"Houston, it's a launch! " Or soon to be one! Congratulations to all!!

Thank, LJ!

As a former Houston resident (and Midwesterner and East Coaster) here's my take. People are VERY friendly. Real estate is affordable. There is lots of culture, museums, restaurants, etc. I think at some point, Houston had more restaurants per capita than any other US city. The minuses - the weather is absolutely horrible (humid or humid). Again, the weather is absolutely horrible (and I grew up in the humid midwest). The weather in Houston is nice for literally about 3 weeks in February. The bugs are huge and people are very chauvinistic. I think its a very hard place to be a female. That said, its probably great training for working almost anywhere else!

Some advice - if/when she moves from Texas, most people will assume an amazing amount of negative things if you tell them you lived in Texas, unless its Austin. Lived in Houston for 4 years then moved to Boston. Even the Texas plates were an issue. Texas has a definite reputation in the rest of the US.

Dear palo alto parent,
Thanks for reading and commenting, and your assessment of life in (and after) Houston. The weather and insects will be a challenge although she won't miss the arctic blasts of wind in Chicago. It sounds like Houston would never have existed had air-conditioning not been invented!
She hasn't come to terms yet with relinquishing her California driver's license for a Texas ID! We haven't broached the subject of the Texas plates. One challenge at a time!

"and her apartment will be the envy of her friends living in San Francisco in apartments half the size "

Then they will realize that this,apartment is in Houston!!!! Besides the stifling heat and humidity, you have a terrible crime rate in Houston.
Then of course, Houston is in Texas-- with all the gun crazies and the total lack of concern for women's reproductive rights ( check out stories about laws designed to deny women a right to choose). Plus the oppressive nature of the born agains that are found in every nook and cranny of Texas.
I am sure her friends will pay the extra rent and say thanks god we do not have to live in texas

Very few people walk in Houston. There's a reason why it is consistently rated the fattest city in the U.S.

Web Link

Congratulations to her and the excitement of starting her first job! It's great that she will be able to live affordably, and perhaps even save money -- something that young people starting out in the Bay Area are challenged with these days. Those of us who are lucky enough to live here (but came from other wonderful areas of the US) know that it's healthy to explore other parts of our country. Texas may have its challenges (at least they have water now), but the Bay Area isn't without some serious ones as well. And like most large cities, the crime rate in Houston is certainly bad in some neighborhoods, but no worse than most large cities -- no Texas cities made the top 50.

Countdown to the Top 50 Most Dangerous Cities 2015
50 Jackson, MI
49 Gary, IN
48 Springfield, MO
47 Gadsden, AL
46 Miami, FL
45 Hartford, CT
44 Niagara Falls, NY
43 East Palo Alto, CA
42 East Point, GA
41 Brockton, MA
40 Stockton, CA
39 Indianapolis, IN
38 Chelsea, MA
37 Kansas City, MO
36 New Haven, CT
35 Tulsa, OK
34 Lake Worth, FL
33 Daytona Beach, FL
32 Compton, CA
31 Buffalo, NY
30 Newark, NJ
29 Washington, DC
28 Atlanta, GA
27 Trenton, NJ
26 Birmingham, AL
25 Bridgeton, NJ
24 Jackson, TN
23 Milwaukee, WI
22 Fort Pierce, FL
21 Spartanburg, SC
20 Rockford, IL
19 Little Rock, AR
18 Baltimore, MD
17 Homestead, FL
16 Cleveland, OH
15 Newburgh, NY
14 St. Louis, MO
13 Harvey, IL
12 Myrtle Beach, SC
11 Alexandria, LA
10 Memphis, TN
9 Wilmington, DE
8 Atlantic City, NJ
7 Flint, MI
6 Bessemer, AL
5 Oakland, CA
4 Saginaw, MI
3 Detroit, MI
2 Chester, PA
1 Camden, NJ

Web Link

Well, Laura if you look at the website you linked to, you will see that Houston is the 68th worst city for crime
If you click on Houston in that list you get:

Web Link

You will see that Houston has a crime index of 4 (100 is the best) meaning that Houston is safer than 4% of the cities in the US
National median crime index is 3.8 (means your chances of being a victim of crime) In texas you have a 1 in 245 chance of being a crime victim. In houston it is 1 in 95 (or a crime index of 10.5).

Houston is a sinkhole of crime, but if you have a large apartment with low rent, I guess you will just have to be careful. I also wonder how much her elctric bill will be, since she will be blasting her AC day and night

Congratulations to your daughter! Forbes Magazine recently placed Houston as the "Number One City for Young Professionals." And that's not all! The EPA has recognized Houston as the "Number One Municipal Purchaser of Green Power" which compliments Houston's electric vehicle fleet and urban rail system. Houston is a world leader in climate initiatives and was recently celebrated at the US Conference of Mayors for its renewable energy policies, recycling programs, and non-polluting transportation, including its extensive use of bicycles. Houston's mission is to become the most livable, equitable, and sustainable place in the nation and it is quickly becoming the model of an enjoyable urban experience that is much more than sustainable.
Houston is a setting worthy of young energy and excitement and the perfect location for your daughter's newest adventure. We are thrilled for her and grateful for your excellent blog!