True Californian considering TX (Houston, Dallas: living in, restaurants, prices)

[jencam]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

Customer service in Austin sucks. The slacker culture pervades. I had to call TxTag 8 years ago while in California for a quick question. The two hour time difference didn't help! It seems that the rep just woke up out of bed because he kept yawning and sounded drowsy. He kept on taking his sweet time (perhaps twittling his thumbs?) checking on his computer when looking up my account and for answers to my questions.

Another incident happened about 6 weeks ago at Cane's in Cedar Park. It's bad enough that prices are slightly higher than in Houston (it's a $1 more for the Box combo), but they didn't call my name or look for me while bringing the basket to my table. They stayed silent and waited for me to pick it up at the counter.

Waco - the Vatican of the Baptists. Enough said! I would advise limiting road trips between other Texas cities and staying on the interstate as much as possible if you have/choose to visit other Texas towns or leave the state. Many rural towns depend on speeding tickets on big-city slickers for their revenue, but the speed limit on the interstates have been raised to 70 MPH, diverting resources to U.S./state highway traffic.

I was raised Baptist, so I think I'm allowed that reaction.

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

Dallas is the center of the Evangelical Christian Bible Belt. TBN's DFW studio is their second-most important facility and Daystar is based there. Most of those churches that produce TV shows aired on those networks are in Dallas/Fort Worth, though they are not as famous as Lakewood Church or Ed Young's Second Baptist, both in Houston. (Just quantity over quality. The Bible Belt's southern fringe just touches the northern suburbs of Houston, in Montgomery County, around The Woodlands/Conroe.)

Politically, it is also the hotbed of GOP conservatism--the Conservative San Francisco. Economically, it also is very national-centric with it's companies/industries compared to Houston's global outlook catalyzed by the Energy Industry.

This isn't 1980 anymore. The city of Dallas & Dallas County are in no way shape or form the hotbed of GOP conservatism or the center of the Evangelical Bible Belt. They definitely are moderately liberal and all it takes is a quick look at the past election results... Hillary won over 61% of Dallas County compared to 52% or something down in Harris County (Houston). Even so, the Bible Belt extends throughout much of Texas, including parts of metro Houston. Both metros have conservative suburbs. Same with suburban Austin. Dallas is also a more LGBT friendly city than Houston. Most in Dallas proper are Catholic, not Evangelical Christian.

OP, Dallas is actually a great place for a Californian. In some ways, it has that wannabe LA vibe -- clubs with bottle service, materialism & flashiness, image conscious population, tons of high end and luxury shopping & restaurants, etc. Not all of Dallas is like that, but it stands out more in comparison to Austin and Houston. Houston and Dallas also receive more transplants from Cali than Austin. I'd at least visit Dallas and give it a second chance, and I mean the actual city. Not some obscure suburb 40 miles away. Check out Uptown, Victory Park (American Airlines Center especially!), Deep Ellum (more eclectic), etc.

[jencam]

Originally Posted by DTXman34

This isn't 1980 anymore. The city of Dallas & Dallas County are in no way shape or form the hotbed of GOP conservatism or the center of the Evangelical Bible Belt. They definitely are moderately liberal and all it takes is a quick look at the past election results... Hillary won over 61% of Dallas County compared to 52% or something down in Harris County (Houston). Even so, the Bible Belt extends throughout much of Texas, including parts of metro Houston. Both metros have conservative suburbs. Same with suburban Austin. Dallas is also a more LGBT friendly city than Houston. Most in Dallas proper are Catholic, not Evangelical Christian.

OP, Dallas is actually a great place for a Californian. In some ways, it has that wannabe LA vibe -- clubs with bottle service, materialism & flashiness, image conscious population, tons of high end and luxury shopping & restaurants, etc. Not all of Dallas is like that, but it stands out more in comparison to Austin and Houston. Houston and Dallas also receive more transplants from Cali than Austin. I'd at least visit Dallas and give it a second chance, and I mean the actual city. Not some obscure suburb 40 miles away. Check out Uptown, Victory Park (American Airlines Center especially!), Deep Ellum (more eclectic), etc.

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by jencam

Austin is stuck-up about not being stuck up. I don't know how to better explain it! Partly they are stuck up about different things.

. I've noticed that. There's literally a conformity to act or dress "laid back." You're judged for not falling in line on what defines a true "Austinite." You also have to hate Dallas... That's a prerequisite for every newcomer.

[C24L]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

Customer service in Austin sucks. The slacker culture pervades. I had to call TxTag 8 years ago while in California for a quick question. The two hour time difference didn't help! It seems that the rep just woke up out of bed because he kept yawning and sounded drowsy. He kept on taking his sweet time (perhaps twittling his thumbs?) checking on his computer when looking up my account and for answers to my questions.

Another incident happened about 6 weeks ago at Cane's in Cedar Park. It's bad enough that prices are slightly higher than in Houston (it's a $1 more for the Box combo), but they didn't call my name or look for me while bringing the basket to my table. They stayed silent and waited for me to pick it up at the counter.

Waco - the Vatican of the Baptists. Enough said! I would advise limiting road trips between other Texas cities and staying on the interstate as much as possible if you have/choose to visit other Texas towns or leave the state. Many rural towns depend on speeding tickets on big-city slickers for their revenue, but the speed limit on the interstates have been raised to 70 MPH, diverting resources to U.S./state highway traffic.

Actually, the speed limit on interstates is 75.However, a couple interstates in W.Texas are 80.

[ragnarkar]

Don't come to Midland (i came there from SF).. unless you absolutely hate humidity then by all means come here (though El Paso might be a better fit.)

[LakersWon310]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

West Texas Intermediate Crude = market price for oil drilled from Texas. It's low right now and led to massive layoffs for the past couple of years. That cheap oil means lots of unemployed Houstonians. Luckily it happened at the right time to keep the Houston housing market and cost-of-living from overheating, like a circuit breaker.

Dallas and Austin are starting to overheat and it's a recession away from being California in 2008. It's not an if, but when, the next recession will happen. Historically Texas has been anti-cyclical from America economically but with the recent surge in transplants, the economic cycle is starting to sync beginning in those two cities.

Yeah that makes sense. However, even if a reccesion hits - I think TX will be safe due to its smart govt policies -- correct me if I'm wrong but when supply and demand work in opposite directions - money is what's needed to fix the problem. TX has that.

Also, I feel that Dallas is overrated, San Antonio is underrated.

[LakersWon310]

Originally Posted by C24L

Gasoline is cheap.Houston is very oil-based.Dallas is more diversified than Houston.I think Houston would be better than Dallas for a muslim because of its status as the capitol of the energy industry.Also, Houston is more diverse than Dallas but Dallas is pretty diverse as well.Houston is one of the most diverse places in the country.

Houston is definitely the city to be in -- however TX has many cities. TX is not a two big or three big city state, like most states.

[LakersWon310]

Originally Posted by jencam

Austin is stuck-up about not being stuck up. I don't know how to better explain it! Partly they are stuck up about different things. Dallas being all about the money and other superficial things.

How would I describe Waco? Ew.

You might not love being a Muslim in rural areas. My Muslim friend has been pulled over in a rural town near here for driving while Arab. I'm not smearing Waco with that particular thing, because I don't know for sure, just food for thought.

Jen,

Austin is the capital - and should not really have that stuck up vibe.
How many capital cities in America have that stuck up feeling? None.

Thanks for the heads up on the rural area story/advise. It is people like you that make things easy. What's your top 3 fav city's of TX?

[LakersWon310]

Originally Posted by RMESMH

OP, like Cowboys fan in Houston, I'm a California native who lives in the Houston metro. I'm an SF Bay Area native, but I did live in Orange County (the one in California, not NY, NC, VA, nor FL) for 7 years, have now lived in the Houston metro for 9 years. I've also spent time in all of the major metros in Texas. I think Cowboys fan in Houston pretty much nailed it......except, as a lifelong 49ers fan, it's hard to get my head around the 'Cowboys fan from birth' part .

FWIW, although I like spending time in parts of the DFW Metroplex, but I wouldn't want to live there. To me the colder/less ideal winter weather (compared to the Houston metro) would only be worth it if it put me appreciably closer (as in within reasonable driving distance) to downhill skiing....and it wouldn't.

Makes sense. Although it is irrational to generalize Dallas like that. I have only been to Dallas once, but I'm sure it's different today.