Atlanta and Dallas (Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta: 2014, homes, construction)

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by UnMatrix

The economy in Dallas is much better. Jobs a-pletny. Real estate is also cheaper and there isn't that grinding Atlanta racial tension. Dallas is more upscale too.

But Atlanta(N. Georgia) is prettier though.

Yeah, in Dallas it's more of a pulsing racial tension...

There is only racial tension if we allow it in our lives, no matter where we live. With Atlanta being the center of civil rights and the headquarters for the entire movement, race will continue to be important and will be an issue at times...but it can be discussed and recognized without tension - and it normally is.

[mslashondapjohnson]

To the original thread poster,

I am originally from Dallas and just moved here what a month ago. To me, Dallas is in no comparison to ATl well I take that back maybe on the weather at sum point. But, the nightlife, activities for children/family, yeah right in Dallas. I mean everything that once was is no longer around. Downtown is trying to build the area back up I guess but Downtown Dallas is nothing like Downtown here and yes the Traffic is light depending on what area you are in and the Jobs . OMG, you have to go out far if you stay in the hoods- Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, East Dallas , South Dallas, West Dallas, Etc.etc. etc. in order to get a decent paying job. Racism in my opinion is everywhere but I noticed it a lot more in Texas because there is not near as much diversity as it is here. I mean you have certain sections where the Hispanics, Asians, Whites Blacks all live (segregation for real lmao) now there is of course some areas that are mixed but prime example Highland Park -better not get caught passing thru there if you are not WHITE and I mean that and by no means am I prejudice that's just what that is . Moving along though, the only thing that I have to get used to in ATL - is finding all the reasonable stores, eateries, etc. etc. because although Dallas appears to be enormous you tend to know where everything is because it's not all that it appears to be .

Good luck however on your move just wanted to share my insight on being in D town all my life- that is still my Hood but for now I'm repping ATL all day..lol.

[ljarnew08]

Originally Posted by gladt

^^^ Thanks! Yes it does. I still like Atlanta and wouldn't mind one day lving there again but for personal reasons needed to choose Dallas over Atlanta as I am leaving Charlotte. Atlanta is prettier because of more trees but they do seem to offer about the same things.

Sounds like you traveled the same cities as myself. I live in Charlotte, but also I lived in Atlanta. I want to relocate from Charlotte and I am considering Dallas, but at this point in my life I don't know if starting over somewhere I am not familiar with is a good idea. But for employment reasons Dallas may be better. Care to elaborate.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by mslashondapjohnson

To the original thread poster,

I am originally from Dallas and just moved here what a month ago. To me, Dallas is in no comparison to ATl well I take that back maybe on the weather at sum point. But, the nightlife, activities for children/family, yeah right in Dallas. I mean everything that once was is no longer around. Downtown is trying to build the area back up I guess but Downtown Dallas is nothing like Downtown here and yes the Traffic is light depending on what area you are in and the Jobs . OMG, you have to go out far if you stay in the hoods- Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, East Dallas , South Dallas, West Dallas, Etc.etc. etc. in order to get a decent paying job. Racism in my opinion is everywhere but I noticed it a lot more in Texas because there is not near as much diversity as it is here. I mean you have certain sections where the Hispanics, Asians, Whites Blacks all live (segregation for real lmao) now there is of course some areas that are mixed but prime example Highland Park -better not get caught passing thru there if you are not WHITE and I mean that and by no means am I prejudice that's just what that is . Moving along though, the only thing that I have to get used to in ATL - is finding all the reasonable stores, eateries, etc. etc. because although Dallas appears to be enormous you tend to know where everything is because it's not all that it appears to be .

Good luck however on your move just wanted to share my insight on being in D town all my life- that is still my Hood but for now I'm repping ATL all day..lol.

Whoa are you serious???? Texas is one of the most diverse states in the country and Dallas is one of the most diverse cities. Are you even sure you lived in Texas???

[KevK]

Originally Posted by gladt

Used to live in Atlanta and enjoyed it. About to move to Dallas and some say that the two cities are similar. I saw some similarities in while visiting but not that much. For those who know the two cities better than I do, do you think Dallas and Atlanta are similar and in what respect. Or is Atlanta more like Houston than Dallas?

Not all that similar. I lived in Plano (Dallas) and the Hispanic culture is much more a part of Dallas than Atlanta (for now). Dallas is much hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. The Dallas Metro is much more spread out than the Atlanta metro.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by KevK

The Dallas Metro is much more spread out than the Atlanta metro.

Wow, really? I'm a little surprised to hear that.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by WilliamM

Wow, really? I'm a little surprised to hear that.

As these are the two major metros that I know backwards and forwards, they are both sprawling to the limits. DFW looks different as it is flatter and less trees so it seems even more sprawling. When travelling around the area on the freeways, there are vistas with nothing but pyramid shaped roofs to the horizon. A lot of Atlanta's sprawl does get hidden from view by the topography when travelling the freeways, so the casual observer would be more likely to say Dallas sprawls more when comparing the two.

In reality, the two sprawl for miles. In McKinney, I am on the northeastern edge of the metroplex. If I travelled diagonally to the southwestern suburbs of Fort Worth, I would go at least 75 miles with uninterrupted growth until I saw undeveloped areas again.

[NY323]

Dallas has the edge. Both cities are great.
Dallas, however, has more/better restaurants, more shopping, slightly more entertainment venues and attractions, more people, and more pride.
Atlanta is more scenic. Dallas is more cosmopolitan. Atlanta has a strong Southern feel, while Dallas has more international flavor (much like california), with texas pride and influence on the side.

Dallas is the largest metro area in the state of Texas, and 4th largest in the United States. Atlanta is 9th. Both cities have great suburbs, but Dallas has more.

Dallas definitely has the flashy-urban feel. Atlanta also does somewhat.
To me, Dallas has a slightly more impressive skyline, especially at night.
The restaurants in Dallas are second-to-none, with more restaurants per capita than NYC. While Dallas has fantastic local/regional restaurants that you won't find anywhere else, it also has an almost limitless variety of food choices. But Tex-Mex is best in Dallas.
Atlanta, like I said, is more scenic.
the Dallas area has more Fortune 500 companies than any other city in the world, and the 9th most billionaires in the world. Not sure if that is relevant or not (haha)

I have been to both cities many times, and i love them both.
I love it in NYC, but if I had to live anywhere else, I would choose Dallas or Chicago. Both strongly appeal to me. I love the "spizazz" of dallas.

[MantaRay]

Originally Posted by KevK

The Dallas Metro is much more spread out than the Atlanta metro.

But Dallas has a higher population and a higher population density than Atlanta. Dallas suburbs have smaller lots than Atlanta's. And Dallas streets have more of a grid pattern that Atlanta's. That means that for as spread out as Dallas it, it has a more efficient distribution of traffic and more efficient utilization of resources, specifically less water usage per houshold (lawn sprinklers) than in Atlanta.

Dallas also has a much more extensive interconnected parks/trails system than Atlanta and much more lifestyle center/town center style shopping. Quality of life factors.

[ustrav]

I think the two are similar and then also absolutely nothing alike.

Dallas is in Texas and that alone creates differences. Both Georgia and Texas as states, lack and have fallen behind in many other states in key areas. Texas seems to not wish to do better, where as in Georgia the people tend to understand this situation is nothing to brag about. Quite the opposite in TX.

Texas and Dallas are also more authoritarian and more religious imho than Georgia. Georgia is firmly Christian and Baptist at that, but Dallas is even more so. You simply do little in Dallas unless the church is involved and that includes young people. You will see agressive police forces in Dallas and surrounding cities- and they will enforce to the letter of the law.

As best I can tell while Dallas looks more cosmopolitan, Atlanta actually is. People in Dallas dress more fashionable. But Dallas does not have the diversity of Decatur, West End, or Chamblee. Compared with Atlanta there are virtually no black people in Dallas.

Dallas appears to be much older interms of housing with very little in the way of young professionals taking over urban areas as evidenced by the lack of new, or to the extent of new which exists in Atlanta, development. Compared to Atlanta there is very little new housing. The vast, overwhelmingly vast majority of homes in Dallas seem to date from 1990 to 2000. In Atlanta houses are more secluded due to the woods all around. Dallas has more straight lined in a row housing.

Dallas is also very much more spread out. You can spend all day in the car and not leave the metroplex. Even general construction is more spread out. Highrises appear in the middle of pastures, speghetti junction style interchanges pop up in non uprban areas. For instance we found a mellow mushroom pizza in Ft Worth and spent an hour to get there from Dallas. The cost of living in Dallas is better, but there's also that old saying about money.

And on money TX has no income tax but the highest property tax. Expect a bill of $600- $1000 per month on an average home. This is partly why housing prices are so cheap in TX. Still, that can beat local GA income taxes if you buy wisely. The downside though, is nothing in Texas 'common' is nice- the roads are often unmarked, cracked and in some cases ripped open. And that includes interstates. Public stuff in Texas seems cheap.

Lastly, Dallas is also where W. Bush chose to live, though in fairness Atlanta has it's own dingbat residents.