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I have only seen scorpions in the country. FIL has a ranch that scorpions seem to love.
Snakes are my big thing and there are plenty of bad snakes - coral, cottonmouths, and rattlers. Yuck, yuck, yuck!
I didn't like the armadillos there either. They were in our yard from time to time and are ugly little critters. I believe they can carry leprosy.
So far no one mentioned scorpions, a near-deal breaker for me.
Never saw a scorpion in the 20+ years that I lived there. I did see a tarantula once though. I was out jogging on a country road and it was crossing the street. I passed within 5 feet of it and it jumped. Scared the crap out of me.
So far no one mentioned scorpions, a near-deal breaker for me.
I guess living in downtown is not so common there.
You do not have to worry about them in DFW. They are mostly in hotter and drier parts of Texas, such as El Paso. You need arid climate for these creatures to live and prosper. El Paso is one of the few places in TX that's dry.
Having said all of this, a lot of people find TX appealing. They get paid well to drive around on their extensive highway systems, great food and music scene, low taxes (questionable! property taxes are high even though there is no income tax). Texas has one of the fastest growing economy. It's like top 10 largest economy in the world -- as a stand-alone state. Everything is new and shiny. You should visit. Maybe in July so you know exactly if you can survive the heat.
You do not have to worry about them in DFW. They are mostly in hotter and drier parts of Texas, such as El Paso. You need arid climate for these creatures to live and prosper. El Paso is one of the few places in TX that's dry.
Having said all of this, a lot of people find TX appealing. They get paid well to drive around on their extensive highway systems, great food and music scene, low taxes (questionable! property taxes are high even though there is no income tax). Texas has one of the fastest growing economy. It's like top 10 largest economy in the world -- as a stand-alone state. Everything is new and shiny. You should visit. Maybe in July so you know exactly if you can survive the heat.
Scorpions are not only in the arid parts of the state - saw them regularly east of Huntsville. Nothing arid about Huntsville.
Scorpions are not only in the arid parts of the state - saw them regularly east of Huntsville. Nothing arid about Huntsville.
But, aren't those non venomous ones? I remember visiting family outside of Austin, and remember someone saying that most of the humid areas, and especially in the hill country scorpions aren't too scary compared to what they have in places like El Paso. But, definitely, OP needs to do his own research. I am just repeating a hearsay. I have seen a huge one in Puerta Vallarta... and it's not an arid place. So what you are saying could be completely true about TX as well.
You should visit. Maybe in July so you know exactly if you can survive the heat.
This advice is no joke. The summer before I moved down I was in town and it was extended 114 degrees or so every day. My rental car was parked outside and I had to let the AC run for several minutes before I could even touch the steering wheel. The heat just smacks you in the face when you exit an air conditioned building.
I did somewhat get used to it but the first few summers were brutal.
This advice is no joke. The summer before I moved down I was in town and it was extended 114 degrees or so every day. My rental car was parked outside and I had to let the AC run for several minutes before I could even touch the steering wheel. The heat just smacks you in the face when you exit an air conditioned building.
I did somewhat get used to it but the first few summers were brutal.
Try having to put a baby in a carseat after grocery shopping. Gotta be careful not to touch their skin to any of the plastic or metal. Just awful!
This advice is no joke. The summer before I moved down I was in town and it was extended 114 degrees or so every day. My rental car was parked outside and I had to let the AC run for several minutes before I could even touch the steering wheel. The heat just smacks you in the face when you exit an air conditioned building.
I did somewhat get used to it but the first few summers were brutal.
I don't know how we would have made it there without a pool. It offered tremendous physical and psychological relief from the heat.
Wow, a lot of great info so far, I'm going back to the start to re-read it all.
I did sort of know that it wasn't as aesthetically nice as here, and that it is bland. From what I'm reading that meh-ness is not as ignore-able as I imagined
So far no one mentioned scorpions, a near-deal breaker for me.
I guess living in downtown is not so common there.
If you don't like scorpions, cross Austin off the list! My husband was stung at least 5 times. They're all over the place. Rattlesnakes, too.
As a life long Texan who has lived in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, I can attest that Dallas is different from the rest. It is defined by its highways. No matter where you live you are pretty much locked in by highways, which means high speed driving, lots of noise, billboards and a not-so-pretty aesthetic.
I read LadyBlue's post and feel like it could have been written by me. That being said, I'm going to try to address your other question about downtown living and focus on some positives rather than the deadly highways, bleak landscape and extreme heat.
Dallas's downtown area seems to be having kind of a renaissance and there are plenty of apartments and high rises where you could live and barely use your car. Check out areas called The West End, Oak Lawn, Trinity Grove and Deep Ellum. If you want to be near bars, restaurants and shopping and aren't worrying about buying a big house, you could have a fairly nice urban lifestyle in Dallas. Depending on your budget you could buy a condo or very small house, but a lot of people in those areas rent.
Dallas is also VERY under-rated when it comes to food. It's an extremely diverse city with every cuisine you can imagine in affordable venues. I'd almost go so far to say that Dallas is edging in on Chicago when it comes to food. If you are willing to drive to different areas of the Metroplex for cuisine, you will find anything you want.
Healthcare in Dallas is great. The Arts scene is also amazing. If you like bookstores, there are quite a few Half Price Books and Dallasites like to hang out at bookstores on the weekends. It's a sports town and also a college town so there are always things going on. Need to fly? You have two really good airports at your fingertips.
One downside is I perceived Dallas as unsafe. We rented in an expensive area, but cars were always being broken into (and stolen) and there were several property crimes and even violent crimes in the supposedly nice neighborhoods nearby. I felt less safe in Dallas than in any city I've ever lived in -- and I've lived in NYC and Chicago. Areas like Plano, Flower Mound Frisco and such have much less crime, but then you are giving up the urban lifestyle that you'd get in DT Dallas.
Personally, Raleigh is more our speed, but we are middle-aged people with a kid in college. We like having more space between us and the neighbors, restaurants, gardening, and shady tree-lined walking trails. If you are looking for an apartment or condo lifestyle in a relatively walkable area with lots of nightlife, you could find that in Dallas. Also, check out Fort Worth!!
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