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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
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
While I dont disagree with everything, there are some things in your post that are gross generalizations.
1) I am a raging liberal. I live in Plano and have lived in the city of Dallas. I have had no problems meeting like minds and I love it here.
2) There are plenty of people in all races in all socioeconomic classes. I live in a neighborhood where the average house costs 400k. The neighorhood is half white, 1/4 Asian, 20% Hispanic, and 5% african American. There are lots of middle and upper class African Americans in other neighborhoods here.
IHere, many women I know are utterly apolitical, voting the way their husbands tell them since they feel too busy with work and family to pay much attention.
They are just being polite. That is the Southern Woman's way of saying, "Bless your heart" to your face without making you feel bad.
Since Texas is family focused, someone who cheats on their wife or who puts women down is not going to get a warm reception no matter their politics. Clayton Williams had the governorship locked up a few days before the election before his joke about "how rain is like rape..once it starts you might was well enjoy it." and then lost in the polls as everyone voted for Anne Richards.
Dallas is part of the south-there is racial diversity....wealthy white people and poor black and hispanic people.
This is pretty funny. The interracial power couple from DC I took to dinner last weekend thought the same when they first came to visit. They spent three days in the area looking around. And made the comment that they were surprised how racially integrated things were and how they were received everywhere. Then another interracial couple I know showed up with their Benetton commercial kids.
Just go eat breakfast on Sundays at the IHOP at Preston and 121 and tell me Dallas is Jim Crow or not politically diverse.
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Politics will do you fine in Texas as long as you are conservative.
Riiight. What do you know about TX politics? The GOP legislature and the GOP governor just passed in-state tuition for illegals and DPS will not enforce immigration law. The largest Democratic voting block are white rural land owning married couples.
Scratch a Texas GOP politician and you will find a Southern Democrat.
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weather....unbearable. probably part of the reason it's so cheap to live... Be prepared for high electricity bills.
DC gets pretty bad in August and it gets much colder in the winter. And electric rates in TX are far less than DC.
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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
I agree some DISD schools are not good. But some are very good. But the worst DC schools are much worse than DISD's.
The top DFW privates just cream the top DC privates across the board. Kind of makes you wonder just how smart the DC people really are.
The top DFW publics (Plano ) are on par with the top public in the DC area - TJHS - which is a public exam school - which PISD is not. Again, makes you wonder just how bright the DC people really are.
As for the OP, move to DC, get it out of your system, then move to DFW. I loved DC when I was there.
Things are getting better across the board despite all the bad news. I see it in so many sectors. I do not want to hijack this thread. But this is just one of many voices. The latter half of this decade and the next one will be amazing to live through, especially in the South.
Things are getting better across the board despite all the bad news. I see it in so many sectors. I do not want to hijack this thread. But this is just one of many voices. The latter half of this decade and the next one will be amazing to live through, especially in the South.
I love the sound of this, and you for being so optimistic, but it sure feels crappy out there..Sooner it improves sooner I can get my Tuchis to Texas, and even though I work in Services, I would love to see it be Manufacturing that rebounds us back to prosperity. It would be so American for it to happen that way.
i currently live inDC but moving toDallas next month.
i agree with PP, if single you'll probably love DC. It has beautiful fall, spring and milder summer. And doesnt snow that much if you exclude the freakish winter we had two years ago where we had 3 blizzards. They say that only happens every 100 years. Im already really sad to be leaving such a beautiful part of our country. We are about 3 hrs from the beach and 1 hour from the mountains. But we have a 1 year old and buying a SF home in DC in our price is out of reach.
DC meets most of your criteria, except the weather
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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. :-)
I've lived in DC for the last fifteen years. It is excellent for most of your criteria except for the weather. The gloomy fall and cold winter is very long. Spring often lasts only for a couple of weeks. The trees and flowers are usually confused in the spring because it seems that we go directly from harsh winter to summer. It has a high rate of clinical depressions due to the stressful life and the poor weather.
Besides that, it has awesome museums that you can never grow tired of. You can find some kind of symphony, play, concert, or some kind of fun cultural event for free or at a very affordable rate every weekend. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts has a free concert every day. National Museum of Western Art usually have free concerts every month. Then there is the Smithsonian. Cultural diversity is great. If you want to learn to speak three or four different foreign languages, you can find good classes and opportunities to practice.
Oh, and politics, politics, more politics, till you feel like you are drowning in politics. Yes, you can find plenty of interesting ethnic restaurants to chat about politics while enjoy your meal.
DC is also very close to Chesapeake Bay, Blue Ridge mountains. Nature is only a couple of hours away. You can go hiking, bird watching, boating...
It has plenty of jobs, especially if you work for the government.
The cost of living is much higher in DC than in Dallas though. Make sure you negotiate a good salary.
People are not very warm and friendly in DC. This city seems to attract ambitious goal oriented people that focus on getting what they want instead of building authentic friendships.
I've lived in DC for the last fifteen years. It is excellent for most of your criteria except for the weather. The gloomy fall and cold winter is very long. Spring often lasts only for a couple of weeks. The trees and flowers are usually confused in the spring because it seems that we go directly from harsh winter to summer. It has a high rate of clinical depressions due to the stressful life and the poor weather.
Besides that, it has awesome museums that you can never grow tired of. You can find some kind of symphony, play, concert, or some kind of fun cultural event for free or at a very affordable rate every weekend. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts has a free concert every day. National Museum of Western Art usually have free concerts every month. Then there is the Smithsonian. Cultural diversity is great. If you want to learn to speak three or four different foreign languages, you can find good classes and opportunities to practice.
Oh, and politics, politics, more politics, till you feel like you are drowning in politics. Yes, you can find plenty of interesting ethnic restaurants to chat about politics while enjoy your meal.
DC is also very close to Chesapeake Bay, Blue Ridge mountains. Nature is only a couple of hours away. You can go hiking, bird watching, boating...
It has plenty of jobs, especially if you work for the government.
The cost of living is much higher in DC than in Dallas though. Make sure you negotiate a good salary.
People are not very warm and friendly in DC. This city seems to attract ambitious goal oriented people that focus on getting what they want instead of building authentic friendships.
If you want a friend in D.C., get a dog.
That said, you can build a strong consensus of up-and-comers who are doing well in their respective fields and of that alliance, comes true friendship. Folks that make it to D.C. have escaped whatever hometown they're from, they've risen above the fray. They are usually exceptional and in some circles, yes, cutthroat. It's always abotu the next job, next assignment, next invite, next committee. Circles within circles. It is social intercourse in its purest form.
D.C. ain't checkers, it's chess. Gotta keep you head on a swivel, see that robber coming...
Remember, saying something innocuous as your place has a garage, in Georgetown. is basically saying your place is worth 3-4 million.
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DC meets most of your criteria, except the weather
