Help me fall in love with Dallas! (Houston, Fort Worth: for sale, real estate)

[WillysB]

Ms Rain and Julia, sometimes there's more to enjoy about the area than going and doing.

During a season of varying weather patterns, keep an eye on the weather to see where those patterns originate. When you see one of those fronts landing on the PNW follow it to see if that front makes it to Texas and note how it changes the weather. It takes 2 to 3 days. Then, a sweet Seattle rain.

In the winter, while Seattle is basking in mild weather note how those Canadian fronts push down the mid-continent, bringing freezing hell and snow to Dallas, and with luck (or not) to Houston.

During the spring many of those fronts originate from southern California. Mud slides? Watch what happens when that front makes it to Dallas.

And in the swelter of a hot summer when those fronts from Baja California hit east Texas and mix with a Gulf breeze you want to be sure to enjoy the excitement of a Texas thunderstorm. Julia, millions go thru this every year, have no fear. Unless of course, a tornado springs forth. Then just grab a pillow and dive for the tub. An inside tub, not the hot tub.

And while you're here, if you're lucky, you may get to enjoy a hot summer day with a slow breeze, a glass of iced tea, relaxing under the shade of a Mesquite tree.

Then, you'll have been to Texas.

[pepper131]

Originally Posted by seattlerain1

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I really appreciate all the info.
Pepper- We love Tulum too! I thought your name was familiar from the tripadvisor board.

Hey! That is me too!!!
Well...hello, again....

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by Julia1997

Hi, I totally understand how you feel. I am originally from Europe and moving for my husband's job from California. I AM SCARED! We like the beach and love to skii. We have 2 children so I will be busy with them. But still... For skiing we would have to fly to Colorado, New Mexico etc.... Beach, It seems that the beach in TX is not that great. At least that's what I have read. So Mexico is the place to go? Wine tasting, there should be some in around Austin. Thanks for this post. It will help me with ideas.

Not necessarily, South Padre, Texas is normally ranked as one of the best beaches in the country.

Corpus Christi is a city on the coast, it's beaches might not be all that great, but they're very decent, and there's a lot to do in Corpus, museums, and aquariums to go to.

Dallas isn't really about all those things and neither is Houston.
These two are business oriented cities, but you can still find a lot to do there.
Try seeing Fort Worth Water Gardens, Fort Worth's downtown is pretty lively, you'll love the food offered here in Texas. You'll love some of the parks, and try going out and shopping or looking around. Dallas is the best in Texas for that.
There's quite a lot to do in Dallas, you just have to get out there and search for it, granted you won't get the Chicago, NYC, or San Francisco experience but you will get the best Dallas has to offer.

Affordable housing, rapidly growing diverse cultures, great ethnic foods, tons of parks to go to, try seeing the downtown aquarium. Try integrating with Texas culture, go to Rodeo's and things like that, you'll have a great time. It'll be a great experience for you, and if you have kids, they'll get a kick out of it. Check to see the museums your city has, try visiting some of those, and art galleries, and theaters and such.

[bluescreen73]

My wife and I moved here from Colorado 11 years ago and while the folks are nice, the cost of living is low, and the IT jobs are fairly plentiful, DFW has never really felt like home to us.

The scenery, especially compared to the Front Range of Colorado, is lacking. There are areas of isolated, wooded hills, but for the most part it's nearly treeless blackland prairie.

The mild winters are a plus, but they're balanced out by a stiflingly hot summer. During the summer doldrums the heat and humidity are brutal. Unless you plan on going out at 4am (when the temperature MIGHT be below 80), you spend most of your time indoors.

The roads are in terrible shape. The state doesn't have the money to maintain existing roads let alone build new ones, so a vast majority of the new construction projects involve tolling of one form or another. Everything's bigger in Texas, including your driving bill. Within the next 15-20 years you won't be able to go anywhere around here without paying out the wazzoo for the "privilege" of driving at speeds greater than 35mph.

Texans take pride in a lot of things; however, the public education system here is pathetic. Texas is consitently near the bottom of the nation in SAT scores, and 2/5 of today's high school freshman will drop out before graduation.

Are there cool things around DFW? Sure, but the climate, geography, and infrastructure (educational and transportational) weigh negatively on the region as a whole.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by DWong

Hey there.
So I'm curious, if DFW and LA afforded you the same "lifestyle" and home and extra money to do as you please,

where would you choose?

If you can buy the same home and same community (granted the LA area would cost 5X the amount) are the assumptions.

If you asking me where I would rather live in the real world, the answer is DFW.

Its hard to answer a hypothetical about assuming DFW and LA having the same cost of living. They dont. We cant pretend they do. If were going to go that route, why dont I just pretend Dallas and Honolulu or Sydney have the same cost of living. Then which would I pick? Sydney. If LA and Dallas had the same cost of living I would still be in LA, but Im not.

All things considered, I would rather live in DFW. If I left DFW, it would be to Houston or Atlanta, not back to LA. We cant afford it and the economy sucks, so theres no reason to pretend that isnt the case.

[rach924]

Great post! I'm moving from Seattle at the end of May to the Dallas area because of my husband's job, too. We've also lived in San Diego, CA.

When people ask if I'm excited, I say I'm indifferent because the scenery will be nothing like the west coast. I hear about how nice everyone is in Texas, but then I read on this board about how nearly everyone is a transplant in Dallas, so I guess I can't look forward to the southern hospitality you always hear about.

But reading this post and what others have said, about changing your expectations, is a good point.

I am looking forward to the thunderstorms, though...

[DANNYY]

To Everyone moving to the Dallas Area or in that matter Texas in general, I would like to wish you the best of luck and that your experience be as fun as mine!!

And also, Welcome to Texas!

[Lakewooder]

I knew a Seattlerain from MSN Headlines and Politics chat from several years ago - if by any chance you are the same one, DM me!

[blueness]

I am from Seattle too. Dallas is quite different from SEA, but both places have their good and bad points. It just depends what you like. I am happy with north Texas and you can't beat the shopping! If I feel like getting away for a change of scenery, I take advantage of Southwest's cheap fares and go to the coast somewhere in the eastern or southern US. You can also drive down to Galveston for the weekend (or fly). I suggest the road trip at least once though....check out Austin and San Antonio if you have time. Don't miss the San Marcos outlets either!

[seattlerain1]

Lakewooder- thats not me!