Wanting to Move to Dallas - Need Advice!! (Houston, Austin: rent, home)

[ms.engineer]

Hi all,

A little background information about me so that you can provide better advice...
I am originally from Minnesota. Graduated with an engineering degree. Moved to Southern Louisiana. Looking for a change. I'm in my mid-twenties & single. Blonde & blue-eyed. Pretty social but not an all night party kind of person. Another small note about me, I would NEVER want to move to a San Francisco or Los Angeles kind of place. I believe that would be way too stressful, congested, smelly, & expensive. Also strewn with homeless people. Just sad & makes me nervous. I like to go home to a place that feels safe.

What I liked about Minnesota:
1. Lakes
2. Healthy
3. Outdoor activities
4. Hiking
5. Breweries
6. GREAT urban food (ex. a bed of kale mixed with wild rice & topped with glazed salmon = regular restaurant kind of dish)
7. Happy people

What I DIDN'T like about Minnesota:
1. Winters were bloody horrendous
2. Winters were roughly 8 months long
3. You couldn't be outside enjoying life in the death of winter
4. No sunshine for months in the winter = depressing


What I like about Southern Louisiana:
1. No winters
2. Drive thru daquiris
3. Low rent cost ($800/mon for a 2 bed 2 bath in the middle of town)

What I don't like about Southern Louisiana:
1. HUMIDITY IS AWFUL. I can't anymore.
2. Snakes
3. Fattening food
4. Nothing but fattening food
5. Small town - boring
6. People grow up here, go to high school here, & stay here - no one else allowed in our group kind of mentality
7. Not many college grad young professionals
8. Smoking allowed in bars
9. Too redneck for my taste
10. No one seems to care about hygiene
11. Crime


Alright guys... That takes care of my likes & dislikes. Tell me all about Dallas!!!

[J800]

I don't mean to be rude, but what does having blonde hair and blue eyes have to do with anything?

Just move to Uptown. Be prepared to pay $1300 minimum for a decent place.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Much lower humidity but relentless high temps in summer. More expensive than southern Louisiana.

[ChristieP]

What do you do for a living? Can you get a job easily in DFW?

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by ms.engineer

What I liked about Minnesota:
1. Lakes
2. Healthy
3. Outdoor activities
4. Hiking
5. Breweries
6. GREAT urban food (ex. a bed of kale mixed with wild rice & topped with glazed salmon = regular restaurant kind of dish)
7. Happy people

Dallas comparisons:
1. We do have lakes, although they're technically large reservoirs. Minnesota's are definitely more natural and scenic for that with a lot more tree cover around them-- However, the warmer climate here means you can go out on the lakes more often than in MN. Unless you love ice fishing...

2. Healthy - Yes, there is a critical mass of health conscious people here in Dallas. It's actually a pretty image conscious city in general, more so than MN. So people do tend to focus more on appearance. That includes exercise. However, you may have people pointing out our "fat statistics" as if they're Gospel, which includes poorer parts of our city that skews the stats. Visit Uptown or any happening in-town neighborhood of Dallas and tell me how many overweight people you actually see. With that said, you won't find a shortage of gyms or health food stores.

3. & 4. Hiking. Outdoor Activities - not as abundant as MN. The terrain is mostly flat, rolling terrain. There are trails and lakes as mentioned above. The hiking obviously won't be as great as in MN. However, the milder climate (sans summer) does allow more time outdoors.

5. Breweries - check. Not quite Wisconsin or CO, but plenty here.

6. Great urban food - YES!!! Check out Lower Greenville.

7. Happy people -- The one's I've encountered in real life are pretty happy. On the Dallas CD Forum, not so much lol.

[WorldKlas]

Dallas can get humid, too. It, like all cities, has its share of pan handlers. It does have great employment opportunities and a very large amount of educated young professionals.

There's a serious lack of outdoor recreation in Dallas; that's why we live in Las Vegas half the time. Its so dry in the LV Valley that 72 degrees is chilly and means wearing a sweater. Even in the summer, its a 45 min drive to 70 degree weather, 5 hour drive to San Diego and 4 hour drive to Flagstaff or Prescott.

[bluescreen73]

What do hiking in DFW and BBQ in Denver have in common?

Spoiler

There are a couple of 'meh' places, and everything else sucks.

If you're an avid camper or hiker, DFW is very underwhelming.

[chipper21]

You are asking if Dallas is a fit for you. But are you a fit for Dallas career-wise?

Dallas is a hotbed of opportunity for STEM but more so for certain disciplines as opposed to others.

Do you have a job offer in Dallas? If not, what is your current job? And your degree and alma mater?

I ask because you are a twenty something with limited work experience and these could be factors in landing a job here in your situation. Maybe other cities would be a better fit (i.e. Houston, Austin).

How did you end up in La. from Minnesota in the first place? Just curious.

[calgirlinnc]

Maybe OP could meet up with that guy from Toronto. We could set up a CD blind date.

[mSooner]

I think DFW would be okay for you, but you sound like someone who might enjoy Nashville or Denver more.