Will I like Dallas? (Houston, Plano: real estate, neighborhood, schools)

[pepper131]

Originally Posted by A1Precious4

Hello Texans,

Me:I'm in my late twenties and I like to take walks, go to the movies, eat different cuisines, I like being in diverse communities but safety is a top priority for me. I also plan on driving and am not into biking other than the occasional weekend bike trip. I also like shopping, I'm into the whole granola natural living lifestyle and so would want access to an acupuncturists but I also need access to good doctors, especially GI doctors. I like the beach but I don't imagine myself surfing or hanging there all the time. I also hope to have kids in the next three years.

However, as I get older I feel that I want to live where I can enjoy nice weather year 'round and where I can still have access to culture, but live in a nice calm area. It is also important to me that I can afford a nice home in a few years for under $500,000 in a good area with good schools which is just not possible in NY.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

We do get cold weather, but Texans don't generally know true cold in the single digits and negative wind chill. So when you read that someone says we have extreme hot and cold, take it with a grain of salt and consider the source. It does not get extremely cold here. You might have a day or 2 in the 30s for a high, then it'll warm up to 50 in the winter. THis would be considered warm for a person from the north. Now...it does get hot in the summers - like 100 and it can be 100 for many days. I find it easier to deal with (the heat) than the extreme cold of the north (I grew up in Michigan)....and the constant grey skies. Ick!

For your quality of life - there are areas that lend itself better to walks - neighborhoods around White Rock Lake are what I'm most familiar with. People walk around here all the time. And it's where most of the crunchy people are. You see mostly hybrids and Outbacks on the road, lol. Of course there are SUVs, but the neighborhoods around WRL tend to attract more outdoorsy people.
For groceries - there's Whole Foods, Natural Grocer and on weekends there's White Rock Local Market.
There are acupuncturists scattered around - I love mine; he is in the M-Streets.

Movies - we have The Angelika, The Magnolia and Alamo Drafthouse...plus the usual big theaters. Plus we have the Dallas International Film Festival in the spring - it's 2 weeks of excitement. I like volunteering for DIFF.

Cuisines - seriously....we have just about everything. I'm an eater. I'm just finishing off my spicy peanut noodles from Monkey King. I drive for food - you have to. I'll combine a trip to Ikea with Chennai (South Indian) in Frisco. Or zip up to Nam Hua for Vietnamese. I could go on and on.

The thing that trips up most people around here are schools. Quite a few good elementaries. Iffy middle and high school. It really depends on your needs. You may or may not need to consider private. Many opt for magnet schools. I know a couple of kids in charters. There are options.

[hbdwihdh378y9]

Originally Posted by A1Precious4

Thank you all for responding. I won't really have a chance to visit before deciding because my husband has a job offer that will be finalized soon and this also the reason I am considering these specific cities. Regardless of where I move whether it's to Dallas, PHX, or back home to NYC I would be uprooting myself so that's not the concern. Two people mention that based on my description that Dallas would probably not be a good fit - can anyone expand on why? Hot weather with humidity in all is more favorable to me than a cold winter so that's also not an issue. I'm really torn between PHX and Dallas and any info would be helpful.

Dallas does not have "hot weather with humidity"; it has dry heat. However, Dallas averages 31 days with lows below freezing, so there is plenty of cold in the winter.

Based on what you say, Dallas is not your place.
There are two seasons:
EXTREME HOT and COLD. That's it.

There's also WINDY (April and May).

And OCTOBER, which is perfect.

[LeagleEagleDFW]

Originally Posted by hbdwihdh378y9

Dallas does not have "hot weather with humidity"; it has dry heat.

Compared to Florida, yes. Compared to Arizona, not really.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by hbdwihdh378y9

Dallas does not have "hot weather with humidity"; it has dry heat. However, Dallas averages 31 days with lows below freezing, so there is plenty of cold in the winter.

And this is where those of us from the North laugh when you say "plenty of cold". Dallas' coldest month is January, with an average low of 36: Intellicast - Dallas Historic Weather Averages in Texas (75235) By contrast, New York City has an average HIGH of 36 in January: Intellicast - New York City Historic Weather Averages in New York (10025)

Just looking at February 10, Dallas has an average historical high on this day of 60 degrees. that would set a new record in NYC, by 5 degrees. The record low in Dallas on this day 17 degrees, just 6 below the average low in NYC of 23.

Dallas does have some "cold days", but compared to what people from New York or Boston or Chicago are used to, it's nothing. NYC is probably the mildest climate out of those 3. Now, compared to Phoenix, I'm guessing Dallas winters are quite cold.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

The only thing the OP would be disappointed in is the granola life style. Dallas isn't great for that. But the diversity of people and food as well as the shopping would suit the OP.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by peterlemonjello

The only thing the OP would be disappointed in is the granola life style. Dallas isn't great for that. But the diversity of people and food as well as the shopping would suit the OP.

Dallas is one of the top "shopping" cities in the US (it's not NYC, but again, in almost every category the rest of the US is "not NYC"). I continue to say that I'm unimpressed with DFW's food scene for a city this size, but I'm guessing it's far better than Phoenix.

OP, really, come down here and check it out and see if it suits you. It's a lot different from NYC or DC, and only you will know if it will work for you or not.

[wallawallahoohoo]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

Dallas is one of the top "shopping" cities in the US (it's not NYC, but again, in almost every category the rest of the US is "not NYC"). I continue to say that I'm unimpressed with DFW's food scene for a city this size, but I'm guessing it's far better than Phoenix.

OP, really, come down here and check it out and see if it suits you. It's a lot different from NYC or DC, and only you will know if it will work for you or not.

I agree about the DFW food scene. It is severely lacking in anything other than "new American" - if you like steaks, burgers, bbq, outdoor patios, casual, beers, etc. this is a great city for you. I found Houston's ethnic cuisine is be the most varied in Texas, particularly Asian. I'm frequently surprised that some of the DFW yelp restaurant reviews are positive, and when I dine there I'm disappointed (I'm an elite yelp reviewer). It's just all around ok, but not great, so I'm unsure how many of these positive reviewers have dined outside of this sphere or in other parts of the US/globe... and for the prices these DFW restaurants charge it is a little absurd for the quality...

But if you want to compare all other cities in the US vs. NY, and it is good you brought up the fact that the OP feels DC does not meet her desires, since many would say DC has a lot of what NY has but of course, not quite the size.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by wallawallahoohoo

I agree about the DFW food scene. It is severely lacking in anything other than "new American" - if you like steaks, burgers, bbq, outdoor patios, casual, beers, etc. this is a great city for you. I found Houston's ethnic cuisine is be the most varied in Texas, particularly Asian. I'm frequently surprised that some of the DFW yelp restaurant reviews are positive, and when I dine there I'm disappointed (I'm an elite yelp reviewer). It's just all around ok, but not great, so I'm unsure how many of these positive reviewers have dined outside of this sphere or in other parts of the US/globe... and for the prices these DFW restaurants charge it is a little absurd for the quality...

But if you want to compare all other cities in the US vs. NY, and it is good you brought up the fact that the OP feels DC does not meet her desires, since many would say DC has a lot of what NY has but of course, not quite the size.

If you truly believe what you just wrote, then I doubt you venture around DFW much. Its pretty much 100% false. DFW only has New American cuisine???? Really????

You haven't spent enough time in Plano, Carrollton, Irving, and Richardson. Dallas itself is not the center of ethnic cuisine in DFW. I say this being from Los Angeles which blows DFW, Houston, and Chicago out of the water in ethnic cuisine. Dallas has a very good variety, most of it just isn't in Dallas itself.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by peterlemonjello

If you truly believe what you just wrote, then I doubt you venture around DFW much. Its pretty much 100% false. DFW only has New American cuisine???? Really????

You haven't spent enough time in Plano, Carrollton, Irving, and Richardson. Dallas itself is not the center of ethnic cuisine in DFW. I say this being from Los Angeles which blows DFW, Houston, and Chicago out of the water in ethnic cuisine. Dallas has a very good variety, most of it just isn't in Dallas itself.

I don't get the bad/narrow food rap about Dallas/DFW either.

We live near Inwood and Royal in Dallas within an easy cruise we frequent places that serve top notch:

1. Steaks, prime rib 6/8 places
2. Seafood (City Cafe, Chamberlain's)
3. Sushi
4. Thai
5. Chinese
6. Indian
7. Mexican
8. TexMex
9. Ethiopian (I'm addicted to that soft rotten smelling fermented bread)
10. Phenomenal Italian
11. Turk
12. Solid pizza (no really good Chicago style that I'm aware of tho.)
13. BBQ


We need more good Greek and French places tho. and a great deli too.

[soda7o]

as some one who came from NYC
NYC is good as a concept and for younger folks.
its hard to raise a family everything is over priced and congested and quality of life is just not there

otherwise its AWESOME!

we made the decision to move here for the future of our kids and improvement of our quality of life, besides we did not take advantage of all the diversity and everything else NY has to offer after starting a family and "growing up"