Houston move from Philly???

Question

I'm lookin' to get outa philly because of all the violence and *hit. My question is being that I happen to be gay and black all my friends tell me to move to the ATL, but I am also intrested now in Houston as a place to live. Would I be better of in Atlanta or Houston being 22, black, and gay? How's the nightlife in Houston? Is the city too country, or will someone like myself adapt well coming from the northeast? Do I need a car? Where to live? I might be working at Methodist Hospital in downtown H-town.

Answer 1

Hey there: I can tell you that there is a pretty large gay community in Houston. The center would be in the Montrose District. It's about 4 miles from the downtown district. There are quite a few bars and some of the best restaurants in the city are located in the Montrose. Houston mass transit is pretty limited, they do have a light rail that runs from downtown to the med-center and the buses do connect to the light rail, but if you want to do anything outside the loop a car is a good ideal. You do have to remember this is the bible belt and they are pretty slow in the acceptance to others. It is getting to be a diverse area but it's still a good old boy's city and state. The summer are hot and sweaty with large power bills in the summer. Winters are very mild. Hope this help. Good luck

Answer 2

I have never lived or visited ATL so I cannot comment on it.

I am a gay Hispanic male and have lived in Houston, TX since 1987.

Houston has just as much violence as any large city. With 4 million people it is going to happen. Just like in any large city you need to aware of your surroundings when traveling at night and take responsibility for your personal safety.

Gay nightlife is centered in the Montrose area of town. Montrose is centrally located just west of downtown. Montrose has a mix of clubs, shops, restaurants and residential. There are several gay clubs near the 800 block of Pacific St. All the clubs welcome African Americans. Now that being said I wish I could also say that the gay community is integrated but it is not. You are going to find that some people will accept you and some will not. I think being from the Northeast will be a bigger issue than black and gay.

The city is urban but if you want to get into county you can. That is one very nice thing about Houston what ever you may be into you will find it in Houston. There is even a gay county western bar.

I also work in Healthcare. The Methodist is not located downtown. It is located in the Texas Medical Center. It is centrally located just south of downtown.

Public transportation is very limited in Houston. You may not need a car to get to work but you will need a car for nightlife. The buses and rail stop running at midnight.

I recomend the following places to live. Montrose zip codes 77006 and 77098. I had lived in Montrose from 1993 until 6 months ago and I only had a 20 minute commute to the Med Center. Downtown and Midtown zip code 77002. The rail connects downtown, midtown and the Med Center in that order. All those area can get expensive. A cheaper alternative is Greenway Plaza zip code 77027. This area is just west of Montrose but still close to med center.

Answer 3

If your looking to get away from violence, then maybe Houston is not the move for you. The statistics show that crime has gone down but the headlines say different. Keep in mind that crime is everywhere. I just moved out of the Houston area- I was there for 13 yrs. I personally, think it's a great place to live and would like to move back one day. The nightlife is pretty amazing, especially if your with the right crowd. I have a lot of gay friends and there are a lot of clubs and bars to go to. I don't think the city is country unless you're in the outskirts. Houston is a melting pot and I think you will enjoy the diversity. You will definitely need a car unless you plan to walk everywhere- Good luck! As far as where to live, since you would be working in the Medical Center, you might want to look into living either downtown or the Montrose area. The rent is fairly pricey in either area but not that much different than any other part of Houston. Wherever you decide to live- hold your head up high and don't let anybody discourage you from doing what you want and what is best for you. Good luck and have a great time wherever life takes you!!! :)