Dallas or Austin? I still can't decide! (Houston, Spring: real estate, apartment)

[PilarDLS]

Hi Everyone,

After my divorce last Spring, I spent the summer "test driving" some cities, among them Dallas and Austin. I lived for two weeks in each one in a rented, furnished apartment, and I liked them both, so much so that now I can't decide where I want to live.

About me: I'm an entrepreneur/attorney, 42, single, very active, and love art, culture, symphony, ballet and fine dining; those are the amenities that I seek in my new city. I"d like to marry again eventually, so a pool of quality single men is important to me. I enjoy sophisticated and educated people.

My impressions so far:

Dallas is bigger and more polished than Austin. Traffic isn't bad if I choose to live in the areas bordered by downtown to the south, White Rock Lake to the east, Love Field to the west, and Northwest Highway to the north. Real estate prices are reasonable, and there seem like lots of art and cultural events. I perceive that there are probably more available men here. Outdoor activities seem plentiful, and the weather is good. There is access to good food (central market, Trader Joes) and health care seems to be high-quality (although my health insurance is going to about double; seems that there are lots of fat people in Dallas, I'm told.) So Dallas seems to suit me.

Austin is more expensive to live in due to housing prices that seem to be about 30-50% higher than Dallas for a comparable house. I thought Austin was beautiful, and loved the outdoor activities there, running around Town Lake in the summer time, and there seem to be lots of outdoor concerts. Not sure about the art opportunities, though. Traffic seems to be much worse than Dallas. There seems to be kind of a "funkier" vibe in Austin, which I kind of like. People are friendly and outdoorsy and open, and less polished than in Dallas. The neighborhoods in Austin seemed a little "shaggier" with no sidewalks or curbs, which I thought was a little strange given the high price of real estate there.

So, I just can't decide. Money isn't really an issue for me, and I can afford to live a very nice life in either place. Austin reminds me of Portland, where I grew up, which seemed a little casual and provincial at times. I'm more of a "dress up and go out to dinner" type girl. But I'm also very athletic, and wonder if Austin might suit me better on that account; Dallasites didn't seem very athletic as a whole.

Does anyone have any thoughts about Dallas vs. Austin, given what I've mentioned that I like?

[oping00]

Originally Posted by PilarDLS

Hi Everyone,

After my divorce last Spring, I spent the summer "test driving" some cities, among them Dallas and Austin. I lived for two weeks in each one in a rented, furnished apartment, and I liked them both, so much so that now I can't decide where I want to live.

About me: I'm an entrepreneur/attorney, 42, single, very active, and love art, culture, symphony, ballet and fine dining; those are the amenities that I seek in my new city. I"d like to marry again eventually, so a pool of quality single men is important to me. I enjoy sophisticated and educated people.

My impressions so far:

Dallas is bigger and more polished than Austin. Traffic isn't bad if I choose to live in the areas bordered by downtown to the south, White Rock Lake to the east, Love Field to the west, and Northwest Highway to the north. Real estate prices are reasonable, and there seem like lots of art and cultural events. I perceive that there are probably more available men here. Outdoor activities seem plentiful, and the weather is good. There is access to good food (central market, Trader Joes) and health care seems to be high-quality (although my health insurance is going to about double; seems that there are lots of fat people in Dallas, I'm told.) So Dallas seems to suit me.

Austin is more expensive to live in due to housing prices that seem to be about 30-50% higher than Dallas for a comparable house. I thought Austin was beautiful, and loved the outdoor activities there, running around Town Lake in the summer time, and there seem to be lots of outdoor concerts. Not sure about the art opportunities, though. Traffic seems to be much worse than Dallas. There seems to be kind of a "funkier" vibe in Austin, which I kind of like. People are friendly and outdoorsy and open, and less polished than in Dallas. The neighborhoods in Austin seemed a little "shaggier" with no sidewalks or curbs, which I thought was a little strange given the high price of real estate there.

So, I just can't decide. Money isn't really an issue for me, and I can afford to live a very nice life in either place. Austin reminds me of Portland, where I grew up, which seemed a little casual and provincial at times. I'm more of a "dress up and go out to dinner" type girl. But I'm also very athletic, and wonder if Austin might suit me better on that account; Dallasites didn't seem very athletic as a whole.

Does anyone have any thoughts about Dallas vs. Austin, given what I've mentioned that I like?

If Money is no issue then go to New York. No other city compares other than San fran.

[PilarDLS]

Originally Posted by oping00

If Money is no issue then go to New York. No other city compares other than San fran.

The choice is narrowed between Dallas and Austin. New York is not on the list. Thanks for chiming in, though!

[jennifw]

I think your assessment is pretty spot-on between the two cities.

I am not sure you would have been able to pickup the athletic side of Dallas with a short visit. I live in the boundaries you stated, near White Rock Lake. If you are a runner or cyclist, you will fit right in. There is a Luke's Locker and Run On, both on Mockingbird near SMU. They have all kinds of groups for various levels and they seem to start a new group every few months. I also see lots of CrossFit/Boot Camp type activities in nearly every park around me. Those are usually in the mornings or evenings.

Given what you have said about being "get dressed and go to dinner" I think you would really like Dallas. The casualness of Austin is something that I can't get my head around. (my sisters live there and no, flip flops are not appropriate for a fancy dinner!)

Good luck with your decision.

[BigDGeek]

Austin. Dallas sucks if you're outdoorsy or like nature. There are outdoorsy activities in north Texas, but it takes so freaking long to get to them on weekends and even then, they usually pale in comparison to the Hill Country.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Move to Dallas. The fit demographic of Austin is overwhelmingly college students, or married people.

I've lived both places, and after age 25-30 or so, Dallas is really the better place to be. Your post says it all, "Dallas is more polished." That's absolutely true, BUT if you want to get down and dirty and have an "Austin" night, you can do that here too.

You also state that you're looking for sophisticated and educated people. Well, to put it bluntly, sophistication goes hand in hand with money, and while you have plenty of choices for that in Dallas, you'll be a lot harder pressed to find it in a city full of broke college students, and in a town whose motto is "Keep Austin Weird."

Don't get me wrong, I love Austin, probably for the same reasons you do. I'm 35, active, etc. But at my age, I don't feel at home in Austin anymore. It's a college town, first and foremost, and that is probably not ultimately what you're looking for.

So do what I do... Live in Dallas or the suburbs, and every now and then, have a weekend down in Austin. Best of both worlds, while not getting sick and tired of the Austin scene.

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by PilarDLS

Hi Everyone,

After my divorce last Spring, I spent the summer "test driving" some cities, among them Dallas and Austin. I lived for two weeks in each one in a rented, furnished apartment, and I liked them both, so much so that now I can't decide where I want to live.

About me: I'm an entrepreneur/attorney, 42, single, very active, and love art, culture, symphony, ballet and fine dining; those are the amenities that I seek in my new city. I"d like to marry again eventually, so a pool of quality single men is important to me. I enjoy sophisticated and educated people.

My impressions so far:

Dallas is bigger and more polished than Austin. Traffic isn't bad if I choose to live in the areas bordered by downtown to the south, White Rock Lake to the east, Love Field to the west, and Northwest Highway to the north. Real estate prices are reasonable, and there seem like lots of art and cultural events. I perceive that there are probably more available men here. Outdoor activities seem plentiful, and the weather is good. There is access to good food (central market, Trader Joes) and health care seems to be high-quality (although my health insurance is going to about double; seems that there are lots of fat people in Dallas, I'm told.) So Dallas seems to suit me.

Austin is more expensive to live in due to housing prices that seem to be about 30-50% higher than Dallas for a comparable house. I thought Austin was beautiful, and loved the outdoor activities there, running around Town Lake in the summer time, and there seem to be lots of outdoor concerts. Not sure about the art opportunities, though. Traffic seems to be much worse than Dallas. There seems to be kind of a "funkier" vibe in Austin, which I kind of like. People are friendly and outdoorsy and open, and less polished than in Dallas. The neighborhoods in Austin seemed a little "shaggier" with no sidewalks or curbs, which I thought was a little strange given the high price of real estate there.

So, I just can't decide. Money isn't really an issue for me, and I can afford to live a very nice life in either place. Austin reminds me of Portland, where I grew up, which seemed a little casual and provincial at times. I'm more of a "dress up and go out to dinner" type girl. But I'm also very athletic, and wonder if Austin might suit me better on that account; Dallasites didn't seem very athletic as a whole.

Does anyone have any thoughts about Dallas vs. Austin, given what I've mentioned that I like?

We don't really have the symphony/ballet/museums etc in Austin, at least not on any notable scale. In TX, Houston is tops for that followed by DFW.

Austin has better outdoor activities.

Yes, Dallas is more "polished" and Austin more quirky/funky. Houston has Dallas' big city amenities combined with some of Austin's quirk and grit... pehaps you should have checked it out as well.

[Considering Coming Back]

Originally Posted by MckinneyOwnr

Don't get me wrong, I love Austin, probably for the same reasons you do. I'm 35, active, etc. But at my age, I don't feel at home in Austin anymore. It's a college town, first and foremost, and that is probably not ultimately what you're looking for.

I agree with this. Austin is great for a post-grad lifestyle, but if you are past that then it wears on you.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

In my personal opinion:

Austin has better outdoor activities and a more funky vibe.

Dallas has more urban ammenities, is more diverse, and a better culinary scene.

It just depends on which set of ammenities you prefer.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by justme02

In my personal opinion:

Austin has better outdoor activities and a more funky vibe.

Dallas has more urban ammenities, is more diverse, and a better culinary scene.

It just depends on which set of ammenities you prefer.

Or the OP could move somewhere else and get both.