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Im considering a move to usa with my partner. She is American I am a UK citizen age 31. The visa side of things is pretty much all done. So just need to decide where to move to. After extensive research Ive narrowed it down to Charlotte, Tampa or Dallas.
I would like some level headed advice from people on here please. I am 31. An IT professional. No kids for next few years. Partner is 29.
Im struggling to decide on these 3 places. They have made my short list based on their weather as ive lived in London for 31 years and ive done my time with freezing dark grey 5 month winters here. I want mild to warm winters and hot summers.
Some criteria I would like advice/opinions/ feedback on...
-safety of city centres of each
-quality of suburban neighbourhoods just outside of city centre
- quality of bars and nightlife of the city
- things to do (sports teams, parks, lakes) im from london and appreciate the city's mentioned arent as big in population as london but id still llikea big city feel
- cost of living in each (groceries, average rent, public transport prices etc)
- IT job market
- friendliness of fellow citizens there to an englishman lol.
- traffic into city
Budget not a big deal. Both professionals so don't want a cheap dangerous neighbourhood. Would like somewhere decent.
Appreciate you guys taking time. If you ever want any feedback or advice on london just let me know
Sports teams are also important to me.
Dallas has the most "big city" options of the three, but I'm thinking that you might not be a fan of the extreme weather there - it's brutally hot in the summer and gets much colder than you probably would imagine in the winter. Also, keep in mind that it's a sprawling city and not very walkable.
Tampa might be too small for what you're looking for, and speaking of extreme weather - you'd probably get pretty tired of the heat and humidity in the summer.
Charlotte could be your best bet. I've actually read comments in City Data from Londoners who have moved to Charlotte and like it quite a bit. It's a pretty city -- lots of greenery and rolling hills -- but keep in mind it's much smaller than what you're used to. For a similar but larger city, you might want to consider Atlanta. Probably more job options there for you too. However, sprawl comment above applies to Atlanta as well, although the intown neighborhoods are becoming more urban and walkable.
Hi thanks for the excellent feedback. A few people have now mentioned atlanta. I was originally put off by the high crime statistics. But after looking into it, it seems its certain blocks and pockets that have the high crime.
Its been useful talking to like minded people about the real state of a city rather than trying to get info from wiki and other sites. Thanks for the useful info mate.
Some criteria I would like advice/opinions/ feedback on...
-safety of city centres of each
-quality of suburban neighbourhoods just outside of city centre
- quality of bars and nightlife of the city
- things to do (sports teams, parks, lakes) im from london and appreciate the city's mentioned arent as big in population as london but id still llikea big city feel
- cost of living in each (groceries, average rent, public transport prices etc)
- IT job market
- friendliness of fellow citizens there to an englishman lol.
- traffic into city
.
I live in Dallas and have spent ample time in the others. Lets go down the list:
Saftey: All three have areas that are safe and not safe. With your budget, it wont be a problem finding a place you like that is safe.
Suburban neighborhoods: Dallas and Charlotte over Tampa on this one. Dallas is going to have the most options, but Charlotte will have some nice places too.
Nightlife: Dallas has the best and most varied nightlife of the three. Uptown Charlotte also has some good options as does Tampa near the University of Tampa, but neither are going to match Dallas here.
Things to do: Charlotte and Tampa will best Dallas in outdoor activities (Charlotte has the greenery and hills and Tampa has the beach), but Dallas will best the other two in big cities activities (culture, diversity, the arts, sports teams, etc.).
Cost of living: All are cheap, but I think Tampa is slightly more than the other two.
IT job market: Dallas hands down.
Friendliness: Being an Englishman wont be an issue at any of the above. Charlotte is the friendliest of the three followed by Dallas and Tampa.
Traffic: Dallas has the worst traffic followed by Tampa and Charlotte. Dallas is by far the largest so that explains why.
Hello, London! (By the way, I visited London and much of the rest of England earlier this year and my hat's off to you - London is now my favorite big city in the world - it overtook Berlin and that's a tall order!).
I haven't been to Tampa, but I agree that it's probably too small...not to mention the humidity will absolutely slay you. The cost of living should be pretty low though, and of course, you have all the beaches. I wouldn't rule it out just yet but it would definitely be in third place on the list.
Now for Charlotte vs Dallas. Well, it's been awhile since I went to Charlotte, but it's a nice city in a beautiful area of a beautiful state. North Carolina is one of my top favorite states in the US, due to it's temperate weather (four seasons! Yay!), the friendly people, the beautiful terrain (everything from gorgeous mountains to fabulous beaches), and it's sense of history. North Carolina has a pretty low cost of living, though I'm not sure about in the city of Charlotte. Sports are a pretty big deal. Hope you like NASCAR - it seems like a regional passion, more so than in some other areas. Personally I despise NASCAR, but to each his own.
Charlotte isn't what I'd consider a big city. It's a large city, but not a huge one. There is a difference. And there are pros and cons to each size. Coming from London, I'd bet that Charlotte will feel VERY small!
It's been so long since I went to Charlotte, that I don't feel qualified to discuss the nightlife, the cuisine, the culture (other than in general terms - for instance, Charlotte is definitely a southern city with a southern vibe), or the traffic. My gut feel would be that the crime rate is on the low end (check out the stats on this site for detailed information).
The city I'm most familiar with on the list is Dallas. By the way, if you are considering Dallas, you may as well throw in Fort Worth as well - it basically butts right up to Dallas and offers most of the same amenities, but it has a very unique flavor to it that I much prefer personally over Dallas, though I'm sure many Dallasites would disagree. Anyway, Fort Worth and Dallas are basically the same metro area, which is why they're called The Metroplex. All that's between them is, well, urban sprawl, towns that blend into each other, neighborhoods, and the airport. Oh, and Six Flags and about a gazillion sports arenas! (Including, but not limited to, NASCAR! LOL) Dallas is more fast paced, more of a concrete jungle, and has a more urban feel. Fort Worth is called CowTown for a reason - it's more cowboy/western in feel, more laid back, and in my opinion offers more cultural charm (though both cities have thriving arts districts and some good museums). Anyway, when we discuss Dallas, just know that I'm also throwing in Fort Worth in that idea!
-safety of city centres - DFW has some very walkable, safe areas. Though both cities have a distinct downtown, they also both have some good central neighborhoods that have unique flavors and offerings. Some of these areas have a bit higher crime than others, but honestly, I'd feel safe in any middle class or upper middle class neighborhood in either city center. Of course, it stands to reason that some central areas that aren't affluent are risky. But overall, DFW is a pretty safe area.
-quality of suburban neighbourhoods just outside of city centre - Here is where DFW excels. DFW is an international hub, which offers so much in the way of diverse cultures. There are MANY excellent neighborhoods and bedroom communities on the outskirts of both cities, which offer a refuge from urban activities but still also offer close proximity when you want it. Especially regarding Fort Worth, there are some CHARMING little towns that hug the western and southern edges of Fort Worth, complete with little town squares, charming old homes, etc. A small town feel just minutes from a big city. Nice!
- quality of bars and nightlife of the city - the entire DFW area is full of good bars, pubs, clubs, entertainment venues, etc. You will NEVER be bored! A very wide variety of types, price range, etc.
- things to do (sports teams, parks, lakes) im from london and appreciate the city's mentioned arent as big in population as london but id still llikea big city feel - Both cities have tons of entertainment options. Dallas is home to "America's Team" - the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Rangers (baseball), and the Mavericks (basketball). All three are strong teams at the national level and have huge followings.
Both cities also have some good parks, and there are lakes, rivers, etc in close proximity.
- cost of living in each (groceries, average rent, public transport prices etc) - Fort Worth is generally a bit less expensive than Dallas, but they both offer a decent cost of living, MUCH lower than in many other metro areas in the US.
- IT job market - You shouldn't have a problem in DFW
- friendliness of fellow citizens there to an englishman lol. - Texans are EXTREMELY friendly but not as gushy as other southerners in general. Texans are independent and can be a bit more blunt than their Deep South counterparts, but they are also among the most helpful and generous people you will ever meet. Texans in general are more independent minded when it comes to politics and religion as well. They also welcome new people - different ethnicities, different cultures, etc with a great attitude. They tend to have a "live and let live" mindset. One thing I noticed when moving to Texas twenty years ago was that though Texans are very friendly and helpful, they expect you to do your best right alongside them. No excuses - pull yourself up by your bootstraps sort of mentality. In other words, they'll help anyone who's trying to help themselves, but if you're not working right there alongside them, they don't have patience with laziness or excuses. Texans in general are a hard working bunch. Work hard, play hard is the general mindset.
- traffic into city - Dallas has some pretty bad traffic, more so than Fort Worth. But any major city is going to have rush hour traffic issues (from 7-8:30 am and from 4:00 - 6:00 pm). Other than those times, traffic tends to run smoothly in both cities.
I have to ask you though - have you considered Austin or San Antonio? WOW, talk about a great area! I like both DFW and the Austin/San Antonio area but if I had to choose one or the other, I'd definitely go with Austin/SA.
By the way, in any big Texas city (or anywhere in Texas in general), the weather takes some getting used to. Summers are HOT, HOT, HOT. However, obviously people adjust and learn to live with it, as evidenced by the huge influx of people from outside Texas moving into these areas, and staying. Air conditioning is EVERYWHERE - in fact, you'd do well to bring a light jacket with you everywhere you go in the summer because it's cranked up so high indoors! There are tons of outdoor activities involving water - lakes, pools, rivers, water parks (both DFW and Austin/SA have some great water parks by the way). But the winters make up for it - lots of cool, crisp, sunny winter days, with frost in the morning but temps rising into the fifties during the day. Fall is lovely too, and so is spring. But it starts getting hot in June and stays hot till mid October. To me, it's only uncomfortable from about late June through mid September, so that's four months. But that is one third of the year. I love the weather in Texas overall, and I love that we don't have to deal with months of rain, sleet, snow and ice, but I feel I have to be honest and warn you that summer can be brutal. No sitting out on the patio during those summer months, that's for sure, and no outdoor cafes during that time either!
If you've ruled out San Antonio and Austin, tell me why - I think they should definitely make your short list!
Hi thanks for the excellent feedback. A few people have now mentioned atlanta. I was originally put off by the high crime statistics. But after looking into it, it seems its certain blocks and pockets that have the high crime.
Its been useful talking to like minded people about the real state of a city rather than trying to get info from wiki and other sites. Thanks for the useful info mate.
Atlanta and Dallas are 6 one way half a dozen the other in terms of offerings. Dallas is more diverse and Atlanta has more outdoor activities. They are kind of sisters in a way. Both have really great neighborhoods that would meet your criteria and both are suburban in nature on the whole.
However, the job market in Dallas is far better in your field.
Atlanta and Dallas are 6 one way half a dozen the other in terms of offerings. Dallas is more diverse and Atlanta has more outdoor activities. They are kind of sisters in a way. Both have really great neighborhoods that would meet your criteria and both are suburban in nature on the whole.
However, the job market in Dallas is far better in your field.
Not so sure about that. Atlanta is becoming a major IT and Financial Tech hub -- #3 in the U.S. in terms of the Financial Tech sector.
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