Living in Dallas (Austin, Fort Worth, Denton: insurance, mortgage, new home)

[LAnative10]

Originally Posted by aceplace

Thanks for your points, TrueDat. I've looked at the DFW International website from time to time, and I do think it is a good reminder of how much ethnic variation we do have in DFW. What we don't do is force (or encourage) our international community into ethnic ghettos.

Ive been here for 5 weeks now and Ive been surprised at the amount of ethnic variation here. I was expecting really nothing outside white, black, and Latino. But to my amazement, there are alot of people from South Asia and the far east.

I have to wonder however, if Dallas is trying to hide this in a way. It seems like Houston (for example) embrasses its ethnic diversity but Dallas doesnt. I wonder if Dallas just doesnt want to promote it.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by LAnative10

Ive been here for 5 weeks now and Ive been surprised at the amount of ethnic variation here. I was expecting really nothing outside white, black, and Latino. But to my amazement, there are alot of people from South Asia and the far east.

I have to wonder however, if Dallas is trying to hide this in a way. It seems like Houston (for example) embrasses its ethnic diversity but Dallas doesnt. I wonder if Dallas just doesnt want to promote it.

I don't think Dallas is trying to hide it's diversity...the cultures are just so integrated with one another that it seems silly or forced to try and group everyone of a particular ethnic heritage into a certain part of town. Dallas is mercifully unlike cities like Chicago or Cleveland that are really still very segregated. In those places, people of a certain race are expected to live in a certain neighborhood in town. You stick with your own kind in those towns. In Dallas, no one cares where you're from or what your last name is. You're judged on your behavior and personal merits, not on the color of your skin. You don't find Chinatown or Japantown because Dallas is the opposite of segregated. It's the most integrated, accepting city I've ever experienced. That's something that's hard to advertise or market or turn into a tourist attraction. But it's something great to live!

[aceplace]

Good post, Dweej,

When people talk about the value of "diversity" in some city they came from, they really mean packing groups of people into an ethnic ghetto so the "real" Americans can tour them like a zoo.

The same way that white New Yorkers used to go slumming in Harlem in the 1920's.

[LAnative10]

Originally Posted by dweej

I don't think Dallas is trying to hide it's diversity...the cultures are just so integrated with one another that it seems silly or forced to try and group everyone of a particular ethnic heritage into a certain part of town. Dallas is mercifully unlike cities like Chicago or Cleveland that are really still very segregated. In those places, people of a certain race are expected to live in a certain neighborhood in town. You stick with your own kind in those towns. In Dallas, no one cares where you're from or what your last name is. You're judged on your behavior and personal merits, not on the color of your skin. You don't find Chinatown or Japantown because Dallas is the opposite of segregated. It's the most integrated, accepting city I've ever experienced. That's something that's hard to advertise or market or turn into a tourist attraction. But it's something great to live!

Good post, I never thought of it that way.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by dweej

I don't think Dallas is trying to hide it's diversity...the cultures are just so integrated with one another that it seems silly or forced to try and group everyone of a particular ethnic heritage into a certain part of town. Dallas is mercifully unlike cities like Chicago or Cleveland that are really still very segregated. In those places, people of a certain race are expected to live in a certain neighborhood in town. You stick with your own kind in those towns. In Dallas, no one cares where you're from or what your last name is. You're judged on your behavior and personal merits, not on the color of your skin. You don't find Chinatown or Japantown because Dallas is the opposite of segregated. It's the most integrated, accepting city I've ever experienced. That's something that's hard to advertise or market or turn into a tourist attraction. But it's something great to live!

[Aboredgirly]

No state tax here, but our property taxes are higher than most states with state tax. Something to consider.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by Aboredgirly

No state tax here, but our property taxes are higher than most states with state tax. Something to consider.

Keep in mind though that you can deduct property tax paid from your annual tax return, whereas you cannot deduct state income tax. Also, a state income tax punishes you for doing well in your career, whereas property taxes are based on what sort of home a person chooses to purchase, so it is under your control.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by dweej

Keep in mind though that you can deduct property tax paid from your annual tax return, whereas you cannot deduct state income tax. Also, a state income tax punishes you for doing well in your career, whereas property taxes are based on what sort of home a person chooses to purchase, so it is under your control.

Exactly. No one can force you to buy a house that fits your income. If your bringing in six figures no one is going to make you buy a house that your not comfortable in paying for. If you only want to spend $125K on a house and pocket/save the rest you can with no penalty. Not so in states with an income tax. You can also chose to live in an area that has a lower property tax rate. Just have to look around and do your homework and find what fits best for your needs.

[doug1980]

So TX has no State Tax or Income tax is that correct? So only Federal tax and property taxes?

[TrueDat]

Originally Posted by dweej

I don't think Dallas is trying to hide it's diversity...the cultures are just so integrated with one another that it seems silly or forced to try and group everyone of a particular ethnic heritage into a certain part of town. Dallas is mercifully unlike cities like Chicago or Cleveland that are really still very segregated. In those places, people of a certain race are expected to live in a certain neighborhood in town. You stick with your own kind in those towns. In Dallas, no one cares where you're from or what your last name is. You're judged on your behavior and personal merits, not on the color of your skin. You don't find Chinatown or Japantown because Dallas is the opposite of segregated. It's the most integrated, accepting city I've ever experienced. That's something that's hard to advertise or market or turn into a tourist attraction. But it's something great to live!

This may be true to a certain extent but it overlooks the fact that there are clusters of ethnic-themed businesses/activities throughout the Metroplex -- the Asian shopping plazas in Richardson, the Mexican/Central American-oriented businesses along Jefferson in Oak Cliff, etc., the Korean businesses at I-35 and Royal, Vietnamese restaurants in Haltom City, etc.

But the difference I see here from, say, Houston, LA, South Florida, or Orange County, CA -- all of which share certain sprawling Sunbelt similarities to the Metroplex -- there doesn't seem to be any sort of marketing plan in place to lure those (natives or tourists) who might be interested in exploring these areas, if they knew about them. You sort of have to stumble across them or have friends tell you about them. That's cool and all but it seems the region overall is missing out on some promotional opportunities.

Houston, on the other hand, actually promotes two Chinatowns, the original downtown and New Chinatown out west along Bellaire Blvd. http://www.chinatownconnection.com/h...wn_history.htm

The closest to that I see in the Metroplex are those Asian Trade District signs that have gone up on Royal near I-35 or that huge South Asian-themed mall due to go up in Irving (http:\\www.everestheights.com) but it may be a victim of the recession.