The UK and Ireland vs Houston, TX
Today we will be discussing the pros and cons of being in the UK and Ireland compared to our old hometown of Houston, TX. This is more of general overview that comes from a perspective of being in a place longer than a normal vacation or holiday (especially for my fellow Americans) and shorter than living there fulltime (albeit, without working). I am sorry for categorizing the UK and Ireland together (which I imagine might offend people from either side), but for simplicity (and even though they would probably deny it, they are both very similar) of not having to write the article twice, I have combined them.
Public Transportation
London 2018
UK and Ireland
Compared to what we are used to, public transportation seems to be world class. If you are in a major city, you are never far from some form of public transportation. In almost all cases that we have experienced in the cities you will not need a car to get around. If you are going from city to city, there are also plenty of options to get there. Every city that we have visited is very walkable. Not everything is right across the street from each other, but as long as you are not in a hurry, you can get almost anywhere in a reasonable amount of time by walking from any of the public transportation hubs. Things get a little complicated (and stolen) when you are going to/from your accommodation with all of your luggage, so I would recommend getting a taxi or hiring a cab to your destination with all of your luggage in one piece. Once you are free from those burdens, it is much easier and safer to use the public transit.
Houston, TX
The very little public transportation that Houston has is very useful. The only caveat is the ground that the transportation covers is very little, and unless you live in one of the few central hubs that it supports, you might not even notice that it exists. Everything in Houston revolves around the car, and you will need one if you live or visit here.
Public Transportation Verdict
Easily in favor of the UK and Ireland.
Weather
Isle of Skye 2022
Ireland and UK
This is very subjective, but I love cool and cold weather. I even get envious when I see someone in a show or movie who is wearing a coat outside. Our trips to the British Isles have only been in the summer so far, but we have spent a good portion of time in the Pacific Northwest in the winter (which I thoroughly enjoyed), and I can’t imagine it being too different from that. We will be back in England in December, so I reserve the right to change my opinion once that time comes. Some weeks during our visit have been sunny and cool to warm, and other weeks have been rainy every day. Other than Isle of Skye, it is relatively light when it rains. One major downside that I can see most Americans not enjoying is that there is almost no air conditioning here. During the day, it is usually cooler to be outside than sitting indoors at your house. Oh, and there are very little chances for hurricanes, which is a huge plus.
Houston, TX
I hate Houston weather for about eight months out of the year. I hate the heat. I hate the humidity. And I really hate hurricanes. Four months out of the year can be kind of nice, but after my ten years there, I have learned that each year can be a mixed bag of rain and overcast every day or long chains of beautiful weather.
Weather Verdict
Ireland and the UK win again by a landslide.
Driving
Christchurch 2018
UK and Ireland
While I was brainstorming my thoughts on driving in the Isles, I found it hard to come up with positives on the experience. One thing I did think of is there is generally less congestion since there are fewer cars on the road. As for the negatives, where to start? Most roads were not made for heavy or even moderate vehicle traffic. There are long stretches of single track roads where one car often has to reverse to get to a passing spot. Sarah would say that the advantage to this is a smaller impact on the environment and scenery (compared to the U.S.). There are arbitrary speed limits and slow down suggestions on curves, so it can be pretty hard to sense if you are going too slow or going to go flying off the road. Roundabouts, roundabouts everywhere. One might think roundabouts are an efficient way to handle intersections, but that is not always the case, especially when there are stop lights incorporated with the roundabouts. There are few super highways, so even if your driving distance is small it could take you a while since the speed limit is lower. There are a high percentage of sign and markers on the roads that are not intuitive, and we found ourselves guessing what they might mean. Of the four cars we’ve had here, half have been manual transmissions. I actually enjoy driving them, but it can be hard to adjust shifting gears with your left hand. I am happy to report that the pedal setup matches the rest of the world, clutch on the left, brake in the middle, and gas on the right.
Houston, TX
Driving in Houston is pretty much the same as anywhere else in the USA. Biggest negatives would be lack of scenery, billboards everywhere (Sarah really enjoyed being advertised less to in the UK and Ireland), everything is spread out and can take a long time to get anywhere, and the potential of being shot for tailgating someone (intentional or not).
Driving Verdict
Houston gets the win here.
Scenery
Dublin Mountains Trail 2022
Ireland and UK
There are so many great things about the scenery in Ireland and the UK that it would be hard to list them all. I think my favorite part is that you are never far from green space. Every city is surround by farm land, parks, or forests. There are also countless parks throughout the cities. The highways are all lined with trees with very little billboards. You are also never far from getting to a breathtaking site. (see the picture to the left).
Houston, TX
I have long argued that Houston does in fact have a lot of trees. It just so happens that those tress tend to not be the most aesthetically pleasing. Houston is also as flat as a pancake. You can go up in a skyscraper and see for forever, but your view will more than likely have a giant refinery somewhere in the background. I am a very big fan of the bayou system trails, but after seeing proper trails and greenery along canals, Houston leaves quite a bit to be desired. Sarah would mention that Houston does have awesome city parks, but they are not all that assessable given the lack of public transit (compared to Europe).
Scenery Verdict
Ireland and the UK win again.
Dining
Edinburgh 2022 (Birthday Haggis)
UK and Ireland
If I had to put a label on our foodieness, I would say we are Fiscally Responsible Beginner Foodies. (When I showed Sarah this sentence she said, “Oh, I don’t think we are.” Then I mentioned compared to high roller foodies, and she said, “Ahhh, yeah that is true.”) If anyone reading this is traveling to a new city, I would highly recommend the website Eater. They have several different categories of food ratings and a really handy map tool that shows restaurants around you. We use it everywhere we travel to, and it has yet to let us down. I just wanted to frame where we are coming from on the food front so hopefully, I will be forgiven if I offend anyone. :)
From our perspective UK and Ireland are known for the foods that are not local. Most people that we talked to in the various cities would inevitably recommend Indian, Thai, or Ramen food, which is great since we love all of these foods. However, the palettes of the locals seem to be somewhat muted, and the restaurant cater to them. Sarah would say with the exception of diverse cities like London which has amazing Indian and Thai food. Essentially, if you order something spicy it will come out mild, and so on. The foods that each of these countries are known for have somewhat become a novelty; like haggis or fish and chips. It can still be really good but not something I would want more than a couple of times on a trip.
Some other complaints (generalities compared to what I am used to): vegetables don’t seem quite as fresh, burgers have been pretty dry, chicken tenders have been dry, service (while friendly) can be pretty slow, Mexican food is atrocious, and little to no ice in drinks.
Houston, TX
There is not too much to say here. Houston has one of the best food scenes in the world. If you know where to look, you can find world class meals of any style, without the absurd cost, and lacking pretentious overtones. There is a great Ugly Delicious episode that focuses on Houston chefs willingness to collaborate and innovate that I feel captures the Houston food scene pretty well.
Dining Verdict
Big win for Houston here.
Pubs / Bars
Dublin 2022 (Brazen Head, the oldest bar in Dublin)
Ireland and UK
Going to a local pub and having a pint with friends is the national pastime for both countries. No matter where you are, you are never beyond walking distance to a pub. If you want to get local information on what is cool to check out in the area, bartenders and patrons can be great resources and are the unofficial experts. There is a pretty broad spectrum of pub styles, but a vast majority don’t fail to provide a certain charm. Though we typically try to avoid overcrowded or overly loud places.
The beer and breweries we’ve tried have been pretty good. We have found some stellar places like Brewdog and Brew York that are on par with the best American breweries, but the majority of beers we have tried here have been more in the realm of mediocre but not bad. You also have no shortage of breweries and distilleries to visit. We really enjoyed our trips to the meccas of Guinness and Jameson and the smaller distillery Jura.
Houston, TX
Houston is a world class beer city (I swear I am not biased). The independent breweries St Arnold and Buffalo Bayou carry the torch for awesome large brewery experiences, and smaller places like Eureka Heights and True Anomaly help fill in the local neighborhood niches. While the product and source of the libations are fantastic, finding bars to enjoy easily can be a little tough. There are certainly great bars in Houston, but the city is so spread out it can make it hard to find one if you don’t already know where to go.
Pubs / Bars Verdict
Ireland and the UK win by a comfortable margin.
Final Score (full-time result)
UK and Ireland: 4
Houston, TX: 2
Both teams gave it their all today and left it all out on the pitch (field). Unfortunately for Houston, the combined countries had a deeper pedigree and more experienced players and simply outclassed the Bayou City. Looking forward on the horizon you can see geopolitical and climate changes could shake this matchup up, but for now the UK and Ireland hold the cup of cool places to be for the Summer of 2022.
Until next time, this is your color commentator Jeff and executive producer Sarah signing off and wishing you a stupendously fantastic day.
