we're better than that

Here’s how Houston ranks on U.S. News & World Report’s list of best places to live

Houston's showing was a bit surprising.

It’s that time of year again: U.S. News & World Report’s recently unveiled Best Places to Live in the USA again and has placed a Texas city at the top of the list — but despite a recent No. 1 accolade, it’s not Houston.

For the third year in a row, Austin topped a list of 125 of the most populous metros in the country. According to U.S. News, the city must “have a good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market, and a high quality of life.” Value may be relative, but the other boxes — check, check, check.

The Live Music Capital of the World is also the only Texas city to make it into the top five. Denver, Colorado, took silver, and Colorado Springs took bronze, with Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Des Moines, Iowa, securing four and five, respectively. Dallas was the next Texas locale to hit the list, coming in at No. 21. Houston follows later at No. 30.

In the report, Houston is lauded as a city that “attracts people with an entrepreneurial spirit and those who want to work at some of the country's largest companies.” The oil and gas sectors are noted, as are manufacturing and medical, as well as the job bounce-back from the recession. “As the country recouped, Houston was able to gain all of its lost jobs back and has gone on to add two jobs for every one lost.”

Houston also gets a nod for its diversity and low cost of living relative to income, and — no surprise here — robust dining scene, with more than 11,000 restaurants. In fact, the high praise makes one wonder if the Bayou City shouldn't have scored considerably better than No. 30.

So how’d Austin get to No. 1 on the list? How does any city get on this list?

U.S. News surveyed 2,000 American residents to weigh various factors about their cities. “These factors include quality of the job market, housing affordability, if people are actually moving to the areas, net migration, [and] desirability as well,” explained U.S. News Real Estate editor Devon Thornsby.

Quality of life is a huge component of the methodology. Things like high school education quality and average morning commute time factor into that category. Even with the city’s ongoing struggles with affordability and mobility, the pros still outweigh the cons for Austin residents.

Austin, with its technology boom, slew of universities, migration from other parts of Texas and the country, and general desirability, is caught in a perfect storm.

But other cities provide a good warning. “The biggest factor keeping places like New York City and Los Angeles from getting on the list is cost of living,” Thornsby said. “As a ranking that’s trying to help anyone make a decision, we have to take a realistic look at what people can afford there.”

Thornsby credits Austin’s “three-peat” win in large part to how much cheaper to live Austin still is than in Silicon Valley or New York City, where many of our transplants come from, as well as the overall culture.

“A lot of young professionals love the idea of being able to live in a part of the country that isn’t already so established with professionals,” she said.

Well and good, but it's not a stretch to imagine H-Town much higher on this list next year.

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flight cancelled

Historic Houston air terminal museum closes due to budget shortfall

Photo courtesy of 1940 Air Terminal Museum

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A beloved Houston museum has closed its doors — at least for now. The 1940 Air Terminal Museum announced this morning (Monday, March 2) that it has ceased operations.

Located next to Hobby Airport, the 1940 Air Terminal Museum showcases Houston’s aviation history. Designed by local architect Joseph Finger, the museum’s Art Deco building is a protected landmark that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Museum president and director Karen Nicolaou tells CultureMap that the problem is simple. The museum’s revenues don’t match its expenses. Previously, the museum raised $100,000 or more per year from raffles on Facebook, but that stream dried up.

It generates some money from admissions and more from hosting private events, but it hasn’t been enough. Being far away from the Museum District means it doesn’t get the cross traffic that its more centrally-located peer institutions do.

Still, the museum occupies a unique space in Houston. “It’s one of the coolest places for kids to see airplanes,” Nicolaou says. “There’s no other place where someone can walk onto the ramp and take a picture of plane taking off with nothing in the way.”

While the museum is closed for now, Nicolaou says its board has been in contact with the Texas Historical Commission about taking over operations. One issue is that the commission would want to take ownership of the building from Houston Airports, according to Nicolaou.

“That’s going to take coordination between the city, the airport system, and the Texas State Senate. There’s a lot of politics involved,” Nicolaou says.

Of course, she has a simple proposal for Houston Mayor John Whitmire that would move the process along.

“Mr. Mayor, sell the historical commission the building for a dollar and be done with it,” she says with a laugh.

In response to CultureMap's request for comment, Mayor John Whitmire provided the following statement: "I’ve spoken with the Chair of the Texas Historical Commission about opportunities to support the museum’s operations in ways that enhance the public experience. We’re making progress, but discussions are in the early stages."

Whether it’s operated by the City of Houston, the Texas Historical Commission, a university, or some other entity, Nicolaou hopes the public will be able to visit the museum again soon and for many years to come.

“We want a permanent solution. We’ve tried for one for years,” she says. “It belongs to the city. It belongs to the residents of the city of Houston. They should have it to go to for years.”

museums transportation 1940 air terminal museum