Moving to Austin, Tx- young, black, family of 5 (Dallas, Round Rock: apartment, house)

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by cBach

Atlanta has a very large AA middle class that is thriving and growing. It's where anyone that is AA wants to be.

Wrong. There are a heck of a lot of middle- and upper-middle blacks moving to the Dallas metro area, and having been to Atlanta and considered it strongly (my wife and I had an open choice of a corporate move to either Dallas or Atlanta), we chose Dallas are are convinced every day we made the right choice.

We did want "diversity," but in our book, "diverse" is not a synonym for "black." By "diversity" we meant "all kinds of ethnic groups," and that's what we get in the 'burbs north of Dallas.

We also get a tiny bit more moderate weather than Austin and a wider supply of more affordable housing, as long as you don't succumb to the considerable "townism" prevalent in the area.

[ashbeeigh]

I stopped reading at 92 degrees but went back after reading responses and finished your whole post. I’ll echo what most people have said and add we have a few psych hospitals. Three north and one central. All are hit or miss. Georgetown behavioral health may be okay if you choose the Pflugerville or round rock area. Again, why Austin? Have you been here before? Or is it the hype?

[m1a1mg]

@Ralph_Kirk, but Dallas still has a solid number of 100 degree days. Way more than Atlanta.

https://www.weather.gov/fwd/d100info

[DCtoTejas]

Originally Posted by Betterweatherplease

Good day everyone,
My husband and I and our 3 kids ages 1 to 6 are looking to relocate from NJ due to the weather and high cost of living. We do not want to be where it is super hot all the time but we would enjoy some more outdoorsy weather for the kids. Maybe areas where summers are not as harsh as I have heard. Below 92 degrees is fine lol.
Most importantly, we would love to live in a neighborhood with diversity including other black families. We are over being the only black family in the community but it seems like that's the only way to get the kids into good schools. Most important things on our list are:
A good school system, diversity, home with a nice backyard between $260000 and $315000, a community with parks and outdoor activities for the kids, also close to general stores and not too far from downtown Austin. I am a nurse practitioner so atleast 15 to 20 minutes from some decent hospitals or psychiatric facilities.
So looking forward to your responses, have a wonderful holiday everyone. And thanks for taking the time out to help us.

I'll give you the same advice I give all my fellow mid-atlantic'ers considering Austin on this board -- do not underestimate the summer. It is nothing like you have ever experienced in the mid-atlantic / northeast. Coming to visit for a few days or even a week even in August is not representative of what it is like to live with the constant heat here. The winters can be hit or miss, we've had a couple of beautiful, glorious days this weekend but there is plenty of chilly, damp and grey in an average winter. Another thing to be aware of, despite being a huge state Texas is 99% privately owned, there are less outdoor opportunities here than in New England or the Mid-Atlantic, in my opinion. Especially if you desire to get off the beaten path. Also the parks may not be what you are used to, with the lower cost of living and lower taxes comes less spending on parks and facilities.

If you come and visit definitely spend most of your time in the area where you would actually live, not downtown Austin. Downtown Austin is in some ways an engineered experience designed to rake in tourist dollars. Living in the burbs is much different, as it is in most cities.

I think you would find the coastal Southern US states including maybe Alabama to be closer to what you want, and it would be closer to NJ for trips back, but by all means come and check out Austin. There are some great things about it but weather definitely isn't one of them haha.

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by m1a1mg

@Ralph_Kirk, but Dallas still has a solid number of 100 degree days. Way more than Atlanta.

https://www.weather.gov/fwd/d100info

That's what air conditioned houses and cars are for. That's balanced by how few sub-40 days there are.

And again, if one actually wants true "diversity" (which is not the same thing as "black"), then the NoD 'burbs beat Atlanta.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Betterweatherplease

Good day everyone,
My husband and I and our 3 kids ages 1 to 6 are looking to relocate from NJ due to the weather and high cost of living. We do not want to be where it is super hot all the time but we would enjoy some more outdoorsy weather for the kids. Maybe areas where summers are not as harsh as I have heard. Below 92 degrees is fine lol.
Most importantly, we would love to live in a neighborhood with diversity including other black families. We are over being the only black family in the community but it seems like that's the only way to get the kids into good schools. Most important things on our list are:
A good school system, diversity, home with a nice backyard between $260000 and $315000, a community with parks and outdoor activities for the kids, also close to general stores and not too far from downtown Austin. I am a nurse practitioner so atleast 15 to 20 minutes from some decent hospitals or psychiatric facilities.
So looking forward to your responses, have a wonderful holiday everyone. And thanks for taking the time out to help us.

we are above 92 all summer and often above 100.

Austin is also one of the least diverse big cities in the country

Seems like austin is not a good fit.

[m1a1mg]

Originally Posted by Ralph_Kirk

That's what air conditioned houses and cars are for. That's balanced by how few sub-40 days there are.

And again, if one actually wants true "diversity" (which is not the same thing as "black"), then the NoD 'burbs beat Atlanta.

So, how long have you been in Dallas and how long did you visit Atlanta? Because I've lived in Atlanta, and it's a damn bit cooler in the summer and only mildly cooler in the winter.

Atlanta is very diverse in every way. Inner city Atlanta and the south side is predominantly AA, but northern areas certainly are not.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Ralph_Kirk

That's what air conditioned houses and cars are for. That's balanced by how few sub-40 days there are.

And again, if one actually wants true "diversity" (which is not the same thing as "black"), then the NoD 'burbs beat Atlanta.

I understand you have to justify your decision in your head, but I think you would've been happier in Atlanta.

Every black person from Atlanta I've met has said it is awesome for them. Almost every black person from Austin regrets the decision and many from Dallas as well. Many blacks like Houston, it has a well known rap culture and a history of black BBQ.

Atlanta is "da bomb" though. The whole culture from bottom to top is anchored around a proud black history.

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by cBach

I understand you have to justify your decision in your head, but I think you would've been happier in Atlanta.

Every black person from Atlanta I've met has said it is awesome for them. Almost every black person from Austin regrets the decision and many from Dallas as well. Many blacks like Houston, it has a well known rap culture and a history of black BBQ.

Atlanta is "da bomb" though.

I'm a former Army brat and had a long military career myself. My wife was also an Army brat. We've each lived overseas 20+ years, with 16 of them as a couple. Both of my children were born overseas.

I said, we value diversity. We don't need to be surrounded by only black people.

And my daughter here in Dallas has married a Latino man who suits her just fine.

Why, exactly, are you trying to steer black people away from your city to Atlanta?

[m1a1mg]

Whoa, cBach keeps trumpeting the all black Atlanta experience. It simply isn't true, excluding those areas I mentioned earlier. cBach, have you ever lived or visited Atlanta for a long amount of time? Otherwise you are passing on bad, second hand, information.

Austin has a very low AA population (~8%) and that population isn't very diversified within the city. Also, the OP expressed a desire for less than 92 degrees (weirdly specific). You aren't getting that in Dallas or Austin. Although, using pure scientific data, Dallas is hotter, on average, in July and August than Austin. You will however get less than 92 in Atlanta.

Dallas: https://www.google.com/search?source...63.BMlIeXnx3jU

Austin: https://www.google.com/search?ei=Tmg...13.vyUZT7MpT7g

Atlanta: https://www.google.com/search?ei=Hmg...71.R5I9nNI-Yf0



What's confusing me is why a guy from Dallas feels the need to be taking sides either way? And so strongly.