Dallas vs. San Diego vs. Boston? (Austin, Fort Worth: how much, homes, purchase)

[grindin]

Originally Posted by aceplace

I've been all over San Diego and the appearance of the streets and buildings is bleak and treeless. It looks crude compared to Dallas' greenery filled streets. The buildings in Dallas are much more colorful and different from one another. San Diego is not that walkable, unless you think it is routine to walk 2 miles to buy a pack of cigarettes from a shopping center.

While my hometown of San Diego may not be as green as Dallas or Atlanta, I'd hardly describe it as "bleak" or "crude". Now if we were talking about Detroit...

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by MantaRay

I'm confused. I read somewhere else that north Dallas suburbs are rather lacking in trees, and for that matter, that the further east in the DFW metro you go, the more trees you find and the further west, the fewer trees.

I visited San Diego a few years back, but not since Chula Vista has developed the Otay Ranch/Otay Lakes area. And judging from what I've seen of it online (websites and maps), that part of town is very walkable with plenty of sidewalks and trails. I'm not sure if you're limiting it to Dallas proper and San Diego proper and excluding the suburbs, but it seems to make a huge difference whether you do or don't. And actually Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego is not bleak at all, quite colorful actually. And Balboa Park isn't bleak either. Seems to me both cities have parts of town with fewer trees and parts with more trees, parts that are walkable and parts that are not. Is that not the case?

Balboa park in SD and White Rock Lake Park in Dallas have plenty of trees.

[TrueDat]

And I would say that neither La Jolla nor Coronado in San Diego are at all bleak either. If the Torrey Pines area is now considered bleak, was there some nuclear exchange off the Pacific Coast that I'm unaware of?

[MantaRay]

Originally Posted by zatires

On top of that, all of the suburbia of DFW looks the same. You can go to the suburbia developments in all parts of DFW and they will all look the same, houses are what they call "cookie cutter", looks the same, designed the same etc. Each strees has a look that is not very different than the other, except of course if you are in a "custom built" neighborhood. Which are not as much, and pretty expensive.

While investigating home styles in Dallas I actually was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of homes/neighborhoods all over the place that have the rear garage feature. In most other big cities, you have to really look diligently to find a neighborhood with those type homes and even then it's not usually as if you'll find that neighborhood repeated in other parts of town. San Diego has some homes like that in the new Chula Vista (east) Otay Ranch developments.

[lookingformyhome]

Thanks for all your input TrueDat! I really appreciate it especially because, although I have been to Boston and San Diego, I have never been to Dallas, so I have a very vague feeling about it. And I think it's true what you say that I would have to go and see it for myself to really know. These forums give me an idea but there's nothing like going in person to really get the vibes of a place. Thanks a lot and Happy Holidays!!!
Lookingformyhome

Originally Posted by TrueDat

Well, if feeling "European" is a make-or-break issue, then Dallas is not your town. Dallas is very much an American city that come of age in the 20th century, with all the good and bad that that implies. It doesn't look or feel like the Northeast.

The stereotype of Dallas is that of either a heartless J.R. Ewing, spoiled socialite, or the dreaded $30,000-a-year/creditors-are-coming-for-my-Audi millionaire, and this is partly why you think Dallas is probably not for you. Granted, those stereotypes are based in some truth but they hardly represent everyone or even the majority. If you plumb beneath that cliche, you'll find there is lots of culture here, as you would expect in a metropolitan area of more than six million souls. Like Los Angeles though, it tends to be more diffuse over a wide geographic area and less concentrated than in the Northeast.

And I'm not exactly sure what you mean by culture but if you're talking mainstream fine arts, Dallas will have one of the largest concentration of arts institutions next year with the opening of the new Performing Arts Center (Dallas Center for the Performing Arts) which will join the already existing Meyerson Symphony Hall, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Museum of Art, and Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. (With the economy, whether there will be anyone around to attend the Performing Arts Center is another issue altogether!).

That's not even including what's going on in Fort Worth (which has its own symphony and opera, who perform at the distinctively designed Bass Hall, Bass Hall, Performing Arts Fort Worth, and the acclaimed Museum of Modern Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, one of the largest contemporary-art collections in the country). Or Richardson which has the Eisemann Center (Eisemann Center | Tickets |), or at any of the universities such as University of North Texas in Denton (world renowned for its music department which has had the likes of Norah Jones and Don Henley as students), SMU in Dallas, or TCU in Fort Worth.

If you're talking about a more underground, indie art scene, it's here -- and apparently vital enough that the Santa Fe-based art zine THE decided to start a DFW edition, after launching an LA edition awhile back (THE Magazine - Dallas Fort Worth). Is it Manhattan? Probably not but then neither is your other choice, San Diego (and I like SD a lot, too).

As for the "open-minded, humanitarian" people, do you mean sorta left-of-center activist types -- those more associated with the stereotypes of coastal California and Boston? Or do you mean open-minded, humanitarian people of any political persuasion? If it's the former, try looking in East Dallas, Lakewood, Oak Lawn, or Oak Cliff where you'll run into lots of folks such as this. I haven't seen a breakdown for the presidential election results by neighborhood but -- since Obama carried Dallas by something like 57-42 -- my bet is that his victory in these areas was even more decisive. There's a large Unitarian congregation in Dallas (First Unitarian Church of Dallas | Welcome!) and what is claimed to be the largest gay church in the US, Cathedral of Hope (Cathedral of Hope - a congregation of the United Church of Christ in D)

As for driving, where will your job be? If it's on the DART light-rail line and you live near a DART station (DART.org - Dallas Area Rapid Transit), you may be able to keep driving to a minimum. But, again, to access many of the things the area has to offer, it's still best to have a car here because, as stated above, everything is so spread out. However, DART is expanding rapidly, with a major expansion opening next year. So things are improving in this regard.

Hope this answers some of your questions. You should come down for the job interview, stay a few extra days, and get a feel for the area and don't just go by stereotypes of what you've heard or what you read on this forum.

[lookingformyhome]

Thanks TXGuy! ...I guess I have to decide what's most important for me...weather, being able to afford my own place, finding a great guy or culture! The thing is they're all important!

Happy Holidays!
Lookingformyhome

Originally Posted by txguy2009

San Diego for best weather

Boston for most culture/sophistication

Dallas would be in between on both factors.

[lookingformyhome]

Wow, definitely sounds like there is a lot going on culturally. I didn't imagine Dallas at all like that.
Thanks Lakewooder for giving me a little "tour" of what you did Friday.

Happy Holidays!
Lookingformyhome

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

You'll find the area you want in Central Dallas - here's what I did on Friday night:

Went to an informal party on Peak at Elm (a place where Plano people would freak) - Free food, beer and wine at Victor's Cafe - galleries open next door included Rich Morgan Studio, Karen Blessen, Paper Arts, Clay Austin Studio, Doug Davis Photography and even the Empower African Children headquarters. The after-party was around the corner at the It'll Do club - a place Jack Ruby used to go but is now an old dive attracting yuppies and immigrants. Great fun and a $6 cab ride from my house. But you can walk many places around here - look up the walkablity index and put in an address. My house in East Dallas shows .38 mile to many restaurants and shopping...

I saw a lot of people I knew at that party but met a lot of interesting new people - a writer, somebody filming a documentary, a couple who own a wine import business, a guy from Austria and his Oklahoman wife who own commercial real estate all over (and live above their office nearby), several architects, a photograper, etc...

[lookingformyhome]

Thanks for giving me hope Canine Castle.

I hate to generalize about San Diego since I have never ever actually lived there, but I didn't seem to find a guy with depth in California in my eight years of living there. I want to find somebody who sees deeper than what I look like or if I own my own house, etc...and somebody who has suffered and lived and cares about the world.

Have a great holiday! Thanks a lot for your post and sharing your experiences. It's all good!

Lookingformyhome

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

My boyfriend (I kind of hate that term for someone my age) is cultured and from Dallas. He's very real, totally unpretentious, one of his greatest qualities. He's a humanitarian as well and always puts the well-being of others before himself. If there is one, there are many more. Yes, you can definitely find these people in Dallas as I'm sure is the case for San Diego and Boston as well.

I think Dallas fits your other criteria too.

[lookingformyhome]

Thanks a lot Waleran, I can't believe there is actually somebody (several somebodies) who have lived in both or all three cities! I was happy to hear your take on SD because I have never actually lived there, only visited it several times while I was living in LA. But it's cool you lived in Boston too because that's another city I have visited only once recently, and several times when I was young but that was many years ago. It's not so much culture I want in people, well yes I want culture, but I guess I just want to meet people who have some depth and sensitivity and it seems to me that the closest I have gotten to that is in Europe (but I don't want to have to fly over there, the flight is way too long!). Anyway, the feeling I have gotten in California is a sort of vague/rootless/surrealistic feeling and I never have felt like I belong there or I make friends. It seems like everytime I have flown East I have connected faster to people. Anyway, I gotta go to Dallas in person to really know what's like and maybe once more to Boston...but your input is very helpful!

Thanks a lot! Happy Holidays!
Lookingformyhome

Originally Posted by Waleran

I have lived in San Diego (grew up there) and boston (13 years now) and will be moving to Dallas next summer. The cities are very very different. I will give you my 2 cents. Boston is ridiculously cold in the winters which are very long. If you dont like the cold dont live there...you will be miserable. Also, I have found the stereotype of the rude Bostonian to be very true. In my experience people are not particularly firendly and are closed off to meeting new people. Like I said, I have lived here for 13 years and it has been tough to build lasting friendships. Now, it is a beautiful city and, if you live down town (mucho mucho $$$$$$$$$), you can walk to most places. There is a sense of "old world" culture here. San diego you can't beat beauty and weather wise. It is total paradise. On the otherhand it is very expensive. You can't walk to most places unless you live in the trendier areas (downtown la jolla or gas lamp district). I am not sure what the "scene" is like for a single woman but it seems like there are a lot of players in San Diego in the clubs and such. Dallas is very friendly. people, I feel, are extremely nice. It is much less expensive than Boston or San Diego. I think (please dont kill me people) that it is not a particularly "pretty" city. There are nice areas but they dont compare to Boston or San Diego and you do have to srive to get almost everywhere. As far as "cultured" people. I think you will find "un cultured" and "cultured" people anywhere you go...it just depends who you hand out with.

Good luck

[lookingformyhome]

Thanks a lot Ctrres!

Originally Posted by ctrres

Jobs are at a premium anywhere in the US--if you're working today you're lucky. It really doesn't matter in which major metro area that occurs, especially if there's more than a few miles of rail transit.

Boston and Dallas are fairly evenly matched in mainstream arts. (Fort Worth art museums rival NYC, their only real US peers.) For a few years in the recent past Dallas had a far edgier and imaginative underground arts scene than NYC. Boston historically has almost utterly lacked one; it's a provincial, inward looking region in comparison to almost anywhere else. Texas, and most sections of the midwest and south, have sardonic artistic underbellies that just don't exist on the coasts (which have historically fed on the talent).

The only thing European about Boston is the street layout and urban density. It's a great walking and mass transit city, which is also a good way to meet people.

Because it's on the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic, Boston doesn't actually get very cold, and can frequently get oppressively humid in the summers. The temperature averages are maybe 7 or 8 degrees lower than Dallas year-round. Most of the winter action is inland state--Worcester and west beyond.