Though I post from and live in New Orleans, I do not suffer from Houston envy. I have a number of family and friends there and have no animus to the giant Metropolis to our west. However, while Houston has experienced phenomenal growth over the last few decades, and exhibits a general vitality that older cities lack, it has no distinctive character (other than a hodgepodge Tex-Mex flavor) and has no identifiable anchor, like Manhattan provides to the rest of New York. Houston's mass transit is feeble at best, and those not lucky enough to live close to work must endure long treks in the car. Downtown Houston is lifeless after dark. If I had to choose between Houston (or other booming cities like Dallas or Atlanta) and New York, I would suck up the higher prices and move north. Sorry, Houston.