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I'm about to relocate to the DFW area (specifically Fort Worth downtown) for business and I've never visited before. I've done some moderate research and I like that the DFW Metroplex is affordable compared to my current market, NY Metro.
I'm trying to decide which area would be the most likely fit for me and my son. I currently do a 2 hr commute per day for work which I would like significantly change. I'm pure-bred city girl so I need close proximity to comviences. I like being able to ride a subway whenever I feel like it, especially if I have my car in the shop. Can I catch a train to work? I don't like relying heavily on a car, especially for my son. I still want him to be city-fied (i.e. knowing his way around a transit system, walking to school, local activities).
I've been told that Dallas is more urban than Ft Worth which is right up my alley but I will be working in Fort Worth. How bad/long is the traffic if I decide Dallas is the place for me? How true is it that Ft Worth is more country than I'm used to? Is it best that I look for a city/town in between that will net me the conviences of both, close to a metro station? If so, which neighborhoods are best for kids so that my son can at least walk to school? Is there transit running from Dallas to Ft Worth conveniently? Or is it just a work week kind of arrangement if there is (ie if I live in FT Worth by the metro (if any), will I get stuck in Dallas after 10pm on a Friday night because the trains are shut down or vice verse?) Or is it easier to stay on the outskirts of Dallas/FTW so that I dont get stuck in city traffic trying to get to Ft Worth/Dallas. Are there certain hours that traffic is absolutely horrendous no matter what?
What's the scene for a young urban professional in either place. Not sure if it matters but I am female, 29, black/hispanic mix. I'd be lying to myself (not that I've experienced it) if I didn't consider biases that I might encounter. To be honest, can I date any race I want in either place or are there predudices that I might encounter? Is there a dating scene period in either place? Sounds stupid but I'd like to be sure. I've come across a lot of young urban places that turned out to be more family oriented (young & married) than I would have assumed.
It sounds like a lot of questions but I've moved around the country so often that these are the things I take into consideration. However, I've never moved to a place where I'm searching for things on the list, sight unseen. I dont want to lose the conviences that I grew up with, that I'm accustomed to. I like being comfortable. I like knowing I can hop a train to visit museums and the downtown/club/urban life and not needing my car all the time. I like visiting my local Barnes and Nobles and I like knowing that the grocery store or hospital isn't in another town altogether. I also know that I have road rage and really don't like long commutes to work. Not to mention that I get paranoid about working far away from home because I'm a single parent and I'd like to get to my child as quickly as possible (without smothering him of course lol) should anything happen. An hour, one-way, is too long in an emergency.
Any opinions/advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm making this move in a month and I would like to start narrowing my search for places to live and subsequent schools.
If you're working in Fort Worth, then you need to live in Fort Worth or at least close to it. It takes close to an hour to drive from Dallas to Fort Worth, and even longer if there is traffic, bad weather or a wreck on the freeway. Yes, there is a train that goes between the two cities, but it takes just as long as driving and then you will still have to hop on a bus or walk more to get to your office since the train station is not in the middle of downtown Fort Worth. That's fine for a weekend fun trip, but it will get really old doing it every day. Your points about road rage and being close to your son for emergencies also reinforce the fact that living in Dallas and working in Fort Worth isn't going to work for you.
Hmmmm.. I do like Dallas. I have lived all over the state and in CA... Never NY though. By the way, I moved to Dallas when I was 26 and I am 37 now.
I would say go ahead and live in FTW. You will never know how good it feels to arrive at your front door from your office door in 15 minutes. Your time with your son will make up for it tenfold. Embrace it. One thing about commuting 20 miles or more (Dallas to FTW) in Texas is that every other day there will be a lot of sitting and no movement due to traffic. You can be sitting within eyesight of a landmark (where you live or work) and it will still be within 30 minutes or more away. I live close to work (downtown D) to avoid that snail pace that would lead me to chronic road rage.
FTW is pretty awesome too. They have a pretty cool downtown area where you can just park and walk from place to place and a pretty hoppin' nightlife. I would not say FTW is "country" and that is a big deal coming from this city girl... However, it is much more casual than Dallas overall. But both cities have their casual sides.
Dallas? Now... One statistic that all should know about Dallas (and depending on what scene you want) is that Dallas has more plastic surgeons and high end retail per capita than LA. It is a very plastic city. The city proper is almost impossible to purchase a NICE home, for average or single salary households, due to land value and high property taxes. Also, in the middle of Dallas you have two incorporated cities (University Park and Highland Park then add Preston Hollow) that has one of the wealthiest three zip codes in the country. Yet, they, UP and HP, have their own school districts to separate themselves from the big D. Dallas' public schools suck... SUCK and there is no way around it! Then welcome suburban growth...
East Dallas and suburbs? If you are worried about FTW being country... avoid Mesquite! hahaha!
I say all of that but I still manage to love Dallas... Lakewood, Bishop Arts District, Uptown, the Balcony Club, the Absinthe Lounge...
Yet, I am a single woman with no children. And I currently work in Dallas which I say makes up for the cost of living on my commute time. Dallas proper would increase your COL... You will walk into the same grocery store and pay more for your "staples" and everyday general expenses... gas, too.
Honestly, if I were in your situation... I would live on the east side of FTW... and then one weekend a month that I would want nightlife beyond dinner and cocktails (awesome restaurants in FTW)... I would jump in the car and head to Dallas. I even have to admit that I escape the "plastic" side of Dallas by heading to FTW from time to time... Downtown FTW is pretty cool!
As one poster said above... embrace your car!!! North Texas is working on it, a little late in the game, but our public transit is horrible. Getting better, but still horrible. You would easily be stuck on a night out in Dallas with the only avenue is a $60+ cab ride...
Another one of you concerns... Dating. Granted I am caucasion, single (never married) and no children... A different demographic, but I do not think you would suffer at all. I say that just based on what you wrote here. The DFW singles's scene is awesome, I have to say. It was so funny, but I had a date the first day I moved here... I was literally in a big shirt, baseball cap and shopping for cleaning supplies at Target. Just take your time and figure out what you want, where to go and, with enough effort, it should take you no time.
Hope you like it. Gonna be way different. But I think you will say that there are more similarities than you realize. I have been to NYC and there is a reason why there is only one NYC, so to compare the two is no way to start a life changing move.
Last edited by MeAndMillie2; 10-25-2011 at 12:48 PM..
This area is not really urban as you are probably thinking. However, it was originally a 'streetcar suburb' so everything is a bit more compact. There are lots of indie businesses, restaurants, etc. Search Bishop Arts District.
Not sure how it would be for dating. Uptown would probably be best for that, or you could live Downtown and take the train (I think you would also have to have a car). However, schools are not really the thing in Uptown and Downtown. The best public schools in Dallas are east of downtown in Lakewood/East Dallas and north of Downtown just south of LBJ (635). However, that's going to add at least 10-15 minutes to your commute. I am told that would be a reverse commute, so maybe it's not that onerous. You should try it first...
I'm a native Dallasite who did a 5-year stint in NYC in the early 2000's.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
I like being able to ride a subway whenever I feel like it, especially if I have my car in the shop. Can I catch a train to work?
There is a 99% chance you will not be able to catch a train to work in Fort Worth. There is no subway in Dallas or Fort Worth. Dallas has a light rail system called DART that only works if your office & home are on the few lines there are. There is a train connecting Dallas & Fort Worth, but again, you'd need to live & work near stops on both ends of your commute.
I don't like relying heavily on a car, especially for my son. I still want him to be city-fied (i.e. knowing his way around a transit system, walking to school, local activities).
Do you read the NYC forum on city-data? You know how NYC residents are always telling people relocating to NYC who love their cars to SELL THEM because they won't "NEED" it? Welll, when moving to DFW, we're all going to tell you to buy a car because you truly will NEED it. Everything here is REALLY spread out and the residential areas are pretty separate from the commercial areas- ie, it may be a mile or two walk out of your neighborhood and to the closest grocery store or pharmacy. Your son may or may not be able to walk to school- it depends on where the school is in relation to your neighborhood. You probably don't want your son crossing an interstate highway in TX- where people don't yield to pedestrians because they aren't used to them!
DFW is a great place to raise a family, but there is virtually no way to "recreate" the "citykid" environment that is in NYC.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
I've been told that Dallas is more urban than Ft Worth which is right up my alley but I will be working in Fort Worth.
Dallas is the bigger city and is more flashier/cosmopolitan. Fort Worth is smaller and more laid back, although it has several stellar art museums & venues (Kimbell Museum, Amon Carter Museum, Bass Performance Hall), as well as some great restaurants. It's not "country bumpkin"-ville, if that's what you're picturing.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
How bad/long is the traffic if I decide Dallas is the place for me?
It depends on where in Dallas you decide to live & where in Fort Worth your office is. The two cities are about 30 miles apart via I-30. If you were to, say, live in the farthest west point of Dallas (North Oak Cliff, 75208) and work in Downtown Fort Worth, you're probably looking at about 35-45 minutes each way. If you were to live in Lake Highlands (75238), a northeast neighborhood in Dallas, it would become a 45 mile drive and would take over an hour each direction. This assumes no wrecks, which of course, happen almost daily. Add 15-30 minutes per wreck.
Keep in mind that you pass the Dallas Cowbowy stadium and the Texas Rangers ballpark in Arlington (between Dallas & Fort Worth)....so every night there's a concert at Cowboys stadium or a Rangers Game (80 home games a year in the regular season), expect horrific traffic on your way home at night. Up to 2 hours.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
How true is it that Ft Worth is more country than I'm used to?
Well, what are you "used to"? One of my dear friends from NYC grew up on a horse farm in New Jersey. I'd say she's much more "country" than I am! Is FW more country than NYC? Yes. There are several country radio stations, a plethora of country concerts that come through town, not to mention the historic FW Stockyards a bit north of downtown.
But FW is much more than "country" - it's home to the Van Cliburn Competiton, one of the world's most well-known piano competitions. The Bass Hall is a regular stop on the Broadway tours-> Shrek, Spamalot, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Chicago, South Pacific, Spring Awakening, etc have all performed there in the past couple of years. There are some great indie music venues- the Aardvark near TCU's campus is famous and the old Ridgelea Theatre is reopening next spring. The Kimbell Art Museum is on the world-class exhibit circuit - many of the exhibits that come through only make 2 US stops (NYC's Met and FW's Kimbell)....Picasso & Braque (The Cubist Experiment) just closed a few weeks ago and Carravagio in Rome just opened. It is the only US stop for the Carravagio show. It is also home to Texas Christian University, which is a Tier 1 univeristy with a Top 30 ranked Business School (outranking Syracuse, Binghamton, Fordham, Rutgers, and other well-regarded NY/NJ programs).
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
Is it best that I look for a city/town in between that will net me the conviences of both, close to a metro station?
Again, refer to the DART & TRE maps, not a lot of those "metro stations" in DFW. I think you'd be happier living in FW or in Dallas, not in a suburb (which is even more car dependent & spread out than the city neighborhoods), based on how you describe your wish list.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
If so, which neighborhoods are best for kids so that my son can at least walk to school?
The best public schools in Fort Worth feed into Paschal High School. The elementary schools are Tanglewood and Lily B Clayton (regarded as the best), Alice Carlson, Clarke, Clayton, Contreas, Daggett, De Zavala, South Hills, Westcliff, and Worth Heights. The middle schools are ALA, Daggett, McLean, Rosemont, and William James. Whether or not your son could walk to school depends on the proximity & amount of traffic / major streets between your home/apartmen and the school. These neighborhood are located in Fort Worth, south of I-30, near TCU's campus.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
Is there transit running from Dallas to Ft Worth conveniently?
I believe we have covered this already.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
Or is it just a work week kind of arrangement if there is (ie if I live in FT Worth by the metro (if any), will I get stuck in Dallas after 10pm on a Friday night because the trains are shut down or vice verse?) Or is it easier to stay on the outskirts of Dallas/FTW so that I dont get stuck in city traffic trying to get to Ft Worth/Dallas.
Again, we've covered this with the TRE and DART schedules & websites above.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
Are there certain hours that traffic is absolutely horrendous no matter what?
Generally 7-9am and 4:45-6:30pm. The traffic going into the city is worse in the AM than outbound traffic and vice versa in the afternoons.
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Originally Posted by MinxyB
What's the scene for a young urban professional in either place. Not sure if it matters but I am female, 29, black/hispanic mix. I'd be lying to myself (not that I've experienced it) if I didn't consider biases that I might encounter. To be honest, can I date any race I want in either place or are there predudices that I might encounter? Is there a dating scene period in either place?
Yes, there are lots of young professionals in both cities. In Dallas, they tend to live in Uptown (just north of Downtown) and in Fort Worth in the SO7 district. These neighborhoods conflict with your need for good public schools for your son as they are more "play" neighborhoods and aren't zoned for good schools. They also are known more for bars & hooking up than playdates & parks
There are lots of mixed race people in Dallas & FW. Huge communities of Hispanics, Asians, Indians, etc as well as young people from all over the US & even the world. I would say you could date anyone who wants to date you!
People do tend to get married much earlier in DFW than in NYC. Early through mid-20's seems to be the "average" age for girls vs mid-30's in NYC. I would say being divorced/widowed (whatever you are) with a kid and only being 29 will limit your dating pool more than your race......just being honest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MinxyB
Sounds stupid but I'd like to be sure. I've come across a lot of young urban places that turned out to be more family oriented (young & married) than I would have assumed.
Suburbs and neighborhoods with great public schools will be more family oriented than the bar districts/ young professional neighborhoods. You're going to have to choose as you can't have both if you need public schools.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MinxyB
I dont want to lose the conviences that I grew up with, that I'm accustomed to. I like being comfortable. I like knowing I can hop a train to visit museums and the downtown/club/urban life and not needing my car all the time. I like visiting my local Barnes and Nobles and I like knowing that the grocery store or hospital isn't in another town altogether. I also know that I have road rage and really don't like long commutes to work.
This is the most problematic part of your whole post. Moving halfway across the country to a new job where you don't have friends/family/support system in place IS uncomfortable. It just is. There is NO "hopping on a train" in Dallas or FW. Yes, you can find a place with a good bookstore and grocery store near your home - it won't be a 20 minute drive. If you don't like long commutes, I'd stick to living in FW if your job is there.
You need to be open to a new way of living because NYC and DFW are VERY, VERY, VERY different. If you come here trying to recreate NYC, you'll be very disappointed. Try to embrace a new life & a new beginning and you just might like it. If you don't, I assume you can always go back to NYC.
Lastly, DO NOT - ABSOLUTELY DO NOT- move here only for the lower cost of living. Cost of living alone is not enough to make you happy. You need to like the job, people, neighborhood, schools, etc in order to make it work in a new city.
Also, I should answer one more question on dating... Dallas and FTW are very eclectic. Race should not be an issue whatsoever within the cities proper...
If you have any questions about the single's scene (and I have moved around enough to compare, as well)... let me know.
I would say go ahead and live in FTW. You will never know how good it feels to arrive at your front door from your office door in 15 minutes. Your time with your son will make up for it tenfold. Embrace it.
^ This...
I went from a 2 hour commute each way to Chicago for work to a 5 minute drive to my office (in the northern suburbs of FW). Having that extra time each day with my son is priceless.
You need to live in Fort Worth or a Tarrant County suburb if you work in fort worth and expect a family life with your child. End of story. Your post is unusual in that most relocating individuals who have a child are very focused on schools or special activities their children love. Most have a budget and want to know where are the areas that fit their specific needs (usually related to the child). You are all about dating and being citified. Neither Dallas or Fort Worth are especially urban....even in the core city. Sprawl is what is here. The weather is hot beyond your imagination and living here can be surprisingly pricey in the trendy near city-center neighborhoods. In FTW, for the most part, the trains are not that convenient. We are drivers here. There is lots of road rage. People are crazy drivers because we have incredible traffic snarls. You would become a total lunatic driving here if you were commuting between Dallas and FTW. What other cities are you considering?
I'm a native Dallasite who did a 5-year stint in NYC in the early 2000's.
It depends on where in Dallas you decide to live & where in Fort Worth your office is. The two cities are about 30 miles apart via I-30. If you were to, say, live in the farthest west point of Dallas (North Oak Cliff, 75208) and work in Downtown Fort Worth, you're probably looking at about 35-45 minutes each way. If you were to live in Lake Highlands (75238), a northeast neighborhood in Dallas, it would become a 45 mile drive and would take over an hour each direction. This assumes no wrecks, which of course, happen almost daily. Add 15-30 minutes per wreck.
Keep in mind that you pass the Dallas Cowbowy stadium and the Texas Rangers ballpark in Arlington (between Dallas & Fort Worth)....so every night there's a concert at Cowboys stadium or a Rangers Game (80 home games a year in the regular season), expect horrific traffic on your way home at night. Up to 2 hours.
That could not be stressed enough when considering a commute and I forgot all about that. Those evenings there is an event at both stadiums.... might as well get a hotel room!
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