Just came back from Dallas.... Dallas vs Houston Smackdown 2!!!!! (best, cost, state)

[will_I_am29]

Okay, I know I am late, but I had just visit Dallas during Labor Day weekend. And I have to say, Dallas is wins as the stereotypical all American city to live, but Houston win because it has an edge...its long and I am sorry, but read below.

Overview: I was born in Amarillo, (a lovely, clean, west Texas mid-size city but that’s another topic battle w/Amarillo vs. Lubbock!!) but I have lived in Houston since I was four years, so about 20 years, anyway Houston is a very huge, diverse and a eccentric city. So I will not try not to be biases as some are.

Weather: What I notice in Dallas was how less humid it was!!!!! OMG... me and my friend was like yes!!!! it was hot ( that weekend was like 100-101 degrees) but not humid, we actually felt a breeze!!! In Houston, it was like 98 degrees, but it was humid, soupy and muggy like Houston. Yes Dallas might be hotter on the thermometer, but you did not feel the heat, like you do in Houston. So, for weather...Dallas wins!!!

Landscape/geography: CLEAN. When I was driving into Dallas on I-45 I was so flabbergasted on how clean the Interstate look!!!! I mean Dallas's I-45 was clean, landscaped and you only saw rolling land, trees and prairie with barely any crazy billboards, trashy establishments and no ongoing strip centers and old business like you see in Houston coming in on I-45 from Dallas. I actually like the fact that you can see only the Dallas skyline (even though Houston has a larger more urban, better and taller skyline than Dallas has) in the background and really nothing else along I-45.But as we got closer to downtown, you saw a little more city life, but not too horrid and ghetto-ish like you see in Houston. Dallas looked clean, in ordered and zoned. As we drove around the northern Dallas area mostly (Addison, Plano, Carrollton, The Galleria area, Oaklawn, Cedar Springs LGBT areas, Allen, McKinney and Frisco) my friend and I was shocked how clean and how elevated and rolling the Dallas area was. The city is pretty hilly and had more character than Houston. Don’t get me wrong, Houston is also pretty in its own way: more lush or treesy (only on the north and small west sides of Houston I might add), but Houston is flat and boring...Dallas wins again, because Dallas is slightly more rolling and elevated its gives the city as hilly feel and it is one clean city.

Music/Nightlife: OMG, Dallas had like two or three R&B stations and since I am a black male, it was amazing and they played some good oldies you barely hear in Houston. I mean, in Houston we only have one R&B station and one ture hip-hop station but in Dallas, they have more and the music seem more upbeat and they played more variety. I’m not crazy, they did. My friend and I was like wow!! The radio stations in the DFW area do not hide their music with edit versions like Houston. Houston is more conservative (when it comes to cussing and etc. we play screw or chopped music which gets old after awhile) and some of the same played out songs. So Dallas wins on the radio. Nightlife in Houston is always vibrant, socially mixed, fun and younger with a predominately more Hispanic vibe. When I am in Montrose or Downtown, the nightlife is always popping and fun. When we were in the Oaklawn and Cedar Springs strip in Dallas, it was nice and okay, but the people really famed that "Dallitude" snobbish mentality and it was more Casucasion. No offensive or bigotry. The LGBT crowd was very clannish and fickle. My friend and I was like, the people here sucks.. And all they the clubs and bar played were dance, techno. Boring!! In Houston, it was more of everything thing. R&B, Hip hop, Euro dance, West Coast etc.. Not just ten year old dance or techno. Houston wins....

Fashion/Style: Dallas was very conservative and boring I notice. We all went to the Dallas Galleria (Houstons is better!!!) and the ritzy Stonebriar Centre in suburban Frisco and my friends and I was like, wow, the people here are very kakis and polo shirts or plan Librarian types. Not alternative or stylish fashionistas like you see more in Houston. My other good (white) friend who lives in Carrollton but grow up in Houston stated that’s how the Dallas area was. The folks in Dallas are strongly uptight, dress conservative but very expensive and orderly like JCrew or Ann Taylor-ish. In Houston, she stated people or more "trendy-friendly" alternative and flashier. Houston is very laid back, funky, creative and whatever goes. And she had a point, because in Houston you can see a hick in cowboy boots, and dusty jeans to a goth/emo kid to a women who just stepped out of Sex and the City or a jerkin boy who is the into the Hip-hop crowd. So Houston wins in the most fashion forwardness..

Cosmopolitan/Urban: Dallas is cosmopolitan and Houston is Urban. Dallas is more Texan/Midwestern and Houston is more costal/ southern Lousiana-ish. Period. But... Houston is urban and more internationally diverse. Houston is very integrated as a city, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, blue, brown, pink, blue, gay, tranny etc... In Houston, people are more mixed in, more social. You can live anywhere in Houston and in most of its nice suburbs (Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland, and Cypress) and see some type of diversity. In Dallas, it was more North: whites, West: Hispanics, South: blacks, not diversity. I didn’t see a lot of races and cultures in Dallas like I live among in Houston. Dallas is nice in a yuppie crust way, Houston is nice in an urban all classes sort of way. Houston wins.

Food/Restaurant: While in Dallas, we mostly ate around the "Belt Line" strip in Addison, OMG...it was like Westheimer with a face lift!!!! I loved it. It had all you can think of and much more. Addison was North Dallas playground for food, fun and bars. It was nice, clean and interesting. Some parts on the [SIZE=3]Westheimer[/SIZE] and Richmond in Houston can be old, gritty and ghetto (except the Uptown Galleria area or Kirby District) the Belt Line area in Addison seems to be tourist and clean friendly. Also Dallas has more places open that have long closed in Houston like: Grandys!!! And Braums!!! I haven been there since I was a little kid. Dallas is the pre capita or restaurants. But there was no Chinatown or Spanish area, soul food joints or good sushi bars to get true authentic food, like we have in Houston. I am spoiled in Houston and its ethnic culture Dallas was more bland and sterile and Midwestern. Houston is a food city and culturally centered on food. So we are fat and loving it, lol...Houston wins

Houses/Etc... Alleys, did not know Dallas was an alley city. We picked up our friend who lived in a nice and quiet neighborhood in Carrollton and I notice how most of the houses in the Dallas area had alleys? It was different but I liked it!!!! Houston barely if any has alleys and since my mother is from Amarillo she grow up seeing them in her neighborhood and stated alleys are good because it was to keep away trash build up and cars parking on the residential streets. And I notice that in Dallas suburbs. I wonder why Houston did not have them. Maybe since Houston is zoning free it doesn’t work? Plus I notice the Toll roads in Dallas were so clean, cheap and awesome looking and quick!! Not so much traffic or ongoing constructions like you see in Houston. Plus Houston's toll ways mostly look damaged or dirty with ghetto looking people who work in the booths looking annoyed. I didn’t notice that in Dallas. My Houston friend loved that fact that you can get anywhere on the toll roads in Dallas under thirty minutes. In Houston it’s an hour!!! Dallas is so conventional, don’t get me wrong we saw traffic, but it was moving and drivers in Dallas are so FREINDLY!!! Houston has the rudest and the most selfish drives in America. OMG!!!! Dallas totally wins...

Conclusion: I loved Dallas; it’s your clean, neat, typical American city with a bit of a Texan/Midwestern culture with city cosmopolitan flair. If I was not from Texas, Dallas would be my choice of big city to live in. But since I have been raise in Houston, it has grown on me. It’s a love/hate relationship with Houston. Some people love it and some hate it. Houston is a costal city with a hint of a Louisiana-ish and international vibe to it. Yes, Houston is dirty, gritty and it does not take pride in its appearance, but it has that urban vide Dallas did not have. Houston has all walks of life and its Texas true "urban" city. Dallas is the "LA" of Texas and Houston is "The NYC or Chicago" of Texas. Austin is the "San Francisco" of Texas, lol. But I like it here and it has worked for me so far.

So Houston wins....




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[Metro Matt]

Different strokes for different folks...

I can find many things to nit pick on both cities about, but in the end they're more alike than different. I, myself prefer the coastal look of Houston over the wide open spaces look of Dallas.

[will_I_am29]

yeah, I mention Houston wins. overall.. But I have been to Galveston and the coast, its decent but not all that. South Padre Island and its beaches are one of Texas best jems..

[irishlover]

I won't respond to the entirety of your post but I will add that I think Dallas' edge is Fort Worth...it's like having a "small" town in the midst of a huge metroplex. Dallas residents definitely benefit from that...you can get on a train and in 45 minutes be in Fort Worth enjoying a funky cowtown. Houston doesn't have that...College Station/Galveston are hardly comparable to Ft Worth. For that reason...I think Dallas has an edge on Houston.

Regarding the weather...during the "transition" months of the year...March/April, Sept/Oct...the weather differences can be very pronounced between Dallas and Houston with Houston nearly always getting the shorter end of the stick (more heat and humidity). TODAY is a great example...Dallas has very low dew points, comfortable humidity and north winds whereas we get armpit weather and no front.

Other than those months, however, the weather is basically the same...Dallas slightly colder in winter and slightly hotter (in actual temperature) during the summer.

[will_I_am29]

One thing Houston wins over Dallas, is Houston does not need another city to add to its fame: DFW or Dallas/Fort Worth. Its just Houston. or HOU.. I alway felt Dallas is a twin with Fort Worth or it need Fort Worth to complete itself. Houston is its own city.

Just a thought.

[bfizzy]

I'll take a Houston Winter over a Dallas Winter. You can't base a comparison of weather on just Labor Day weekend.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by will_I_am29

One thing Houston wins over Dallas, is Houston does not need another city to add to its fame: DFW or Dallas/Fort Worth. Its just Houston. or HOU.. I alway felt Dallas is a twin with Fort Worth or it need Fort Worth to complete itself. Houston is its own city.

Just a thought.

Thats mostly because its one large continuous population mass. Just because they are different cities, it doesnt matter. Houston has other cities in its MSA too.

One of the reasons I prefer the Metroplex to the Houston area is the variety that Dallas and Fort Worth provide. Dallas is a huge city and has all the huge city things. Fort Worth feels like a small town and is alot more charming.

Reguarding nightlife, very very very subjective.

I dont like hip hop at all whatsoever. If hip hop is what you like, then yes Houston is a much better place. However, I like Techno, Trance, and Electronica when I go to the club. For me, Dallas is much better. Same goes with Heavy Metal bars and clubs. It all just depends on your taste.

As for food and ethnic food that you adress, again its just different. You can find heaping helpings of Mexican, Tex-Mex, BBQ, and Central American food in both cities. Houston has better Chinese offerings no doubt. And while Dallas has better Korean (particularly BBQ) offerings. Both have lots of Vietnamese resturants, though Houston has more. From the sounds of it, you didnt get to our Koreatown. Its actually quite nice and large with lots of variety. Houston has more ethnic neighborhoods than we do, but thats one thing that we have better.

Houston is a wonderful city and so is Dallas. Both have things the other doesnt. It all just depends on your taste.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by will_I_am29

One thing Houston wins over Dallas, is Houston does not need another city to add to its fame: DFW or Dallas/Fort Worth. Its just Houston. or HOU.. I alway felt Dallas is a twin with Fort Worth or it need Fort Worth to complete itself. Houston is its own city.

Just a thought.

Yeah, Fort Worth does add to the Dallas fame and the problem with that is, we don't get any recognition for it. I mean, NONE.
Hell, the new Cowboys Stadium is in Arlington, which is in Fort Worth's county. And yet, the still say Dallas.

And Dallas and Fort Worth aren't twins because they're nothing alike.

SO yeah, Houston wins in that by a mile....

[Lakewooder]

Next time you visit Dallas explore East Dallas/Lakewood, the Cedars/Lamar south of downtown (and downtown itself) and North Oak Cliff. I think you would like Henderson Avenue especially (runs from Knox and Park Cities into East Dallas and practically merges with Lower Greenville).

Besides, how can you go to Dallas and not visit White Rock Lake? Houston has nothing like our lake!

[grindin]

I'd say that Dallas and Fort Worth are either fraternal twin or first cousin cities rather than "twin" cities. Even if I-35 split there like it does in M/SP.