Least horrible options (Dallas, Plano, Lubbock: foreclosure, credit, home)

[Ambassador]

Originally Posted by teatime

What I find rather amusing is that the OP is beetching royally about Dallas while failing to understand that everything he's beetching about (except the existence of mega-churches) is providing him and other malcontents like him EMPLOYMENT. That the city (and probably state) he dislikes so strongly is fairing a heckuva lot better in this economy than good ole Cali.

And we can't forget that the open, natural spaces that once existed had to be sacrificed to people like him who moved here with their needs and demands for nice homes, more shopping and cafes. Oh, yes, and more office buildings for the JOBS they're begrudgingly taking. What truly sucks is more of them will probably head to Texas since Cali doesn't have enough money to last a month, apparently. They'll get IOUs instead of unemployment checks.

So, they jump overboard from the Good Ship Liberal-pop, float to Texas, and then hope there are a bunch of Obama-voting liberals HERE?! Hahahahahahahahahaha! Some people never learn. Wish they'd stay home and these companies would hire Texans instead of transferring people who turn up their noses at our cities and state.

Thank you for setting this discussion, and indeed all Texans back 18 years. For every person who claims people like you don't exist in Texas 3 of you pop out of the bushes to bring us back to reality.

Here is a tip: Don't become a spokesperson for Dallas or Texas anytime soon.

[DFWgal]

Originally Posted by intoexile

I'm being forced to relocate to the Dallas area and I wonder how I'm going to survive. It's flat, hot, sprawling out of control, so much concrete and so many cars. Megachurches, massive shopping malls filled with big chain retailers and restaurants, the size of the parking lots!

Is there some sort of alternate universe part of the metroplex that is similar to a small, liberal California surf town? I'm looking for actual neighborhoods, small independent grocery stores, book stores and restaurants, farmers markets, people who ride bicycles and believe in global warming and want to consume less, not more. Trees would be nice, water, some open natural space.

Of course I know this is a lot to ask for, but I'm going to have to find some kind of refuge or I'll lose my mind and spirit.

uh, kind of difficult here...

Originally Posted by KittySkyfish

Wow. Just....wow.

I agree with Dangerfield - quit your job and stay in California if you can't pull that snobby stick out of your bo-hiney.

The guy is asking for some fun and natural spaces and he's a snob? Good God...!

[teatime]

Originally Posted by Dallas native

Well, apparently there are a lot of Obama-voting liberals here since he won 66% of the vote in the city of Dallas and 57% in Dallas county.

Cool. Put 'em in charge and watch the economy mimic Cali's. Then, to where will y'all move for jobs?

[teatime]

Originally Posted by Ambassador

Thank you for setting this discussion, and indeed all Texans back 18 years. For every person who claims people like you don't exist in Texas 3 of you pop out of the bushes to bring us back to reality.

Here is a tip: Don't become a spokesperson for Dallas or Texas anytime soon.

You're welcome. Hey, if someone came to my home and griped about how they didn't want to be here and how badly my home sucks, I would invite them to leave. What would you do? Agree that your home sucks and apologize for it, while promising that you'll get right to work on improving it to your visitor's satisfaction? Get real.

[ctrres]

Originally Posted by intoexile

State Thomas is one name I remember. Most people had sold out but some did not, and the big developments came in towering over their nice simple homes.

You understand that State Thomas--hard next to the central business district--had been almost completely subsumed from all sides for at least 3 decades.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by teatime

You're welcome. Hey, if someone came to my home and griped about how they didn't want to be here and how badly my home sucks, I would invite them to leave. What would you do? Agree that your home sucks and apologize for it, while promising that you'll get right to work on improving it to your visitor's satisfaction? Get real.

Very appropriate response.

What gives these rude jerks the impression that people in DFW do not respond when deliberately provoked?

Nowhere in the world can you get away with insulting someone's homeland. The so-called "ambassador" should know that.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by intoexile

I asked a real estate agent where the established neighborhoods were in Dallas, older houses, smaller streets etc. She said there weren't a lot of them left due to newer developments. I actually didn't believe her, I didn't think it was possible to just remove whole neighborhoods.

She grew up in Dallas and when we drove around she could point out and name all the neighborhoods that used to be in Dallas and were no more. She pointed out where she had grown up, gone to school and so on. All gone. State Thomas is one name I remember. Most people had sold out but some did not, and the big developments came in towering over their nice simple homes.

She also pointed out the many cranes in operation in Dallas, and empty lots being developed in some big way.

What neighborhood do you live in that is walkable to non-chain stores and restaurants?

Then you need a new realtor. She is obviously the type that has stayed in a tiny bubble of an area that she herself finds "acceptable" and doesn't venture out much to other areas. If she so much as said, "don't go east of _____ St, or south of _____, etc" Then she doesn't know Dallas even if she is a Native Daughter. There are plenty of people like that around all over in every city.

Now, your realtor is WRONG!! There are PLENTY of areas in Dallas with the great mature neighborhoods that have not been razed and rebuilt. She has just stuck herself in the "only new" works and "only new" is what people want. Look in the 75220 & 75229 zipcodes over around Marsh/Midway/Walnut Hill/Royal Ln areas. Look down in the 75235 (where my dad in his late 60's grew up and the house is still standing) and 75219 zips. There are some areas in these zipcodes you will not want but there are plenty that are nice w/ cute bungalows and reviving neighborhoods that are thriving. Also try 75209 & 75214.

Originally Posted by teatime

You're welcome. Hey, if someone came to my home and griped about how they didn't want to be here and how badly my home sucks, I would invite them to leave. What would you do? Agree that your home sucks and apologize for it, while promising that you'll get right to work on improving it to your visitor's satisfaction? Get real.

Originally Posted by aceplace

Very appropriate response.

What gives these rude jerks the impression that people in DFW do not respond when deliberately provoked?

Nowhere in the world can you get away with insulting someone's homeland. The so-called "ambassador" should know that.

So I guess it is safe to say that we can move to somewhere like say, oh, California because we want to be nearer to the beach and in the sunshine all the time. Then complain CONSTANTLY about the high cost of living, insane traffic, only place to live that is affordable w/ decent schools is over an hour from our jobs. We BOTH have to work to even be able to afford a middle class older home and not get to be a "stay at home mom". Never get to venture to the beach because we are always working and when we do it is CROWDED and takes forever to get to. We get the right to say this at the drop of a hat and to go over to their forums and spout off how much we hate these things and no one that lives there has the right to tell us to "shove it" or it is the "price to pay" or anything. Sure..........

Someone give that one a try and report back to us how nice all of the "natives" were to ya

[Ambassador]

Momof2,

People who move to California do just that...all the time. In fact nobody ever moves somewhere where they are 100% happy about everything. That is perfectly normal.

The other side of that story is when native Texans are forced to move somewhere because of their jobs....all they do in their new home is complain. I know this because I have lived all over this nation, and in various countries around the world.

Texans were always the most vocal and the biggest complainers about everything. Did the locals ever care? No. Did anybody tell them to go home? No.

In fact the only person that would consistently tell them to shut up and grow up was me...a fellow native Texan embarrased by their attitudes and comments. Other like minded native Texans would join me in putting them in their place.

The point is that everybody is entitled to not be completly satisfied with their new situations...especially if they did not ask to move. Furthermore, Texans are consistently the biggest downers when it comes to living in other parts of the country.

And just to fix any dillusions of grandeur some of you may have: Texas does not belong to anybody. Your home is your home. Texas is your state of residence/birth. It was there before you arrived and will still be there after you leave. A point that has to be consistently reinforced to Texans and amazingly some people from California as well

If a person's job transfers them to Texas and that person isn't too happy about their situation; then taking a "kick their ungrateful butts out of my house" attitude only serves to reinforce the image of narrow minded, rude Texans to the rest of the nation. You people long so much to be considered open minded, progressive, accepting, etc.... yet you are so quick to default back to this provincial, ancient mentality.

I suggest any Texan on here who has been flaming the OP to move to some state they would not like to live in...and then NEVER vocalize their disapointment. Then you are all alowed to come back on here and continue casting your stones.

[rdfw]

Originally Posted by Ambassador

You people...

Your generalizations are awe-inspiring (and telling). You will find people just like you described, both the positive and negative, from every part of the country. I'm not sure what has caused such blind hatred, but you need to have a glass of water. If you take the comments of a handful of anonymous people (and aceplace) and generalize everyone else with such a fervor like that, you might just pull a muscle or something.

You can't generalize "Texans" or "Californians" in the way you have and you can't generalize "the locals" in the way you have. You'll find in reality a mixture.

It's funny to read, but seriously, get real and get off the soapbox.

[intoexile]

Originally Posted by miokie

Where in CA is this paradise? If it's got all you say AND the current economy, especially the job market, is no worse than Dallas, I'll move there in a flash!
Well, maybe not a flash, because I love my hilly, woody, quiet neighborhood with streams, ponds, a lake, greenbelts, play parks, decent restaurants, etc. just outside of Dallas. I've got a 22-minute commute to a great, secure job in an east Dallas suburb. But I'd sure think long and hard about moving to some place that's got all that AND your list of extra perks in CA...

So where is the nice place that you live?