I must say that I have lived ever so briefly in the Houston metro area. I resided in Pasadena on the southeast side a few blocks from Gilley's tavern(anyone seen that old movie "Urban Cowboy", it was partially filmed there). I worked northwest of Houston in the Woodlands- an entirely planned suburb. These two sides of the metro were actually in different bioregions. Pasadena had sandy soil and scrub grass. The Woodlands was built in the midst of the forest that encompasses the northern side of Houston. Any indications of where one begins and the other ended was obliterated by my trip through the core of the city every day.
It was terribly polluted. I've spent significant time in New York, Boston, Washington, Atlanta, Detroit and Chicago and I can attest that the air in Houston was the thickest I'd ever inhaled. I would never ever want to live in Houston proper as it was not too dissimiliar from my memories of riding through Gary, Indiana when I was a child with my folks seeing the dark stain on the sky and smelling the pugent rotten egg smell of the sulphur from the poor quality coal used in the industries there. I remember having to stop and wash clothes after passing through Gary because the smell was so strong. Thanks, David Strand-glad to breathe freer near Loring Park --- Paul Lambie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Apparently, Diane has been to Houston and did not > care > much for it. I have not been to Houston so I cannot > personally comment on the atrocious conditions she > has > described. > > However, I must wonder, and maybe someone can > provide > some more detailed information, as to how the area > is > able to attract and retain so many people to live in > such an appalling environment. The U.S. Census > bureau > counted a population of 1,630,553 within Houston > proper in its 1990 census. > > Are these people being held captive? Is there no > avenue for them to tell there government that they > need restrictive land use policies to better their > lives? Perhaps they choose to stay there because > the > cost of living (including housing) is cheaper? > > Paul Lambie > Lowry Hill > > Diane Wiley wrote: > > This is the problem with people not knowing history > or > having traveled > much -- > go to Houston -- I think the operative part is > "great > for business" -- > tell me > if you want to live in a sprawling, polluted, no > social services, > polluted, > freeway dominated [yes, even more than here], crime > ridden, polluted > city. > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax > http://taxes.yahoo.com/ > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic > Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
