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buy a map--a fold-out, physical map for the DFW area--make sure it covers Ft Worth, the Mid Cities, Irving and Dallas--
probably need another one for Plano and the north if you are considering that area
...
You can go to the other side of City Data where you find demographic/income info about almost any town in Texas
You can search on here and Dallas board for specific towns--
read the posts that seem applicable to your situation
right now Texas is a boom state and rents are high--
general rule of thumb is that better school districts command higher rents--
check crime maps on line for general info
...
NRHills is nice area--we live right across Hwy 26/Grapevine Hwy from it in north Hurst
many of these towns flow into each other and there is almost no way to tell the difference except maybe paying attention to the street signs which show the town
FWIW, I bought a big ol' paper map of DFW shortly after arriving and taped it up on the wall of my apartment. I then started filling in the various towns with various demographic/economic/school data and put dots at my and wife's work locations. It was an invaluable aid. You can often find paper maps on sale because so few people use them in these days of GPS and smartphone apps and googlemaps and all.
Re: rents, they may not be that high relative to some other cities. If the OP is from Portland that area has been booming for a number of years now and was never that cheap relative to its size.
The roads and traffic aren't that bad here, but the spread-out-ness of the city will likely through someone who's rarely ventured outside Oregon.
Forgot to mention - sales tax, ~8.5% to 8.75%. It takes getting used to if you've spent your entire life in the land of No Sales Tax. Something that's 99 cents is really $1.07 or so. That can be embarrassing if all you have in your pocket is a dollar.
Actually, the state tax rate is 6.25% and there can be local tax rates UP TO 2% - so generally speaking, you'll be paying 8.25%. Regardless, it is different than no sales tax.
To the OP: we're not trying to find out details of your exact office location. It's just very concerning that you're trying to decide between areas such as NRH and McKinney. I don't think you understand how far those areas are from each other without traffic. Just because you work in DFW does not mean you can live anywhere here. Just trying to help you avoid a traffic mess.
What part of oregon are you from? We moved here a year ago from portland and have been looking for jobs out of state ever since. Texas is NOTHING like oregon, even the east part of oregon. We've found that the cost of living here isn't nearly as low as people say it is. You spend a ton of money on gas because you can't live without a car and everything is a drive. No more walking for groceries. Summer will be painful. Winter was surprisingly freezing, especially when compared to the mild NW winters. It's very conservative, even in Fort Worth, so that might be a welcome reprieve, or it might drive you up the wall depending on your views. There are no trees to speak of and what texans refer to as green and/or trees are weeds for northwesterners. I don't want to yuck your yum of anything but the Oregon to texas transition is rough.
I went to school in Oregon (Portland area) and was there for 8 years. If you haven't traveled much, be aware that Dallas is MUCH different from Portland (and likely most of Oregon) in just about every way possible. Be prepared for a whole lot of culture shock, depending on where in Oregon you've lived. Much of what follows is a comparison to Portland. Eastern Oregon, of course, is different.
Housing is much cheaper, but there are MANY more freeways and tollways. Portland has famously opposed new freeways for many decades, DFW has been building them at breakneck speed. Portland is a relatively dense urban area, DFW is sprawled far and wide. Portland has generally narrow roads and relies heavily on public transportation, biking and walking; DFW is car culture with wide multi-lane streets everywhere (many "regular" streets here are 3 lanes each direction, freeways and tollways can be 4 or more lanes each direction in places).
Portland has a mild climate with a ton of overcast and drizzle-mist in winter; DFW has mildish winters with about one ice/snowstorm every other year, but is HOT and quite dry in the summer. Expect highs in 90s (if not over 100) virtually every day from the beginning of May through the end of September. It's generally a drier heat so not AS bad as it sounds, but still, your entire summer is generally spent going from one air-conditioned place to another.
Portland has scads of small indie stores and shops and restaurants and artsy things and all that. DFW is dominated by malls and chains. Most of DFW is newer construction, so those sprawled 'burbs often fit the definition of "Generica". This can be good and bad, depending.
In terms of scenery, DFW is predominantly flat and lacking in flora compared to Portland. There's nothing at all even close to the trees on Mt. Tabor, for example...heck, there isn't much similar to Mt. Tabor, much less the west hills or Mt. Hood and the Cascades. The "lakes" here are all artificial reservoirs. Water is a scarce resource here (we're in a multi-year drought), in sharp contrast to the Willamette Valley and western Oregon (but if you're from Eastern Oregon it may seem familiar).
Politics here are more conservative than in Portland, but DFW overall is not overly conservative (areas of Texas outside of the major urban areas are similar to Eastern Oregon, however, in being quite conservative and somewhat libertarian). That said, politics tends to be "background noise" more than anything else. It rarely comes up in discussions with people and neighbors (save for those occasional people to whom EVERYTHING is a political issue). "Religion" in general is more prevalent, but again, it's not something people bring up. I've been asked "what church do you belong to/have you found a church home" maybe...5 times in the 3+ years I've been down here. So, only once or twice a year...but that's once or twice more a year than in other places I've been.
Gas is cheaper here but you drive longer distances. Utility bills and homeowners insurance are going to be a lot higher. If you've rarely been outside of Oregon you will need to get used to thunderstorms and HAIL! We get relatively frequent hail storms down here.
There's likely much more I'm forgetting. There's no state income tax but high property taxes. Tollways are more prevalent and cost roughly 15 cents/mile, but if you're in NRH you may not have to worry too much about toll roads. There's a place here called Hypnotic Donuts that's kindasorta like Voodoo Donuts, apparently.
Hope some of that is useful. Good luck on your move to Dallas. It'll be different.
I've not spent substantial time in Oregon so I can't give a comparison, but the above description of DFW is pretty much spot-on. You WILL be driving everywhere. The good news is, there's lots of infrastructure, many ways to get where you want to go. The traffic is only bad at a few certain spots, only at certain times, and it isn't aggressive. If you like to bike for recreation, it's relatively bike friendly there compared to other places I've lived, and there's a good network of trails. There is a real lack of good restaurants there, unless you only eat barbecue, Mexican, or at a chain. There is literally no deli in Fort Worth. I was there for 8 years(coming from the Northeast)and it was definitely different. It's flat, it's very dry, it's always windy, and there are no tall trees; I never got used to that. If your Dh is working at a fixed location, understand that NRH and McKinney are 50 miles apart. Understand as well that, if you're not Hispanic, you will be a minority there. Many of your neighbors will likely be Mexican. Most non-skilled and many service-level positions are filled by Mexicans. I wouldn't go so far as to say the area is dominated by them, but you will definitely see and feel the cultural impact(the schools, businesses, etc.)
Generally speaking, I found the people there to be great. Friendly, open, and considerate. Neither Dallas nor Fort Worth have that "big city", crowded feeling, yet both have a lot to offer as far as entertainment, the arts, etc. Personally, I would never move from Oregon to DFW without an irresistible incentive, but I really enjoy nature and the outdoor activities Oregon has to offer. To that end, DFW is not an ideal place, but I enjoyed my time there.
There are Hispanics but feeling you are in the minority as an Anglo depends more on where you are than what you are--
there are areas where Hispanics are the majority--but not in my neighborhood--which has more Anglos but also has homeowners who are Asian American, African American, immigrants fro India, and Canada for a few...
Price point and area history pretty much decide how the races disperse
IF you want to feel in the minority as an Anglo, go to San Antonio in central Texas or definitely to the Valley or El Paso...
the numbers are changing with Hispanics forecast to be the dominate ethnic group in Texas fairly soon as well as in other areas of the country...
Re the "no good restaurants", that also is matter of perception...the problem is likely to be more that local restaurants are just that--local--and Texas has various food trends which are stronger than others over its 300 or so yr history...
same with Oregon---
but don't say there is a "lack of good restaurants"...that is just not true...maybe they weren't convenient for that poster or were too expensive or there is great variety in the food and quality in FTW and Dallas and surrounding towns...so there are good and bad of almost anything you might want to eat...just educate yourself...
Posting as someone who has spend more time in the Sarasota area of FL in past 3+ years, I have found that good seafood restaurants--being that close to the Gulf--are not that easy to find...and there are simply NO good Mexican restaurants within a 20 min drive of our house there...we have tried pretty much all of them...just not the same...
other people seem to love them if they come from New Jersey or Michigan--but not our opinion...
Anyone that would call Carshon's a deli simply doesn't know what a real deli is. Carshon's is a sandwich joint, and a poor one, at that. I stand by my point; there's literally no deli in Fort Worth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by loves2read
There are Hispanics but feeling you are in the minority as an Anglo depends more on where you are than what you are--
there are areas where Hispanics are the majority--but not in my neighborhood--which has more Anglos but also has homeowners who are Asian American, African American, immigrants fro India, and Canada for a few...
So diverse, I'm proud of you. And if you never have to venture outside of your neighborhood, you'll likely not notice the people around you. But most people have to go to the grocery, the mall, the bank, etc., at least every once in a while.
Quote:
Originally Posted by loves2read
Price point and area history pretty much decide how the races disperse
This is true, and had you read/comprehended the original post, you would've seen that she provided the price point she was within. This places her clearly in an area where many of her neighbors are likely to be Mexican.
Quote:
Originally Posted by loves2read
Re the "no good restaurants", that also is matter of perception...the problem is likely to be more that local restaurants are just that--local--and Texas has various food trends which are stronger than others over its 300 or so yr history...
same with Oregon---
but don't say there is a "lack of good restaurants"...that is just not true...maybe they weren't convenient for that poster or were too expensive or there is great variety in the food and quality in FTW and Dallas and surrounding towns...so there are good and bad of almost anything you might want to eat...just educate yourself...
"No good restaurants"? Who are you quoting here? Certainly not me because I never said that. I will say that fresh seafood in Fort Worth is virtually impossible to find. If you do find it, be prepared to give your left arm for it. There's not one authentic Afghan, Argentinian, or Korean restaurant there; not one. The variety of foods available is very limited. Hence, my point; there's a lack of good restaurants.
I am Texas born and lived in Texas (Houston/DFW) most of my adult life. In this area for more than 25 years... I have lived around, gone to school with, worked with, visited with people of various ethnicities all my life.
I have certainly seen the changes in ethnicity the state is going through--I am retired English teacher and taught in Houston's inner city as well as a local district that itself experienced a very visible shift in socio-economic demographics from mainly children of Anglo, college-educated professionals or middle class families to lower socio-economic/working-class, immigrant, less-educated, single-parent families----BIG change in this area specifically in past 15 years especially...
I live in an upper middle class neighborhood with people who have college educations (as much as I can tell) and professional careers...but I also shop, go to the movies, and have been to local ER's...
I know this is not a white world...and it is growing more and more Hispanic as I pointed out...
but the people cooking meth who lived in the apartment over my son's in Carrollton before they were taken away by police were Anglo--not Hispanic...
You did write re FTW "there is a real lack of good restaurants there" which I took to mean pretty much none...
by "good" you really meant ethnic foods I guess...just not BBQ or Mexican...
I wonder how many great Afghan restaurants there are in Portland where the OP is from?
There is one Afghan restaurant in Portland--but the food described on Yelp sounds more Russian than Afghan...
Or if the OP even likes Korean? My son who is as Anglo as they come, loves Korean food and tells me that the best part of now having his office located in Richardson is being closer to Korean restaurants...go figure...
Re living in Hispanic area based on the price point she posted--which I think is flexible because maybe they just want to save to buy a home...
Bedford is a town with what I would consider a fairly avg/normal mix of ethnicity for this area of Texas and not a bad crime rating
Checked apartment.com for $900 monthly rent
there were 44 apartment complexes that came up--first in Bedford then ranging away--
-of course that is probably 1 bedrooms at that price point...
I would assume that there is a random mix of ethnicity in the apartments
I would choose Bedford over NRHills at that price point --
but the OP would be better served by getting an apt listing service as another poster suggested...
You did write re FTW "there is a real lack of good restaurants there" which I took to mean pretty much none...
by "good" you really meant ethnic foods I guess...just not BBQ or Mexican...
I wonder how many great Afghan restaurants there are in Portland where the OP is from?
There is one Afghan restaurant in Portland--but the food described on Yelp sounds more Russian than Afghan...
Or if the OP even likes Korean? My son who is as Anglo as they come, loves Korean food and tells me that the best part of now having his office located in Richardson is being closer to Korean restaurants...go figure...
In all fairness, I stated up front that I've not lived in Oregon, and that I couldn't give a direct comparison. Compared to the other places I've lived though, there's a lack of good restaurants. And no, I'm not just speaking of ethnic foods. DFW has the best variety of BBQ and Mexican restaurants that you could ask for. But honestly, if you want top quality seafood in Fort Worth, where would you go? Eddie V's(a chain)? Anywhere else? I was there for 8 years and couldn't give you another name. Why? It doesn't exist. You're right on this point; I stand corrected as far as the Korean restaurant. I don't doubt there is at least one authentic Korean restaurant now in the Richardson area, likely more than one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by loves2read
Re living in Hispanic area based on the price point she posted--which I think is flexible because maybe they just want to save to buy a home...
Bedford is a town with what I would consider a fairly avg/normal mix of ethnicity for this area of Texas and not a bad crime rating
Checked apartment.com for $900 monthly rent
there were 44 apartment complexes that came up--first in Bedford then ranging away--
-of course that is probably 1 bedrooms at that price point...
Well, the OP was pretty clear that their price range was "not higher" than $875, with no reason to presume it's flexible beyond that. But, for the sake of argument, let's say they move to Bedford. I think they are still going to see exactly what I described: a good number of Mexican neighbors.
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