Washington D.C. or Dallas, Texas??? (Plano, Spring: neighborhoods, buying, private school)

[Rabbitwarren]

Wow. Uh, I'm not a liberal. I'm moderate, if that matters. I loved the city and most people I met there. I felt it was a crowd up for considering all sides of an idea. There was such a positive energy there. I will not apologize for loving it. I was also much younger and, yes, it was a different time. Pessimism was not yet in vogue to the extent we've seen right here on our little board. I have found wonderful friends here. I have found deep pockets of blind, disinterested voting as well. I believe things will get better. They must.

[GreyDay]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Do you miss the liberal (small l) homogeny of DC or do you actually miss the city? Further, did you actually live in DC or a burb?

If one is a small l liberal there are few better places in the country to live giddy with those notions unchallenged.

I'm actually conservative. Clinton just made D.C. fun and downright festive. He gets the credit for merely being present. I lived in the city, near the Southwest Waterfront.

I miss the city, the architecture, the endless parade of Black town cars and SUV's carrying who knows.

Never meant to imply D.C. was better, just different. As for being a liberal, there's a fair amount of conservatives in the city and the city is more buttoned-down than Dallas manners-wise at least.

It's not a zero-sum game, you can like two places. Look up the dangers of 'splitting' in DSM-IV.

However near naked attacks on people for being liberal or waxing poetic about a town they loved would never be allowed in polite society. You disagree, you don't fight. It'd be fun to pick arguments apart over a pint at the Tombs.

Dallas is great especially business-wise, Dallas or at least Park Cities is home.

[dearwanderlust]

Thank you all so much for such detailed responses!!! This decision is really difficult because both places STILL seem so appealing to me for different reasons. Your input is really useful in helping me to narrow down my choice! Thanks again!

[Lakewooder]

DC is a very exciting town with a lot of energy. It's also walkable in many places (though some of the walks are very long) and has great mass transit. I also like the historic aspects.

Dallas has some of that but it's in small pockets and nothing on the scale of DC. However, I think it's an easier place to live.

I personally love my hometown of Dallas and I have great visits in many urban places around the world, all easily accessible from DFW Airport and soon Love Field. I'm really not much of a beach or country person, cities get my vacation time and money. So I have some expertise in my two cents.

[GreyDay]

Good luck in either city.

[skids929]

Originally Posted by GreyDay

However near naked attacks on people for being liberal or waxing poetic about a town they loved would never be allowed in polite society. You disagree, you don't fight. It'd be fun to pick arguments apart over a pint at the Tombs.

C'mon, admit it you have a squishy center.

[PrettyWarrior]

Originally Posted by dearwanderlust

Hello all,

I'm hoping that you can help me make my decision as to which city to move. I'm currently living in Jacksonville, Florida and I'm considering between Washington D.C. (most likely Silver Springs, MD) and Dallas, Texas.

I'm in my late 30s and work as an Immigration Law Attorney.

The following attributes are important to me:

Racial Diversity
Cultural Institutions
Musuems
Employment Opportunities- (Clients in need of immigration services as well as international business transactions)
Politics- (Very interesting to me and I'd like to stay involved)
Weather- (I prefer hot/warm/mild and despise snow)
Scenic Views/Nature- (Mountains and waterviews would be nice)
Restaurants- ( I love ethnic food)
Parks
Cosmopolitan "feel"


I'm planning to move by January 2012 as I would like to bring in the new year in my new place. :-)

Dallas is part of the south-there is racial diversity....wealthy white people and poor black and hispanic people.

politics will do you fine in Texas as long as you are conservative.

weather....unbearable. probably part of the reason it's so cheap to live here. we just had over 70 straight days of triple digit temps. It's so hot it's uncomfortable at best-def waaaaay too hot for any outdoor activities. Elderly people die in it every year. And it snows more than once-and when it does, it's that freeze you to the bone cold, because of the humidity. the roads are frozen solid, so in other words a light rain will prove debilitating for people to drive to work. The weather sucks. Be prepared for high electricity bills.

there is no scenery anywhere near Dallas. Unless old farmland and prairie is scenery to you. If there is a pond or a lake near you, the weather literally cooks those until they form bacteria previously unkown to scientists that kill children that choose to swim in them. Let's not even go there with the mosquitos.....the types and amount of bugs in Dallas mirror those of 3rd world countries. I hope you like fire ants too.

It's mildly cosmopolitan-for Texas anyway. Atlanta is better. There are some great restaurants here though. I don't know if youd like Dallas, but Rick Perry does, so if that's your thing, then come on down. Oh, if schools are of interest, or will be, Dallas public schools are horrid, unless you can afford private school, or move to the suburbs. Far into the suburbs. Good luck

[GreyDay]

Originally Posted by PrettyWarrior

Dallas is part of the south-there is racial diversity....wealthy white people and poor black and hispanic people.

politics will do you fine in Texas as long as you are conservative.

It's mildly cosmopolitan-for Texas anyway. Atlanta is better. There are some great restaurants here though. I don't know if youd like Dallas, but Rick Perry does, so if that's your thing, then come on down. Oh, if schools are of interest, or will be, Dallas public schools are horrid, unless you can afford private school, or move to the suburbs. Far into the suburbs. Good luck

There are some well-to-do Latinos and Blacks. Some can even read I've heard.

Dallas public schools at large aren't great but the magnet schools are excellent.

Some suburbs have great schools, some are also-rans.

I found this in the copier...

[nativetexasgal]

Originally Posted by PrettyWarrior

Dallas is part of the south-there is racial diversity....wealthy white people and poor black and hispanic people.

politics will do you fine in Texas as long as you are conservative.

weather....unbearable. probably part of the reason it's so cheap to live here. we just had over 70 straight days of triple digit temps. It's so hot it's uncomfortable at best-def waaaaay too hot for any outdoor activities. Elderly people die in it every year. And it snows more than once-and when it does, it's that freeze you to the bone cold, because of the humidity. the roads are frozen solid, so in other words a light rain will prove debilitating for people to drive to work. The weather sucks. Be prepared for high electricity bills.

there is no scenery anywhere near Dallas. Unless old farmland and prairie is scenery to you. If there is a pond or a lake near you, the weather literally cooks those until they form bacteria previously unkown to scientists that kill children that choose to swim in them. Let's not even go there with the mosquitos.....the types and amount of bugs in Dallas mirror those of 3rd world countries. I hope you like fire ants too.

It's mildly cosmopolitan-for Texas anyway. Atlanta is better. There are some great restaurants here though. I don't know if youd like Dallas, but Rick Perry does, so if that's your thing, then come on down. Oh, if schools are of interest, or will be, Dallas public schools are horrid, unless you can afford private school, or move to the suburbs. Far into the suburbs. Good luck

One small correction about "snow"--actually, what we get in the DFW area is more ice than snow. From what I've seen here, the ice is considered harder to deal with than heavy snow would be. Having more than a few episodes of ice is unusual, but it does happen. The week of the Super Bowl this week, it was a mess around here, no doubt.

It is hot in the summer, but if you're well equipped with a good AC, you'll be fine. Yes, the summer can seem to drag on forever; however, the tradeoff is relatively mild winters. I've worn short sleeves in November, December, and even January many times. If you like four seasons, then this is not the place for you.

In the spring, we also get a different sort of ice--hail along with lots of tornado watches and warnings. If you're into storm chasing, you can drive out in the country and watch the clouds changing.

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by PrettyWarrior

Dallas is part of the south-there is racial diversity....wealthy white people and poor black and hispanic people.

politics will do you fine in Texas as long as you are conservative.

weather....unbearable. probably part of the reason it's so cheap to live here. we just had over 70 straight days of triple digit temps. It's so hot it's uncomfortable at best-def waaaaay too hot for any outdoor activities. Elderly people die in it every year. And it snows more than once-and when it does, it's that freeze you to the bone cold, because of the humidity. the roads are frozen solid, so in other words a light rain will prove debilitating for people to drive to work. The weather sucks. Be prepared for high electricity bills.

there is no scenery anywhere near Dallas. Unless old farmland and prairie is scenery to you. If there is a pond or a lake near you, the weather literally cooks those until they form bacteria previously unkown to scientists that kill children that choose to swim in them. Let's not even go there with the mosquitos.....the types and amount of bugs in Dallas mirror those of 3rd world countries. I hope you like fire ants too.

It's mildly cosmopolitan-for Texas anyway. Atlanta is better. There are some great restaurants here though. I don't know if youd like Dallas, but Rick Perry does, so if that's your thing, then come on down. Oh, if schools are of interest, or will be, Dallas public schools are horrid, unless you can afford private school, or move to the suburbs. Far into the suburbs. Good luck

You need to get out more and learn more about Dallas.