A Reflection of Houston and Dallas after years in both.... (Austin: neighborhoods, versus)

[Jimmy1953]

Originally Posted by R1070

I also think Dallas has more identity from neighborhood to neighborhood. They each have their own vibe and flavor to offer and all in close proximity to downtown.

The suburbs shift big time as they were separate individual cities from way back. And to say Fort Worth and Dallas are different would be an understatement. I prefer some things about Dallas and some things about Fort Worth.

[CatzPaw]

I like reading posts from people who seem to be able to bloom wherever they're transplanted.

Nice job, OP.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

I agree fully with this. Austin is cool and there are other parts of the state I enjoy visiting, but if I couldnt be in DFW or Houston, there is no way on earth Id stay in Texas. To be honest, I really dont like most of the state but I do love DFW and Houston.

I mostly agree with this. I'm not saying I couldn't do Austin or San Antonio, and while I've never been I've always had a vague interest in El Paso, but in Texas I have a strong preference for what Dallas and Houston have to offer.

[Mr. Clutch]

Great commentary, and having also lived in both, mostly agree with everything you said. I do think the sports rivalry is a way bigger deal in Houston than Dallas, but I think the civic rivalry is about the same to be honest. The distinction is in what you said - people in Dallas mostly have issues with physical characteristics in Houston - the traffic, the humidity, lack of zoning, etc. - while people in Houston almost without fail talk solely about the people.

My hypothesis is that's just reflective of one of the biggest differences in the two - the competitiveness of DFW cities makes the city of Dallas have to compete with its neighbors, which leads to a lot of jockeying for position to maintain regional relevance and for each city to continue to prosper. In contrast, Houston has hegemony over its entire region, and the civic culture reflects that position as the undisputed top dog and confidence that despite whatever problems exist, the city (and by extension, the region) will still prosper regardless. I think that's a big part of why you see more of the classic A types in Dallas and people in Houston tend to be more laid back regardless of their position in society.

[RJ312]

This is interesting to me because when I was going to move to Texas, the decision came down to between Dallas and Houston. I chose Dallas.

I liked some things about Houston. Houston has tremendous economic opportunities. The things that concerned me about Houston were its hurricane and flooding risk and its over reliance on oil/gas/energy employment sectors. I was making this decision in 2011, so Hurricane Ike of 2008 was fresh in my mind and Hurricane Harvey in 2017 validated the decision not to move to Houston. As for employment sectors, I felt that Dallas' more diversified economy was a better fit for me in 2011 since in 2011, I had very little experience related to oil/gas/energy.

In some ways, I have felt like I missed out in not choosing Houston. Dallas' dating scene is ferocious. I'm not sure if I would have perceived Houston's as ferocious, but I think at a minimum I would have called it challenging. Both cities have an abundance of single men in their 20s/30s relative to single women in their 20s/30s. Dallas is a little more status oriented, and my sense is that I would found Houston females slightly more reasonable.

Dallas gave me what I needed at the time. A city with economic opportunities due to a pro-business atmosphere with a decent social scene to achieve my social goals. I'm still in Dallas. While Dallas is far from perfect, I feel like that I made the best choice.

[stanwood]

Grew up in Dallas and live in Fort Worth now and I've spent a LOT of time in Houston.

I've always loved Houston. It's got the most "can do" attitude I've ever seen, especially in the immigrant community. I've spent a lot of time working with Greeks, Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexicans, Koreans, etc. It's been fun learning how to communicate and negotiate with these guys. In my experience all these groups have different negotiation styles - the Chinese like to offer you cookies and then yell at you. You better yell back! The Arabs kill you with kindness and before you know it you've given away the store. The Greeks bring in the whole family to a business meeting and bombard you with love. The Indians always make sure you're somewhere really hot, stuffy, and humid. You give them what they want just to get out of the room. It goes on and on. But overall, if you're fair to them they'll be fair to you - just like anyone else.

They all came here for a better opportunity and to say they work hard and are appreciative of our country is an understatement.

I know I got off on a tangent but I think this is why some folks don't like or trust immigrants (not counting the truly bad guys). They just don't know them; they just don't try to get to know them. They all want the same things we as Americans want - Take care of their family and friends, safety, and community. And maybe make a few bucks.

I'll still pick Fort Worth over the other two.

[Johnhw2]

One of the bigger surprises me to living in Houston was Harris County Jury Duty. The instructions are in three languages. English, Spanish and......Vietnamese. Really, it shocked me.

I also noticed if you go to an area some call Asia town, the signs have english and Vietnamese on them. I know the fishing business has been largely taken over by the Vietnamese but outside that niche business did not know they were so prevalent.

Ive been told the Chinese like the no zoning and live and let live nature of Houston, as they tend to be suspicious of big government run processes.

I lived in the energy cooridor area where Russia Grocery stores and a club/restaurant called the Russia Bear.

Something like 80 plus foreign consulates and embassies in Houston too, well above most US cities driven by the energy business I think

Both DFW and Houston are interest big cities more diverse and integrated than when I lived by east in Pittsburgh and N NJ.

[Kthnry]

I'm really enjoying this thread. A lot of great insights.

[War Beagle]

I agree with the OPs analysis. I found the sports thing amusing. Houstonians think they have a sports rivalry with Dallas, but I'm not sure the feeling is reciprocated. The NFL is the starkest example - there are almost no Texan fans outside of Houston metro.

I also prefer the more laid-back attitude in Houston to the much more formal culture of Dallas. Thank God fort worth is part of the metroplex because Dallas and some of its affluent suburbs can be insufferable at times.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

The only thing I disagree with here is the nightlife part, but that may be because the nightlife has changed so much lately and I’m 22. And also, city data from my experience is the word for place ever to ask about nightlife. Sometimes I think ppl are trolling when I see it