Why Dallas???

[KewGee]

The poster stated about Little Rock, "There was too much racial stuff, no really good areas to live."

Therefore, I am speculating it wasn't because it lacked in a skyline, sports, billionaires, and some of the other things you mentioned. Other than a strong economy, I can't see any importance in the rest of which you speak, but remember, that's just my opinion. I believe there are many who couldn't care less about those things and many that think that's what makes a place great.

Minafair, I feel you will find great areas to live in either Fort Worth or Dallas. The racial stuff can be anywhere but since I don't live in either city, I can't really comment on that.

All the best.......

I just found this by minafair on the Fort Worth forum. In case she checks Dallas again, maybe someone can comment on it here.

As far as racial stuff in LR, whites stayed in one area, black people in another and they didn't dare live near each other or go into each others areas. Racial tension was palpalable. One block in any direction made all the difference in the world. I didn't meet anyone who wasn't prejudiced. It seemed like the civil rights movement completely bypassed the city. It was not an attitude I wanted my children to grow up with. I used to cringe when my neighbor came over because he would inevitably start talking about race and making his views loudly known.

[Minafair]

Ok, this is what we experienced in Little Rock....white people have their areas of the city, black people have their areas. You do not dare live in one of those areas unless you are of the appropriate color, you don't hang with anyone of another race, you do not attend school with them. If you are white you go to private school, if you are black you go to public school. If you enter the other races areas be prepared for something, often violent to happen, at the very least you will get lots of stares.

We first lived in Little Rock itself, realized we had moved into an area that we were not welcome after all of our cars were broken to, our children were threatened as they played outside and we had people coming up to our front door, literally every day asking for money or food. One block away were the nicest homes in Little Rock. We moved out into the surrounding area, thinking it would be better. We were safer there, physically, but our neighbors were extremely racist and made their views known, often and loudly. If someone of the wrong color drove into our neighborhood, they made sure they knew they weren't welcome. It was like the whole thing with desegregating Little Rock Central happened yesterday and people were still ticked off about it. Racial tension is still extremely high in that city.

I honestly could not believe that there was an entire city still living like that. There were a few exceptions of course but 9 times out of 10, they weren't from Little Rock. I'm orginally from IN and have spent a lot of time in CA, I've never seen people like that. I'm used to diversity, mixed neighborhoods, people being judged for who they are, not their skin color.

We hated it, we still call it our year in hell. Of course there is going to prejuidice everywhere you go, there's some of it here with the hispanic population, and every place will have areas that have more crime than others but that place was so extreme about it.

I'm not trying to say that Dallas/Fort Worth is anything like Little Rock, I'm trying to make sure that it isn't. It is my only experience south of the Mason Dixon line and it left a very bad taste in my mouth. I don't want to live like that again and I don't want my children growing up with those attitudes.

Hope that answers the question about the racial stuff and I hope I'm not coming off like a **tch, that is not my intention at all. Thank you to all of you for your information, I really appreciate it. It does ease my mind and make me want to consider the area. So we'll see how it goes.
Thanks again!

[USA_Mom]

I lived in Collin (Plano, Frisco and McKinney) and Denton (Little Elm) Counties and my experiences were not like that at all...but we recently moved to Georgia and there is a LOT of racism here (and I've also lived in Baton Rouge/Hammond, Louisiana and those areas are supposedly racist)...so much so that I won't have my kids raised here PERIOD. We call it our year in hell ironically and can't wait to get back to the DFW area. My aunt has lived in Garland since the late 1970s and she would say there is no racism there either, but I have not lived there so I dunno. I have a son who is of "mixed race" and he hasn't had a problem in Texas--he has had comments in Louisiana and Georgia though (fortunately he's got enough self-esteem to blow them off).

[Minafair]

Thank you USA_Mom, that helps a lot. I hope your year in hell ends soon!

[USA_Mom]

Thanks so do I. It can't come too soon.

[andrewj]

Since no one appears to be informed about Little Rock except for a person who judges an entire population based on the three block area where she lived, I feel someone must defend the place.

I'm not from Little Rock, but I've lived here since 1987 while living in other major cities for about five of the last 20 years. I moved back here after living in Nashville and Pittsburgh and other cities in the south and east.

There are racist people everywhere. I found Pittsburgh the most racist place in my experience. Outside of Manhattan, I think the New York area is very discriminatory. Like Pittsburgh, Italians live in certain places, Indians in others, blacks in certain neighborhoods, gays in others, etc. Are there many cities in this country where that isn't true?

I think you miss the point that the difference isn't usually race, but income levels when you're talking about blatant racism and you're right that Little Rock isn't one of the wealthiest places in the world--but there are certainly poorer.

If fact, I think it's interesting that while generalizing about a metro area of almost a million people, the original poster finds comfort in being bigoted about this area and saying she never met a person who wasn't racist. I argue he/she either didn't get out much or had a very limited number of people she associated with and sadly let a few people taint her opinions.

I've lived in many different places big and small in my life big small and I find people are usually more alike than different.

Is it perfect? Nope. Neither is Dallas. If happiness is being able to crawl down your congested interstates while it takes you an hour to go a few miles, and you swell with pride looking at all the tall buildings that you rarely go into, then you have found what makes you happy and I'm happy for you.

But to call Little Rockers all bigots and racists and to say white and black don't interact is really misinformed. I work everyday and eat everyday with people who are black, white, asian and mexican among other backgrounds. I coach a little league team from people all over the area. We are black, and white and asian and all cheer the same way when we score a run. I know many of my middle class and wealthy friends who send their children to public schools where they have friends from other races and income levels and backgrounds.

If you didn't find any nice places to live around Little Rock and Central Arkansas, I don't know what your standards are. There some VERY nice homes around here.

There are a few bad apples in every bunch and I agree that racism and bigotry and feeling superior to others based on superficial reasoning is a major issue everywhere.

Just please don't single out one city and claim yours to be perfect. Oh, and one more thing, Dallas: please quit sending so much pollution our way that we're under ozone action alerts most of the summer. We'd likely be a healthier, more pleasant place to live without you.

[intence]

Andrewj, I think perhaps many of us just don't have any experience with Little Rock.

To the original poster, I think you need to see where your husband will be working and then base where you'll live from that.

Keller, and perhaps even Southlake might be good choices, depending on the commute to Ft.Worth.