Moving to Dallas or Austin from Boston - Please help!!! (Round Rock: lease, credit card)

[artsyguy]

Nothing is wrong with materialism. It's the rude and malicious attitude that accompanies it.

Originally Posted by aceplace

Artsyguy, I generally agree with most of what you say, and I'm willing to trust your opinion of the rest of it.

But there's that word again. "Materialistic".

I still wonder... exactly what does the word mean and what, if anything, is wrong about it?

[WillysB]

...jewish (not sure if any of that matters, but wanted to throw it out there if it makes a difference with the way people are treated)

The Texas legislature this year elected the first Jewish speaker in its history.

[artsyguy]

It's the snobbery, bragging, boasting, and snubbing that makes it so irritating. From my experiences that happens far more often in Austin.

You don't see it THAT often in Dallas. And people have a lot more money in Dallas.

Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas

Materialistic means being into collecting things and stuff and caring about owning certain expensive brands and then thinking you are hot stuff because you do. It means not caring about how much something costs. It means driving the "right" vehicle, vacationing in the "right" place, eating at the "right" restaurants, attending the "right" schools. It means bragging and showing off your things and stuff. It means being a snob and snubbing people who don't own the "right" things or attend the "right" schools, or live in the "right" area, or vacation in the "right" spots, etc.

[Dweller123]

Materialism is going to North Park Mall because its 100 degrees outside and there's nowhere to go and nothing to do. Or finding fault in the dress habits of others while scurrying from the next bad weather system.

You guys (AcePlace and ArtGuy) are doing work here in trying to cope with just how miserable Dallas is. I empathize with you and wish you success in getting out.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by Dweller123

Materialism is going to North Park Mall because its 100 degrees outside and there's nowhere to go and nothing to do. Or finding fault in the dress habits of others while scurrying from the next bad weather system.

You guys (AcePlace and ArtGuy) are doing work here in trying to cope with just how miserable Dallas is. I empathize with you and wish you success in getting out.

Actually, I'm going to Fair Park today. Should be a fun thing to do in exciting Dallas.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

It's the snobbery, bragging, boasting, and snubbing that makes it so irritating. From my experiences that happens far more often in Austin.

You don't see it THAT often in Dallas. And people have a lot more money in Dallas.

When I was there for a couple of months, I pretty much had the same reaction. Those people can be aufully full of themselves. Especially with the snobbery, bragging, boasting and snubbing attitudes toward Dallas.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas

Materialistic means being into collecting things and stuff and caring about owning certain expensive brands and then thinking you are hot stuff because you do. It means not caring about how much something costs. It means driving the "right" vehicle, vacationing in the "right" place, eating at the "right" restaurants, attending the "right" schools. It means bragging and showing off your things and stuff. It means being a snob and snubbing people who don't own the "right" things or attend the "right" schools, or live in the "right" area, or vacation in the "right" spots, etc.

The opposite of materialism...

Perhaps it means being cheap, buying shoddy goods and thinking you're hot stuff even though you own trash. It could mean knowing exactly how much everything costs. It means having no particular sense of taste in what you buy and consume. It means being indiscriminate in choosing your friends, neighborhood and schools. It means, most importantly, lacking the common sense to avoid flawed and self-destructive people.

The Austin Antimaterialist...

I am hot stuff because I am an INTELLECTUAL, not like one of those Dallas Philistines.

[Pfhtex]

First things first:

"....dance remixes of Bon Jovi...."

YOU, my friend, are kicka$$. I just love that you put that in your post. Seriously, that made my day.

Without a doubt, I am 100% certain that Dallas is your new home. EVERYTHING in your post points you to Dallas. Live in Uptown/Vickery area. OR rent a house with a pool. Dallas is your oyster.

You're going to love it. And once or twice a year you can go to Austin for a weekend and get enough of that kind of thing.

Trust me. You're done. It's Dallas.

[Bostonian08]

hoping to make a lot of friends easily - we know it might be difficult. I am keeping my job so I am going to be working from home , so we will see. : Well this sure can be done in DFW. Everybody wants to invite you over for something or another. Problem is do you really want every nut in DFW knockin on your door with a 6 pack in hand every night? I'm exaggerating of course, but me being one of those snobby Bostonians (actually not snobby just not a big social butterfly), I just don't want a personal relationship with every other person who catches sight of me. Okay, I'm still exaggerating.

I am 28, single, white, jewish (not sure if any of that matters, but wanted to throw it out there if it makes a difference with the way people are treated)
20 years ago On The Rocks had an entire case of Nazi paraphenelia for sale right at the club. You could buy Swastikas to wear, SS pins, whatever you want. Me and my fellow USAF members felt like rampaging. But that was 20 years ago. In the year I've been here I haven't heard or seen anything like that.

Things I really want:
- Nice weather: Edge to Tx vs BOS: 105 is just as bad as 5, but at least you don't have to shovel it. Edge to DFW vs AUS (humidity).
- Very nice people (looking for my southern belle): Definitely TX ove BOS.
- I am not really earthy crunchy. I am more metrosexual and dress with button downs and jeans. Metro is good in the metroplex, although you will certainly come to agree the bubbas get a lot louder here than in BOS once they are liquored up. More likely to brawl I think and some of the commentary I've heard them make in bars to women made me cringe. But hell, maybe it works! Start with the upscale clubs and work your way down as you see fit Dressing is acceptable in DFW.
- Really love sports: We got that covered in DFW. AUS ain't got that.
- Really love bars where they play maybe dance remixes of Bon Jovi or something like that. Not huuuuge into country so not sure if every bar plays country music. There are plenty of country bars here and you will hear country in the mix often here, but I'm like you - no great fan of it but have actually learned to appreciate it in those bars where it is mixed in. They tend to mix in a more digestible country-rock version. And of course there are tons of places to go that have their own theme, quite a bit more interesting in fact than the more vanilla bars of Boston.
- Non shallow people. There are definitely more shallow people here than BOS, but at least they are more accessible than the repressed autotrons of Bostonia. Most people here are of course just people like anywhere. And my guess is here you don't have to be a Harvard PhD to get a date.
- Very easy to drive around: Well designed highways, less congested, less combative: Problem is where in BOS you have to go 1 mile to in DFW you have to go 5. The distances are exhausting.
- Not into congestion: None here.
- Like newer buildings vs Boston where everything is historic: Check.
- Cost of living - I hear Dallas is cheaper: Yup.
-I would love to go swimming in a pool at night time - can you do that anywhere - do pools close at night? Yup. Rent at an apartment complex with a pool.

Help me choose!!!!! I would really appreciate it.

DFW if you want more stuff - more family stuff - just more.

Austin if you want more collegy, hippy, liberal, artsy, tree hugging small town. AUS also has the advantage of just a nicer natural setting - more leafy, greener with hills and streams.

Thanks!
You're welcome.

[ar8739]

WOW, you guys are absolutely great. I was reading all these posts and was just like hmm, maybe I should post my situation. I didn't think anyone would actually respond. Few hours later, there are 18 responses.

-Bostonian08 Non shallow people. There are definitely more shallow people here than BOS, but at least they are more accessible than the repressed autotrons of Bostonia. Most people here are of course just people like anywhere. And my guess is here you don't have to be a Harvard PhD to get a date. - really?!?!?!? that shocks me. That is super unfortunate.

Pfhtex = haha it was the best way I could describe it! Glad you liked it

Willysb - ...jewish (not sure if any of that matters, but wanted to throw it out there if it makes a difference with the way people are treated)

The Texas legislature this year elected the first Jewish speaker in its history. (MY MOM WILL APPRECIATE THIS - haha)


I HAVE MADE MY DECISION!!!!!!!!! DALLAS HERE I COME!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU EVERYONE!