Any europeans in Dallas? Your opinions? (Houston, San Antonio: real estate market, how much, income)

[MJay]

Hello I just wanted to know any opinions of europeans who visited or live in Dallas because I will visit Dallas next year. How much different is Dallas from the western and eastern Europe? Thanks

[northmen]

I lived in Europe for my first 37 years and I know very well most of the west and est (most under communism). "We" (West European) have forgotten that
without USA our life would be very miserable: they (USA) freed my father in 1945 and after permit to grow up free.
Now I live in Italy and Canada, good countries but a little too socialist for me, and after visiting Texas (Houston, San Antonio, Austin & Dallas) I really think to move to Dallas.
My decision to visit Texas was because in Canada we have a lot of "leftist" which past time is to invent bad stories abut American and Texas in particular. I drive all around the state for almost a month (August, very hot) and I really enjoyed: very nice peoples, good shopping, inexpensive restaurant and an incredible real estate market. And, contrary what I hear from several idiots here , I never meet a cowboy with a rifle in the middle of a street, at contrary, Dallas have very elegant peoples, shop and areas.
I my opinion is more livable than L.A. or N.Y. Next month I'll return and I'll decide for my move, in the north parts of he metro.

Hope has help you.

(btw, I'm Italian)

[UrbaneAspects]

Originally Posted by MJay

Hello I just wanted to know any opinions of europeans who visited or live in Dallas because I will visit Dallas next year. How much different is Dallas from the western and eastern Europe? Thanks

for one, there is absolutely no European style in Dallas like in Miami. It sucks.

People here dont even appreciate the new age electro music from places like Amsterdam, Turkey and London. Whenever I play it, they act as if they never even heard of it, which Im sure they havent.

Clothing isnt very European either, and in the clubs...no one wears European designer shades like in Miami. Maybe 1 or 2, and they arent even with the style. European style has rocked Miami for years. Here...people know nothing about it. nothing at all.

So, in all totality...its totally different. Its western USA

[nsumner]

Originally Posted by MJay

Hello I just wanted to know any opinions of europeans who visited or live in Dallas because I will visit Dallas next year. How much different is Dallas from the western and eastern Europe? Thanks

Much much more conservative!! Very different, you cannot compare it to any european city. That's what makes it unique.

Naima

[fratermus]

There seems to be an upswing in the number of Russians in the North Dallas area, but Europeans in general are underrepresented in DFW.

northmen, you have very likely encountered folks (including cowboys) in the street with guns but did not know it because Texas CHL law says they must be concealed.... :-)

[MJay]

northmen, UrbaneAspects, Naima and fratermus, thank you! I really appreciate it

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by UrbaneAspects

for one, there is absolutely no European style in Dallas like in Miami. It sucks.

People here dont even appreciate the new age electro music from places like Amsterdam, Turkey and London. Whenever I play it, they act as if they never even heard of it, which Im sure they havent.

Clothing isnt very European either, and in the clubs...no one wears European designer shades like in Miami. Maybe 1 or 2, and they arent even with the style. European style has rocked Miami for years. Here...people know nothing about it. nothing at all.

So, in all totality...its totally different. Its western USA

Very interesting... so Texas does not maintain European fashions and tastes in music? Perhaps European tastes and preferences are not that extensive in the world? Certainly not as extensive as the Americanization of the world's culture.

I'm reminded of the journeys of Marco Polo in the Middle Ages, who left the isolated Europe of his time and discovered a far richer world, both in languages, social customs, intellectual debate (and standard of living) of the Arabian sea, the Indes, and the vastness of Cathay.

"In Xanadu, did Kublia Khan, a stately pleasure dome decree..."

MJay, I hope you enjoy your visit to the New Cathay.

[Macbeth2003]

Originally Posted by MJay

How much different is Dallas from the western and eastern Europe?

Very different. What European Influences Dallas - and most of the USA - do tend to be more British than Continental.

Originally Posted by UrbaneAspects

People here dont even appreciate the new age electro music from places like Amsterdam, Turkey and London. Whenever I play it, they act as if they never even heard of it, which Im sure they havent.

I don't like much of that music, or clubs, but based on what my friends listen to that surprises me.

Originally Posted by UrbaneAspects

Clothing isnt very European either

As for continental Europe, you are obviously correct; however, there has been a huge influence of British style in clothing. American suits are being cut closer and closer to the British style. Not there yet, but the influence is growing. Also the British style of ties, seems to be taking over. Solids and rep stripes have displaced the loud geometric paterns of the 90's (and thank God for that). Our striped shirts are getting bolder too, more like the UK.

This mostly goes back to my first point. The influences most seen from Europe are from England, rather than Continental Europe. There are some exceptions, food for instance, but otherwise this s largely true. Truly though it is just a different place. Not just from Europe, but from much of America. Remember that with America being the size of Europe there can be as much difference between states or regions as there is between European Countries, well apart from the language differences that is.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by Macbeth2003

Truly though it is just a different place. Not just from Europe, but from much of America. Remember that with America being the size of Europe there can be as much difference between states or regions as there is between European Countries, well apart from the language differences that is.

That is true.

My theory as to why that is looks at the differences in climate between, say, the New England states and eastern Texas. Climate is perhaps the greatest modifier of the culture of a region, if only because it is so pervasive and subtle. You can even notice this in the span of a small area, such as the social, political and ideological differences in different microclimates in Southern California, where places like Malibu and Santa Monica have a vastly different outlook than places such as San Diego.

A complicating factor... much of Texas is an indoor society, where the temperature is in the 70's Fahrenheit throughout the year. This gives us a sense of moderation that carries over, and helps us avoid the extreme ideologies present in other areas. Even the price swings in our housing stock is moderate, compared to the extreme swing in housing prices in coastal California. As a broad but useful generalization, we are a warm-weather society, albeit with air-conditioned adaptation to heat, and can avoid the cold-weather deadening effects of Northern America and of colder parts of Eurpoe and Asia.

We should be grateful to our climactically moderate air-conditioned indoor culture. Historically, extreme climate variations have caused great social stress, at least those due to cold weather. Warm spells have brought prosperity, health and happiness, but cold is the killer.

The British monarchy collapsed, England was supressed by the Puritan Roundheads, the king was beheaded and Ireland was subjected to ethnic cleansing during Oliver Cromwell's takeover of England during the so-called Maunder Minimum of the Little Ice Age. The little Ice Age brought war in Europe between Protestant and Catholic, especially during the Thirty Years War in Germany, where 75% of the population was killed, starved, or died of war-induced plague.

America rebelled from England, the French aristocracy went to the guillotine, and Napoleon burned Moscow during the extreme cold of the so-called Dalton minimum. This was also the time that Hans Christian Anderson's Little Match Girl froze to death in Copenhagen, and Ebenezer Scrooge did his worst to Bob Cratchit.

Here in Texas, with our warm southern weather, and our air-conditioned habitats, we are spared all that, thank God.

[grindin]

Originally Posted by aceplace

My theory as to why that is looks at the differences in climate between, say, the New England states and eastern Texas. Climate is perhaps the greatest modifier of the culture of a region, if only because it is so pervasive and subtle. You can even notice this in the span of a small area, such as the social, political and ideological differences in different microclimates in Southern California, where places like Malibu and Santa Monica have a vastly different outlook than places such as San Diego.

A complicating factor... much of Texas is an indoor society, where the temperature is in the 70's Fahrenheit throughout the year. This gives us a sense of moderation that carries over, and helps us avoid the extreme ideologies present in other areas. Even the price swings in our housing stock is moderate, compared to the extreme swing in housing prices in coastal California. As a broad but useful generalization, we are a warm-weather society, albeit with air-conditioned adaptation to heat, and can avoid the cold-weather deadening effects of Northern America and of colder parts of Eurpoe and Asia.

We should be grateful to our climactically moderate air-conditioned indoor culture. Historically, extreme climate variations have caused great social stress, at least those due to cold weather. Warm spells have brought prosperity, health and happiness, but cold is the killer.


Here in Texas, with our warm southern weather, and our air-conditioned habitats, we are spared all that, thank God.

How do you explain the racial tension and riots that have occurred in warm-weather areas such as Los Angeles or Miami that happened in the past? Of course I know about immigration and whatnot, but was it the people relocating there from colder climates (didn't LA used to be known as "Iowa-by-the-sea" b/c of all the midwestern immigrants)?

And wouldn't income be a factor in the fundamental differences between wealthy areas such as Malibu or Santa Monica versus the military influenced, more conservative San Diego area?

And what is your response to people who can just as easily argue that an indoor, air conditioned, auto-oriented environment can be alienating for people or that it harbors an extremely conservative environment that can create tension between races, classes, etc. (somewhat stereotypical view of Texas, but one that a lot of people seem to have)?