Originally Posted by
Probe
The general definition of a "city" generally means a certain population density. The only true "big" city in the US is New York, with Chicago being second. Depending on how big you draw the rings, you can take a bunch of areas in the US and call them the second biggest city.
Houston is a big suburb. So are most of our "cities". Making the "rings" bigger for bragging rights really doesn't mean anything.
I don't think it has anything to do with bragging rights. I think it has more to do with infrastructure support, education, economics, and public safety.
The reason the city is expanding dimensionally speaking is because of the population density in the middle and its high tax structure and general economics. If I were to live in the inner city of Houston my property taxes would be much higher. Also, due to risk, my auto insurance would nearly double, and homeowners insurance about 20 percent higher.
People get tired of "supporting the system" when they don't feel like the system is supporting them or their family's needs.
If I were single and the club lifestyle appealed to me, I would get a condo in the city. But, that's not my lifestyle.
If you want to be an inner city dweller then great, but generally speaking, in Houston people leave the inner loop and go outwards looking for greener pastures. or just "green grass" and get away from the concrete jungle. Lower taxes, better schools, less traffic, less drugs, less crime, better insurance rates; all that is found away from the middle ring of the city. Also, all those homes in the city are on top of each other, and are older construction. It just seems congested, and that's before you even leave your front door.