there is to offer.  Need to head back if he ends up moving back.

[GOO]

I've only been to Houston twice, but I really didn't like it.  It seemed like a big suburb over all, with a crappy downtown.  I like a City to be more compact. 
I also don't like Wisconsin winters, but Houston summers would be just about as unbearable for me.   I could see living in Houston from about November to April, but that would be about it.  But, if I were going to do that, there many, many places I'd go to before even thinking about Houston. 

I'd have to take a pass on Houston and would avoid having to live there.  But, I understand that is just me and to each their own.  I also understand that I have a very limited sample of what it would be like to live in Houston. 

[mikekinsellaMVP]

Kind of amusing to find this thread a few slots above the U.S. News ranking discussion.  Different tune, same melody: personal fit > empirical ranking.

[CTWarrior]

See Chicago's the best of both worlds a touch of modern thought with the culture of the older east coast cities.

The late Richard Jeni on how Chicago came to be.  A bunch of guys were sitting around in New York and one said, "You know, I'm really enjoying all the crime and poverty, but it's just not cold enough!"

[keefe]

Houston's (world's largest) livestock show and rodeo kicks off its first weekend, every year with a two day bacchanal, the HL&R BBQ and Chili cookoff. There is some very serious competition among the 100 plus teams...someone is bound to make the chili you favor. It will be made with sirloin, and few if any beans. For Green Bay style, I guess you'd ask for extra cheese, and tell them to hold those darn fritos.

I was funnin' ya Houston.

Actually, I have had chili in Houston - sirloin with nary a bean on premise - and it was outstanding.

Frankly, I have never had chili with pasta. It just seems...wrong.

[buckchuckler]

The late Richard Jeni on how Chicago came to be.  A bunch of guys were sitting around in New York and one said, "You know, I'm really enjoying all the crime and poverty, but it's just not cold enough!"

Yeah, Chicago gets a lot of love, but people ignore some pretty big problems.  Yeah, the grid and architecture are great.  So are the museums, food, music and more.  But it is also crooked, crime riddled, over congested, expensive, poorly governed, segregated and broke. 

[JWags85]

Yeah, Chicago gets a lot of love, but people ignore some pretty big problems.  Yeah, the grid and architecture are great.  So are the museums, food, music and more.  But it is also crooked, crime riddled, over congested, expensive, poorly governed, segregated and broke.

Its not expensive compared to other cities its size.  Coming from Milwaukee or a small city sure, but I know people who move back to Chicago cause they've gotten sick of the price of living elsewhere.  (NY, LA, DC, SF, etc)

As for crime riddled and segregated, unfortunately they go hand in hand.  I've lived in the city for 7 years and went to a lot of neighborhoods at all hours of the day and never felt unsafe.  Most of the crime you read about in Chicago is confined to a few really tragic areas where most people never find themselves.  And segregated?  If you look at the heat maps for the most segregated cities in the US, most of them are in the Midwest.  Including places like Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, and St Louis.

[buckchuckler]

Its not expensive compared to other cities its size.  Coming from Milwaukee or a small city sure, but I know people who move back to Chicago cause they've gotten sick of the price of living elsewhere.  (NY, LA, DC, SF, etc)

As for crime riddled and segregated, unfortunately they go hand in hand.  I've lived in the city for 7 years and went to a lot of neighborhoods at all hours of the day and never felt unsafe.  Most of the crime you read about in Chicago is confined to a few really tragic areas where most people never find themselves.  And segregated?  If you look at the heat maps for the most segregated cities in the US, most of them are in the Midwest.  Including places like Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, and St Louis.

That doens't really excuse it though, does it?  I love Chicago.  But it is just that people ignore a lot of problems, and in terms of expensive, you are right about that, I should have said, grossly over taxed. 

[Lennys Tap]

I lived in Houston from 1972-76, the last three years as a "newlywed". I'm sure much has changed in 40 years but some things apparently haven't - 6 months of hot, humid weather, a lack of public transportation, no zoning, affordable (and nice) housing, etc.. I liked the weather but the humidity was a bit much for my wife. Also lived in Dallas for a short time and much preferred Houston. Presently have a daughter, son in law and baby granddaughter in Austin and it's my favorite southwestern city.

[Galway Eagle]

That doens't really excuse it though, does it?  I love Chicago.  But it is just that people ignore a lot of problems, and in terms of expensive, you are right about that, I should have said, grossly over taxed.

It doesn't excuse the city overall for crime, but it shouldn't effect you unless you planned on living on the west side or in the non Mt Greenwood, Hyde Park, or Beverly areas of the south side.  Every big city has crime issues, Chicago is almost at an advantage because it is easier to have street smarts with it's clearly defined borders of bad neighborhoods. 

Regarding segregation you have to take into account that it's not entirely the city's fault (at least in Chicago) Yes there was white flight from the west side when all the Germans moved out when the African Americans moved in.  And prior to that same in Englewood. But Chicago's patchwork was originally designed for cultures to essentially make a mini version of their homelands. Mt Greenwood/Beverly was made for Irish Americans, Albany Park originally for Irish immigrants. China town was pretty clearly for the chinese, up by montrose and broadway there's tons of koreans but the architecture and such is all korean.  Polish village is polish, Humboldt Park has a giant puerto rican flag over it. Those areas are designed for the cultures it's often misinterpreted as segregated. 

[buckchuckler]

It doesn't excuse the city overall for crime, but it shouldn't effect you unless you planned on living on the west side or in the non Mt Greenwood, Hyde Park, or Beverly areas of the south side.  Every big city has crime issues, Chicago is almost at an advantage because it is easier to have street smarts with it's clearly defined borders of bad neighborhoods. 

Regarding segregation you have to take into account that it's not entirely the city's fault (at least in Chicago) Yes there was white flight from the west side when all the Germans moved out when the African Americans moved in.  And prior to that same in Englewood. But Chicago's patchwork was originally designed for cultures to essentially make a mini version of their homelands. Mt Greenwood/Beverly was made for Irish Americans, Albany Park originally for Irish immigrants. China town was pretty clearly for the chinese, up by montrose and broadway there's tons of koreans but the architecture and such is all korean.  Polish village is polish, Humboldt Park has a giant puerto rican flag over it. Those areas are designed for the cultures it's often misinterpreted as segregated.

Haha.  OK so the crime doesn't bother you unless you happen to be one of those cultures that lives in the areas afflicted by crime.  That, I am sure is very comforting to the people living in those communities.  I didn't say that there was crime against tourists or anything.  But there are major gang and drug trafficking problems that lead to a lot of crime.  It is a major problem for the city, no matter where you live . 

And Chicago is, statistically, the most segregated city in the US.  So try to justify it all you want, that is the reality.