Do YOU like living in Dallas? (Austin, Groves: countertops, credit, homes)

[bencronin04]

1. Like almost everyone has said, you'll want to increase your rental budget a bit. It will be easier to find cheaper apartments in more desirable areas in the suburbs if you're ok with that.

2. There is culture, you'll just need to know where to look. We have pockets of different ethnic cultures through out the metro area, and festivals year around.

3. Again, it's here you just need to know where to look. There are farmers markets in downtown Dallas, other city squares, east Dallas etc. Local shops are usually also associated around the same city squares and places like north Oak Cliff/Bishops Arts.

4. Once again...you'll need to know where to look. There are some beautiful neighborhoods, hiking/biking trails, parks and lakes. But Dallas is VERY flat and land locked.

5. Traffic sucks, especially during rush hours. It's no L.A., but your trips can be doubled in time due to congestion.

6. We enjoy living in Dallas. It's fairly affordable and there are a wealth of job opportunities. I will however say, we would not be living in Dallas if we had not had children. I'm an only child and my parents would shutdown DFW airport before we left with their only grand children, HAHA!

[f4shionablecha0s]

Suburbanites choose a big cheap house out in the middle of nowhere, make no effort to go to the city, then cry about how bad the traffic is in "Dallas" and how "Dallas" has no culture.

[Aceraceae]

Originally Posted by f4shionablecha0s

Suburbanites choose a big cheap house out in the middle of nowhere, make no effort to go to the city, then cry about how bad the traffic is in "Dallas" and how "Dallas" has no culture.

I live in the suburbs and me, my wife, and 14 month old ate at Rapscallion last night.

[dollaztx]

Sorry OP your going to have a hard time finding a $600 apartment. If it helps though I would suggest some that don't have much money for marketing and so you would actually have to find those in person. With that said there is a reason why rents are higher than they used to be. Lots of people want to move here. because the economic outlook for DFW is one of the best in the US right now so once you find a job, paying more for rent in exchange isn't so bad. A place with higher rent and great outlook is always better than a place with lower rent and no jobs.

[Johnhw2]

Yes I like living in Plano, in the dfw area. I chose to move here after retiring over a number of options. Family, the convenience of cultural, recreational (golf) year around, and four seasons are why I like living here. It's a sane place to live compared to the east and west coasts for the things I value. It's has a little quirky dallas vs the suburbs in a few citizens that makes no sense to me but I don't plan to leave this area.

I can't speak to budget for apartments other tan to say that sounds low for any place my niece and nephews have lived and on smaller towns no where near dfw. There are more cultural opportunities than O take advantage of here. Also there are more trees and green areas along side the creeks and streams which run through the area.

Half of liking anywhere is mental. Heck I even liked living in N NJ despite what many told me to expect, not good things for the most part.

[mm4]

New York has what? Union Square on Wednesdays and Sats.? The entrance of Prospect Park on Sat.

The Best Farmers Markets in Dallas - D Magazine

You can walk to several of those from the train.

NYC is great if you like dog sh- smeared sidewalks (and curb snow meltoff exposing dense, week old latrines mixed with banana peels and used toiletries), after-market and loud so-called "sports" horns used by drivers who ply neighborhoods with one hand always on the center of the wheel to use them on every intersection (even playing Shave and a Haircut with unseen others from an avenue block away), incessant crowds, grocery costs half again higher, bland restaurant pickings, state--as well as city--income taxes, leftist government,....

[Beaching]

Originally Posted by f4shionablecha0s

Suburbanites choose a big cheap house out in the middle of nowhere, make no effort to go to the city, then cry about how bad the traffic is in "Dallas" and how "Dallas" has no culture.

I live in the suburbs due to wanting to live close to work for my husband, 7 miles and no highway driving. Also for other various reasons.
However, this week alone I was in Downtown Dallas or in Dallas south of LBJ a total of 4 times. Dining, shopping, hockey games, etc. No fear of going to Dallas for any reason at all. I do not live in a bubble. The entire metroplex and all of North Texas is ours to explore and enjoy.
^^^^ THAT is where the culture is for those that are wanting such. You have to get out of the bubble you put yourself into. I know many people that do not leave the small area they live in for hardly any reason at all. Not us.

Oh, and my house is not in the "middle of nowhere" nor is it "cheap".

[Beaching]

Originally Posted by stan4

Are you people just not aware of all the cultural opportunities around here?

Must be the ones that do not venture out of the bubble they live and/or work in. Must only visit places that are within a 5 mile radius. You are correct, there can be plenty to do in the DFW Metroplex if you are willing to explore. One fun activity is to look up the sights that only tourists visit and go.


Someone mentioned organic/health food places. Today at lunch on McKinney Ave we noticed an organic restaurant. Looked very popular. There are also a lot of indy coffee houses that have been opening up all over the area in the last year.

[Beardown91737]

Originally Posted by shekel13

We are a young couple looking to move to Dallas. We've previously lived in Northern WI and Phoenix, AZ and looking for a change! Here is what we were wondering what you all thought of Dallas on these topics as well as the general feel of the city:

1. We are looking for a low cost of living (We want to pay 600 at the most for an apartment, but cheaper the better!) Pet Friendly (We have a boxer).

2. Lots of culture

3. Lots of local coffee shops with job opportunities, local farmers markets, natural food stores, etc...

4. Lots of beautiful scenery and parks with things to do.

5. How is the traffic?? And the public transportation system?

6. And last but not least, how do YOU like it in Dallas??

Are you looking for a change or do you know where you are likely to work? Certain types of work may drive you north to Collin County or toward DFW Airport.

1. It was lower cost a year ago and getting less lower cost every week.
2. Culture... using Chicago as a measuring point I think Dallas is roughly comparable to Phoenix and ahead of the Northwoods.
3. Coffee shops .. not sure. Farmers markets.. easy to find.
4. Beautiful scenery ... not rally, especially not comparable to anything in the west. What I can say is there is a nice rolling terrain which was especially noticeable on my first visit here, when I stayed in Irving, and was here from the Chicago area. However, in many places, it is hard to tell due to structures and trees.
5. Traffic, can't address Dallas proper since I am in Collin County. Public transportation.. not Chicago. Again, probably compares to Phoenix.
6. Like living here? Would rather be in California, Arizona or Nevada due to climate, scenery, and amenities. Would also rather be in the Chicago area since that is a former home. Having said that, the people here are very nice and you can fit in easily.

[MissLizzie85]

Originally Posted by shekel13

We are a young couple looking to move to Dallas. We've previously lived in Northern WI and Phoenix, AZ and looking for a change! Here is what we were wondering what you all thought of Dallas on these topics as well as the general feel of the city:

1. We are looking for a low cost of living (We want to pay 600 at the most for an apartment, but cheaper the better!) Pet Friendly (We have a boxer).

2. Lots of culture

3. Lots of local coffee shops with job opportunities, local farmers markets, natural food stores, etc...

4. Lots of beautiful scenery and parks with things to do.

5. How is the traffic?? And the public transportation system?

6. And last but not least, how do YOU like it in Dallas??

1. Everyone else has already covered this. Agree that you could get a good place for about $1,000, but it will be small.

2. I actually think that Dallas has way more culture than everyone gives it credit for! My husband and I work in the arts, and we spend a lot of time working and hanging out in the Arts District. There are TONS of tiny arts nonprofits, shows all the time, great art galleries (especially in the Design District and Trinity Groves), and live music all over the place. We live in East Dallas and see tons of really good acts come through the Granada, among other places. We are both artists employed FULL TIME in the arts and making excellent, steady income. When we lived in NY, we were little fish in a HUGE pond, but here, we get lots of work as big fish in a small pond.

3. As others have said, you'll find the coffee shop/natural food vibe in East Dallas and maybe Bishop Arts/Oak Cliff. Dallas is seriously lacking in the farmer's market division, though. The big "Farmer's Market" downtown is pretty much useless when it comes to local produce, at least compared with other cities.

4. Nada. Nil. We go to White Rock Lake for "beauty." It's fine, I guess. You really have to go down towards Austin to get anything really worth looking at.

5. Traffic sucks. Public transit is inconvenient in almost every neighborhood. DART is actually clean, cheap, and fast, but it's really limited and there are barely any stops. We use it to get to DFW and it's great. Otherwise, you need a car.

6. Honestly, I don't like Dallas. I like my job and I like my friends, and there are a lot of people in my age group with similar interests. Those are the only reasons I can tolerate living here. The cost of living is getting way too high for the actual usefulness and attractiveness of the city. There are virtually no public amenities to speak of, and the city is basically a bunch of skyscrapers where people work and then drive back to their cookie-cutter homes on tracts of land in the suburbs where they barely see their neighbors. I love East Dallas, but even making six figures, we're almost priced out of the market if we want our kid to attend an acceptable school.