From Michigan to Texas: North DFW or Austin area??? (Houston: low crime, house)

[percula]

I am relocating with my wife, son and soon to arrive daughter to Texas. I recently had several job interviews in north DFW area which my wife and I really did like, but we are also considering making another trip down to Austin to check things out. Everything that we read makes Austin sound like the perfect place to be. I am a health professional and my wife will soon be a stay at home mother. The things that are most important to us are the basics: good school systems, low crime, etc.

But...we are also big on being outdoors, love scenic views and being near water (we previously considered base of the appalachian mnts in Carolinas) and like to live in a nonoppressive and clean area.

I need input to compare these areas PLEASE!!! Economy? Traffic? Housing? Overall quality of life? Pros and Cons? Just trying to pick the best place to raise my kids in a healthy environment.

P.S. We are not overly religious, and we do not think about football 24/7.

Thanks

[CPTXJim]

Austin is for you. I've grown-up in Austin and also lived 2 years in Dallas. The two towns are not comparable at all. Dallas has much more crime, traffic, and sprawl. Austin has more outdoors attractions and is much more laid back. Dallas does have more tourist theme parks and big city attrations like professional sports. Austin is more of a college town with some traffic but nothing compared to Dallas. By what you said Austin is the place for you. What part of Michigan are you from?

[centralaustinite]

JOB FIRST!

Focus on the job, everything else will follow that. Job opportunities are probably better in Dallas than Austin, depending on the field but Dallas is a much bigger city and will have more opportunities.

Come on down and check Austin out, it may be a good fit for you but if the job offer is in Dallas, take it!

[percula]

Definitely MORE job opportunities for us in DFW, but I want to locate in the best fit place for my family. I'm a little scared of being the non football yankee in dfw, also there may not be as many outdoor activities from what it sounds like?

we live currently in Royal Oak, work in Birmingham and Rochester Hills.

thanks for the replies so far!

[centralaustinite]

Umm . . . well we're pretty crazy about football down here too! Especially college football and high school football!!

I'm a non-native too and I have to tell you that the first thing we learned when we arrived in Austin was how to talk about Longhorn football and the basics of the HS game. (I guess a parallel would be someone in the NE who didn't know anything about NY Yankees and the Boston Red Sox). Are you willing to learn? A little football and Longhorn lingo goes a long way!

Austin has plenty of outdoor activities. Austin is an over-grown college town, Dallas is a real big city.

I am not a Dallas fan (although I seem to be recommending it a lot lately), you can search the forum and come up with many (many) Austin versus Dallas thread that will give you some insight.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by percula

Definitely MORE job opportunities for us in DFW, but I want to locate in the best fit place for my family. I'm a little scared of being the non football yankee in dfw, also there may not be as many outdoor activities from what it sounds like?

Well, just because the other cities in TX don't have the Cowboys, doesn't mean they aren't football 24/7 also.. it's a statewide thing. And we have a little football here in Austin, too. I wouldn't worry about that in either city.. plenty of people who could care less about football in both places.

As others have mentioned, DFW will have more jobs and less competition for them. Hence, probably higher salary. Austin has the scenery, lakes and a healthy vibe -- but the price for that is higher housing costs, more competition for jobs, and lower salary.

Also, if you are used to large cities, Austin may feel too small. DFW and Houston airports are both hubs for major airlines, and both of those cities have big museums/zoos/pro teams which Austin does not (well, Austin does have some museums).

Just need to figure out which items are your priority. Also pay a visit to Austin, so you can see for yourself.

[AustinTexan]

There are a lot of nice areas around DFW, you just have to look. Living in the city of Dallas has it's drawbacks, but from where you're coming from, I can't see many.

[JLO]

I agree -- Job first. After living a great life in North Carolina, we moved for a short period to Dallas. I absolutely loved Flower Mound, a suburb north of Dallas. It's near the lake (Lake Grapevine). It is north of the DFW airport. It has good schools, great people and a very nice ... normal ... quality of life. The people I met there were not overly religious (like myself) but Football is still a big thing. However, there were no multi-million dollar stadiums to house high school football games (that's Southlake). It was a great, short lived experience there. After six months we had to move to Austin due to a job transfer.
Now, we live in Austin ... well Cedar Park to be exact. It's a nice, normal lifestyle, here. My stepson is in High School and the thing I love is that the kids here seem to be relatively down to earth without a huge focus on materialism and the "haves" and "have nots." In NY (where I am from) it was a lot of keeping up with the Joneses (I didn't participate as I am more like a "Smith"... whatever that means."). The same was true in NC. A lot less in Flower Mound and even less in Cedar Park/ Austin.

As for being near water ... Lake Travis is nearby (4 miles from my house) and water activities are abundant here as well as cycling and running. Football is still popular. But we're big Lacrosse supporters as my step son plays. It's becoming quite popular.Soccer is also big with the kids here.

Texas is different from Michigan but all in all it should be a relatively positive change. My husband works with many people originally from Michigan. They seem to like it here. Although it's a LOT HOTTER in summer. But Michigan is a lot colder in winter (was in Kalamazoo in January several years ago, ughhh).It will be an adjustment, but moving anywhere different is an adjustment. So, in my opinion, if you get a job in Dallas, check out Flower Mound (suburb -Bridlewood - horse community). If you get a job in Austin, it's a great place. Either way ... welcome to Texas. As a recent relocator, I can say, they really do make you feel welcome ... just don't talk politics and religion. But, then again, that's the case anywhere you go, right?

[1mintjulep]

Moderator cut: removed quoted post
Aside from a childhood "vacation" to Grand Prairie (that's near Dallas, right?) and a couple of trips to the DFW airport, I've only had one visit to Dallas, about a year after I moved to Austin, and it was terrible. It's kind of a funny story 6 years later, but I don't think I want to go back.

I could never live there, or in Houston - mainly b/c I don't think I could live in a big city. Austin really is the perfect size for me - I felt at home here from the time I set foot in town.

[latikeriii]

I agree with an earlier poster, find a job that BEST fits you first and then follow it. There are great neighborhoods and suburbs in both places. Also, check out Houston, people in Austin don't tend to like it but there are tons of great suburbs like Katy, the Woodlands, Sugarland, and so on. DFW and Houston tend to have more jobs, pay better and have cheaper housing than Austin so factor that in to your decision. Austin has a very competitive workforce that will take less money for the quality of life there. The rest of Texas would be an extreme culture shock IMO.
Good Luck, most of my Michigan friends are flocking from the Detroit Area.