Boston to Dallas (Houston, Carrollton, Greenville: transplants, apartment, lofts)

[FinkieMcGee]

I'm going to be a fresh college graduate in June of this year and have interviewed with a company that's based in Carrollton. The job seemed fairly interesting, and the cost of living (coming from Boston especially) makes the move fairly attractive.

What areas should I look for as a young single dude? I'm willing to spend around 1k/month on some kind of an apartment. I would like to be in a happenin' urban area, is that housing budget enough for something like that?

Also what differences can and should I be prepared for when moving to the area? I'm not sure if there are any other Boston transplants on this board, I'd be very interested in any input from them on that particular topic.

[Almeda]

I am originally from Florida, just moved to Dallas, but lived in Boston for 10 months. If I were you I would live in Uptown. You can find a nice apartment for that price in Uptown and there are a ton of things to do in that area also. I think you will find Dallas to have all of the advantages of a bigger city with not much of the stress. I found parking and driving in general to be a pain in Boston. All in all I am really happy I moved to Dallas. Good luck!

[TXprincess]

Look at Addison Circle in Addison.
www.addisontexas.net

[FinkieMcGee]

Originally Posted by Almeda

I am originally from Florida, just moved to Dallas, but lived in Boston for 10 months. If I were you I would live in Uptown. You can find a nice apartment for that price in Uptown and there are a ton of things to do in that area also. I think you will find Dallas to have all of the advantages of a bigger city with not much of the stress. I found parking and driving in general to be a pain in Boston. All in all I am really happy I moved to Dallas. Good luck!

I've been in Boston for my entire life, and it's definitely a pain driving around if you're not experienced with the area. The streets don't really make much sense and we're one of the only states with rotaries, so I understand your pain. Boston is a city that's really built for using the T and walking, the problem is the T can be horrendous depending on where you're going.

But thanks, I'll definitely look at the Uptown area. Is Lower Greenville considered in the uptown area? Is there any real difference between the 2 areas? What about living in downtown? Is there any walkability in any of those areas or am I required to drive everywhere (that was my experience with Houston, even in the downtown area).

I'm not sure if my areas and stuff are mixed up, I only considered the opportunity a little while ago so I'm trying to familiarize myself with what Imay be in store for if I get the position and decide to work there.

Originally Posted by TXprincess

Look at Addison Circle in Addison.
www.addisontexas.net

I was actually told to stay out of Addison because the demographic is older, I'm 22 years old, I was told the Addison area is populated by a lot of people that are in the 30+ bracket.

[irwin]

Originally Posted by FinkieMcGee

I'm going to be a fresh college graduate in June of this year and have interviewed with a company that's based in Carrollton. The job seemed fairly interesting, and the cost of living (coming from Boston especially) makes the move fairly attractive.

What areas should I look for as a young single dude? I'm willing to spend around 1k/month on some kind of an apartment. I would like to be in a happenin' urban area, is that housing budget enough for something like that?

Also what differences can and should I be prepared for when moving to the area? I'm not sure if there are any other Boston transplants on this board, I'd be very interested in any input from them on that particular topic.

Hey. I grew up in Texas, lived in DC for awhile, then moved to Phoenix but I am moving to Boston in about a month! I have been around (and I love Boston btw).

Anyway, I would stick with Uptown. I have a friend who lives there (can't remember his building). He grew up in Texas as well and left for the Northeast for a bit. He likes Uptown. It's fairly walkable and there are places somewhat close. I think you are going to find that Dallas is a lot more like Houston than Boston in terms of walk-ability and public transit, but it is getting better. Unfortunately though, you still have to have a car to survive.

But again, it is a fun place for 20-somethings and singles. If I ever moved to Dallas that is def where I would look. Stick there and avoid the outer burbs. Good luck.

[turnbun]

Uptown is definitely a place to be. You may also find a duplex or quad in the M Streets (if they haven't all been converted -- it's been a while since I've been down there) off of lower Greenville. That's a great historic area with lots of bars, restaurants, etc. within walking distance.
I would not live in Addison as a young 20's guy.

[FinkieMcGee]

Oh, I also have a question regarding the Universities in the area. I'm considering going for an MBA or a Master's in Engineering, what schools are in the area/should I do some research on? The only one I'm really aware of is UT Dallas.

[turnbun]

SMU -- Southern Methodist University has a very good MBA program.

[hamiltonpl]

Lower Greenville and Uptown are not the same.

I work in Uptown. I used to live in the neighborhood too. It's definitely the place to be at this time in your life.

[dfwcre8tive]

I moved to Downtown Dallas (on Main Street) last autumn and I love it. There are quite a few newly converted lofts in that price range, as long as you don't need a "luxury" place (I have 700sq ft for <$800). Most buildings have special "in-town housing" grants for recent grads and young professionals. It's a good location convenient to the light rail system (currently being extended up to Carrollton) which goes out to the suburbs and other areas of town and it's not far from Uptown shopping and nightlife (a short bus, streetcar, or cab ride). While downtown is not as "upscale" as Uptown there are a lot of young people here and the older buildings give it more of an urban character. I prefer it because I'm convenient to everything and I don't need a car to get around.

There's a map of the area and a list of residential buildings at this website: http://www.yourdspot.com/
The Farmer's Market area, Deep Ellum, and Cedars are also interesting alternatives to Uptown. Feel free to PM or email me.