Dallas vs. Houston (San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth: fit in, city hall, how much)

[AK123]

Houston is humid, WAY to industrial for me. all the oil and everything. The nearby ocean(galveston) is not too nice, and there is lots of oil leaks.

That's a pretty good example of what I meant when I said some Dallas folks overemphasize Houston's industrial aspect.

Truthfully, you are never going to see refineries, smokestacks, etc. unless you go over to the east side industrial area (why generalize that to the entire city?)... or to outside towns like Baytown or Texas City.

There's nothing wrong with Galveston... there were problems many years back, but not now. You can see pics here
http://www.city-data.com/forum/houst...-pictures.html

[bktx1]

Dallas is horrible for its traffic, I thought, but Houston is actually worse. I cannot imagine having to live there and commute to work in that place every day. Never have I dealt with such rude and thoughtless people on the roads.

Houston does have trees, though.

[nunusguy]

I've had the good fortune to visit every one of the 50 states including most
of the large metro areas and I'm here to tell you that Dallas is different than Chicago & Seattle & San Fran & LA & Manhatten & Boston & Miami, &
Pittgsburg, etc. but it's really not that much different than Houston.
One is a very large city/metro area in the land-locked praire country of TX, and the other is a very large city/metro area in the coastal praire country of TX.
The summers are miserable, really crappy in Dallas, but even worse in Houston
because its a virtual coastal city with the prevailing sea breeze and higher levels of humidity. But its not dry or arid in Dallas, just less himid than Houston but with higher temperatures - both cities have exremely high heat indexes in the summertime. The whole Summertime !
The thing about the summers in Texas, is that they are like the winters up north: they are monotonous & confining. And they are 4 - 5 months long.
Thank God for AC !
But the rest of the year is good to very comfortable weather with the Houston winters definitely having the edge - more moderate temps & no Ice Storms !
The outdoor recreational opportunities in Houston are more varied with the
Gulf of Mexico - lots & lots of deep sea fishing and copious amounts of boating as many people head out into the greater Gulf and even to the
Caribbean region.
Both places give you tremendous bang for your buck with very reasonable
RE prices, no state INC Tax, while having outstanding employment opportunities with very good comp.

[pwright1]

I love both but my choice would be Houston. IMHO I find Houston quirkier, hipper and more fun. Dallas is cool but in a much more conservative way. Since I'm a professional sports attendee going to a game in Houston is so much better. The facilites are all downtown except Reliant and thats a short lightrail ride away. Also being near the Gulf puts it over the top. I absolutely love Galveston. Both cities are making great strides in their downtowns. Weatherwise there's no denying both are hot and humid in the summer so I don't find one less bearable than the other. People talk about how bad the traffic is in both cities yet many choose to live in these far off hideous suburban communities. For the life of me I never understood this. Both Dallas and Houston have so many great in city neighborhoods old and new and housing prices in both cities are a bargain compared to most large cities. I was in total shock. I've been to both many times and I'm thinking about moving to one in about a year. It will probably be Houston. Both are great cities.

[Synopsis]

Dallas Sports: Mavericks and Cowboys.
Houston Sports: Rockets and Texans...

[pwright1]

Hey Synopsis,
Rangers - Arlington
2009 Cowboys - Arlington

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by pwright1

Hey Synopsis,
Rangers - Arlington
2009 Cowboys - Arlington

That brings up a good point and something I've been puzzled about.
In the Houston metro, the only city over 100k (besides Houston of course),
is Pasedena at about 150-160 K.
But in the Dallas-FW, there are many med to large size cities besides Dallas.
I'm from the KC, Mo. area, which is fair sized, but Ft.Worth proper is > than
KC, Mo. And Arlington is 'bout 350 K.
The thing is, are Dallas and Ft.Worth-Arlington one in the same,.i.e., is Ft.Worth considered part of Dallas by those who live in N. Texas ?
And Plano, which is north of Dallas, has a pop of 'bout 250K. Is it not
developing its own identity ?

[jxu66]

Dallas and Fort Worth is called Metroplex region. Dallas is more business oriented city. Fort Worth is more country area (cowboys and such). Two cities do have different characteristics. Other areas lie between West plano and other cities are just suburbs of Dallas. Also, Dallas is very spreadout. Sometimes, it takes me almost 40 minutes just drive from Plano to downtown.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by pwright1

Hey Synopsis,
Rangers - Arlington
2009 Cowboys - Arlington

Actually, the Cowboys haven't been in Dallas for a long time. Texas Stadium is in Irving. And don't forget the Dallas Stars!

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by jxu66

Dallas and Fort Worth is called Metroplex region. Dallas is more business oriented city. Fort Worth is more country area (cowboys and such). Two cities do have different characteristics. Other areas lie between West plano and other cities are just suburbs of Dallas. Also, Dallas is very spreadout. Sometimes, it takes me almost 40 minutes just drive from Plano to downtown.

OK pal, looks like you're from Duluth, GA. Northwestern 'burb of Atlanta, right ? I like Atlanta. I lived in Fayettville for a year back in the 90s when I worked for Delta at Hartsfield. But I probably know more 'bout N.Texas than you do, and I really want to get the input of someone who has spent some time there.
What I want to know, are Dallas & Ft.Worth really considered 2 different distinct places ? I realize they are different cities and therefor different legal
entities, but are they viewed as such by the locals ?