Dallas or Chicago (Fort Worth, McKinney: live in, moving, homeless)

[talkispoison]

And if you're not religious, there are plenty of us Athiest around

[mSooner]

True, to an extent--as long as you're not Catholic. There really aren't that many Catholic churches and schools down here.

Dude? Really? For what we lack in Italian, etc. Catholics we more than make up in Hispanic Catholics. The Diocese of Dallas is very robust.

[racehorse]

In Chicago, there's a Catholic church on practically every street corner. There are several per neighborhood. And tons of Catholic schools. The Catholic culture in Chicago is stronger than either the evangelical or Baptist culture is here.

[onlyitj]

Yes, I'm not very religious at all, just looking for nice people to be around with;

I remember living in Northwest Arkansas, people usually go-out and do something physical in Rivers, Forests etc rather than just going to Bar like in Chicago...

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by onlyitj

I lived in couple of places in US for short span including Northern/Central New Jersey, Northwest Arkansas and currently in Chicago. I've also visited Dallas 3-4 times for couple of days.

There are good and bad of each, like Chicago is beautiful city and has good suburbs but winters are long and very cold, on the other hand I don't know why, but I just don't feel people are too friendly here as compared to other places in US I lived, like even in Bentonville Arkansas (people were very friendly) and like to become friends, even though you may have heard something different; I left the place looking for some bigger metro area.

I have a wife and 3 year old kid, I'm looking for more friendly place to live, where we can make friends, and could buy a house within $200k-$300k, I've an opportunity in Dallas, TX; it looks like have pretty fine weather except 2 months of very hot weather; which can be fine for us.

1) I would be working either in Downtown Dallas or Addison, what would be good location to buy a home with family?

2) Is there anyone who lived in Dallas and Chicago, and can share the experience, maybe I just have wrong experience here in Chicago?

3) How is the culture in Dallas, are people generally friendly and like to meet / do outdoor like in Northwest Arkansas?

4) Is Dallas very humid as well like Houston? because I can stand heat for few months, but not too much humidity.

5) Are there outdoor activities to do in Dallas like in Chicago lakeshore drive?

Thanks

Hello OnlyITJ:

All of the comments in this thread are correct; here is my input:

1. You should close to where your job is. Although there is a very robust train system there, it is not quite up to speed with what Chicago offers, so Dallas is still very much a car/auto driving city. This is partially historical in natre; Chicago was a town literally built by and for the railroads, whereas Dallas was built as a town where cattle was herded to market. So, Dallas does have more of a "get on your horse (car) and ride" attitude.

2. I have not (yet) lived in Dallas, but I plan to move there soon and have visited many many times over 20+ years and I feel like I know it very well. I personally feel AT HOME in Dallas and look forward to living there. Something about the sky, and the clouds, and the people. There is also a 'stillness' in the air that I really like. I also love living in Chicago though, and this makes it hard to leave. I currently live in Chicago (13+ years) and like you said, it seems both towns have plusses and minuses, but overall, I think that the edge is leaning towards Dallas on many areas. Sunnier weather, and yes the people there are much friendlier (in gerneral). People in the CITY of Chicago are very friendly, IF you know how to approach them and how to carry yourself. Whereas, in the SUBURBS of Chicago, if you are someone who tries to expand your circle of friends, people will tear you to pieces! If they did not know you in elementary school, or if youa re not related to them, or if you are not part of their ethnic group (italian/jersey Shore crowd, or Slavic crowd), then they dont want anything to do with you. Chicago suburbanites are just generally cold, boorish, mean, unfriendly people, living in an area that has cold, grey skies. Even the sunny days out there have a bland, milky-white color to them. I HATED living in suburban Chicago. Hopefully, NONE of those people will ever move to Dallas! lol

Having said that, I always liked suburban Dallas for some reason.

Where are you from originally? What type of culture are you looking for?

3. The culture in Dallas is very consumerism-oriented; this can be good or bad, depending on what you like. In the DFW area, people tend to like to eat a lot, go to football games, and grill out. They also love shopping at the mall. The lifestyle there is pretty much just like the rest of the US, but "on steroids", and taking place in a sunny, hot climate. There are a couple of really nice, walkable urban areas in Dallas (Uptown, Park Cities, etc) if that is what you are looking for...but these areas are more expensive (but still more affordable compared to the similar areas in Chicago).

4. Dallas has some humidity, but less than Chicago. It is a drier climate there than in Chicago. However, yes, it is hotter there than in Chicago, so it might feel somewhat similar to Chicago, humidity-wise.

5. There are all sorts of outdoor activities in Dallas, but since there are no mountains nearby, your outdoor activities are limited to walking/jogging, bike-riding, and swimming. There is also boating/jet-skiing on the many lakes in the area. It might not be a good idea to do too much hiking, as the wild areas have rattlesnakes and scorpions, etc.

Overall, if I were married and had kids, I would be there TODAY. I would not wait. I also get the sense that Dallas is a place where, as long as you are not too much of a wierdo, you can make friends easier than in Chicago, generally speaking.

[Ilovethewindycity]

Originally Posted by onlyitj

1) I would be working either in Downtown Dallas or Addison, what would be good location to buy a home with family?


2) Is there anyone who lived in Dallas and Chicago, and can share the experience, maybe I just have wrong experience here in Chicago?

3) How is the culture in Dallas, are people generally friendly and like to meet / do outdoor like in Northwest Arkansas?

4) Is Dallas very humid as well like Houston? because I can stand heat for few months, but not too much humidity.

5) Are there outdoor activities to do in Dallas like in Chicago lakeshore drive?

Thanks

I'm from Chicago, Wicker Park, I moved away 5 years ago, for the most common reason people move away, WINTER. I agree that Chicago is beautiful, I still miss it very much and sometimes think about moving back but then I think of the cold and forget about it.

One of the first things I noticed is that people are very nice here in Dallas. People in residential areas wave at you, it almost seems weird but great at the same time. So I think that no matter where you choose to live you'll find friendly neighbors.

Where to live? Well that's a though one, we lived in Frisco when we first moved here, then Dallas, now Cedar Hill. We've decided that we are truly city people so we will move back to Dallas. We don't have kids so that changes things. If I had to choose a suburb to live in I would choose Plano, it's close to the city and very pretty, you find both older established neighborhoods and new neighborhoods. In the city we lived in a historic neighborhood (zip code 75214)and loved everything about it.

While the traffic is nowhere near Chicago, there still is traffic during rush hour. But weekends truly feel like weekends on the highway.

Dallas has humidity, I know Chicago humidity and here it is so much better. As for the summer heat, it gets HOT, but I love it. I was told when I moved here that I would hate the summer after my first one. I can happily say that after 5 years I still love it. Oh that reminds me, if it's in your budget and plans, get a house with a pool.

There isn't anything like what you find near the lake in Chicago but there are plenty of large lakes to choose from, for fishing, boating. The city has parks everywhere, trees everywhere, the city is quite pretty.

I will say that if you are in love with Chicago you will miss it, you will miss the food big time. But you will not miss the winter. While it can get in the teens here, and you may see some snow (this year Feb and last year Jan we saw between 8-12 inches, but it lasted one day) the number of days that happens are minimal compared to Chicago.

[ggolf]

Ah, perfect! Lived the first 28 years in Chicago, both South and North suburbs. Went to DePaul downtown. Moved all over the country. Lived in Boston in the late 90's, got divorced and moved right back to Dallas where I had lived for a short time in mid 90's. Best place I've lived although I haven't lived everywhere just yet. I hadn't been to Chicago since I left in 1980, but went there for a wedding a few years ago. Holy moly! Has it changed. I agree that it's a beautiful city (parts are not). I think you could land a jet on the roof of the new McCormick Place. I got lost and drove down south Indiana Avenue which used to be a slum. Now it's all upscale townhomes.
Although Chicago has grown its roads stink to high heaven. Is every road under construction? Took me 2 hours to get from Midway to Northbrook, and it wasn't rush hour.
Dallas weather stinks in late June to early September, but remember, you don't have to shovel heat. You don't have to put a dinette chair in the parking space you just shoveled out in front of your building, only to have your space and chair stolen. Heat doesn't turn black with soot after 3 weeks like snow does. I disagree, it's not as humid here in the summer. It's no Phoenix, but it sure isn't Houston.
There ain't no Lake Michigan here, but locals will rave about White Rock Lake, and Lake Texoma is only a bit over an hour north.

[onlyitj]

Thank You All, this is very helpful, I'm looking forward moving to Dallas soon, since I've a wife/mother and kid, I will be looking at some suburb like Plano.

* I've an option to work from home most of the days, so I will opt for little bigger house in Suburb rather than city; could you suggest good suburn with good schools, some indian population also, in the range of $200k to $300k, 4+ beds with pool.

* One more question, how is the tornado threat to the city, what kind of risk we are talking about?

Thanks

[mSooner]

* One more question, how is the tornado threat to the city, what kind of risk we are talking about?

It's in "tornado alley" but honestly, some years Chicagoland gets more. It's not a big deal, really. The only difference is we don't really have basements here, but if it concerns you enough, you could put in an in-ground shelter. Educate yourself and get a weather radio, though the same really goes for those living in Illinois, too!

Yes, the risk in this area might be a little higher, but tornadoes happen with decent frequency over about 1/2 of the nation.

Seriously, don't worry about it.

[ggolf]

Originally Posted by onlyitj

Thank You All, this is very helpful, I'm looking forward moving to Dallas soon, since I've a wife/mother and kid, I will be looking at some suburb like Plano.

* I've an option to work from home most of the days, so I will opt for little bigger house in Suburb rather than city; could you suggest good suburn with good schools, some indian population also, in the range of $200k to $300k, 4+ beds with pool.

* One more question, how is the tornado threat to the city, what kind of risk we are talking about?

Thanks

You'd like east Plano or east Richardson. Great schools, very diverse, many SE Asians live there. Many SE Asian restaurants and shopping too! Great cultural stuff.

I've lived here since 1989, experienced one minor tornado that did no damage. Saw a funnel cloud a few weeks ago. It's not a big deal.

Welcome!!