Dallas questions (Plano, Greenville, Atlanta: home, job market, standard of living)

[Hoshiko]

Hello, doing research for a pending move this summer. I have done a lot of research and have discovered that Texas is a most affordable state with a job market that could allow me to find a job. I live in Greenville, South Carolina and there are absolutely no jobs here. I am looking at the Plano area and working in Dallas, what are thoughts without sugar coating, I need real answers about life style, do most of you enjoy living there? I know all places have crime, mean people and drawbacks but I am looking for what people who have relocated there think, are you glad, are you happy, are you glad you did it or not?

[Squirl]

If you want to live in Plano, look for a job close by. This is the land of traffic nightmares.

[Hoshiko]

Okay good to know. May I ask what does "Simmering in DFW" mean, are you happy there? Or you attempting an escape?

[Squirl]

Originally Posted by Hoshiko

Okay good to know. May I ask what does "Simmering in DFW" mean, are you happy there? Or you attempting an escape?

Means a few things...

But, to answer your question about happiness in Dallas. I came here in 1978 & the DFW area has been home since (with a few escapes to both east and west coasts for periods). The shiny buildings, fancy cars and energetic vibe told me this was the place to build a future. The job market has always provided opportunities and the cost of housing permitted me & family to maintain a high standard of living. The heat in the summer (June thru early October!) is outrageous and while the area is always improving, it kind of lacks soul. It does, tho, continue to have an upbeat vibe! The plan now is to leave in a few years...destination SF Bay area.

[ChristieP]

Definitely find a job before you move here. The unemployment rate in DFW is lower than other places in the USA, but there are still a lot of people looking for work here. What kind of work do you do?

[Hoshiko]

Most helpful and honest, thank you so much.

[Hoshiko]

Accounting... Nothing can be worse than this. When I go on Indeed.com, there are 125 jobs where I live now and many more in that area.

[VonHuffenHausen]

I like living in Dallas, especially in March like now when the weather is nice, but every-time I venture somewhere else I am reminded about the bad points of the city like how visually unappealing it is, the heat, the lack of outdoor activities, no real focus on walkability or public transportation, sitting in cars all of the time, pollution, bugs endless urban sprawl and stirip malls.Texas is also a state with low education standards and ranks poorly in healthcare, etc, etc, etc. Plus there are ever looming immigration issues.

The cost of living is appealing to many, but it isn't cheap, it's just not overpriced like some major metro areas. The one major difference is housing. If you are moving from a place like San Fran or NYC, the quality of housing of what you get (if willing to live in far out burbs) is much more dramatic, but overall living costs are comparable. Then again, you could leave NYC and move to any major city in the Midwest and South and have a major living cost difference. its just not Dallas. Coming from where you are, Dallas will probably be more expensive than what you are used to.

I am not sure how you determined that Dallas has more jobs than Gville, SC. You are talking about essentially almost a small city compared to the 8th or 9th largest city on the US. So if there are more jobs here yes but a bigger population, but how can you compare? The city is larger like a metro population of 6.5 million compared to 800,000 in Greenville. Tons and tons of people are out of work in Texas, benefits cut, etc. There are going to be more jobs in most larger larger cities.

Keep in mind that many people have moved here in the last few years with the same ideas and many are out of work. The whole economy is not great, all over the US. There really isn't a place where the streets are paved with gold.

I would just schedule a week long trip this summer, come take a look around and see if its for you, and see if you can get any interviews. Otherwise, if you need to look to a larger city, look closer by, maybe Atlanta.