Dallas vs. Houston (Austin, Fort Worth, Irving: real estate, apartments, home)

[nubianprincess]

Hello Dallas, My family and I are considering to move to Texas with the next year or so. I would like to know the difference between Dallas vs. Houston and which one of those cities is a better location to move to. Here is what I'm looking for:

1. Job Market:

First off, how is the job market in general? I'm working on my degree in both video production and graphic design. My mom is in the banking industry and has her real estate licsence and my brother is into the music scene and visual arts. Does Houston or Dallas have a Job market for all these things?

2. Which city supports the Arts more? This includes visual arts, music and film

3. Which city has better opportunity for starting a business?

4. Which city is better where cost of living is concerned, especially home prices?

5. Which city has better weather?

I know both cities are hot, but which one is more manageable?

6. Which city has the worst crime?

7. Which city has the best entertainment and more things to do leisure wise?

8. Which city is popular with celebrities?

9. Which city has a more diverse population and diverse culture?

10. Which city has better school districts?

[Steel Man]

In my opinion, both cities are about the same except for weather (it is more humid in Houston). On the plus side for Dallas, you also have Fort Worth to the west...another nice city with a cowboy flavor.

Here are some web sites you can review to give you a start.

Dallas web sites:

http://www.dallascvb.com/visitors/
http://www.city-data.com/city/Dallas-Texas.html
http://www.dallascityhall.com/

Houston web sites:

http://www.houston.org/
http://www.city-data.com/city/Houston-Texas.html
http://www.houstontx.gov/

[momof2dfw]

The new series of "Prison Break" on Fox was filmed in the Dallas area. With a Dallas native in it.

[socketz]

nubianprincess,

You questions are really too vague to answer with a simple Houston or Dallas wins answer. Both are fine cities that offer a little of everything you've alluded to in your questions. The best bet would be for you and your family to visit both and maybe spend some time feeling out which you prefer best.

[momof2dfw]

Dallas Info:

1. A. Video production/graphic design. There are MANY small businesses that do this. I will say that with children that have been in dance programs finding a good one that is dependable and on time has been AWFUL!!! Make a name for yourself in this area and be honest w/ people about timelines and you could probably make a killing. The prices they charge for VHS tapes and DVD's for kids dance recitals is insane. There is a big push to get more movies/shows filmed around Dallas. There is also a place in Las Colinas that is a set for a lot of filming for commercials and such.

B. There are many large banks in Dallas w/ large offices. It would depend on what area she is in. Plus it seems right now that the banks are in a competition to see who can build a branch at every intersection. I know of one small block area that is all pretty new and there are 7 branch bank buildings there and that does not include the one inside the SuperWalmart or the Sams Club. Real estate, do or die (my moms a realtor ).

C. Music scene. Like in recording, singing, writing, production??? Neither are well known for this at all.

2. I think they both are pretty even when it comes to the arts and support. I just heard last night that the City of Dallas MUST spend a certain percentage of dollars based on the cost of the building on art/sculpture whenever the build a new building for the police or such. Really??? Should be able to pull up the article about it in the Dallas Morning News about the sculpture that does not work at one of the Dallas Police Stations, www.dallasnews.com

3. Starting a business. As a business owner we have had luck in the Dallas area. I also know of many others. I would say Dallas is a GREAT area for starting a business. Hint, those dance videos .

4. Home prices. Well, I prefer the Dallas area personally. Houston (except for on the North side in the Woodlands and Kingwood) seems to hodge podge to me. Nice upscale on one lot and next door is a rundown lean-to. Just my op though.

5. It can rain on any given day in the Houston area. Houston receives way more rain than the Dallas area. They are also prone to more flooding from flash floods.

6. I would have to award that prize to Houston. And that is based solely on the news reports that I see/hear/read. Remember, there are still alot of people in both cities/areas but more so in Houston from Hurricane Katrina that have been displaced that have no home.

7. What do YOU like to do? There is such a wide range of things to take advantage of in both areas that many never do and instead just call the whole area "boring".

[momof2dfw]

8. Celebrities? Like in pro sports players? Actors/Actresses? Musicians? Or the local super rich? Neither are thriving with TONS of "celebrities" like one pictures of visiting Hollywood. Austin and that area I would say attracts more musicians and actors since it is that "funky" kind of place. Plenty of sports "celebrities" in Dallas. What, with the Dallas Stars, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers we have tons of local "sports stars". There are many that HAD to move here when they got picked up by one of our local teams but when they got traded later they liked Dallas so much they chose to keep their home here or moved back after retiring. Just take a look at the list of staff/coaches w/ the Dallas Stars (Ice Hockey and my favorite team ) and see how many of them once played here and once they retired after they finished their on ice career somewhere else came back here.

9. Diverse culture...... you name it, you will find it in either place. Feel like visiting an Asian city I can point you in the right direction in the Dallas area. Many small specialty markets to find the one of a kinds that the different cultures bring w/ them. Diverse religion: from protestant to jewish to muslim to everything else (or none at all) they are all here.

10. For the school ratings you can check out the TEA website for the latest rankings at this addy:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/ayp/2006/index.html
If you want to know more about the diversity and student body make up look at publicschoolsreport.com to find out more on that. Now, word of caution and you can read what I posted on the TAKS test and the public school rankings under the general Texas listings (it is on page 2 now). These rankings are based on the TAKS tests. I know of one school that received "Accademically Unacceptable" because and ONLY because one small subgroup did not do well on a certain portion of the TAKS test. There was also an editorial on this in the DMN recently because of another area school that did not do so well w/ their ranking. While about 90% or better of the student body population can pass the TAKS tests w/ flying colors if one small subgroup does not it pulls the entire school down. So 5 kids that are of one ethnic group fail their science (or reading or math) TAKS test they can effect everyone else.

[YBB26]

Could anyone provide any information good or bad regarding "San Simeon" apartments in Irving, TX.

How close are they to Las Colinas?
Are the nice and safe?
How are the schools?
Is the area Clean?

Please provide any assistance. Thanks!

[LOK222]

Dallas wins

[aceplace]

We just recently hashed out this subject ad nauseum on another thread with a similar name. It turned into a nasty catfight with lots of namecalling.

First of all, I define Dallas as the entire DFW metro area of 6 million people. Houston is a metro of about 5 1/2 million. Municipal boundaries are irrelevant to those with a car, who can drive all over the metro for arts, entertainment, jobs, etc.

In my opinion, Dallas is more urban in a Northeastern sense. It has some densely populated, albeit upscale, inner-city residential areas supported by mass transit. Houston is less developed in its mass transit and urban neighborhoods, and reminds me of a city in Florida.

Dallas currently has about 45 miles of LRV rail transit, another 35 miles of commuter rail, and a quaint tram system about 2 miles long going through the picturesque Uptown and West Village districts. Dallas also has several "transit villages" built around rail stations. In the next 3 years, Dallas will add another 25 miles of LRV, another 15 miles of commuter rail to the suburb of Denton, and will extend the tram line a half mile or so into the heart of downtown. Houston curreltly has only 7 1/2 miles of tram-like light rail running on the city streets, but has a very dense network of bus lines.

Weather is a major difference. Houston is slightly warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, but considerably more humid in the summer. Dallas has occasionally cold spells in the winter and snowfall 2-3 times a year. Neither metro is very hilly, but Dallas has some semi-hilly landscapes in its southern reaches... check out the Oak Cliff and Cedar Hills areas.

Houston is heavily dominated by pine forests. Dallas is grassland interspersed with heavy belts of forest along watercourses, except for the Cross Timbers area between Dallas and Fort Worth which is heavily timbered everywhere. The areas 30-40 miles west of Dallas is actually an extension of the Central Texas Hill Country.

Houston is not on a beach, like Miami, but is 40 or 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. It has a couple of lakes. Dallas is unusually rich in lakes and surrounding forests, has many state parks and campsites on the lakes, and many pleasant sandy lake beaches. Many people in Houston drive 45 miles to the beach resort of Galveston for their fun, although the Galveston beaches are considered inferior to other Texas beaches.

Metro Houston is dominated by a huge central government and a few small suburban governments, whereas metro Dallas has many medium-sized governments. This results im many more arts organizations, since each township or borough usually builds a cultural or arts center of one kind or another, its own sports facilityes, symphony orchestras, etc. On the other hand, Houston can pour more money into its fewer arts organizations.

Filmmaking and art films are more prominent in Dallas than in Houston. Dallas has perhaps 50% more art film titles playing at any one time, and about 50% more screens devoted to film.

[DFWMike]

Geez guys get on the bandwagon. Dallas is better than Houston period, isn't that what we're supposed to say?

Traffic is better in Dallas, humidity is lower in Dallas, communities are planned out much better in Dallas, however, the trees make Houston appear much greener without Houston having to try much. Houston imho has a dirtier look to it, Dallas and it's suburbs have a much crisper cleaner look to them, that can be good or bad depending on your point of view.

However, Houston has some wonderful northern suburbs that are just beautiful. Their museum district is not tremendously better overall, but it is all located together, which gives it a much better feel. Dallas is trying to make a more cohesive museum district as well, but it's a work in progress.

Finally Houston mosquitos being the size of volkswagons is only a slight overstatement. Good luck with your decision