Downtown Alpharetta & Avalon look pretty nice now.

[Clayton white guy]

I do kind of like Lakeshore in Gainesville. Worked at Belk while at Truett-McConnell in College. Belk still has a really nice store there. It is definitely a cut above the "Baby Belk's" populating shopping plazas around Metro Atlanta now that the glorious Phipp's Plaza "Mega Belk" is gone.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by Clayton white guy

I do kind of like Lakeshore in Gainesville. Worked at Belk while at Truett-McConnell in College. Belk still has a really nice store there. It is definitely a cut above the "Baby Belk's" populating shopping plazas around Metro Atlanta now that the glorious Phipp's Plaza "Mega Belk" is gone.

We lived in Charlotte when I was in 4th & 5th grades, and the old flagship Belk and Ivey's were still in Uptown across Tryon Street from each other. Belk was huge and beautiful, almost on the level of Rich's at Five Points. I have very fond memories of that old Belk.

On a different note, the backside of Phipps where Parisian/Belk was is gone! They're starting from the ground up.

[Tarzanman]

Originally Posted by Thedude404

Or a rainstorm. Then again, people dont move to Dallas expecting to live in a forest. Different strokes for different folks. I've driven through Dallas twice and stopped once but admittedly did not see very much of the city. From what I did see, did not seem that appealing. In fact I've never been anywhere in Texas that seemed appealing.

I've been to Dallas and Houston. Neither city seemed like anything to write home about, but I have heard that Austin and San Antonio are Texas' crowning jewels.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Tarzanman

I've been to Dallas and Houston. Neither city seemed like anything to write home about, but I have heard that Austin and San Antonio are Texas' crowning jewels.

San Antonio seemed okay to me, the Riverwalk is nice.

Austin doesnt feel like a Texan city at all to me but seems to appeal to a 20's - 30's something crowd the most out of most as well as tons of Californians practically reimaging this city (Tons of IT and high mortgages). Of all cities in Texas it is the most expensive one to live in and seems to have the most appeal of them all.

DFW and Houston, I love their infrastructure -- but hate driving through Houston. DFW seems fairly decent to drive through...but through all of Texas, I hate how they have to put access roads on every single freeway, it completely ruins the scenery surrounding the road. (shopping plazas, offices on the side of every highway)

For DFW I'm thinking the best parts of DFW are not the core districts (aside from Uptown and Highland Park) but rather its suburbs, especially the northern ones. Houston to me seems to have the better Downtown but alot of Houston (especially east and south) seems old and like a model of Los Angeles mixed in with a bit of Miami. Houston's zoning is crap as well.

As for the weather, its really odd here. Here in Austin it has actually been cooler this year than Atlanta has and we've been getting alot of heavy rain - infact it took out my roof which is why I came back to Atlanta so early and stayed so long. Dallas can get hot.. not sure how its been this year but not only can it get hot but it can also get windy and experience unexpected sudden drops of temperature. (from 90's to 50's in a few short hours for example) -- Its a nice town and I like it but I probably dont see myself striving to move there...or Houston - Austin is the only place in Texas that I desire to live, outside of that I'd probably head further west assuming the financials met the mark.

Of all of them, I'd say Houston has the best skylines (plural due to multiple of them), Austin's newer and more modern skyline is pretty nice too, Dallas has an okay skyline but much of it is salted down due to their building height restrictions (I'm guessing because the clay soil) and it is kind of hard to navigate for newcomers.

I don't think any of them match Atlanta's skyline though, that is the one thing I will miss about Atlanta.

On a side note before I left last week I went down to Lenox Mall Cheesecake Factory -- and the place was surrounded by police - they werent after anyone, just seemed to be monitoring and talking amongst themselves, is it always like that during the weekend evenings or was there an event that went on there?

[cqholt]

it completely ruins the scenery surrounding the road

I am sorry, I just can't even deal with this statement. Oh course a freeway ruins the scenery.

I left last week I went down to Lenox Mall Cheesecake Factory

You just said all we need to now about you... Cheesecake Factory-type of person.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I am sorry, I just can't even deal with this statement. Oh course a freeway ruins the scenery.

You just said all we need to now about you... Cheesecake Factory-type of person.

That was mean, CQ. Not like you.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by aries4118

That was mean, CQ. Not like you.

He lost his sweet tooth

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

On a side note before I left last week I went down to Lenox Mall Cheesecake Factory -- and the place was surrounded by police - they werent after anyone, just seemed to be monitoring and talking amongst themselves, is it always like that during the weekend evenings or was there an event that went on there?

I think the cops may have weekly (or biweekly) meetings with the big malls and their security people. Just to stay on top of things.

[chrish78]

Just got back from visiting Avalon. It’s sure as heck pretty! Those tree-lined streets are just gorgeous.