15

I see no reason for visiting Houston or Dallas, period. Austin, yes. Houston and Dallas are nothing but endless boring suburbs, strip malls and housing subdivisions overall, there is nothing of any great authenticity or culturally worth more than a day at best IMO, compared to so many other parts of the USA.

New Orleans is great for cuisine and great music and old culture and charm.

Texas BBQ is hardly that great compared to all the other great southern cuisine options and choices, which to be honest, is best in Georgia, the Carolinas areas.

Austin has a great food and nightlife scene, thats for sure.

I would fly between Texas and New Orleans, its a very boring drive IMO, all interstate and not much to see.

Maybe I am jaded about Texas overall, my sister lived in Highland Park and I went to Dallas and Houston for work all the time, had a lot of people take me out on the towns, but man, after one time around the highlights, save me from this state, I would rather go to Kentucky.

16

I would NOT come all the way to America and go to Texas, and especially not Dallas and Houston, even it was free.

Go to New Orleans, NYC or San Francisco.

17

Although I agree with the above posters that Dallas and Houston are not tourist destinations, making derisive comments like "I wouldn't go there for free" when you know next to nothing about the cities is stupid. I can't speak for Dallas, but a tourist might choose to go to Houston because (1) they want to visit NASA, (2) they love the arts and we have the Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, etc, (3) they love good food, especially good ethnic food, or even (4) they are curious about what a city without zoning looks like, and are interested in all the modern architecture that we get as a result.

Forbes just ranked Houston as America's Coolest City: http://www.forbes.com/sites/morganbrennan/2012/07/26/houston-tops-our-list-of-americas-coolest-cities-to-live/. I think that that is an overstatement (the ranking is based heavily on economic factors), but Houston certainly has its merits. If you haven't walk around Montrose or the Heights, or visited the Menil Collection, then you don't know Houston.

18

You keep posting that report, which is like absurd, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and San Diego are all far more hip, cool and fun cities to live in than Houston, but good try...

I would also prefer to live in Dallas, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Boston and Miami, Denver, LA and Wash DC before Houston.

19

Austin rules. Its an island of creativity and sanity.

Houston is for getting robbed. Dallas is for getting run over.

20

I love New Orleans, lots of great food, and music, but instead of heading out to Texas, have you thought about heading north to Memphis? Home of great BarBQue, The Blues, and Elvis!!! I think that would be a much better trip, and less driving. If you have time, hop on up to Nashville, and explore Country Music. You can visit the Grand Ole Opry, performances every night, good fun, good food, nice folks.
Next alternative, from New Orleans, head east on I-10 and go to Florida, or head up the east coast for some fun. Savannah GA is beautiful with lots of history and ghost tours....Charleston SC is very nice. Or from Savannah, hop up to Atlanta and see what the new south has to offer!
These are just suggestions from a southern girl who lives and plays here. Oh, and when we travel, we use hotwire.com to search for great last minute deals on hotels. Almost every fast food place as wifi, just pull in the parking lot and log on, same day booking is easy, and cheap!

21

New Orleans - Memphis might well be a better road trip than the Texas one. Possible stops in Natchez and Vicksburg and detour to Tupelo on the Natchez Trace Parkway. "If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas out and live in Hell," as General Sheridan said.

22

SoloHobo: Look at the date the article came out--July 26, 2012. This is the first time I've posted it anywhere. The funny thing is, there are many reports and articles discussing Houston as being a great place. You just assume that they are all the same.

Gawkabout: I don't know anyone personally who has been robbed or assaulted in Houston, but plenty of my friends have been in Chicago. I would love to see your statistical source for Houston being particularly risky on this front.

I agree with VinnyD that a NOLA to Memphis trip would be much more interesting for a tourist.

23

People might think Houston is fine if they have not visited there, but ask anyone who has visited there, vs the other cities Solohobo mentions, and you would be hard pressed to find people putting Houston ahead of the others.

Now I am sure Houston is a pleasant place to live, so is Fresno and Memphis. But, if a foreigner wants to see what a typical modern and sprawling American city looks like, Houston would be a good place to start, thats for sure.

At least Jacksonville Florida, has a ocean, speaking of sprawling American cities.

24

Antone sandwiches are great. Big variety.

25

Tilos, people are more likely to be robbed and assaulted in Chicago than in Houston because people in
Chicago occasionally get out of their cars and walk on these things they have there called sidewalks.

I remember the last time I was in Houston seeing a pedestrian as I was being driven to the airport and remarking on it to the friend who was driving me. The first pedestrian I had seen in my three days there. Then we turned the corner and saw another one and realized they weren't pedestrians; they were streetwalkers. Outside motels near the airport.

26

As usual, you can find something of interest in most places you visit.
However, having something of interest does not necessarily make it an interesting place to go.

27

#22

Do you have any idea how many tourist come to Chicago with their children, and couples, college kids, sports fans, just to eat drink and shop on foot for the entire weekend? 14,000,000 a year. We have a street festival every weekend, in a different part of the city each time, from May to Sept alone, all attended without using a car.

Considering Chicago is a very pedestrian city, and downtown is a huge area that encompasses both business skyscrapers and residential towers, in addition to a huge amount of retail that mainly catering to people without a car, there is no comparison for the crime situation in Chicago vs Houston.

I live in Chicago, right downtown, on the 25th floor of a condo building, we can walk 2 miles in any direction and still be in a vibrant and also interesting area of varying economic scale and lifestyles. I have lived here since 1991, and I have never had a crime issue, nor has anyone I know, yet you have friends that have been victims of assault? Tilos, thats is impossible. Seriously, I have friends that live in some very sketchy and gentrifying areas and they may have had some issues with crime, like stolen bicycles outside or cars broken into on the street parking, but then again, the bikes are not in a garage or fenced in area, and the cars are not in garages, but just on the street all night. I also spend 4 months a year in NYC, and have never had a issue in that city as well, nor has anyone I know there, and you are almost always exposed to the elements on foot, trains and busses, just like Chicago.

Just take a look at the Chicago transit system compared to Houston, there is no comparison, you can see that Chicago has much more pedestrian city compared to Houston.

You can look at the all statistics you want, but downtown Chicago, is a very safe city overall, considering just about everybody commutes in public transport, walks or rides bikes.

I have been on the beaches and lakefront a lot this summer as the weather has been great, and they are jammed, from highschool kids to volleyball players, cyclers to Segway tours, sailing to paddleboarding, jet skis to motor boats, all up and down the 8 miles of City lakefront property, the great dangers are drowning, even though we have lifeguards at every beach, and even on boats in the water, due to the inner city children not knowing how to swim and rough waves can creep up from the winds, thats the greatest dangers to a pedestrian in Chicago right now, swimming.

A tourist can come to Chicago and walk the entire city, from Soldiers Field and ChinaTown, to Wrigleyfield and Bucktown, with museums, shopping, dining, hotels, retail, beaches and bars and nightlife, all along the way, without fear of assault.

Can you do that in Houston? No. How many people walk into the Neiman Marcus at the Galleria on foot from their homes/hotels? Probably 95% in Chicago do. Thats Chicago. A lifestyle that is much more urban and liveable then Houston.

So, dont even go there with the how wonderful Houston is, as its not, unless malls, strip malls, suburbs and gated communities and everyone in a car to get around is great to you, then there you have it. Ditto for Dallas.

Lets not even talk about the terrible heat and humidity in summer in Houston, OMG, keep the AC on nonstop.

28

SoloHobo: I don't recall this thread being about whether the tourist should visit Chicago versus Houston, but rather that they expressed an interest in visiting Texas. I agree with VinnyD that a tourist with limited time would be better off then being on a NOLA to Memphis circuit.

That being said, people have a nasty habit of making things up. Where are the statistics to back up Houston being dangerous? VinnyD: Have you ever been inside the 610 loop? In my neighborhood, we have plenty of sidewalks and people walk to get groceries, go out to eat, and go to museums. People walk around at night all the time, including women like myself. You are making a place sound dangerous with zero proof. All I'm asking is for statistics to back up your absurd statements.

I lived in Chicago for 6 years, SoloHobo, and could care less that you live there. What I care about is you telling tourists that there are zero things to do here. No, I don't recommend people come out of there way to come here. But if they are transiting from NOLA to Austin, then I do have a few recommendations, even if they are as simple as "make a detour to NASA" or "stop off at Anvil." You seem to have a very difficult time grasping that a city you don't like might be liked by others. And talking about hot Texas summers seems a bit, I don't know, hypocritical when it gets to -20 in Chicago in the winter.


I lived in Hyde Park, which when last I checked was part of Chicago. Indeed, tourists come to Hyde Park because of the Science and Technology Musuem. I won't even start on how many people I know who have been mugged, raped, or violently assaulted. You are cherry picking parts of your city. I can do the same--string several neighborhoods where one could walk round an enjoy museums, restaurants, shopping, and the like, all without fear of assault.

29

I didnt claim Houston was dangerous more or less than anywhere else, you suggested Chicago was dangerous and you had many friends that had been assaulted, which I find untruthful at the least,

The rest of your reply I agree with above. I am sure there are worthy cultural and cuisine options to enjoy in Houston, but even as an American, I am not going out of my way to visit Houston/Dallas.

I will be in Austin for the debut of the F1 circuit though....and I like Houstons airport, all my international connections there to Latin America are the most enjoyable of any connecting airport in the USA.