Moving to Houston?

[Martin B]

15 hours ago, Randy W said:

VERY quiet since fireworks were outlawed and the street outside our window was pretty well cleared of noise makers.

We've always laid low for Chinese holidays, even in Houston. We lived about 5 miles away from Chinatown, but we always headed for the Mexican restaurants on Chinese holidays to avoid the crowds. This year, we just stayed home for a nice steak dinner.

This was the last fireworks performance staged in Yulin, recorded from the roof of our building.

 

 

Randy, sorry to sidetrack the thread, how did you (and your wife) like living out in Houston? We're in the Midwest and are at our wits end with the winters here (-7F as we speak now). Our company is fully remote (I work in software dev) and we're tossing out some ideas of warmer places we can live down the road that have a decent job market for me in case I ever need/want to change jobs. My wife has a few Chinese friends in the Houston who all rave about it - the weather (95F and humid is better than -20F and dangerously icy), the cost of living, the schools, etc.  One of her friends in Katy invited us to go visit this Spring and take a look at the area.

Edited February 12, 2021 by Barfus (see edit history)

[Randy W]

7 hours ago, Barfus said:

 

Randy, sorry to sidetrack the thread, how did you (and your wife) like living out in Houston? We're in the Midwest and are at our wits end with the winters here (-7F as we speak now). Our company is fully remote (I work in software dev) and we're tossing out some ideas of warmer places we can live down the road that have a decent job market for me in case I ever need/want to change jobs. My wife has a few Chinese friends in the Houston who all rave about it - the weather (95F and humid is better than -20F and dangerously icy), the cost of living, the schools, etc.  One of her friends in Katy invited us to go visit this Spring and take a look at the area.

I'll move it shortly (these comments), since they'll distract from the CNY theme), but for now -

I lived in Harris County from 1962 through 2009 (except for 5 years of college in California and Austin), so I don't have much to compare it to. But, yes, cost of living is lower, and salaries generally higher than elsewhere. I expect that Houston still has a MUCH better job market than Austin, but I'm not sure of how much the high tech industry has changed that.

Houston is BIG - if you see a sign that says it's 30 miles to Houston, you're already IN the greater Houston area. But I expect you'd want to live in West Houston, in either the Spring Branch, or Katy school districts. I grew up in the Clear Creek ISD (NASA area), and later lived in La Porte before finally moving to West Houston. All four are highly rated school districts. The new Chinatown is mostly along Bellaire Blvd., almost from the Southwest Freeway to a couple of miles past the Beltway 8. Jiaying's son had an apartment there while he was in Houston, and never had a need for English. Cantonese speakers tend to live in or near Chinatown, while Mandarin speakers are more distributed around the city.

Climate-wise, Colorado seems milder to me - I was able to be comfortable in the same clothing (long sleeve shirt and long pants) at 15°F as I was at 85°F, thanks to the low humidity. Ice is a problem in Houston when the roads freeze over. No one ANYWHERE knows how to drive on ice - snow and/or slush are MUCH safer, as long as they don't create slick conditions. Houston had a 3 day ice storm that was a disaster - when in Canada, I saw a news item about a VERY similar disaster in Winnipeg. Yulin is about 10° cooler in summer, and 10° warmer in winter.

 

[Martin B]

On 2/12/2021 at 11:03 PM, Randy W said:

I'll move it shortly (these comments), since they'll distract from the CNY theme), but for now -

I lived in Harris County from 1962 through 2009 (except for 5 years of college in California and Austin), so I don't have much to compare it to. But, yes, cost of living is lower, and salaries generally higher than elsewhere. I expect that Houston still has a MUCH better job market than Austin, but I'm not sure of how much the high tech industry has changed that.

Houston is BIG - if you see a sign that says it's 30 miles to Houston, you're already IN the greater Houston area. But I expect you'd want to live in West Houston, in either the Spring Branch, or Katy school districts. I grew up in the Clear Creek ISD (NASA area), and later lived in La Porte before finally moving to West Houston. All four are highly rated school districts. The new Chinatown is mostly along Bellaire Blvd., almost from the Southwest Freeway to a couple of miles past the Beltway 8. Jiaying's son had an apartment there while he was in Houston, and never had a need for English. Cantonese speakers tend to live in or near Chinatown, while Mandarin speakers are more distributed around the city.

Climate-wise, Colorado seems milder to me - I was able to be comfortable in the same clothing (long sleeve shirt and long pants) at 15°F as I was at 85°F, thanks to the low humidity. Ice is a problem in Houston when the roads freeze over. No one ANYWHERE knows how to drive on ice - snow and/or slush are MUCH safer, as long as they don't create slick conditions. Houston had a 3 day ice storm that was a disaster - when in Canada, I saw a news item about a VERY similar disaster in Winnipeg. Yulin is about 10° cooler in summer, and 10° warmer in winter.

 

Thanks Randy, very helpful. I did just see a "virtual" tour of Chinatown Houston and was blown away just how different it is compared to the Chinatowns I've visited in Chicago, Boston, Toronto. It was basically several clusters of strip malls (seems to be a common theme in Houston)... but I was shocked at just how much it has to offer! There's also a little "Asian Town" in Katy as well... which is basically just one strip mall with some Chinese restaurants and an HMart.

Oddly enough I hear that things are really bad down there with the snow/ice/freezing temps this week. Millions without power and one of my wife's friends just messaged her that apparently the water has been intermittent as well. Hope your family there is safe.

[Randy W]

My old next door neighbor posted this picture. Snow, but not as much ice this time around (well, except for that 100 car pile up in Dallas a few days ago). Power outages are a major problem in some areas.

[Randy W]

and this

[Randy W]

Jiaying never saw any snow when she was in Houston (around 3 years). I never saw it so cold in my 45 years there.

[Martin B]

This whole thing is looking like it's going to be a total mess. My wife's friend in Katy hasn't had power for 17 hours (aside from 1 hour in the afternoon), spotty cell coverage, no water now, too dangerous to drive outside, 39F inside as of an hour ago. Her kids are going haywire. She's praying her water supply pipes don't start spewing water due to a burst/crack when she turns the water back on.

It's been two solid weeks of subzero temps where we live, with wind chills as low as -40F... Needless to say, my wife is starting to appreciate living in MN after this.

[Randy W]

More pictures from Kemah - Kemah is in Galveston County, and right across Clear Creek from Seabrook in Harris County. Both are on Galveston Bay.

https://www.facebook.com/246761422190178/posts/1586134011586239/

Edited February 16, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Deregulation of utilities has been a thing in Texas for a few decades. The Texas power grid is separate from the rest of the country to avoid federal regulation.

 

[Martin B]

It's really shaping up to be a tragic situation. Around 30 people have already died from carbon monoxide poisoning, fires, cold... no power, no water, pipe's bursting and flooding homes, icy roads... And it doesn't look like it's going to warm up until Saturday. Winter can suck even if you are well-prepared, this is an utter disaster.

[Back Again]

Ping and I were without electricity for 56 hours with outside temps from 14-29 degrees. We live in Fulshear, which is immediately West of Katy in Ft Bend County. Our power was turned back on for about 6 hours and then turned off again for about six hours before it was turned back on and left on.

A new law requires that no one be left without electricity for more than 12 continuous hours.

Ping used candles for light. Our stove top range is gas so she was able to cook for us. We just layered up with clothes until the power came back on. Our house is well insulated and we had no loss of water.

None of our rental properties in Katy had burst pipes or loss of water.

But in the entire Houston area I don't believe there is a better place to live than where we live in Cross Creek Ranch. Our house is in the Katy ISD, so the Asian population is higher here.