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Cool pics, OrlFlaUsa! Glad it was such a great place for your quick trip up.
Well I figured this thread was a good place to interject the walkablity of Atlanta I've personally experienced versus Dallas. As you may recall, from my many arguments with Texas posters, I used to work a lot in Dallas for my old job. They would put me in hotels all over DFW and I got to see Ft. Worth, Hurst, Plano, Arlington, Mesquite, Dallas itself, and a few other places in between. Perhaps it is just my proximity (and obvious bias) to Atlanta, but there's not much I like very about the Lone Star State. I found the "big city" to be boring, not walkable, expansive (in a bad way), rather treeless, pretentious Texan larger than life attitude, and you wanna talk about that nasty nauseating sprawl word...
From all over the midwest. Really? Why would they do that when Chicago and other cities with decent shopping are closer?
That line made me chuckle too. Maybe this person is counting Oklahoma, Arkansas, and rural TX as "all over the midwest".
Newsflash!!! People from small towns migrate to nearest big city for enhanced shopping experience! Extra! Extra! Read all about it! You heard it here first, folks!
Well I figured this thread was a good place to interject the walkablity of Atlanta I've personally experienced versus Dallas. As you may recall, from my many arguments with Texas posters, I used to work a lot in Dallas for my old job. They would put me in hotels all over DFW and I got to see Ft. Worth, Hurst, Plano, Arlington, Mesquite, Dallas itself, and a few other places in between. Perhaps it is just my proximity (and obvious bias) to Atlanta, but there's not much I like very about the Lone Star State. I found the "big city" to be boring, not walkable, expansive (in a bad way), rather treeless, pretentious Texan larger than life attitude, and you wanna talk about that nasty nauseating sprawl word...
c'mon guy, let's not do this...now i'm not sure where in the dallas area you were staying, but it sounds you may have spent a lot of time in the suburbs (???). for the record, both dallas and atlanta are VERY comparable when it comes to walkability; although i'd probably give a slight edge to atlanta. and the same goes for sprawl. both cities have more than their fair share of it. and i hope dfw isn't the only place you've visited to decide you didn't like texas. the state is huge and has very different places within itself
but the natural beauty thing really can't be argued. dallas isn't literally treeless, but the trees are nowhere near as tall and green, and the landscape isn't even close to being as hilly as atlanta's
as far as walkability, there are plenty of urban districts and densifying to be found within dallas outside of downtown. these are just a few examples:
c'mon guy, let's not do this...now i'm not sure where in the dallas area you were staying, but it sounds you may have spent a lot of time in the suburbs (???).
Let's not do what Al, prefer Atlanta over Dallas? Feel that Atlanta's more walkable, which it seems you agree? Don't jump the gun and assume I hate Texas, this is the Atlanta forum and I am an avid supporter of Atlanta. So please take my comments with a grain of salt meaning, I'm more interested in spreading the good about Atlanta rather than downing Dallas. To answer your question however, I have spent plenty of time in all parts of Dallas and wasn't impressed sorry, I'm sure it's a great town...
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Originally Posted by AlGreen
for the record, both dallas and atlanta are VERY comparable when it comes to walkability; although i'd probably give a slight edge to atlanta. and the same goes for sprawl. both cities have more than their fair share of it. and i hope dfw isn't the only place you've visited to decide you didn't like texas. the state is huge and has very different places within itself
Well I can certainly tell you that I'd prefer to walk in Atlanta any day over Dallas. Combination of factors really but this thread is about people sharing their preferences with the OP so that they can decide what city is best for them. I've always disliked Texas but it is not hatred in the least. It's not my cup of tea, I prefer the SE & NE so basically the East coast and Texas just feels too different, not bad, just different. I'd love to check out Austin though, I've obviously heard really good things.
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Originally Posted by AlGreen
but the natural beauty thing really can't be argued. dallas isn't literally treeless, but the trees are nowhere near as tall and green, and the landscape isn't even close to being as hilly as atlanta's
Exactly, I didn't mean completely treeless but it seems like you knew what I meant.
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Originally Posted by AlGreen
as far as walkability, there are plenty of urban districts and densifying to be found within dallas outside of downtown. these are just a few examples:
Yeah you're right, downtown Dallas left a lot to be desired so I'm glad to hear the action is elsewhere in DFW. I stayed in business areas and expected it to be similar to Atlanta's where a short walk or train ride would lead you to fantastic dining & nightlife options, I was wrong. You know it's funny that you talk about the walkability being nearly the same between the two cities yet one, Atlanta, has a viable and heavily used heavy rail, while Dallas has the under preforming yet expanding DART light rail. Personally, the proof is in the pudding and Atlanta wins the walkability debate hands down.
Let's not do what Al, prefer Atlanta over Dallas? Feel that Atlanta's more walkable, which it seems you agree? Don't jump the gun and assume I hate Texas, this is the Atlanta forum and I am an avid supporter of Atlanta. So please take my comments with a grain of salt meaning, I'm more interested in spreading the good about Atlanta rather than downing Dallas. To answer your question however, I have spent plenty of time in all parts of Dallas and wasn't impressed sorry, I'm sure it's a great town...
Well I can certainly tell you that I'd prefer to walk in Atlanta any day over Dallas. Combination of factors really but this thread is about people sharing their preferences with the OP so that they can decide what city is best for them. I've always disliked Texas but it is not hatred in the least. It's not my cup of tea, I prefer the SE & NE so basically the East coast and Texas just feels too different, not bad, just different. I'd love to check out Austin though, I've obviously heard really good things.
there's nothing wrong with preferring atlanta, but if i feel that you're giving misinformation, i'm going to say something about it
the eastern half of texas is not drastically different from the east coast. especially houston. it's not as if i can force you to love texas, but i'm still interested in hearing just how much experience you have with the state to be able to say you don't like it
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Yeah you're right, downtown Dallas left a lot to be desired so I'm glad to hear the action is elsewhere in DFW. I stayed in business areas and expected it to be similar to Atlanta's where a short walk or train ride would lead you to fantastic dining & nightlife options, I was wrong. You know it's funny that you talk about the walkability being nearly the same between the two cities yet one, Atlanta, has a viable and heavily used heavy rail, while Dallas has the under preforming yet expanding DART light rail. Personally, the proof is in the pudding and Atlanta wins the walkability debate hands down.
eh, that's not really fact, and is easily debatable. as i've said, i give a slight edge to atlanta, but only because of what i have seen. i could be wrong; however, your words when describing dallas were, verbatim "not walkable". that sir, is completely false. you also basically suggested that dallas' sprawl was so much more worse than atlanta's, which is also false..yes atlanta has MARTA, but it's the linear set up of the city that makes it so easily reliable. now, had you said that it's easier to get around atlanta using public trans than it is in dallas, i really would've had no choice but to agree with that. but you didn't. saying that atlanta is more walkable is essentially saying that there are many more walkable neighborhoods, which is FALSE.
so again, it's okay to prefer one city, but be careful of giving the wrong information about another
just like there are walkable areas of dallas, there are parts of atlanta that aren't walkable at all. everybody that lives there can't just hop on a MARTA train and head downtown
there's nothing wrong with preferring atlanta, but if i feel that you're giving misinformation, i'm going to say something about it
the eastern half of texas is not drastically different from the east coast. especially houston. it's not as if i can force you to love texas, but i'm still interested in hearing just how much experience you have with the state to be able to say you don't like it
Look I don't pretend to have extensive experience with Texas but certainly more than the average critic. Houston was very ugly to me and I like swampy & humid being from Florida, just can't stand seeing all the refineries and the shipping channel when flying in. You know what they say about first impressions...
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlGreen
eh, that's not really fact, and is easily debatable. as i've said, i give a slight edge to atlanta, but only because of what i have seen. i could be wrong; however, your words when describing dallas were, verbatim "not walkable". that sir, is completely false. you also basically suggested that dallas' sprawl was so much more worse than atlanta's, which is also false..yes atlanta has MARTA, but it's the linear set up of the city that makes it so easily reliable. now, had you said that it's easier to get around atlanta using public trans than it is in dallas, i really would've had no choice but to agree with that. but you didn't. saying that atlanta is more walkable is essentially saying that there are many more walkable neighborhoods, which is FALSE.
To me having viable public transportation that can take you from one walkable area of a city to the next is part of walkability. Perhaps my verbatim, mind you completely out of context, quote was in fact "not walkable," however if you quote me in context you would notice that I prefaced my entire post with the following:
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Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa
Well I figured this thread was a good place to interject the walkablity of Atlanta I've personally experienced versus Dallas.
I know later in the same post I said this which you took objection to:
Quote:
Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa
I found the "big city" to be boring, not walkable, expansive (in a bad way), rather treeless, pretentious Texan larger than life attitude, and you wanna talk about that nasty nauseating sprawl word...
Notice how each time I made a statement about Dallas I said "in my experience" or "I found". That not walkable could be changed to "not very walkable" and you wouldn't have a leg to stand on. However to accuse someone of spreading false information about Dallas while quoting them out of context is a little disingenuous.
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Originally Posted by AlGreen
so again, it's okay to prefer one city, but be careful of giving the wrong information about another
There was absolutely no wrong information given out, only opinion and personal experience which BTW is just one guy's opinion!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlGreen
just like there are walkable areas of dallas, there are parts of atlanta that aren't walkable at all. everybody that lives there can't just hop on a MARTA train and head downtown
You're right not everybody can, however when a substantial amount more than Dallas does, one tends to vote in favor of Atlanta. Also you might have noticed, if weren't too busy attacking my personal opinion & experience, that I said I stayed in some business areas of DFW. The company I worked for held meeting and events in many different venues across the Metroplex and there was little connectivity for me there. I had to get rides from co-workers or pay ridiculous cab fare just to get to the hotel from the airport, go out to eat, or grab a few drinks at the end of the day. What I love love love and prefer 110% about Atlanta is that I can fly in, take a single seat ride to multiple business & entertainment districts and never see the backseat of a friend's car or cab the entire trip.
Look I don't pretend to have extensive experience with Texas but certainly more than the average critic. Houston was very ugly to me and I like swampy & humid being from Florida, just can't stand seeing all the refineries and the shipping channel when flying in. You know what they say about first impressions...
well this thread is not about houston/texas, so i won't take it there. i'll pick at all the flaws of this statement some other time ....i still say you don't really know the lone star state
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To me having viable public transportation that can take you from one walkable area of a city to the next is part of walkability. Perhaps my verbatim, mind you completely out of context, quote was in fact "not walkable," however if you quote me in context you would notice that I prefaced my entire post with the following: I know later in the same post I said this which you took objection to: Notice how each time I made a statement about Dallas I said "in my experience" or "I found". That not walkable could be changed to "not very walkable" and you wouldn't have a leg to stand on. However to accuse someone of spreading false information about Dallas while quoting them out of context is a little disingenuous.
There was absolutely no wrong information given out, only opinion and personal experience which BTW is just one guy's opinion!!
You're right not everybody can, however when a substantial amount more than Dallas does, one tends to vote in favor of Atlanta. Also you might have noticed, if weren't too busy attacking my personal opinion & experience, that I said I stayed in some business areas of DFW. The company I worked for held meeting and events in many different venues across the Metroplex and there was little connectivity for me there. I had to get rides from co-workers or pay ridiculous cab fare just to get to the hotel from the airport, go out to eat, or grab a few drinks at the end of the day. What I love love love and prefer 110% about Atlanta is that I can fly in, take a single seat ride to multiple business & entertainment districts and never see the backseat of a friend's car or cab the entire trip.
i didn't want it to seem like i was attacking you. i'm really not. like i said, it is for the most part much easier to get around atlanta on public trans than it is in dallas. that much can't really be argued. even still, how reliable DART is depends on where you live and where you're trying to go. again, dallas does not have the easy linear setup of atlanta, so there's more work to be done to make getting around the city less of a hassle
i don't feel i took your words out of context, but if you say that because you put "i found" at the beginning of the sentence changes everything, then fine, we'll just leave it at that. and just for the record, i do love atlanta. i have absolutely nothing against the city
but to make things clear for the OP, much of dallas IS walkable and is still comparable to atlanta in that regard. i gave atlanta the edge, and i haven't taken that back. but neither city can just run off with the title of being more walkable without debate; especially when compared to other cities like new york, chicago, san fran, boston, etc.
Last edited by AlGreen; 12-20-2010 at 09:17 AM..
Reason: typo
well this thread is not about houston/texas, so i won't take it there. i'll pick at all the flaws of this statement some other time ....i still say you don't really know the lone star state
i didn't want it to seem like i was attacking you. i'm really not. like i said, it is for the most part much easier to get around atlanta on public trans than it is in dallas. that much can't really be argued. even still, how reliable DART is depends on where you live and where you're trying to go. again, dallas does not have the easy linear setup of atlanta, so there's more work to be done to make getting around the city less of a hassle
i don't feel i took your words out of context, but if you say that because you put "i found" at the beginning of the sentence changes everything, then fine, we'll just leave it at that. and just for the record, i do love atlanta. i have absolutely nothing against the city
but to make things clear for the OP, much of dallas IS walkable and is still comparable to atlanta in that regard. i gave atlanta the edge, and i haven't taken that back. but neither city can just run off with the title of being more walkable without debate; especially when compared to other cities like new york, chicago, san fran, boston, etc.
Agreed. Perhaps our exchange where we didn't attack lol but rather confronted one another strongly will help the OP by seeing just how subjective some of these criteria can be. For example, PT is part of walkability in my book, so it's just a difference of opinion/preference. Honestly though, I've spent enough time somewhere to know when I wouldn't like to live there. The same way I've spent enough time in Atlanta to know I'd love living there. A vibe goes a long way and I'm not suggesting one is any better than the other based on the vibe I get.
Original poster - not sure if this helps or not, but I moved to Atlanta from a town about an hour north of Dallas. I lived in Lawrenceville when I first moved here and now I live near Grant Park. I absolutely love my current neighborhood. There are many resturant/bar/cafe options within 5 miles of where I live. My boyfriend lives with me and works in Gainesville, so he has about an hour commute each day. We both lived in Lawrenceville and he would much rather live in the city of Atlanta than in Lawrenceville. There are so many things here to do. (Oh, we are both in our upper 20's, no kids). I personally found Dallas boring, grant it there were things to do, it just always seemd such a hassle to ever do anything there. And the landscape, town, etc is boring. I love the history that surrounds Atlanta. And so much more affordable. Atlanta is so close to alot of things. You could easily go to any of the following in a day:
N GA Mountains
Asheville, NC (Ski area)
Charlotte
Birmingham
Savannah
Charleston
Panhandle Beaches in Florida
Thanks! This has all been very helpful! We are still going over both options.... My one ( and HUGE) worry is that in Dallas my husbanda job is 25-35 minutes from the good city neighborhoods... In Atlanta it seems like he would be about an hour away.... We're fine with the commute I just want to be sure that its possible because I really think living IN the city of Atlanta is much more suitable to our lifestyle
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....i still say you don't really know the lone star state 
