The real scoop on Dallas (Fort Worth, Arlington: public school, tax, where to live)

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by **NoodLes**

I do have to agree though that people here live to work, not work to live. Not saying everybody, but alot of people in high positions I associate with. I like Dallas and find many things to do here, but if you're not happy than good luck wherever you go.

I don't think that someone could become the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation by just coming to work whenever he felt like it. On the contrary, I would think that his career is the high point of his life.

Now if I had some menial job like flipping hamburgers all night, I'd probably not be very fascinated with the job, and would take every opportunity to work just enough to go out and have some fun.

[CallMeLaura]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

The OP mentioned living in Chicago previously and wanting to move to Milwaukee. A lot depends on if you live in the suburbs or city. Chicago has tons of traffic and, unless you like winter sports or indoor activites, the weather is consistently nice only about 6 months. Milwaukee loses about 2 weeks of nice weather being a bit farther north. Both cities have wonderful lakefronts rivaling the left and right coasts. Both have fun things to do for night-life and entertainment like watching pro-sports, theater, symphony etc. Chicago has more. So if you are a true urbanite, Chicago may offer more in-city things to do than DFW and both chi-town and Beertown will have a different vibe. Every quality city does.If you are out in the burbs you have to GO INTO the city and seek these places out.
Other big cities I have visited are similar, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Nashville, Indy-you need to go into the city, the suburbs are their own little expanse.
I am visiting Dallas and Houston in May to see if me and my wife want to relocate. I love Chicago and enjoy visiting Milwaukee, but The big D and Bayou City both seem to have quality suburban areas and the attraction of a large city close enough for me. The cost of living and not being able to be outside more are big factors. I know it gets hot in the summer but you can still be outdoors swimming, bar-b-quing in the evening-try these things during a Midwest winters night.
Thanks for letting me get on my soap-box.

6 months is optimistic...

And Chicago has its share of white flight suburbs. It seems few live inside the loop, given the dearth of grocery stores and restaurants open nights.

Dallas has professional sports, theater, symphony, opera, and a nightlife. (Granted, Fort Worth is generally considered better for cultural events. They even have Van Cliburn )

[Not directed at Soxfan] What I don't get is why people think Dallas doesn't offer anything when there are just as many things here as there. (Well, less on theater, but it's definitely available. Only thing I saw there that wasn't done here were the festivals, and really, that's just outdoor shopping with a boatload of people around.) At least while we were there, no one knocked on our door asking us to go somewhere - we had to go looking for things just the same as here.

Would it be fair to say there's nothing to do in Milwaukee but drink? Nothing to in Chicago but take in a show? Saying there's nothing to do in Dallas but shop and eat in chain restaurants just shows you're not putting any effort into it.

[GHJohn]

Originally Posted by aceplace

I find it completely illogical to compare the side of a mountain to a trail around a lake. It's even more irrational than trying to compare apples and oranges.

I suppose it's also hard to compare a good Dallas Tex-Mex dive to a Paris McDonalds.

If anyone is used to seeing huge mountains in the Detroit area or huge, ocean-sized lakes in St Louis, then they can come to Dallas and get used to seeing medium-sized lakes and landscaped creeks. People who uproot their families and their careers in order to move do so for a better life, not to look at different kinds of scenery. That's how Dallas became the 4th largest metro in America and is edging closer to Chicago in population and urban amenities.

Yes because Lake Ray Roberts is so much better than Lake Michigan. Are you freaking kidding me? The common complaint most people who come to texas have is that it is just flat land as far as the eye can see. I know there is nothing you can do about this but if you spent most of your life looking at mountains and crystal clear lakes then chances are you are not going to be very impressed by "landscaped" creeks. Like I said in my earlier post, it isn't for everyone. Texas does have its charm in its own way, it is just not for everyone.

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Well, it ain't the Latin Quarter, but Lower Greenville and Henderson have some excellent outdoor drinking/dining - people/car/motorcycle watching outdoor patios. I was on Henderson at lunchtime last Saturday and many places were packed. For Sunday afternoons I would head to Lower Greenville. And there's the ultimate Dallas Sunday scene, Primo's on McKinney.

Yes, Dallas is very dog-friendly -- and if you have a dog I guarantee you will meet a lot of people. There's also a dog-park between Deep Ellum and Downtown/Farmer's Market. You should also take your dog to Lee Harvey's - 214-428-1555

I heard of Lee Harvey's. I'm sure I'll become very acquainted with it should I move to Dallas. I love dive bars and dive bars with morbidly ironic names that are dog-friendly, located off the beaten path, and adorned with outdoor firepits are even better.

[MovingFromTexas]

I agree with all of you that there are a lot of ways to spend money in Dallas. However, my question to all of you is what is there to do besides acquire new things? People here seem to seek no real human interaction. I constantly hear people comment that its almost impossible to make friends here. If you didn't grow up here and have an extended network of friends and family - forget it.

Before you all make suggestions, yes, I have tried making friends though religious institutions, through my friends schools, by volunteering, at neighborhood parks, etc., etc., etc. No one I've met here seems actually interested in having friends. Its just talk about the new bigger car, house, vacation, shopping trip, etc.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by MovingFromTexas

I agree with all of you that there are a lot of ways to spend money in Dallas. However, my question to all of you is what is there to do besides acquire new things? People here seem to seek no real human interaction. I constantly hear people comment that its almost impossible to make friends here. If you didn't grow up here and have an extended network of friends and family - forget it.

Before you all make suggestions, yes, I have tried making friends though religious institutions, through my friends schools, by volunteering, at neighborhood parks, etc., etc., etc. No one I've met here seems actually interested in having friends. Its just talk about the new bigger car, house, vacation, shopping trip, etc.

Dallas metro is a vast ocean of transplants, from various parts of the United States, Mexico and Central America, and the rest of the world. That's a lot of people with broken family and social relationships.

The question is... why do people want to do this, want to shatter those social bonds and move to Texas? Obviously, they have reasons to do it, they have a sense that the benefits are worth the cost. The USA has been populated by immigrants, people who gave up many familiar things for the promise of a better life. The migration to Texas and the Sunbelt in the late 20th century, and the 21st, is a continuation of that trend.

Now if you are not resilient, if you cannot make a new life for yourself in the place you migrate to, if you can't fit in with a social and economic environment that has solved the problems you are running from... why should you be here? Metro DFW gained 170,000 new residents last year. If we lose you, it will be 170,000 minus one or two. We can afford the possibility that you must retrace your steps, we do not see your departure as a refutation of the value of our society. If you decide to find a better place that better suits your outlook, good for you, and it doesn't hurt us.

Good luck to you.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by GHJohn

Yes because Lake Ray Roberts is so much better than Lake Michigan. Are you freaking kidding me? The common complaint most people who come to texas have is that it is just flat land as far as the eye can see. I know there is nothing you can do about this but if you spent most of your life looking at mountains and crystal clear lakes then chances are you are not going to be very impressed by "landscaped" creeks. Like I said in my earlier post, it isn't for everyone. Texas does have its charm in its own way, it is just not for everyone.

I'd have to wonder why yiou think that Lake Michigan is better than Ray Roberts, or is any value at all. I'd rather swim in Ray Roberts than Lake Michigan at a summer temp of 66 degrees. And the Ray Roberts shores are less crowded and offer a better experience of nature than the icebound and dirty Chicago-area Lake Michigan shoreline.

The vast majority of people in the USA that live in urban areas live in places that are flat as far as the eye can see. The economics of city development means building cities in flat places, not up and down the side of hills. For every San Francisco, there are dozens of Clevelands and Philadelphias.

Mountains and crystal clear lakes? In Chicago? You need to take a look at your argument. Sure, Aspen and Telluride and many mountain resorts have those things, but major cities such as Dallas and Chicago are not mountain resorts. And yes, I would be impressed by Dallas' landscaped creeks. I think they're lovely.

[GHJohn]

Originally Posted by aceplace

I'd have to wonder why yiou think that Lake Michigan is better than Ray Roberts, or is any value at all. I'd rather swim in Ray Roberts than Lake Michigan at a summer temp of 66 degrees. And the Ray Roberts shores are less crowded and offer a better experience of nature than the icebound and dirty Chicago-area Lake Michigan shoreline.

Mountains and crystal clear lakes? In Chicago? You need to take a look at your argument. Sure, Aspen and Telluride and many mountain resorts have those things, but major cities such as Dallas and Chicago are not mountain resorts. And yes, I would be impressed by Dallas' landscaped creeks. I think they're lovely.

Being a native of Dallas you really have no basis of comparison with the landscaped creek. In my opinion there is no better landscaper than mother nature herself.

There are nice things about dallas, but the scenery is really not one of its stronger points.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by GHJohn

Being a native of Dallas you really have no basis of comparison with the landscaped creek. In my opinion there is no better landscaper than mother nature herself.

There are nice things about dallas, but the scenery is really not one of its stronger points.

Dallas' landscaped creeks are far better than San Francisco's landscaped creeks. They are better than Washington DCs landscaped creeks. Is that a matter of preference? No. The two cities mentioned have no landscaped creeks, so Dallas wins by default.

I'd say that the SF Bay Area has more dramatic hills, but the major cities of America are not dramatically different from Dallas in terms of scenery. I don't see any scenery on the outskirts of Chicago or Detroit or Boston that is markedly better or worse than Dallas'.

Where I live in the far north Dallas suburbs, I'd say the scenery is very attractive. Vivid green fields with bands of trees at different levels of distance, rolling countryside. A few miles to the west, in the Cross Timbers region, the scenery is even more bucolic.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by grindin

Well don't they sound like a bunch of fun-hating fuddy-duddies! Doesn't bode well for D-town's reputation as "bland" and "suburban"

It's mainly one guy who promotes this stuff and he gets a lot of publicity. His name is Avi and you will see him every year at St. Patrick's because the media go right to him to get a discouraging word.

That's ok, though we like our 'characters' around here.