Should I relocate to Park Cities from California? (Dallas, Austin: chapel, hotels)

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Captain Harlock

Everyone, thank you so much for your kind replies! One of the things that irks me so much about California is the people. We've met some fine people here, of course, but in general, the majority of people we come across are pretty freaky and not grounded enough for my tastes. Texans, on the other hand, continue to impress me. Whether it's the virtual Texans I come across on these boards, or those I've met in person, I really admire the friendliness and politeness mixed with a spunkiness that I find very refreshing. I also have deep respect for the pride Texans have in their Lone Star state -- it seems to me that it's the equivalent to what was once an American patriotism which has all but disappeared, at least here in California. (Seeing an American flag in front of someone's home here is a rarity. And if I happened to fly a flag from my car window, I'd be scared my car would get keyed or I'd get rocks thrown at me.)

By the way, I forgot to mention that we're looking for a place where people dress nicely, have self-respect, and don't drop the F-bomb in every other sentence. Such a place does not seem to exist in California. Most people around here wouldn't be out of place in an Occupy Wall Street protest.

Anyway, I get that Dallas is hotter than I can imagine, and that it's flat and maybe somewhat boring in many ways. But the people seem like a big plus to me, at least in comparison to those I'm used to here in California. I deeply appreciate that people still say "sir" and "ma'am" in Texas, from what I hear. Also, the lack of a state income tax is a big draw as well. Wouldn't it be wise to surround myself and my family with friendly, good people (even if it's hot outdoors), save a lot of money in taxes, and live in a bubble of safety and prosperity (ie. Highland Park), and then go on lots of fun vacations out of state? After all, if we move anywhere else outside of California, we'll have at least four months, if not more, of very uncomfortable weather no matter where we go. So, why not Dallas?

A couple other comments: Florida does not appeal to us at all. The people, in general, seem as transient and weird as those in California, if not more so. I could be wrong about Florida, but that's my (uninformed?) perception. As for Denver, as one poster suggested, it seems like a nice place, but perhaps too rugged and casual for us. We'd rather raise our girls in a place where people tend to dress up nicely.

Check out Raleigh-Durham. Chapel Hill is particularly beautiful.

[London29]

How about Greenwich or Westport in Connecticut? if you don't mind the cold weather, I do!

Palo Alto, California? Manhattan Beach?

[HockDad]

Originally Posted by Captain Harlock

Everyone, thank you so much for your kind replies! One of the things that irks me so much about California is the people. We've met some fine people here, of course, but in general, the majority of people we come across are pretty freaky and not grounded enough for my tastes. Texans, on the other hand, continue to impress me. Whether it's the virtual Texans I come across on these boards, or those I've met in person, I really admire the friendliness and politeness mixed with a spunkiness that I find very refreshing. I also have deep respect for the pride Texans have in their Lone Star state -- it seems to me that it's the equivalent to what was once an American patriotism which has all but disappeared, at least here in California. (Seeing an American flag in front of someone's home here is a rarity. And if I happened to fly a flag from my car window, I'd be scared my car would get keyed or I'd get rocks thrown at me.)

By the way, I forgot to mention that we're looking for a place where people dress nicely, have self-respect, and don't drop the F-bomb in every other sentence. Such a place does not seem to exist in California. Most people around here wouldn't be out of place in an Occupy Wall Street protest.

Anyway, I get that Dallas is hotter than I can imagine, and that it's flat and maybe somewhat boring in many ways. But the people seem like a big plus to me, at least in comparison to those I'm used to here in California. I deeply appreciate that people still say "sir" and "ma'am" in Texas, from what I hear. Also, the lack of a state income tax is a big draw as well. Wouldn't it be wise to surround myself and my family with friendly, good people (even if it's hot outdoors), save a lot of money in taxes, and live in a bubble of safety and prosperity (ie. Highland Park), and then go on lots of fun vacations out of state? After all, if we move anywhere else outside of California, we'll have at least four months, if not more, of very uncomfortable weather no matter where we go. So, why not Dallas?

A couple other comments: Florida does not appeal to us at all. The people, in general, seem as transient and weird as those in California, if not more so. I could be wrong about Florida, but that's my (uninformed?) perception. As for Denver, as one poster suggested, it seems like a nice place, but perhaps too rugged and casual for us. We'd rather raise our girls in a place where people tend to dress up nicely.

The people are hung up on the weather, but they act like you have to stay here during the summer. If you work remotely you can do what many of our wealthier friends do during July and August (I am assuming you are rich based on 2 million dollar house)- simply rent a house in another part of the country for a month or so. Colorado ski resorts, Seaside Florida (a conservative enclave), etc give you many options to get away from the weather.

[4Movingeast]

Hey, it sounds like you would dig it. Come out and stay for a week, drive around, bring your family and see what yall think. I'm happy to report that although Mom (me) is a registered Dem and Dad is a mostly GOP voter (he did vote for our current Pres in 2012 though, he is definitely a Progressive Republican, a rare bird indeed), we are raising our boys to say "yes Ma'am" "No sir" so we haven't really found that our voting patterns play into that much but YMMV. You never mentioned church/services/faith of any flavor, whatever that may be or not. Allow me to welcome you to the Bible Belt. Not the easiest area for the non religious. Maybe someone who is plugged in to HP can talk to our OP how that will affect life on a regular basis. Maybe not as much as other parts of DFW, but it's something to consider. We are Catholic and having a dynamic community in which to participate is a big deal for us, so the local parish is always a big consideration for me.

[4Movingeast]

Hock Dad is right, just go to Vail for the summer like our rich friends do and you'll be fine!

[TurtleCreek80]

OP, I think you would love the Park Cities! I grew up there and it is an amazing community to be a part of, in addition to being one of the prettiest areas of Dallas. The only question I would ask is if your family is outdoorsy. If you are a California family who loves to hike, go to the beach, quick trip to Tahoe to ski, etc, you will definitely miss that A TON in Dallas.

Summers aren't as bad as people are making them out to be. Most people in the Park Cities send their kids to camp for 2-5 weeks in June & July (great time for mom & dad to take an adult vacation) and then family vacations for at least summer and spring break. Many Park Cities families are fixtures in Santa Fe, Aspen, Carmel, Hwy 30-A towns in Florida (Rosemary Beach, Seaside, etc) and to a lesser extent, the Hamptons and Nantucket. It's not like you're forced to hang out at your 100 degree pool all summer!

[tripmom]

Check out the Ct. towns others have mentioned. We live in a town similar to what you are describing in northern NJ and love it. So much to see and do on the east coast. However, we do hear a lot of "F" bombs here and it drives my husband nuts.

[TR95]

Potomac, Alexandria, Arlington. Doesn't seem the OP dislikes winter too much so these could be considered as well. Have no idea what property tax rates are in DC/MD/VA, but they are 2% in Highland Park. Maybe River Oaks in Houston, but I think property taxes are closer to 3%.

[biafra4life]

[quote=TurtleCreek80;34417596]

Summers aren't as bad as people are making them out to be.

Really??? Ok we all know you love the Park Cities but telling a falsehood like that to get someone to move there is just wrong. Summers here are terrible. Period. This is not California high 60s summers. This is humid, brutally oppressive 100+ day after day summers. This guy is going to get the shock of his life when July hits. Put this way, I've NEVER heard anyone say they "moved down here for the wonderfully hot summers". Now like I said before, we working stiffs have no choice but to smile and deal with it. But this guy has better options. Way better.

[BigDGeek]

[quote=biafra4life;34436184]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Summers aren't as bad as people are making them out to be.

Really??? Ok we all know you love the Park Cities but telling a falsehood like that to get someone to move there is just wrong. Summers here are terrible. Period. This is not California high 60s summers. This is humid, brutally oppressive 100+ day after day summers. This guy is going to get the shock of his life when July hits. Put this way, I've NEVER heard anyone say they "moved down here for the wonderfully hot summers". Now like I said before, we working stiffs have no choice but to smile and deal with it. But this guy has better options. Way better.

I agree...TC80 is awesome and I almost always agree with her advice, but I don't agree with recommending north Texas to the OP.

That being said, the Park Cities are lovely. If you have to be in this area or have strong family ties here and you can afford HP/UP, then yes...I agree that they're a great option.

However, the OP can literally live anywhere he likes. He's not being relocated here by his employer and he doesn't have strong ties to the area. Would he be welcomed in HP/UP? Sure! They'd make great friends and have a nice life. But he and his family might have a nicer life elsewhere...where it's not so hot, flat, and frankly, boring if you're outdoorsy or crave natural beauty. Or beauty of any kind, really...because once you leave HP/UP, you won't see a lot of it! Unless, of course, you think potholed concrete and utility lines drooping everywhere overhead are beautiful.