Houston is definitely not a place with a lot of charm, it's a non-nonsense down to business city. It definitely would not be my choice if I were an urbanite.

Houston is definitely not a place with a lot of charm, it's a non-nonsense down to business city. It definitely would not be my choice if I were an urbanite. But, there are some important things Houston has going for it. It has a fantastic income to cost of living ratio, the best of any major city in America. There are a lot of high paying jobs and there is a lot of economic opportunity. It is a major center for technological innovation (though not of the sort that is hyped on HackerNews). The weather is quite pleasant 7 months per year. There are a lot of interesting museums. The Houston area is a good place to raise a family. To many people these things more than outweigh the lack of charm. Myself, I wouldn't care to live in such a big city but I can easily understand the appeal to those who do live there.