Dallas vs Charlotte with young family (Plano, Coppell: schools, college, closing)

[NoClueWho]

Originally Posted by KORJK81

She's never been to Dallas and I tried to paint a picture of what the scenery looks like

Just tell her it's extremely flat with dry brown grass everywhere and hardly any trees.

Originally Posted by KORJK81

but she likes the fact that there are more buildings and people in Dallas than anything.

All of that gets old fast, when you realize it takes you an hour one way to get to work every day WITHOUT an accident, and 30 minutes to drive 5 miles to a store or restaurant on the weekend. And don't get me started on how the cost of living shoots up every year.

[calgirlinnc]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

... and 30 minutes to drive 5 miles to a store or restaurant on the weekend. And don't get me started on how the cost of living shoots up every year.

We have had the exact opposite experience relative to the cities under discussion.

When we lived in the Charlotte suburbs, the closest Target was 20-30 minutes. The mall was 25 minutes. Specifically when we first moved to Davidson (where OP is considering), there was only 1 grocery store (natural foods) so we had to go to the next town for everyday groceries. It was an hour to Costco.

Here we are 1/2 a mile if that from groceries, Target, our bank, etc. It never takes me longer than 5 minutes. I can be shopping in Southlake in 15 minutes. The convenience of everything here is top-notch.

COL shoots up everywhere each year.

[fwsavemoney]

We were in the same situation about 4 1/2 years ago but it was between Tampa and Dallas. I wanted to go to Tampa for the milder winters and the beach but my wife wanted to move to Dallas for the bigger city life. The pointed that tipped the scale towards Dallas for me was that my wife was quitting her job for the move and had to look for a new one. I wasn't sure if I would like my new job since I was changing my core field. Dallas was better for finding another opportunity and I am still glad we moved here. Also, the schools are very good in many parts of the metroplex. In your situation though, Charlotte also has a good growing economy so you would have a safety net there as well.
Let me ask you this - who would be more miserable - you if you moved to Dallas or your wife if you moved to Charlotte? That should help answer your question.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by Mentallect

Just tell her it's extremely flat with dry brown grass everywhere and hardly any trees.



All of that gets old fast, when you realize it takes you an hour one way to get to work every day WITHOUT an accident, and 30 minutes to drive 5 miles to a store or restaurant on the weekend. And don't get me started on how the cost of living shoots up every year.

Come on. It's ok to criticize the place if you don't like here but your endless exaggerations don't help the OP at all.

Just a few:
1. The area has lots of trees. Dallas in particular.
https://www.npr.org/2015/08/06/42991...re-youd-expect
2. It is flat but the grass is green much more often than it is brown.
3. Very few people around here have 1+1 hour commutes and the ones that do self-selected as much by living in Little Elm, Rockwall, Prosper etc. while working Dallas etc.
4. Are you walking to the restaurant 5 miles away that takes 30 minutes to get to?

Again it's cool to not like the place. It's not cool to run a persistent disinformation campaign on a board that in part is supposed to help people who don't know the area.

[Jimmy1953]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Come on. It's ok to criticize the place if you don't like here but your endless exaggerations don't help the OP at all.

Just a few:
1. The area has lots of trees. Dallas in particular.
https://www.npr.org/2015/08/06/42991...re-youd-expect
2. It is flat but the grass is green much more often than it is brown.
3. Very few people around here have 1+1 hour commutes and the ones that do self-selected as much by living in Little Elm, Rockwall, Prosper etc. while working Dallas etc.
4. Are you walking to the restaurant 5 miles away that takes 30 minutes to get to?

Again it's cool to not like the place. It's not cool to run a persistent disinformation campaign on a board that in part is supposed to help people who don't know the area.

^^^^^ This!

[calgirlinnc]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Come on. It's ok to criticize the place if you don't like here but your endless exaggerations don't help the OP at all.

Just a few:
1. The area has lots of trees. Dallas in particular.
https://www.npr.org/2015/08/06/42991...re-youd-expect
2. It is flat but the grass is green much more often than it is brown.
3. Very few people around here have 1+1 hour commutes and the ones that do self-selected as much by living in Little Elm, Rockwall, Prosper etc. while working Dallas etc.
4. Are you walking to the restaurant 5 miles away that takes 30 minutes to get to?

Again it's cool to not like the place. It's not cool to run a persistent disinformation campaign on a board that in part is supposed to help people who don't know the area.

Yes, thank you.

My neighborhood specifically and Keller in general has a lot of trees, and I know other areas do as well.

I wonder if people realize that half of the Carolinas is as flat as a pancake? The fall line runs through NC and SC...

[KORJK81]

Originally Posted by fwsavemoney

We were in the same situation about 4 1/2 years ago but it was between Tampa and Dallas. I wanted to go to Tampa for the milder winters and the beach but my wife wanted to move to Dallas for the bigger city life. The pointed that tipped the scale towards Dallas for me was that my wife was quitting her job for the move and had to look for a new one. I wasn't sure if I would like my new job since I was changing my core field. Dallas was better for finding another opportunity and I am still glad we moved here. Also, the schools are very good in many parts of the metroplex. In your situation though, Charlotte also has a good growing economy so you would have a safety net there as well.
Let me ask you this - who would be more miserable - you if you moved to Dallas or your wife if you moved to Charlotte? That should help answer your question.

That's a fair question and I can answer that in confidence.

If we moved to Dallas:
My wife would be happy since she has access to a very large Korean community (she lived in Korea a lot longer than here where as I grew up in the US). There would be more things to do with just her and my daughter and new friends with kids while I'm at work. She just prefers more people and buildings around her. I would be miserable commuting to work due to the traffic and finding a parking spot where no one would dent my car. I am not a social person and do not like many people around me, especially in public. Depending on how we mutually like the area, it may end up being short term (3-4 years?).

If we moved to Charlotte:
I would be very happy due to the work environment, less traffic, and overall scenery. My wife would be bored unless she can make new friends from a Korean church and find someone who has similar aged kids to hang out with. However, I can make that up by actively doing more activities during the weekends with the family and sending our daughter to a private preschool full time during the weekdays. Due to the job security and less stress, I feel like it may end up being a longer term stay (5+ years).

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by KORJK81

Travel is definitely a factor but not huge difference. 50% at Dallas (domestic) and 25% at Charlotte (domestic and international).
So I just received both offers and overall the salary/benefits are about the same. HOWEVER, one in Dallas is offering FULL relocation package and a huge sign on bonus while Charlotte is only offering maybe 25% of what Dallas is offering and NO sign on bonus.

Tough decisions!!! Please help

The difference between travel 25% of the time and 50% of the time is huge, and will only become more of an issue as your kids get older and are able to verbalize the fact that they don't like you gone. The reality is that if you have to do it you have to do it, but double the travel for a job that is similar in compensation is a bad trade when you have a family, in my opinion. If you can afford living in Davidson, it's a fantastic town. Given what you've posted here, I'd probably choose Charlotte, but without knowing the trajectory of the two job offers and whatnot, hard to make that call.

[KORJK81]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

The difference between travel 25% of the time and 50% of the time is huge, and will only become more of an issue as your kids get older and are able to verbalize the fact that they don't like you gone. The reality is that if you have to do it you have to do it, but double the travel for a job that is similar in compensation is a bad trade when you have a family, in my opinion. If you can afford living in Davidson, it's a fantastic town. Given what you've posted here, I'd probably choose Charlotte, but without knowing the trajectory of the two job offers and whatnot, hard to make that call.

Yes and this is where majority of my thoughts gravitate toward. But me being human, I also think about the fact that there will also be a significant difference in initial cost (relocation package, sign on bonus vs having to pay real estate agent fee, closing cost etc.); enough money to pay a years worth of college.

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by calgirlinnc

Haven't I seen many comments on here from posters challenging what Google maps says is the distance between Dallas and Austin?
I know what Google maps says, and I know the drive, because I lived in NC since 2006. You have never lived there, right? But fine, don't believe me.

I've driven Charlotte to Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, and a few others many many times. Without kids it's like 3.5 hours, with kids that shouldn't take more than 4 hours and if it takes 6, it's because you are pulling over for them way too often. Heck, we were usually able to get to Hilton Head in less than 4.5 hours. No, it's not a day trip to the beach where you'll drive there, stay the day, and drive home that night. But the trips that are viable weekend driving trips are significantly better in Charlotte than here.

I'm far too embedded in my community here to consider moving, but given a blank slate and the option to choose between the two places, there are a lot of intangibles that are in Charlotte's favor for someone who enjoys the outdoors.