Mid-life changes! Move to Dallas area or Phoenix area? (living, best, state)

[hawkgirl1960]

I'm an early 50's female from the Western Chicago suburbs ans I'm SICK of winter!! Should I move to Phoenix burbs or Dallas burbs? Have family in both areas, but not sure about best social life options. I like watching sports and staying busy. Any suggestions? I previously lived in Tyler,Tx, but found it to be a very "cliquish" type city-too small town for a city of 100,000.

[ajacksb]

I'd recommend Dallas. Better economy, more social options, more cultural amenities than Phoenix. Lots of transplants here from all over the country. I find Dallas the least cliquish city I've ever lived in, and I've been around the block.

[RonnieinDallas]

I think Phoenix is a better fit, if your biggest reason for moving is weather. They have better winters than North Texas. The Dallas suburbs revolve around family, you'll really struggle to find friends without kids.

[dee936]

Originally Posted by hawkgirl1960

I'm an early 50's female from the Western Chicago suburbs ans I'm SICK of winter!! Should I move to Phoenix burbs or Dallas burbs? Have family in both areas, but not sure about best social life options. I like watching sports and staying busy. Any suggestions? I previously lived in Tyler,Tx, but found it to be a very "cliquish" type city-too small town for a city of 100,000.

That is the most boring town in Texas and it is a childs name Tyler!
DALLAS is your best bet!
AUSTIN would be a greater pic for social life and the vibe/entertainment would keep you very busy and you would be down the street from Dallas and up the street from San Antiono Spurs!!!!!

[iknowftbll]

Originally Posted by hawkgirl1960

I'm an early 50's female from the Western Chicago suburbs ans I'm SICK of winter!! Should I move to Phoenix burbs or Dallas burbs? Have family in both areas, but not sure about best social life options. I like watching sports and staying busy. Any suggestions? I previously lived in Tyler,Tx, but found it to be a very "cliquish" type city-too small town for a city of 100,000.

Define "staying busy." As for watching sports, both Dallas and Phoenix have all the big major league sports. Phoenix has a better NCAA sports environment than Dallas, but I'd rate Dallas' sports culture a little higher than Phoenix's overall.

I'm sure winter in Dallas isn't as bad as Chicago, but if you're going to move because you hate winter, why not take it all the way? You'll still get some snow and ice in Dallas. This will probably not ever be a problem in Phoenix.

Give the class a little more to go on. What does "staying busy" mean to you? That can make a big difference.

[8to32characters]

I've been living in Phoenix/Scottsdale since 2012, but before that lived in Dallas/Plano for one year (2011-2012).

Dallas has a stronger, more diversified economy than Phoenix in addition to many more corporate HQ's and regional offices. Texas has a stronger pro-business regulatory environment than Arizona and, of course, no state income tax, which is very alluring for high-income earners. Also, the number and quality of higher educational offerings in DFW greatly surpass that of Phoenix, which is home to only one noteworthy four-year university: ASU. Unfortunately, the rather large retiree/snowbird voting contingent doesn't have much interest in luring businesses to Phoenix and, in turn, creating jobs. Also, since Phoenix's has a FIRE economy--an economy that is heavily dependent on the Financial, Insurance, and Real Estate sectors--it was hit very hard by the economic downturn, perhaps the hardest of any major city in the US after Las Vegas, hence the very high foreclosure rates. OTOH, Dallas was barely affected by the recession when compared to Phoenix. All of these factors, in turn, foster a stronger competitive ethos in Dallas than Phoenix and make Dallas a better choice for corporate ladder-climbers and white-collar professionals in general.

However, if it’s winter and all of the associated perils (i.e., snow, ice, wind, etc.) you’re looking to avoid, then I highly recommend Phoenix. Although evenings and mornings in Phoenix are consistently chilly (i.e., 40-50 degrees F) from December 1-March 1, Phoenix enjoys much milder winter weather than Dallas, which suffers from very cold temperatures and icy conditions on a regular basis between late November and early March. Also, that’s something else to consider if you're looking to avoid winter in general--Dallas is prone to crippling ice storms in the winter, and it does snow there 1-3 times per winter. As someone whose lived through his fair share of snowstorms, but not all that many ice storms (grew up in New England), I will have you know that ice storms are a much more frightening experience than snowstorms. That said, snow and ice are non-issues in Phoenix because it has much warmer, drier, and sunnier winter weather than Dallas, which is one of the main reasons why Phoenix is a much more popular tourist/retiree/snowbird destination.

Both cities get extremely hot in the summertime; however, Phoenix's summers are hotter and longer, although drier than summers in Dallas. I enjoy hot weather, believe it or not, so this is a non-issue for me, but I'd rather be just plain hot in Phoenix than hot and sweaty in Dallas. Phoenix receives much less annual precipitation than Dallas, so it's much sunnier. The frequently cloudless blue skies are part of the allure of living in Phoenix.

On a related note, there are far fewer natural disasters afflicting the Phoenix area than the Dallas area. There are no hailstorms and tornadoes in the Phoenix area, both of which are quite common in the Dallas area. As a native New Englander, I have strong reservations about places that are prone to frequent natural disasters, since New England is largely immune to natural disasters. And no, monsoons and dust storms in Phoenix don't *count* as natural disasters.

Also, the scenery of Phoenix is much more alluring than the scenery of the DFW area, whose scenery really leaves much to be desired. The Phoenix valley enjoys spectacular panoramic mountain views. The scenery of the southern Great Plains is simply no match for the scenery of the Sonoran Desert. There are more and better destinations within driving distance from Phoenix, too--LA, SD, Vegas, and Flagstaff to name a few. Oh, yeah--no palm trees in Dallas, either.

Ultimately, if you're deciding between both cities, I would say chose Phoenix. You really have to *want* to live in Texas in order to fully enjoy and acclimate to living there, so if you're *on the fence*, the better choice would be Phoenix.

Phoenix--and Arizona in general--is more transplant-friendly than Texas. I find people in Phoenix much easier to tolerate and live around than people in Dallas, which is home to lots of rednecks, religious zealots, hyper-masculine-types, Sunday School Barbies, et al. Arizona has much more of a West Coast vibe: very casual; polite; tolerant, even if not approving; and generally aloof, but pleasant if engaged. Phoenix is also way less socially-conservative and less religious than Dallas, which is arguably the Buckle of the Bible Belt.

For me personally, most of Texas was just too Southern. Even though people say Texas is where a bunch of Californians and East Coasters go for bigger/newer/cheaper housing, I disagree. Texas, esp. in the smaller towns and rural communities, is very backwards--too much "Bubba talk" and too many "Bible thumpers" for me to like it there. Although there are many transplants from all over the country and world living in the DFW area, it *seemed* like most people in the area were either native Texans or transplants from nearby states (i.e., OK, AR, LA). Dallas was simply a difficult place for me to navigate socially.

[KathrynAragon]

Wow, how many stereotypes can a person fit into one post?

[GoldCountry80]

When I was first reading this thread, Dallas looked to be the winner but then when it got told that it was a super conservative more provincial (less transplant oriented place), then I probably wouldn't like it either and the outskirts seem suburban and bland like Sacramento suburbs, but Phoenix also wouldn't be the answer for me. I'd opt for Tampa Bay FL in the end.

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by GoldCountry80

When I was first reading this thread, Dallas looked to be the winner but then when it got told that it was a super conservative more provincial (less transplant oriented place), then I probably wouldn't like it either and the outskirts seem suburban and bland like Sacramento suburbs, but Phoenix also wouldn't be the answer for me. I'd opt for Tampa Bay FL in the end.

Well the core of Dallas is way better than Phoenix. I've been to Phoenix and prefer Dallas proper by a wide margin over Phoenix proper. However, the suburbs around Dallas are about as conservative as it gets, and there's just not much to offer a single person. The Dallas burbs are great if you have a family or like to go to church, but that's it.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by RonnieinDallas

Well the core of Dallas is way better than Phoenix. I've been to Phoenix and prefer Dallas proper by a wide margin over Phoenix proper. However, the suburbs around Dallas are about as conservative as it gets, and there's just not much to offer a single person. The Dallas burbs are great if you have a family or like to go to church, but that's it.

The suburbs of Dallas are far more diverse than the suburbs of Phoenix by a huge margin. Depending on the suburb, they offer a lot as well. They can't be lumped together.

Im a big foodie and ethnic food is my deal. Dallas can't compete with its own suburbs when it comes to the best ethnic food in the area. Thats not a reason to choose a suburb over a city if you like urban living, but its a nice advantage for me.