Some malevolent force has dragged me back to Houston. I had managed to stay away for 8 years before moving back last year, after I failed to secure a work visa to remain in the U.K. I'm not particularly a fan of hot weather, brown air, lousy to nonexistent public transit, and complete lack of zoning...but at least the cost of living here is insanely cheap compared to almost every other major metropolitan area in the U.S. Land & rents are cheap, there's no state income tax, gasoline is (relatively) cheap...so it's not all bad.

Downtown is undergoing a massive renovation, and has improved dramatically from the 1980's when after 5pm the place turned into a ghost-town with only vagrants and the criminally insane patrolling the streets. Bayou Place, the new Ballpark and Toyota Center and the newly opened park along Buffalo Bayou are all well-needed additions to the city. Old buildings downtown are being converted into v. nice studio apartments (and sold at a fraction of the price of comparable digs in Los Angeles, Chicago, NYC, SFO, etc) at an incredible pace.

The only crucial thing about living here is having good air-conditioning...in your car, home, office, or wherever you happen to be. For me it's bad enough just walking the six blocks from my office to the bus-stop during the summer (roughly March-November). To be fair, I really don't mind being able to BBQ outdoors in short-sleeves in January (though you can't always count on it to be warm, 60-70 degrees in Jan. is not uncommon). The city is a mixed bag, and it's not for everyone, but it has enough positives to be truly livable. Personally, I'm a fan of living in scenic locales...unfortunately, picturesque cities like Austin don't really offer the same job opportunities, pay, or cost of living that Houston does...so here be I.

I think you'll also find that most locals have a love-hate relationship with this city...but that deep down we have a soft spot for the place, heat, pollution and all. After all, it beats living in Dallas