Houston metro area now 6th largest in U.S.
The Houston metropolitan area is now the nation’s sixth largest, surpassing Miami, the Census Bureau said in a report released today. The Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land statistical area grew by 824,547, or 17.5 percent, to 5,539,949 people between April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2006, the bureau said. It was the nation’s third-highest growth in raw numbers and 30th-highest in percentage terms…. Four of the nation’s fastest-growing metro areas in raw numbers are in Texas: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, the San Antonio-to-Austin corridor and the Texas-Mexico border area.
Jeebus, no wonder the traffic in Houston is becoming increasingly annoying. Thankfully, I don’t have to spend a lot of time in Houston, though. I can’t imagine living, say, on the far west side or in Katy and having to commute into downtown or southwest Houston every day. I think I’d be sitting in traffic and playing Russian Roulette.
Though there are a a few areas of Houston I don’t mind so much, I frankly don’t understand the appeal of the city. Most of Houston is frankly an armpit- run down, no zoning, and with unpredictable and inefficient city services. Most of the city’s housing is poorly built and completely devoid of any imagination or character. Once you get past the heat, the humidity, the pollution, and the traffic…well, OK, then Houston is a veritable Paradise on Earth. As far as I’m concerned, the good thing about Houston is that I don’t have to live in it. Seabrook is close enough that I can drive there if I want to, but it’s not often that I want to anymore.
Memo to all y’all thinking about moving here: if you’re looking to avoid the snow, try Phoenix. It’s less crowded, the pollution is less onerous…and you don’t have to deal with Texas Republicans. ‘Course, it’s not like Arizona Republicans are any less nutty, I suppose….
