trying to decide where to move to.. (Dallas, Howe: real estate, renting)

[lsii]

Lived my whole life in this area and never seen a tornado. I live in the north Dallas/Plano area, Coit and George Bush, and there are several nice apartment complexes near me. There are also several Jewish places of worship in my area. I have been in this area for the last ten years and it is very nice and convenient to shopping areas.

[jamesey]

mir86,

I moved to the DFW area in late August 09' from Cali, having moved to Cali from Seattle. So far, I can say that the Dallas area is surprisingly nice. There is a lot of driving, and the summer is hot, but the people are very nice and the city and northern suburbs are very nice areas for prices that are much cheaper than you would see in Cali or Seattle.

There is a lot to do here, from going Downtown to explore the city, to going to lakes on the TX/OK border, to just generally traveling to the American South, to everything in between.

In any case, I have enjoyed my stay. I am about the same age as you, and have found it to be a very interesting, engaging place to live.

Ps: I wouldn't worry about the tornadoes; if your okay with earthquakes, you'll be the okay with tornadoes. There's a reason 6 million people live in the area. Just pay attention to the weather report.

[mir86]

wow, thank you all for the input! I'm hearing lots of mixed things about Dallas, but everything on here is very positive!

Right now since I'm still in the deciding stage, a friend of mine is going with me in Feb/march to both Denver and Dallas so we can see where we want to move. now I have a friend who will come with me so that makes a move much easier! Both cities are very different from each other, but both also have some similarities to Tucson so its going to be a tough choice! At least I have 2 cities narrowed down so that's a step!

and whoever said I should get a four year degree, yes I really want to do that still, but depending on when/where I get accepted into the rad. tech program is when I'll continue working on my degree. I may just go into a general communications degree which is anywhere and with that degree I can still do something with fashion while still learning the business so I can start up my own thing. I just want to work as a rad. tech since its quick and is stable income enough to give me a chance to pursue the other things I want to do.

[HappyinDallas]

Mir,
Sounds like a good plan degree wise, and I'm so happy to hear you'll have a friend moving with you!!! I don't think I realized Denver was also an option... that's a tough one, because it's hard to pass up Colorado!! I wouldn't enjoy the cold winters, but I *would* enjoy the close access to skiing!!! And, it's just so gorgeous out there. It's been a loooong time since I've been to Denver, but I was in Colorado Springs not too long ago and didn't want to leave! I bet there's a lot of wonderful outdoor activity around the Denver area as well. I'm pretty sure the cost of living is much higher out there though. My guess is that you'll have nicer apartments to chose from in Dallas, but who knows! Glad you're going to check both places out with your friend.

[ComingfromNC]

Hey, I'm 46 years young, single, no kids, never married. Planning on moving to Richardson very soon. Where would be a good place to start out. I'll be working in sort of the north part of Richardson at 75 / Renner Rd.

Ideally looking for an apartment community with 2-story townhome style apartments.

Frank

[mir86]

Originally Posted by HappyinDallas

Mir,
Sounds like a good plan degree wise, and I'm so happy to hear you'll have a friend moving with you!!! I don't think I realized Denver was also an option... that's a tough one, because it's hard to pass up Colorado!! I wouldn't enjoy the cold winters, but I *would* enjoy the close access to skiing!!! And, it's just so gorgeous out there. It's been a loooong time since I've been to Denver, but I was in Colorado Springs not too long ago and didn't want to leave! I bet there's a lot of wonderful outdoor activity around the Denver area as well. I'm pretty sure the cost of living is much higher out there though. My guess is that you'll have nicer apartments to chose from in Dallas, but who knows! Glad you're going to check both places out with your friend.

ya, its so random about my friend coming with me! she's been trying to figure out where to go as well! so tomorrow I'm gonna help her check out where she can finish nursing school and we have her mom's flight benefits so all we have to do is get a rental car and possibly a hotel (she has friends/family in Denver, but not in Dallas) so cheap trips ahead. The winters in Denver, the more I look into it, doesn't sound too bad. I figure as long as I wear warm clothes and stay inside when its too cold, then I'd be fine and the summers sound worth it. My jaw is all over the floor from seeing all the pictures of the area! wow! I used to gush about CA beauty..but wow...CO looks prettier in my opinion, hehe. The cost of living there seems a teeny bit higher than here in Tucson (Dallas is slightly less than here though) but I would have a roommate the first couple years there so it wouldn't be bad at all! I don't really care about a nice apartment..I'd rather spend that money on a house when I'm ready. As long as the place is clean with w/d in unit and a pool, I'm good! I'm worried that I'd get bored with the outdoors scene in Dallas or that I may not want to be outside all the time there, but who knows, thats why I need to visit. When I was a kid, I always played outside, climbing trees and jumping off stuff and hiking anything we saw, and that part of me is still there, I love to play! lol but I still want to keep my options open, I may even consider Pheonix if all else fails, so I can finish school, but I HATE pheonix..its a furnace that tries to be like L.A.! haha

Everyone here has been very helpful! I really appreciate it!

[kacvb1974]

Mir, good luck with your decision. What a fun adventure!! I think both Denver and Dallas would work for you. (And I'm with you, I just can't stand Phoenix!! My dad lives half-way between Tucson and Phoenix and I really can't find too many nice things to say about either place. You either dig the desert or you don't. Big don't here!) Obviously there's the huge climate difference between Dallas and Denver, but as a snow lover who has lived in the Big D her whole life, I'd never discourage someone from trying out CO. I find about 90% of that state so beautiful even if I do get a bit of altitude sickness....after that passes, it's heaven. Nods to Dallas on some of the more practical issues like housing and overall economy/employment, but I'd still jump at the chance if we were ever offered a great opportunity in CO. So have fun while ya can!

Originally Posted by ComingfromNC

Hey, I'm 46 years young, single, no kids, never married. Planning on moving to Richardson very soon. Where would be a good place to start out. I'll be working in sort of the north part of Richardson at 75 / Renner Rd.

Ideally looking for an apartment community with 2-story townhome style apartments.

Well, you could consider Richardson itself. There's a spiffy new apt community right down the road from Renner and 75, at Campbell. My parents just toured it and for a 2 bedroom w/garage and all the upgrades, it was about $1500. There are also other nice apts and townhomes scattered about the city, all convenient to your work location. But there is no nightlife whatsoever in Richardson, so if you're looking for a more happenin' kind of place, you may want to go further south into Dallas proper. Personally, I'd rule out anywhere further north than Richardson...hubby and I are not exactly party animals so the quietness of an established 'burb like Richardson is usually OK with us...but the north suburbs are populated by young families so it's kids, kids, kids everywhere. Nothing wrong with strollers and soccer moms, but we just feel out of place there.

You probably need to start your own thread and tell us more about your budget, lifestyle and what you'd like out of neighborhood....like commute tolerance, convenience to public transportation, your interests, etc., and we can answer more specifically. There are oodles of housing options in Dallas so it's necessary to narrow things down.

[mir86]

Originally Posted by kacvb1974

Mir, good luck with your decision. What a fun adventure!! I think both Denver and Dallas would work for you. (And I'm with you, I just can't stand Phoenix!! My dad lives half-way between Tucson and Phoenix and I really can't find too many nice things to say about either place. You either dig the desert or you don't. Big don't here!) Obviously there's the huge climate difference between Dallas and Denver, but as a snow lover who has lived in the Big D her whole life, I'd never discourage someone from trying out CO. I find about 90% of that state so beautiful even if I do get a bit of altitude sickness....after that passes, it's heaven. Nods to Dallas on some of the more practical issues like housing and overall economy/employment, but I'd still jump at the chance if we were ever offered a great opportunity in CO. So have fun while ya can!

Thanks! does your dad live in the Eloy area? there's nothing at all there! why is he there?? lol..actually there's nothing to see between Tucson and Chandler. When I was a kid and we first moved here from Staten Island, NY, I loved the desert simply because I had only seen a cactus in the Mickey mouse movies we watched, haha so it was exiting at first! 16 years later, I hate the desert and have burned out of this place. I loved the scenery in CA but I hated L.A. and wasn't able to move elsewhere in the state so here I am! I'm getting bored of the extreme heat here. Its november and its 90 some degrees today! its annoying! I have sweaters that I'm dying to wear! I'm a little nervous about the cold in Denver, but that's why we're taking a trip out in the winter and also why I want to check out Dallas as well, but I still have a feeling Denver is gonna win..we'll see. Either choice I make, I won't be more than 900 miles from home so it's a short flight or long drive away .

[tyanger]

NWS Ft. Worth

April 2008 there were several tornadoes in the DFW area. The one in in Collin County passed about 1/2 mile north from my house at that time. Had to gather the whole family in the master closet for about 30 minutes - that was pretty much it. I've lived in north Texas off and on for more than 20 years and that was the closest encounter I've had with a tornado. As a long time resident in this area, worry about tornadoes pretty much does not enter my consciousness at all - other than that one night of course

[mir86]

Originally Posted by tyanger

NWS Ft. Worth

April 2008 there were several tornadoes in the DFW area. The one in in Collin County passed about 1/2 mile north from my house at that time. Had to gather the whole family in the master closet for about 30 minutes - that was pretty much it. I've lived in north Texas off and on for more than 20 years and that was the closest encounter I've had with a tornado. As a long time resident in this area, worry about tornadoes pretty much does not enter my consciousness at all - other than that one night of course

haha...oh my! that's good to know!