DFW vs Charlotte vs Oklahoma City (Dallas, Henderson: house, transfer, neighborhoods)

[bchris02]

Long story short, back in 2009 I moved to Charlotte, NC from Little Rock and loved it. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a decent job there so I had to move. I landed a very good job in Oklahoma City last July but I am having trouble making OKC work for me. I have thought about going back to Charlotte but am trying to decide if Dallas may be a better fit and if I should start focusing my efforts on landing a job there.

First, anybody familiar with all these cities, how would you compare them? I know Dallas blows Charlotte and especially OKC out of the water as far as amenities, but I am asking about things like culture and day to day quality of life.

How is the economy in Dallas and how difficult will it be for somebody out of state to land a job there? My degree is in IT (Technical Support) and I am still entry level.

One of my biggest problems in OKC has been the family oriented culture and the fact if you aren't married by age 21, people act like there is something wrong with you and it can be pretty lonely. How is the culture in Dallas and is there more of a singles scene if you are in your late 20s/early 30s? Are there any neighborhoods that are 24-hour? How is the political zeitgeist there? I tend to prefer places that aren't too extreme on one side or the other.

I know Dallas is still in tornado alley, but OKC gets F4/F5 tornadoes roughly every few years. Is the weather in DFW a little more moderate?

Thanks for any replies!

[TrueDat]

I think Dallas would be a much better fit for you than Charlotte, OKC or Little Rock.

First of all, it's much bigger than all of them so that in itself offers more opportunities in terms of business/work opportunities and social interactions.

While the Metroplex overall may be culturally conservative, it's big enough so that you can more easily find a niche that suits you even if you don't identify with the overall mindset. I'm sure that exists in OKC, Charlotte, and Little Rock too but, again, those niches are going to be much smaller.

If you live in the city of Dallas, especially below I-635 or closer in to downtown, you'll find a variety of neighborhoods with lots of people pursuing different lifestyles. The suburbs are going to be more family oriented but, in general, you don't have to be married at 21 and have a house full of kids by the time your 30 -- unless you want to. And if you're living in in-town neighborhoods like Uptown, downtown, North Oak Cliff, Knox-Henderson, East Dallas, Lakewood, or Oak Lawn, certainly no one's going to care.

I have an acquaintance who moved from California to OKC, hated it, and moved to Dallas. One of the things he noticed in OKC was the social pressure to pair up and settle down quickly and he's much happier here in Dallas in terms of the social scene.

As for weather, it can get extreme here at times but it's not as bad as OKC. The very worst stuff seems to stay above the Red River. (Of course, that doesn't mean Dallas won't get an EF4/5 someday but it's certainly not a regular occurrence.) If you've already survived Little Rock and OKC, you can handle Dallas. The summers here are scorching hot but so are Little Rock and OKC summers. But the winters here are milder.

The only problem I see for you is getting an entry-level IT job from out of state, as there seem to be a lot of IT people in Dallas already. But, that aside, I think you'd be much happier in Dallas.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by TrueDat

I think Dallas would be a much better fit for you than Charlotte, OKC or Little Rock.

First of all, it's much bigger than all of them so that in itself offers more opportunities in terms of business/work opportunities and social interactions.

While the Metroplex overall may be culturally conservative, it's big enough so that you can more easily find a niche that suits you even if you don't identify with the overall mindset. I'm sure that exists in OKC, Charlotte, and Little Rock too but, again, those niches are going to be much smaller.

If you live in the city of Dallas, especially below I-635 or closer in to downtown, you'll find a variety of neighborhoods with lots of people pursuing different lifestyles. The suburbs are going to be more family oriented but, in general, you don't have to be married at 21 and have a house full of kids by the time your 30 -- unless you want to. And if you're living in in-town neighborhoods like Uptown, downtown, North Oak Cliff, Knox-Henderson, East Dallas, Lakewood, or Oak Lawn, certainly no one's going to care.

I have an acquaintance who moved from California to OKC, hated it, and moved to Dallas. One of the things he noticed in OKC was the social pressure to pair up and settle down quickly and he's much happier here in Dallas in terms of the social scene.

As for weather, it can get extreme here at times but it's not as bad as OKC. The very worst stuff seems to stay above the Red River. (Of course, that doesn't mean Dallas won't get an EF4/5 someday but it's certainly not a regular occurrence.) If you've already survived Little Rock and OKC, you can handle Dallas. The summers here are scorching hot but so are Little Rock and OKC summers. But the winters here are milder.

Thanks for the reply. This sounds great and like a breath of fresh air compared to OKC.

Originally Posted by TrueDat

The only problem I see for you is getting an entry-level IT job from out of state, as there seem to be a lot of IT people in Dallas already. But, that aside, I think you'd be much happier in Dallas.

This is the real kicker. I have my ideal job in OKC and I don't want to just pack up and leave for Dallas without another job lined up down there. Finding a job before I move is necessary to making this possible. Any advice on a long-distance job search?

[TrueDat]

Have you been to Dallas at all? Maybe it might be best to come and spend a couple of days here, explore and just hang out socially to see if it does fit you. If you don't like the vibe, then you can cross it off your list and not waste any more time. It's only a 3-hour drive away so it wouldn't be a huge investment to spend a long weekend here.

If you are still interested after that, is there any way to transfer with your present company to Dallas?

Do you have friends/associates/acquaintances in your field in Dallas who might be able to help? Might you be able to come down for networking events occasionally? I'm not in IT so I don't know the specifics of how your field works but I know a ton of IT people here and they don't seem to be suffering for work.

The other thing I should mention is that, for those coming from California or Texas, Dallas seems like a bargain, it might be the opposite for you, coming from OKC and Little Rock. Rents, especially in an area like Uptown, can be steep by comparison. And I assume you're not planning on buying right away? Property taxes can be high here but the upside is there's no state income tax. You need to figure that all into your calculations as well.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by TrueDat

Have you been to Dallas at all? Maybe it might be best to come and spend a couple of days here, explore and just hang out socially to see if it does fit you. If you don't like the vibe, then you can cross it off your list and not waste any more time. It's only a 3-hour drive away so it wouldn't be a huge investment to spend a long weekend here.

If you are still interested after that, is there any way to transfer with your present company to Dallas?

Do you have friends/associates/acquaintances in your field in Dallas who might be able to help? Might you be able to come down for networking events occasionally? I'm not in IT so I don't know the specifics of how your field works but I know a ton of IT people here and they don't seem to be suffering for work.

The other thing I should mention is that, for those coming from California or Texas, Dallas seems like a bargain, it might be the opposite for you, coming from OKC and Little Rock. Rents, especially in an area like Uptown, can be steep by comparison. And I assume you're not planning on buying right away? Property taxes can be high here but the upside is there's no state income tax. You need to figure that all into your calculations as well.

I have been a few times but not with the intention of deciding if it would be a place I would like to move. I definitely want to spend a weekend there checking out the vibe, scene, etc to see if it is a good fit. I've moved around a few times and I want this next move to be more lasting. I moved to OKC based on economic numbers, opinions from city-boosters, and pressure from family. I thought that I could make it work for me being its a city of 1.3 million in the metro area (decent sized), but through it I've learned how everywhere is different and you can't judge cities on size and economy alone. So as soon as I can afford it I do plan on taking a trip down there and after that will decide if I want to pursue relocation.

As for cost of living, I think there is some truth in that you get what you pay for. Some places like California are way over-inflated, but places like OKC are cheap for a reason. I also don't necessarily have to live in the most hip neighborhood as long as I still have access to it. In Charlotte I lived way out in the suburbs and drove to happening places like NoDA and Southend on the weekends and didn't have a problem doing that.

As for the job situation, I cannot transfer and I don't currently know anybody in the DFW area to help me network, so I am pretty much on my own on that, unfortunately.

[TrueDat]

DFW can seem like a sprawling mess to the uninitiated so if you want suggestions of things to do/see, places to go (all with an eye towards actually living here), PM me if you like when you decide you're coming down and I can make some suggestions. And keep us updated on how things are working out for you. And welcome to Dallas if you decide to come here. (I remember a couple of times one of the titles of an Arkansas thread would catch my eye and I remember you posting well-reasoned posts about the pros and cons of Little Rock.)

[Willsson]

Originally Posted by bchris02

Thanks for the reply. This sounds great and like a breath of fresh air compared to OKC.



This is the real kicker. I have my ideal job in OKC and I don't want to just pack up and leave for Dallas without another job lined up down there. Finding a job before I move is necessary to making this possible. Any advice on a long-distance job search?

Work in Texas dot com > no spaces, the 'dot' is a '.'
> Search All Jobs
> Use key words such as 'Dallas', '{your choice}'
> Search All Words

Work in Texas is a function of the Texas Workforce Commission

Good luck