Dallas from Atlanta - young, diverse, etc. Please Help! (San Antonio: neighborhood, theatres)

[jbarn]

Originally Posted by AtlantaGal

Good to know! I'll check it out during a weekday and weekend, while I'm in town. Your previous post also excited me because the 25-40min commute quote isn't toooo bad. While I do currently live in Atlanta (Traffic-Hell) I actually have a 5 minute commute b/c I live so close to my office. HOWEVER, I feel trapped in my little 5 minute radius (which is abt 20 minutes from the 'fun' of midtown Atlanta) and I'd trade a 30min commute for being in the 'thick of everything', for sure! When I lived in NYC I had a 30min commute and kind of enjoyed it b/c it was all highway; against traffic (so it was a fairly smooth ride); and I got to listen to the radio shows. I'm def. going to check out both areas while in town... day & night.. Thanks!



Thanks for putting it into (ATL) perspective for me!! This helps!

Also, if you want to be in the 'thick of everything', Plano and Shops at Legacy should be ruled out. Shops at Legacy is basically a big shopping center with apartments above, surrounded by miles and miles of suburban blah. Shops at Legacy is neat for what it is but certainly wouldn't by any stretch of the imagination be considered to be in the 'thick of everything'. In Plano, Shops of Legacy 'is' the everything. Plano is a very nice city, but is VERY family oriented and the Shops at Legacy is it's attempt to create somewhat of a coolness factor where none existed before. If you have to live in Plano, the downtown area would probably be a better bet, and it is right on the DART rail line that you can take into Dallas.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by jbarn

You do not want to live in the Shops at Legacy area if you are wanting an area that would be considered diverse and gay friendly. I am not sure of your political leanings, but Plano and Collin County are considered to be two of the most conservative areas in the country, even though they are only miles from the relatively liberal city of Dallas. There are way too many good options closer to the core than to settle for the Plano area. Is best to stick to the City of Dallas, or even a closer in suburb like Richardson or Addison would be better options than the redder than red Plano and Collin County areas. My partner and I live in North Dallas and that is about as far North as we will live as attitudes change quickly north of 635.

I wonder which store sells such broad brushes?

This is so overly simplistic that it is comical. Yes, Collin County will lean more conservative than Dallas County but it is not like there is some magical barrier you cross that weeds out diversity once you drive up the tollway. I work with MANY younger people of all varying stripes that live in the areas suggested along the tollway. Conversely, there are many staunch conservatives in Dallas County as well. Dallas votes blue moreso for the larger minority vote than for any social liberal reason.

OP, you probably heard the same kind of broad brush slam about Cobb County in Atlanta. Scare tactics that you need to take with a HUGE grain of salt.

[jbarn]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

I wonder which store sells such broad brushes?

This is so overly simplistic that it is comical. Yes, Collin County will lean more conservative than Dallas County but it is not like there is some magical barrier you cross that weeds out diversity once you drive up the tollway. I work with MANY younger people of all varying stripes that live in the areas suggested along the tollway. Conversely, there are many staunch conservatives in Dallas County as well. Dallas votes blue moreso for the larger minority vote than for any social liberal reason.

OP, you probably heard the same kind of broad brush slam about Cobb County in Atlanta. Scare tactics that you need to take with a HUGE grain of salt.

Overly Simplistic, yet true. I am glad you found it comical. And it doesn't just lean more conservative, it tilts far right in that direction. It is considered, even by the conservative leaning Dallas Morning News, to be one of the reddest counties in one of the reddest states. About 70-80% of the voters up there voted for the far-right Texas office holders that are currently in the process of taking this state back to the good old days of 1950.

I am basically just saying if you even lean a little bit to the left, why place yourself smack dab in the middle of an area where you know the vast majority of people have different views then you do? Also, are you insinuating that those MANY younger people that you work with that live out there are not conservative just because they are young? I think you have apparently already located the broad brush store.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

Originally Posted by jbarn

I am not sure of your political leanings, but Plano and Collin County are considered to be two of the most conservative areas in the country, even though they are only miles from the relatively liberal city of Dallas.

Don't fall into the trap of confusing fiscal conservatism with social conservatism - the former is growing and the latter is fading fast among Republicans and non-aligned conservatives. I have many conservative friends who are not even religious.

We came here from South Carolina and not one person - neighbors, co-workers or other people we met along the way - batted an eye about my partner's & my lifestyle. I would think that heavily populated areas in Collin Co. like Plano would be at least as accepting in the very large DFW metro area.

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by jbarn

Also, if you want to be in the 'thick of everything', Plano and Shops at Legacy should be ruled out. Shops at Legacy is basically a big shopping center with apartments above, surrounded by miles and miles of suburban blah. Shops at Legacy is neat for what it is but certainly wouldn't by any stretch of the imagination be considered to be in the 'thick of everything'. In Plano, Shops of Legacy 'is' the everything. Plano is a very nice city, but is VERY family oriented and the Shops at Legacy is it's attempt to create somewhat of a coolness factor where none existed before. If you have to live in Plano, the downtown area would probably be a better bet, and it is right on the DART rail line that you can take into Dallas.

I agree with this completely. While Shops of Legacy is a fairly decent development for Plano, it just doesn't compare to Oak Lawn. It would be like me saying Oak Lawn is more family friendly than Plano, which would be wrong. That sounds just as rediculous as comparing Oak Lawn to Shops at Legacy, for which is better for young professionals, the answer is obvious. Clearly, Oak Lawn is the best fit for the OP. She specifically said she wants to leave a suburban area for a more Urban, walkable, and diverse area.

The only real decision to make is whether or not the drive is worth it. For me, it was. I commuted to Legacy from Oak Lawn, and now commute from Oak Lawn to Trinity Mills. While the drive isn't fun, it's worth it to live in a place I enjoy.

OP, please try the water before moving to Plano, that's another reason I could not live there. I drink lots of tap water, and the water tasted horrible up there. Definitely something to consider if your not a bottled water person.

[PISDstudent]

Originally Posted by jbarn

Overly Simplistic, yet true. I am glad you found it comical. And it doesn't just lean more conservative, it tilts far right in that direction. It is considered, even by the conservative leaning Dallas Morning News, to be one of the reddest counties in one of the reddest states. About 70-80% of the voters up there voted for the far-right Texas office holders that are currently in the process of taking this state back to the good old days of 1950.

I am basically just saying if you even lean a little bit to the left, why place yourself smack dab in the middle of an area where you know the vast majority of people have different views then you do? Also, are you insinuating that those MANY younger people that you work with that live out there are not conservative just because they are young? I think you have apparently already located the broad brush store.

A) You're way off - Collin County is by no means anywhere close to the "reddest" county in Texas. You can reference this map 2008 election results by Texas county: http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes...emocrats/?_r=0

B) In answer to your question, I would imagine that many people would hope to actually learn from people they disagree with. I'm conservative, but I'm happy in very liberal environments, for this reason. I would just hope that others would respect my views, and in Plano, that's definitely not a problem for people.

I don't think Plano is a great fit for the OP because they want to be in the center of things, but I wanted to call you out on these posts. If you want to generalize and stereotype people by where they live (which doesn't seem to be a very liberal, open-minded thing to do) great, but at least let it have some basis in reality.

[AtlantaGal]

I want to thank EVERYONE for their posts!! I appreciate you all taking the time out to write your thoughts & opinions! I am super excited to get down to Dallas next week and view the different areas... I'm making my notes and planning out my trip!

Thanks again everyone!

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by jbarn

Overly Simplistic, yet true. I am glad you found it comical. And it doesn't just lean more conservative, it tilts far right in that direction. It is considered, even by the conservative leaning Dallas Morning News, to be one of the reddest counties in one of the reddest states. About 70-80% of the voters up there voted for the far-right Texas office holders that are currently in the process of taking this state back to the good old days of 1950.

I am basically just saying if you even lean a little bit to the left, why place yourself smack dab in the middle of an area where you know the vast majority of people have different views then you do? Also, are you insinuating that those MANY younger people that you work with that live out there are not conservative just because they are young? I think you have apparently already located the broad brush store.

Youre telling lies.

First off, Collin County didnt not go 80% red it went 65% red.

Also, a large portion of people whom work and live in or near the Shops at Legacy are tech workers from other states and countries. Im sure my gay friends who live in and love the Shops would love to be enlightened by you as to how they are really fooling themselves. I also have a Muslim couple friends there. The area is actually very diverse and in an upscale kind of way.

Does Collin County lean right? Sure it does. But it isnt far right. The parts along and to the south of 121 are super diverse with all kinds of people with all kinds of mindsets.

Im quite left of center and Im perfectly happy here. Nobody cares one way or another.

[Lakewooder]

OK, so who keeps electing these people?

Texas GOP candidates join fray against San Antonio gay rights measure | Dallasnews.com - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by jbarn

Overly Simplistic, yet true. I am glad you found it comical. And it doesn't just lean more conservative, it tilts far right in that direction. It is considered, even by the conservative leaning Dallas Morning News, to be one of the reddest counties in one of the reddest states. About 70-80% of the voters up there voted for the far-right Texas office holders that are currently in the process of taking this state back to the good old days of 1950.

I am basically just saying if you even lean a little bit to the left, why place yourself smack dab in the middle of an area where you know the vast majority of people have different views then you do? Also, are you insinuating that those MANY younger people that you work with that live out there are not conservative just because they are young? I think you have apparently already located the broad brush store.

I qualified "MANY younger people" with the descriptive phrase "of all varying stripes" to specifically state that they are not all conservative and represent about every focus group out there.

By the way my fromer director here at my place of work was very "out" in his gay lifestyle, brought his partner to company functions. Nobody at this work place in Frisco (oops, even worse than Plano!) was bothered by it.

He was a card carrying Republican by the way. But that brush is painting far outside your lines, so don't have an anuerism.