Pros & Cons! Houston VS Dallas (Fort Worth, Plano: neighborhood, theater, property tax)

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

In both cities when we would go to the grocery store or the mall, WalMart, or the zoo or a basketball game or just about anywhere in public, there is plenty of whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Middle Easterners, and it didn't "seem" like Dallas is any less "diverse" than Houston. Houston has a noticably larger Middle Eastern and Indian population than DFW but DFW seems to have a relatively large Middle Eastern population itself.

I understand Houston is the most diverse city in the nation and many languages are spoken there, but I can not tell simply by looking at a person what country he or she originated from.

But thats just it, DFW's Indian population is actually significantly larger than Houston's but Houston is more diverse overall.

Things arent necessarily what they always seem.

[timtemtym]

SO many threads already up about this, but maybe it does need some updating. Texas is growing so rapidly and old stereotypes are changing fast.

It used to be that Dallas was filled with people from all over the country while Houston was filled with people from all over the world. That is still somewhat true, but Dallas is gaining more international flair and Houston is starting to appear on the radar more for Californians and other high transplant states.

When I left Houston in 2012 for LA, everyone who found out I was from Texas said "Oh I just love Austin!" I still get that a lot, but I'm starting to hear from people that they have a cousin or brother or family member that moved to Houston and loves it. It's starting to gain traction as being somewhat hip and acceptable. I cringe when I hear Californians rave about Austin because they visited once and heard some live music/drank a shiner, etc... It's nice to hear those things about Houston/DFW.

Dallas will always look more upscale simply because they plan for it more. There are a hundred or so cities in North Texas, each with planning commissions and civic groups that will plan and work to make a thoroughfare look nicer when it starts to decline.

Houston has a huge population living either in a giant city that ignores many of its neighborhoods or is simply unincorporated county land where no one really has control. Cypress, for example, is a huge area with no city. Things get built by developers along major roadways and then random companies come in and fill in the commercial spots. There isn't much of a central planning committee to coordinate things. It's a random jumble with no theme.

[Mr. Clutch]

Many threads up about this topic but long story short, they are way more alike than different overall. I do think Houston is a better city and DFW has better suburbs. Dallas is generally a pretty good city and Houston has generally pretty good suburbs, but Houston offers the best city living experience in Texas and DFW offers the best suburban one imo.

As far as food, aesthetics, culture, transportation, etc. that's all pretty subjective and different people will see those differently. I personally think Houston (the city) is more attractive than Dallas (the city) but that areas outside the city tend to be more attractive in the DFW region. Others will disagree, but people from outside of Texas will likely have pretty similar experiences in both.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by CapitalCityTodd

Houston is far uglier/Dallas is far more attractive, Houston has much worse traffic congestion, and worse drivers by a good distance. Dallas has a better nightlife. The metroplex has better breweries and distilleries. Dallas has access to some nice lakes which is/can be a nice plus. If you have kids Dallas has Six Flags which is nice.

Both are decent sports cities, but I would give Dallas the edge as they have more professional teams (NHL), and better college ball.

How can Houston have worse traffic congestion when the sprawl is not as far and the highways are wider? I would never dream that Prosper and Melissa would become suburbs of Dallas. US 380 seemed like a logical northern limit, but Stonebriar used to be the very edge of the metro about 10 years ago and Frisco was still rural.

The growth of Fulshear is the only analogy in Houston, but the city annexed eastward to the Houston ETJ limits to engulf Cross Creek Ranch. The town itself is still far from suburban development.

NHL hockey is very irrelevant outside of the North. It's a little tone deaf to have ice hockey in a place that rarely goes below freezing for more than a few hours at night. Soccer is more relevant with the close proximity of Latin America.

Originally Posted by mkwensky

First, if you care about 'hipster' amenities like interesting bars, foodhalls, restaurants and bookstores then Dallas is far superior. In terms of aesthetics Dallas is also just nicer overall.

Thank God for the lack of Hipsters in Houston!

Dallas is no L.A. or Chicago when it comes to aesthetics though. The strip malls look the same in both Houston and DFW. You just can't find the West L.A. vibe or the Chicago Loop/Magnificent Mile in Texas.

NorthPark doesn't have the same upscale panache of Century City, before and after the $1 billion renovation.

Originally Posted by Dopo

Houston has the largest nigerian community outside of Nigeria, 3rd largest Venezuelan community in the US, I think the 3rd largest vietnamese community in the US .... among others.

Actually 2nd largest Venezuelan community around Cinco Ranch and 2nd largest Vietnamese community in Alief. (I have ties to both Houston neighborhoods.)

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

Ironically enough, the actually biggest difference between the two on a demographic level is that Houston has a lot more people from Central and South America and DFW has a lot more white people.

Even white people can be diverse. You can't tell until they open their mouth. The Energy Industry has brought a lot of Scots (from Aberdeen and Glasgow, via London) to Katy. Hearing an Australian accent out of the blue at the store is surprising.

Right after the Christchurch earthquake, I couldn't understand a fellow New Zealander UH cougar trying to raise money for the earthquake victims back home. (His companions had to "translate" for us due to the accent.)

[CapitalCityTodd]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

How can Houston have worse traffic congestion when the sprawl is not as far and the highways are wider? I would never dream that Prosper and Melissa would become suburbs of Dallas. US 380 seemed like a logical northern limit, but Stonebriar used to be the very edge of the metro about 10 years ago and Frisco was still rural.

The growth of Fulshear is the only analogy in Houston, but the city annexed eastward to the Houston ETJ limits to engulf Cross Creek Ranch. The town itself is still far from suburban development.

I lived for over 30 years in Houston, and my parents, 2 of my 3 children, and 3 of my 4 grandchildren still live there so I'm back ALL the time. I've also lived in Dallas, and that is where my in laws reside, as well as my best friend out in Fort Worth. So I'm up there frequently as well.

There isn't another city in Texas with traffic as bad as Houston. In fact, outside of LA/Chicago/Atlanta/DC/etc I can't think of anyone else worse than Houston - one of the worst driving cities in the country, and it gets worse every year.

NHL hockey is very irrelevant outside of the North. It's a little tone deaf to have ice hockey in a place that rarely goes below freezing for more than a few hours at night. Soccer is more relevant with the close proximity of Latin America.

Both cities have NFL/NBA/MLB/MLS. Both cities have won titles. So on the comparative side of things, the only dividing line I can see as far as sports is that Dallas also has the NHL, and has superior college sports (not just better performing teams generally, but bigger events like the Red River Shootout and the Cotton Bowl).

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by CapitalCityTodd

There isn't another city in Texas with traffic as bad as Houston. In fact, outside of LA/Chicago/Atlanta/DC/etc I can't think of anyone else worse than Houston - one of the worst driving cities in the country, and it gets worse every year.

Hands down, Austin. I-35 is really "The Freeway" and the rest of the freeway system is just made up of random segments of limited-access highways and toll roads to provide a poor bypass for the city. There really isn't a real loop around Austin to avoid I-35 and Central Austin. It's in the midst of a freeway revolt, so those California transplants thinking that it's the only "cool place worth it in Texas" are actually making the QOL worse.

DFW is multi-polar that you have traffic jams in random places, such as between Ft. Worth and DFW airport or I-635 between I-35E and US-75. Surprisingly DFW doesn't have quality freeways.

It's hard to drive in other parts of Texas when you're used to the modern freeways around Houston. The freeways in the I-35 corridor cities are very narrow and stuck in the 1960s-1970s design. The potholes on I-35E through NW Dallas proper are abysmal and are definitely just an expanded 1960's freeway with short exit and entrance ramps and hilly, roller coaster grading. The only freeway that could compare to Houston's standards is the Central Expressway, but it was finished 20 years ago.

Both cities have NFL/NBA/MLB/MLS. Both cities have won titles. So on the comparative side of things, the only dividing line I can see as far as sports is that Dallas also has the NHL, and has superior college sports (not just better performing teams generally, but bigger events like the Red River Shootout and the Cotton Bowl).

The only professional sports Americans care about on a wide scale are baseball, basketball, and football. Hockey and soccer are still niche sports. So why waste money on overpriced tickets to see overpaid athletes play a game? But yet they demand public welfare to build stadiums. Another case of "privatized profits, socialized losses."

[SouthernBoy205]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

Ironically enough, the actually biggest difference between the two on a demographic level is that Houston has a lot more people from Central and South America and DFW has a lot more white people.

Dallas has a larger African population but Houston has a larger African-American population.

Dallas actually has more foreign born Mexicans and Puerto Ricans but Houston has more everything else from Latin America.

Dallas has a lot more South Asians and Houston has a lot more East/Southeast Asians.

Actually, if we do define Middle Eastern People as "Western Asian" (which is how the census defines them), Dallas has a slightly higher population than Houston but its mainly because Dallas has a lot more Iraqis. Houston has a more diverse West Asian population.

Houston is far more Creole and Cajun than DFW. That’s a big difference.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

It's hard to drive in other parts of Texas when you're used to the modern freeways around Houston. The freeways in the I-35 corridor cities are very narrow and stuck in the 1960s-1970s design. The potholes on I-35E through NW Dallas proper are abysmal and are definitely just an expanded 1960's freeway with short exit and entrance ramps and hilly, roller coaster grading. The only freeway that could compare to Houston's standards is the Central Expressway, but it was finished 20 years ago.
"

Wow, this reeks of ignorance. Youre criticizing DFW for potholes? Have you driven in Houston????

The freeway system between the two is hardly all that different. DFW has more tolls. Thats about it.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by SouthernBoy205

Houston is far more Creole and Cajun than DFW. That’s a big difference.

Makes sense. Houston's geographic location makes that seem reasonable.

Its the same reason DFW has more Native Americans. Closer to Oklahoma.

[SouthernBoy205]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

Wow, this reeks of ignorance. Youre criticizing DFW for potholes? Have you driven in Houston????

The freeway system between the two is hardly all that different. DFW has more tolls. Thats about it.

DFW has more freeways and tolls. Houston has a wheel and spoke system and has bigger freeways.