What if Houston or Dallas eventually became the largest cities in the US?

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by dktshb

Okay, maybe Houston looks vaguely similar to the eastern Los Angeles County cities of Pamona and West Covina or OC cities like Anaheim and Santa Ana even though these suburban cities outside Los Angeles are more than twice as dense as Houston.

This is very true. I don't know why people continue to push this Houston somewhat resembles LA. No, it doesn't. Nobody from LA will say this is true, it's only Houston/Texas people.

The only city that looks like LA is Long Beach, since most people don't consider that a real suburb.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by LA21st

This is very true. I don't know why people continue to push this Houston somewhat resembles LA. No, it doesn't. Nobody from LA will say this is true, it's only Houston/Texas people.

Reminds me of that time when people were comparing Detroit to LA -- that's an even larger stretch of the imagination.

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by LA21st

This is very true. I don't know why people continue to push this Houston somewhat resembles LA. No, it doesn't. Nobody from LA will say this is true, it's only Houston/Texas people.

The only city that looks like LA is Long Beach, since most people don't consider that a real suburb.

Yeah, I was doing google satellite views of downtown houston and downtown LA and the surrounding neighborhoods like, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Arts District, USC, Koreatown, Westlake up to Hollywood and all the way to the beach. I could not find anything that looked remotely similar to Los Angeles. Of course having spent a week in Houston for work 2 years ago and staying downtown I did not find anything remotely similar in feel about the 2 places. The skylines are sort of similar but LA's towers are surrounded by dense historic beau arts urban fabric whereas Houston's is not. Both cities have a freeway loop around them but that is where the similarities end.

[LA21st]

I see the same thing. There isn't even a area like Santa Monica (and not just downtown) in those cities. From East Los Angeles (or even Montery Park) to Santa Monica (18-23 miles) there isn't a similar place.

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by LA21st

I see the same thing. There isn't even a area like Santa Monica (and not just downtown) in those cities. From East Los Angeles (or even Montery Park) to Santa Monica (18-23 miles) there isn't a similar place.

Yeah, no Long Beach, San Fernando Valley Glendale or Pasadena either. Maybe if you just took the tall towers of downtown LA and the freeways and plopped it in the middle of Palmdale Lancaster you would have the high desert version of Houston.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by badrunner

If you mashed up Miami, Detroit and Houston, you'd get something vaguely resembling LA. But Houston would make up the least interesting portion of that city.

I could see Miami + Detroit = L.A.

I've never been to Houston, so I don't have much value to add there. From the photos I would say it resembles one of the suburban Detroit office hubs (Southfield, Troy, Livonia, Dearborn) more than the city itself.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I could see Miami + Detroit = L.A.

I've never been to Houston, so I don't have much value to add there. From the photos I would say it resembles one of the suburban Detroit office hubs (Southfield, Troy, Livonia, Dearborn) more than the city itself.

Except that Miami and Detroit look and feel or look nothing like LA, sure. [not to mention the physical setting, climate, and demographics].

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Except that Miami and Detroit look and feel or look nothing like LA, sure. [not to mention the physical setting, climate, and demographics].

You don't have to keep telling us this, we heard you the first thousand times.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by dktshb

Yeah, no Long Beach, San Fernando Valley Glendale or Pasadena either. Maybe if you just took the tall towers of downtown LA and the freeways and plopped it in the middle of Palmdale Lancaster you would have the high desert version of Houston.

No there are definitely spots, such as this one: https://goo.gl/maps/BPzbWkaBYzz6btEw7

And when you go deep into some neighborhoods, there are some similarities like this: https://goo.gl/maps/ZdicgbUnduC4VZjc8

Or this one: https://goo.gl/maps/fR25TSZzi6ZQQNC97

But LA of course doesn't have areas like this either: https://goo.gl/maps/Pprq6JNgrSoGwq7y7

Or this: https://goo.gl/maps/t1ZVPZ8oRGi9jz996

And Houston doesn't have the dense urban areas that LA has like Hollywood or Mid-City, or West LA.

In my opinion, there are certain streets or blocks that can resemble LA. Overall, the LA Basin looks a lot different than most of Houston, but outside of that I can see the similarities a few parts of Houston. For me, it was mostly about the relaxed/laid-back vibe of each city that were similar.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by Trae

No there are definitely spots, such as this one: https://goo.gl/maps/BPzbWkaBYzz6btEw7

And when you go deep into some neighborhoods, there are some similarities like this: https://goo.gl/maps/ZdicgbUnduC4VZjc8

Or this one: https://goo.gl/maps/fR25TSZzi6ZQQNC97

But LA of course doesn't have areas like this either: https://goo.gl/maps/Pprq6JNgrSoGwq7y7

Or this: https://goo.gl/maps/t1ZVPZ8oRGi9jz996

And Houston doesn't have the dense urban areas that LA has like Hollywood or Mid-City, or West LA.

In my opinion, there are certain streets or blocks that can resemble LA. Overall, the LA Basin looks a lot different than most of Houston, but outside of that I can see the similarities a few parts of Houston. For me, it was mostly about the relaxed/laid-back vibe of each city that were similar.

ok, i'm confused. What neighborhoods are those supposed to look like in LA exactly? And LA doesn't haven't what exactly? Those two links look like NOVA suburbia. Yes, LA does have those developments, so I'm not sure what you're getting at. Thos aren't urban or unique areas.

So in your opinion Houston looks like LA on a few blocks? I mean, that's true for most city comparisons anywhere. That's not gonna cut it.

Here's Melrose in West LA, which many blocks look like in a "newer" part of the city.
http://https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0819875,-118.3787231,3a,75y,258.69h,89.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxpNU39zoT5kuqRtoHs10RA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[pm91]

I like how this turned from a Houston vs Dallas to a Houston vs LA (What-Dallas-Tries-To-Be)

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Trae

No there are definitely spots, such as this one: https://goo.gl/maps/BPzbWkaBYzz6btEw7

And when you go deep into some neighborhoods, there are some similarities like this: https://goo.gl/maps/ZdicgbUnduC4VZjc8

Or this one: https://goo.gl/maps/fR25TSZzi6ZQQNC97

But LA of course doesn't have areas like this either: https://goo.gl/maps/Pprq6JNgrSoGwq7y7

Or this: https://goo.gl/maps/t1ZVPZ8oRGi9jz996

And Houston doesn't have the dense urban areas that LA has like Hollywood or Mid-City, or West LA.

In my opinion, there are certain streets or blocks that can resemble LA. Overall, the LA Basin looks a lot different than most of Houston, but outside of that I can see the similarities a few parts of Houston. For me, it was mostly about the relaxed/laid-back vibe of each city that were similar.

Great break down here. Some passing resemblance to areas in Pasadena or the foothill communities, but overall, pretty different. Doesnt help that the flora is so different too

[JManc]

Originally Posted by LA21st

This is very true. I don't know why people continue to push this Houston somewhat resembles LA. No, it doesn't. Nobody from LA will say this is true, it's only Houston/Texas people.

The only city that looks like LA is Long Beach, since most people don't consider that a real suburb.

Again. No one is saying Houston looks like LA. What they have said is that there are some passing resemblances; the mass of freeways, some pre-war neighborhoods, multi-nodal and so on.

[craigs]

If we stare at the front yard of a single-family house in Los Angeles, and we keep squinting and squinting, we can eventually eliminate from view all of the many things that make Los Angeles unique. Voila! Houston looks just like that!

The key is to keep on squinting and squinting until you cannot meaningfully tell one place from another. Argumentum ad myopia....

[Sun Belt]

You can find houses or blocks or buildings in just about any city and say that City X has a similar house, building, block.

These random Google Streetview examples aren't evidence that Houston and LA are similar.

Los Angeles:

[LA21st]

Most of America looks the same, so you can use those Houston pics for almost anywhere. Like I said, it reminded me of NOVA (Fairfax County mostly) than anything.

[jd3189]

Originally Posted by pm91

I like how this turned from a Houston vs Dallas to a Houston vs LA (What-Dallas-Tries-To-Be)

It was never supposed to be either, pero es o si que es.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by jd3189

It was never supposed to be either, pero es o si que es.

Es la verdad.

[Trae]

Quick, someone get the streetview of Downtown Houston and say it's actually Manhattan

[LA21st]

You're using streetviews of residential streets with single family houses or small apartment buildings. That commercial street you showed....no idea what that is in the LA area. Maybe Pasadena?
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1458...7i16384!8i8192

Eh, maybe not.

I'm sure we can find residential streets in Omaha that resemble a residential street in LA.


Streetview is fine to show a part of the city to someone, but in comparisons it hardly ever works.