since i spent only several months in houston (working on projects), i cannot contribute too much. but I fully agree with what Strong Eagle said. especially the part about houston being very spread-out and un-planned. you NEED a car (meaning: one car for each adult family memeber) to exist / have a life in Houston. it is extremely rare to be able to walk to a grocers from your house (unless you live in one of the few high-rise
condo areas).
other things about Houston (and Texas in general) that I noted:
- religeon is an important aspect of social life. It is very common for people to talk openly about what church they go to, and it is common to ask you about your practices (what church do you go to?) very early in the conversation (this was much more the case in Dallas, in my experience).
- there is essentially no public transportation. Yes, there are busses; but they are so infrequent and the city so spread out, that it is essentially worthless (unless you are desperate).
- summer weather can be brutal. I get the sense that it is worse than singapore, since Houston has comparatively less tree / vegitation density (and those huge parking lots feel like open furnaces).
- the lack of zoned planning is just strange. any type of building (restaurant, school, housing complex, gun shop) could be right next to any other type.
- flash floods. when it rains, it floods. i was told this is because the ground is mostly hard rock, so the rain cannot absorb into the ground. maybe i just had bad luck, but within 6 months, i experienced 2 rounds of flooding.
- gun culture. the vast majority of gun owners are law-obiding, nice people who like their guns for sport or cultural connection. but Texas allows for concieled carrying of handguns (is this still the case?); and you will see "check your gun" signs in some businesses. these signs are (more often than not) not a joke.
- sales taxes are high (because there is no Texas state income tax).
still, houston is alright. the people have their own ways, but they are generally very nice people.