Torn Between Houston or Dallas (Rockwall, Canyon: HOA, taxes, living)

[bu2]

Originally Posted by PinkLadyK

I think the biggest difference is the size, which you seem to have already noted. Houston is huge and if you live in The Woodlands and travel inside the loop a lot, you may find yourself spending more time in your car than you want. In Dallas, on the other hand, you can travel from Plano to Downtown in half the miles. Traffic sucks in both though.

Not really true. Yes the Woodlands is about 30 miles and downtown Plano is about 20, but 1960 is about 20 miles from downtown Houston and McKinney is about 35 miles from downtown Dallas.

Both spread out and both have similar densities.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by bu2

Not really true. Yes the Woodlands is about 30 miles and downtown Plano is about 20, but 1960 is about 20 miles from downtown Houston and McKinney is about 35 miles from downtown Dallas.

Both spread out and both have similar densities.

The difference isnt so much that to me, however I would say that getting into Dallas from Plano is a bit easier because 45 has worse traffic IMO.

The main difference is that there is more to do in suburbs in Dallas. In Houston suburbs seem to be bedroom communities more than anything else. In Dallas, they have their own nightlife, restaurant scenes, etc.

Thats why I said that if I was looking to live in a suburb, Id choose DFW. If I was looking to live close into the city, Id live in Houston (though I do love Oak Cliff in Dallas).

[bohunak]

I don't know many different suburbs or Dallas, but I think that The Woodlands passed the bedroom community label some time ago. A lot of entertainment and restaurants in TW. You can find things to do here specially, family oriented, which OP is family man, looking for safe and nice family place to live.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by bohunak

I don't know many different suburbs or Dallas, but I think that The Woodlands passed the bedroom community label some time ago. A lot of entertainment and restaurants in TW. You can find things to do here specially, family oriented, which OP is family man, looking for safe and nice family place to live.

True of Clear Lake as well. Becoming true of Sugar Land.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by bu2

True of Clear Lake as well. Becoming true of Sugar Land.

Still doesnt really compare to Plano, Arlington, or Southlake. Those are just so much bigger, its only natural they are going to have more stuff.

[westsidewolf1989]

Dallas is much more clustered and has desirable suburbs that bump against each other. The Woodlands/Sugar Land/Katy aren't really in the same position.

For reference, I grew up in The Woodlands for five years and Plano for eight years. Both places have grown rapidly over the last few decades and have lots to do...certainly aren't bedroom communities anymore.

As far as weather goes, I'd personally rather deal with tornados than hurricanes, but I understand the other side. To me, tornados are an extremely low-odds but high devastation event; the odds of a tornado hitting your house in the DFW/North Texas area each time there is a tornado warning are so incredibly small, but you have to deal with the fact that you don't have a whole lot of warning time and the destruction they cause can be inescapable (i.e. can't just hop in your car and outrun it). With hurricanes, you have lots of warning time, but the destruction is much, much worse (and longer lasting), in addition to being more widespread. Never had a tornado come in my neighborhood in Plano, but certainly there were a few times where there were some just a few miles away. I've lived in Houston through Ike and Harvey and seeing what those storms can do is incredibly scary and humbling.

As far as general weather goes, Dallas wins hands down. A little less humidity and an actual semblance of four seasons compared to Houston.

Culture/things to do, I think Houston wins hands down. The museums are better here, the restaurants are more diverse and better in general and the sports stadiums are all located within a few miles of each other. The city living is better in Houston too - if you're an urban dweller, Houston is really enjoyable. If you're a suburban dweller and are commuting into the city for work, I'd pick Dallas.

[katygirl68]

Originally Posted by Frustratedintelligence

*Houston gets tornadoes as well as hurricanes. If you're truly concerned about dangerous weather, Dallas is the safer option.

Houston does not get the types of tornadoes that Dallas does.

[westsidewolf1989]

Originally Posted by katygirl68

Houston does not get the types of tornadoes that Dallas does.

Or the frequency of them either. I can MAYBE count on one hand the number of times I've heard a tornado siren in over a decade in Houston...you'd get that many in one or two years in Dallas.

[westsidewolf1989]

Originally Posted by bu2

Not really true. Yes the Woodlands is about 30 miles and downtown Plano is about 20, but 1960 is about 20 miles from downtown Houston and McKinney is about 35 miles from downtown Dallas.

Both spread out and both have similar densities.

Sure, but living off of 1960 is not as desirable as living in The Woodlands/Plano/McKinney.

[crone]

I have lived in Houston and Dallas back and forth due to transfers several times. We lived in Lake Highlands twice and Rockwall.

Son also goes back and forth between Dallas and Houston. He also spends a lot of time in the Orient and Africa. He wouldn't move back to Houston for a million dollars a year. He is in Canyon Creek. DIL is alone weeks at a time and never felt uneasy.

I'd be in Dallas tomorrow.

Unless you live in the city of Houston, mostly inside the loop, you are in unincorporated Harris county. It is similar to being in a disenfranchised no man's land. All the burbs around Dallas are cities. They have the structure to do law enforcement and trash pick up. Plus, i love the alleys. No trash cans in front of the house, ever. Most cities provide heavy trash pickup once a month. There is no need to spend a couple hundred to have someone haul off your tree trimmings a couple times a year.

In unincorpoated Harris county one relies on their subdivision to provide law enforcement because the county has always under funded the sheriff's office. Most subdivision's HOA fees or Mud taxes pay the HCSO for a part time deputy, or make the same arrangement with the constables office.

It is way easier to get around in Dallas. They also got all the federal money designated to Houston's mass transit. They made good use of it.

I never felt threatened by a tornado.

Study flooding before making a commitment to Houston. IMO, flooding in Harris county is long past fixing, no matter what the officials tell us.