New job in Addison - Budget friendly? (Dallas, Plano: sales, apartment)

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by lionaka

Thank you all so much for all the great advice for possible areas to live. :-) We do a lot of traveling and camping, but in an RV, not in a tent (I'm way too prissy for a tent). So now I am thinking that I should rent covered storage for our RV to guard against the hail? So much stuff on top of the RV, including solar panels! It makes me cringe imagining what hail could do to those. I will look in depth at insurance to make sure that is covered.

So for another food related question... how common are "Farmer's Markets" in the Addison area?

Not really common at all that I know of. Richardson has one, but it's tiny. There are fresh food coops (Bountiful Baskets is one) and a big farmer's market downtown. Maybe others can clue us in more about that.

[lionaka]

I guess I have been fixated on tornadoes because while camping years ago I and my kids (they were tiny at the time) were in one. A totally freak tornado in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state in the normally grey, dull, and peacefully rainy spring. Huge trees hundreds of years old just snapped off or ripped out of the ground by the roots and piled up 20 feet deep like pick-up sticks all over the landscape. We were on the edge, but it still felt like being run over by a freight train. The noise was so intense it was not noise anymore... just a state of insane being. A couple of fishermen found us a couple of hours later and together they helped us climb out over the downed trees handing my kids from arm to arm over the tops of trees. By that time rescue workers were at the far end of the downed trees and they did the arms to arms thing too. Hauling my kids over the tops of the downed trees like a bucket chain.

For years afterward when the wind would blow through trees my kids would drop to the ground in a knot of hugging arms and legs and call to me, "Wind, mama, the wind!" I am sure they have gotten over it now as they all go out camping, but I am still a wimp about it all.

Silly I guess because that tornado was a freak thing with astronomical odds of actually being in it. I have been in dozens of hurricanes and earthquakes (lived overseas in the Philippines and Taiwan for 7 years when my dad was in the military), and a flood or two, and none of those bother me at all (pphft!). Tornadoes are my Achilles heel. :-)

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by lionaka

I guess I have been fixated on tornadoes because while camping years ago I and my kids (they were tiny at the time) were in one. A totally freak tornado in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state in the normally grey, dull, and peacefully rainy spring. Huge trees hundreds of years old just snapped off or ripped out of the ground by the roots and piled up 20 feet deep like pick-up sticks all over the landscape. We were on the edge, but it still felt like being run over by a freight train. The noise was so intense it was not noise anymore... just a state of insane being. A couple of fishermen found us a couple of hours later and together they helped us climb out over the downed trees handing my kids from arm to arm over the tops of trees. By that time rescue workers were at the far end of the downed trees and they did the arms to arms thing too. Hauling my kids over the tops of the downed trees like a bucket chain.

For years afterward when the wind would blow through trees my kids would drop to the ground in a knot of hugging arms and legs and call to me, "Wind, mama, the wind!" I am sure they have gotten over it now as they all go out camping, but I am still a wimp about it all.

Silly I guess because that tornado was a freak thing with astronomical odds of actually being in it. I have been in dozens of hurricanes and earthquakes (lived overseas in the Philippines and Taiwan for 7 years when my dad was in the military), and a flood or two, and none of those bother me at all (pphft!). Tornadoes are my Achilles heel. :-)

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Like you said, the odds are astronomical against a tornado hitting YOUR house while YOU'RE home, and even then the odds of you being seriously injured or killed aren't high. If it ever happened, and that's a BIG if, you'd just be very very very unlucky.

[lionaka]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Not really common at all that I know of. Richardson has one, but it's tiny. There are fresh food coops (Bountiful Baskets is one) and a big farmer's market downtown. Maybe others can clue us in more about that.

Wow I find that so odd. It seems like the climate would be conducive to agriculture and small farms. Even here in the intensely populated Bay Area almost every town has a Farmer's Market on the weekends and by driving south 30 minutes there are roadside farm stands right, left and center. When I was in Oregon, well, I just grew all my own fresh food.

What is a fresh food co-op and how do they work?

I find these regional differences so interesting!

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by lionaka

Wow I find that so odd. It seems like the climate would be conducive to agriculture and small farms. Even here in the intensely populated Bay Area almost every town has a Farmer's Market on the weekends and by driving south 30 minutes there are roadside farm stands right, left and center. When I was in Oregon, well, I just grew all my own fresh food.

What is a fresh food co-op and how do they work?

I find these regional differences so interesting!

All I found for farmers' markets in Addison was this:

The Four Seasons Farmers Market in Addison - Addison - Dallas, TX | Yelp

I never see farm stands around here, but I don't drive out to the exurbs much either. I never see them in the city except for this 'Four Seasons' market. That's the same org that does the one in Richardson. I went to it a couple of times and wasn't impressed. Then again, I don't think the Dallas farmers' market is all that impressive either; a lot of it is resale (we don't grow pineapples and bananas in Texas) and it's overpriced as hell.

https://www.google.com/#q=food+coop+dallas

[TheOverdog]

almost every town has a Farmer's Market on the weekends and by driving south 30 minutes there are roadside farm stands right, left and center.

Texas is just behind when it comes to supporting locally grown produce and farmers markets, and fruit stands are only common in much more rural areas. Heck, there may be laws in DFW against them. Also driving 30 minutes (or 30 miles) in most areas, and you are still in the DFW metroplex, ie cities and suburbs!

In a few years, I believe there will be more of them in DFW.

[BeenThereDunThat]

Only Farmer's Mkt I've been to in awhile is Dallas Farmer's Mkt downtown. But last time I was there, they were down to just one shed and one bldg as it seems they were renovating everything else. Prices went up too I suspect because the new FM management must be adjusting rents, just a guess. Still though it's worth a visit every now & then:

http://www.dallasfarmersmarket.org/

I will say this however, H-Mart in Carollton has some pretty decent produce prices and a ton of variety. It's an asian / oriental-based market but very nice. If you like tons of choices in produce, seafood, sauces and spices, it's a pretty good place to shop! I like Asian/Oriental foods, but the seafood and meat section is pretty impressive.

Hmart.com: Online Shopping for Asian Grocery, Korean Kimchi, Rice Cookers, Appliances & more at everyday low prices.

[move4ward]

They have some good specials on seafood at H-Mart. I saw live lobster for $3.99/lb there, a few months ago. They have high turnover in their seafood section compared to your typical grocery store, so they often have fresh seafood.

I have lived here for over 2 years and I have never seen or heard any tornadoes. Hail is more common, but it happens enough to need insurance. I have seen 3 hail storms in the last 2 years.

[BeenThereDunThat]

Personally I think the biggest dangers in Dallas regarding weather are heavy rainstorms or freezing rain while driving. People drive fast in dry weather yet they won't slow down when it rains and accidents, accidents, accidents. I'll forgo driving in the rain unless I absolutely have to around here.

[GBCommenter]

FWIW, this transplant to the area that chose Addison a year and a half ago because it was close to work will "+1" pretty much everything said. Addison is overall safe and I think you'll have few worries, though agree to still lock the doors as a precaution.

I agree you needn't worry about tornadoes - I certainly haven't witnessed anything close to a tornado since being here. I would check into finding good covered parking though...even without the hail concerns having covered parking to keep a bit of the sun from beating onto your vehicle is nice.

And agreed on the farmer's market...haven't much witnessed them in the immediate area. Look to the stores for good deals and fresh produce. In fact, I'll have to check out H-Mart myself, I usually am more a Trader Joe's guy...