Houston City Living

Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed.

Neil Armstrong

I still remember when I returned back to Finland in 2007, after 12 years abroad and the main thought was: I do not want to live in the city. Which lead to buying a place in Masala, Kirkkonummi. Which is about 30 min drive from Helsinki downtown.

When the decision was made to move to Houston and settle in first to my husband's "bachelor cave" I was bit sceptic about how long I would survive with full sanity. You see, my new home here is right in the middle of downtown Houston.

The first months I was having sometimes home sickness to the views I used to have from the window to the forest and that big forest starting right from the back yard. Funny though how time heals and helps to adjust....now I have made my peace with living in the city and actually happy about it.

The only thing which makes me feel uneasy are the homeless people at the street. Mainly the ones, which are drinking or one can smell that they smoke weed. It kicks my self-defense alertness on. Yet till now, nobody has ever approached me or even said anything. One reason to it might be the good training I got during the time in Russia to walk on the street and look like one might bite off the head of anyone, who comes to talk. My dear friend in St.Petersburg said when I asked how to melt into the local crowd; stop smiling and look like being in rush and even little angry. It must have worked, cause I survived the 1,5 years without ever being robbed or attacked.

Houston downtown houses only about 10 000 people. Greater Houston has population of 4.4 million people. Just as a comparison, whole Finland has about 5.6 million people.

So, after office hours there are not too many people here, yet development of services is there. Restaurants, sports arenas, speciality stores, bayou outdoor area, theaters, cinemas, parks are all walking distance. More apartment buildings are being built all the time. Houston is changing its face drastically right now.

Being able to walk anywhere is one of the reasons I have actually learned to be happy about having this time and experience to live in the downtown. I can walk to most places. Some of the Finnish friends have mentioned the shift from used to walk everywhere in Finland and now needing to drive everywhere. They are not so happy about that change.
In downtown one can still walk everywhere. Which allowed me to stay car-less for nearly a year (which made me a weirdo in US terms) :)

My husband has a car and in the beginning it was enough for us. Only recently when I found my way e.g. to acupuncture, which I used to do on regular basis in Finland, and started having regular appointments....we noticed that 2nd car might not be bad thing to have.

Having learned to drive around downtown is also another great advantage. Some of my Nordic

friends dislike coming by car to downtown. I do not blame them.
I admit, at first I was not driving anywhere on voluntary basis. My husband, smart cookie as he is, pretty much forced me to drive. He would announce suddenly that "we are going out", I would follow him like a curious puppy....then notice that he pressed the car keys to my hand and informed in a determined tone:" You ARE driving."
After few times of those "just taking my wife out to drive" I started getting comfortable and even liking to drive around Houston. I admit the traffic can get overwhelming here at times.

Yet Houston downtown has been made to be green and is getting greener all the time. The city has invested a lot to create parks and green routes along and around the bayous. While running around the bayous one may even forget to be in the city.

Easy to run, bike and wander around....and yet stay within the city limits. Lot of opportunities for art and events, both indoor and outdoor.

I have loved the new habit I have taken with my in-laws and occasionally accompanied also by my husband: going to musicals. Also walks or runs outdoors show the art pieces everywhere....where they are well done graffiti
or statues, etc.

Those things have allowed me to dare to dream that having a house in the near of park and outdoor area is doable even here.

We are looking for a house outside downtown Houston...but till we find it, I will continue enjoying the city living as refreshing experience. Geocaching (one of my many hobbies) is one great way to get to know the city :)

See you in Houston!