Dallas or Houston? (Richardson, Denton, Paris: sales, hotel, houses)

[veramats]

We're looking to relocate due to sales job and we can choose either Dallas or Houston.

Based on the following criteria, which do you recommend:

1. Good public schools
2. Pretty town (I live in Charlotte, NC which is gorgeous with all of its trees)
3. Nice people
4. Housing in the $200-$300k range
5. Easy to acclimate and 'plug in' to in terms of getting to know others, etc.

What areas of Dallas do you recommend I search in for homes?

Thanks!

[Lakewooder]

Where would your office be?

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by veramats

We're looking to relocate due to sales job and we can choose either Dallas or Houston.

Based on the following criteria, which do you recommend:

1. Good public schools
2. Pretty town (I live in Charlotte, NC which is gorgeous with all of its trees)
3. Nice people
4. Housing in the $200-$300k range
5. Easy to acclimate and 'plug in' to in terms of getting to know others, etc.

What areas of Dallas do you recommend I search in for homes?

Thanks!

Based on criteria 1, 3, 4 & 5, I would say Dallas and Houston are very similar. As for criteria 2 (pretty town), there is a big difference. First you should know that there is a rivalry between Dallas and Houston among a lot of people who live in either city. I live in both right now, so I am going to jump right in with my opinion. I'm sure that I'll catch a lot of #%&! for saying this, but Houston is, in general, BUTT UGLY. (But, she does have a great personality!)

This is partially due to the fact that most of it is very flat. Another major reason for this is that Houston does not have zoning. So, you might see a house next to a gas station, a massage parlor, an auto repair place or an apt. complex. The nicer neighborhoods will have deed restrictions which will prevent this, but along a lot of the major roads in Houston you will see a hodge-podge of residential structures mixed in with commercial structures and lots of billboards. This lack of planning tends to give it a very seedy look IMO. Of course, there are some very beautifl areas like Memorial, River Oaks, Hermann Park, etc... but taken as a whole, Houston is not going to win any beauty contests. Even if Houston did win a beauty contest, the high humidity would melt its make-up in just a few minutes.

Now, Dallas is not exactly Paris either. But, there are lots of areas (Turtle Creek, Bluffview, Lakewood, Kessler Park are examples) that are extremely pretty and have lots of hills, creeks and trees. Those areas are not cheap, but it is possible to find lower priced neighborhoods in Dallas that still offer nice scenery. Even in the less physically blessed parts of Dallas, there will be zoning so most of it has a much more organized appearance.

[Lakewooder]

Where Houston has pine trees, it's pretty nice.- where it doesn't - not so nice. IMO Dallas has it all over Houston in the areas Dallas native mentioned. I am totally biased for Dallas but I did live in Houston for a couple of years after college (worked at Greenway Plaza for Mobil during the oil boom).

I always get in trouble for this distillation but I say Dallas has class and Houston has brass.

[pepper131]

You have gotten some good honest answers from "modster" on the Houston forum. He/she has the spot-on honest advice...always.

My husband lives in Houston during the weekdays in an apt in Memorial - which is nice. But his drive to work on Westpark at Gessner is really starting to affect him him in terms of visual clutter with the lack of zoning and hodge-podge nature of business, signage, etc.

A good example of this was our view out of the Hotel Derek where we stayed this weekend - our view was of the Galleria Mall with a Zone D'Erotica right in front of it with a hot pink sign...really not attractive. And this is a nice part of town.

Another example of this is the Hermes store area which is undergoing a building renovation. There was a gas station-style sign out front announcing that they were open for business...this is the type of sign that usually has Cheetos 2/$4.00 on it. Never, ever for an Hermes store...very inappropriate!!

[veramats]

Hmm, very interesting about the zoning. I'm so torn because, in the realty pics of houses online, the homes in Houston look very appealing with the mature trees, etc. I've been in the Charlotte, NC area all of my life, so to go to an area with few trees will be tough for me.

I've driven through areas of Dallas for shopping a bit, and the lack of trees was tough for me. (not a bad thing, just very different)

I really need to drive around both areas more. Tough decisions!

As for my husband's commute, he's in sales. No two days are alike. His territory will be multi states.

Any good neighborhoods in Dallas for a family with kids? I'd like to narrow my search.

[pepper131]

There are trees. My area is all trees - called Casa Linda Forest. Heavily treed areas nearby - Forest Hills, Casa Linda, Lakewood, Junius Heights, Munger Place, M Streets, Lakewood Heights.
Zips: 75228, 75214, 75218, 75206.

Lakewood would be the best area for families and kids - they have one of the best public elem schools: Lakewood Elem. The 4th of July Parade is legendary and really brings out the best of the community - there may be some pix on lakewoodparade.com ...I think that's the site.

Where were you shopping?...maybe the Galleria area? No trees up there.

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by veramats

Hmm, very interesting about the zoning. I'm so torn because, in the realty pics of houses online, the homes in Houston look very appealing with the mature trees, etc. I've been in the Charlotte, NC area all of my life, so to go to an area with few trees will be tough for me.

I've driven through areas of Dallas for shopping a bit, and the lack of trees was tough for me. (not a bad thing, just very different)

I really need to drive around both areas more. Tough decisions!

As for my husband's commute, he's in sales. No two days are alike. His territory will be multi states.

Any good neighborhoods in Dallas for a family with kids? I'd like to narrow my search.

The older parts of Dallas (inside Loop 12) have lots of trees. A lot of those areas are going to be quite pricey though. For a fairly close-in Dallas 'hood with homes under $300k you might check out Lake Highlands in NE Dallas. Most or all of it is covered by the Richardson ISD. It is also going to have lots of trees.

There are some exemplary schools in the Dallas ISD if you want to live in the inner-city. If you have elementary school chidren, Stonewall Jackson and Lakewood elementary schools have good reputations. You could definitely find housing in the Stonewall Jackson district at or below $300k. Possibly in the Lakewood District as well. In either case you would be in an older area with lots of character and plenty of trees. White Rock lake is nearby as well. You would end up with a smaller house in these 'hoods than in Lake Highlands or the burbs. It's a value judgment on your part.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by Dallas native

The older parts of Dallas (inside Loop 12) have lots of trees. A lot of those areas are going to be quite pricey though. For a fairly close-in Dallas 'hood with homes under $300k you might check out Lake Highlands in NE Dallas. Most or all of it is covered by the Richardson ISD. It is also going to have lots of trees.

There are some exemplary schools in the Dallas ISD if you want to live in the inner-city. If you have elementary school chidren, Stonewall Jackson and Lakewood elementary schools have good reputations. You could definitely find housing in the Stonewall Jackson district at or below $300k. Possibly in the Lakewood District as well. In either case you would be in an older area with lots of character and plenty of trees. White Rock lake is nearby as well. You would end up with a smaller house in these 'hoods than in Lake Highlands or the burbs. It's a value judgment on your part.

The East Cross Timbers forest is a heavily wooded area about 10 miles wide and a couple of hundred miles long, from southern Oklahoma through northern Texas. It more or less bisects the DFW area, through Denton Tarrant and Johnson counties. The forest is thick and lush, and, in a word, gorgeous.

[Lakewooder]

I'm really wondering where she was 'in Dallas' where there were no trees...