What I Learned Since Moving Here (a week ago) (Dallas: transfer, tornadoes)

[ch4l]

I moved here a week ago, and I'm very happy with my move! The people on this site offered great advice, so I wanted to give people who are thinking of moving here a fresh perspective from a new transplant.

Here's what I learned:

* As people have suggested here, make sure you can handle your commute. People are not exaggerating when they refer to how bad the traffic is. I've driven on 75, 635, 35, 820, 183, Dallas Pkwy, 114, 121, and FM 423 in rush hour after work to different areas to find area that fits me. During rush hour, traffic is conjested everywhere, and blinkers are not often used.

* Get a GPS and a sun shield. I couldn't have survived without my GPS. The only bad part about getting in my car after working all day is that the steering wheel is scorching!

* If you don't like high expressway bridges, than you may not like Dallas. Although I've driven a lot in many states, I almost fainted when I drove on 635 (highest level). But I'm used to them now.

* There is no toll booth to pay for tolls. People have something like an Illinois I-pass, or they're sent a bill. If you have out of state plates, they don't bill you, as I've been told. However, I've heard that they may get you when you transfer your plates and require you pay for previous tolls. If you don't want to pay tolls, like on 121, etc., than you can drive the frontage roads. But they take longer.

* Rain here is very heavy. I saw some vehicles hydroplane, which is scary during rush hour traffic with 5 lanes when you can barely see the road. Snow seemed easier to drive in than this rain. But fortunately, it has only been one bad day.

* People are very nice and polite. Even the cashiers are more pleasant and actually greet their customers.

* Food is everywhere!!!!! Even in the suburbs.

* There is a lot more to do than just shop. I've enjoyed exploring different areas.

* There are trees, and I've seen many creeks and a few big lakes.

* The mosquitos are huge! They're like the midwest ones but on steroids, times 5. But they are not an annoyance (at least not yet), as they are in the midwest.

* Get used to bottle water or get a filter.

* 90 degrees here doesn't seem as hot as 90 degree in the midwest. But I've been told to wait for next month.

* Everything is bigger in TX.

* There are flags everywhere, which is new to me because where I'm from, I mainly saw flags twice a year. Texans really are proud!

Good luck, y'all!!!

[DST2Sentinel]

Thanks for the review. My husband and I are in the beginning stages of moving from Milwaukee to Wisconsin and it is nice to get an outsider perspective viewpoint. This site has been helpful and I've learned a lot thus far. The closer we get to our move I will seek out definite advice in where to move. I really appreciate your overview....

[stan4]

Welcome, op!

If you ever need to know anything else, just ask!

[ch4l]

Thanks, Stan 4!! DST2Sentinel, that's where I'm from. It's a good drive, and I really enjoyed the rolling hills in Missouri. You'll see the difference in culture and gas prices (much lower) once you hit southern MO. I think the gas was also a lot cheaper in central IL. The best part is when I came in 69/75 from Oklahoma, I saw the welcome sign with a big circle and a star. I wish I would've taken a picture of it! Good luck!!

[Johnhw2]

Welcome both to Texas, let us know if we can help with info or questions.

[DitsyD]

Howdy! and welcome to Texas.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by ch4l

I moved here a week ago, and I'm very happy with my move! The people on this site offered great advice, so I wanted to give people who are thinking of moving here a fresh perspective from a new transplant.

Here's what I learned:

* As people have suggested here, make sure you can handle your commute. People are not exaggerating when they refer to how bad the traffic is. I've driven on 75, 635, 35, 820, 183, Dallas Pkwy, 114, 121, and FM 423 in rush hour after work to different areas to find area that fits me. During rush hour, traffic is conjested everywhere, and blinkers are not often used.

* Get a GPS and a sun shield. I couldn't have survived without my GPS. The only bad part about getting in my car after working all day is that the steering wheel is scorching!

* If you don't like high expressway bridges, than you may not like Dallas. Although I've driven a lot in many states, I almost fainted when I drove on 635 (highest level). But I'm used to them now.

* There is no toll booth to pay for tolls. People have something like an Illinois I-pass, or they're sent a bill. If you have out of state plates, they don't bill you, as I've been told. However, I've heard that they may get you when you transfer your plates and require you pay for previous tolls. If you don't want to pay tolls, like on 121, etc., than you can drive the frontage roads. But they take longer.

* Rain here is very heavy. I saw some vehicles hydroplane, which is scary during rush hour traffic with 5 lanes when you can barely see the road. Snow seemed easier to drive in than this rain. But fortunately, it has only been one bad day.

* People are very nice and polite. Even the cashiers are more pleasant and actually greet their customers.

* Food is everywhere!!!!! Even in the suburbs.

* There is a lot more to do than just shop. I've enjoyed exploring different areas.

* There are trees, and I've seen many creeks and a few big lakes.

* The mosquitos are huge! They're like the midwest ones but on steroids, times 5. But they are not an annoyance (at least not yet), as they are in the midwest.

* Get used to bottle water or get a filter.

* 90 degrees here doesn't seem as hot as 90 degree in the midwest. But I've been told to wait for next month.

* Everything is bigger in TX.

* There are flags everywhere, which is new to me because where I'm from, I mainly saw flags twice a year. Texans really are proud!

Good luck, y'all!!!

The flip side of the lower gas prices is that you often have to drive further (farther? I always mess that up), so the gas is cheaper but you use more of it.

Yes, 90 here feels much less oppressive than 90 in Milwaukee or Chicago (I'm one of many ex-Chicagoans on this forum). Last summer we were over 100 40 straight days and then another 15-20 after one day below it, and even with lower humidity 105 is damn hot. That was arguably the worst summer here ever, it's been much milder so far.

Traffic may be bad compared to Milwaukee, but it's mild compared to Chicago. However, the DRIVERS are the worst I've encountered anywhere.

And yes, thunderstorms here put the ones in the upper midwest to shame. I thought I was prepared after watching squall lines come thru there (with the occasional tornadoes that do hit in Illinois), but the storms here are fierce, with hail occurring much more often. Which is another thing - there are times when covered parking isn't a nice convenience, it's a NECESSITY.

Re: the elevated bridges, yeah, they really do that for the highway to highway interchanges here. It freaks my wife out big time. I have never seen it so prevalent anywhere else. Also, I HATE the merges from two lanes down to one on many of those (like going from Eastbound PGBT to southbound DNT and the ramp has the merge with traffic going from Westbound PGBT on to south DNT). You can't really see cars coming from the other lane until you're practically on top of each other and then it can be tricky to merge in time without smashing into each other. Surprised there aren't more accidents on those.

BTW, just wait til winter when they get a day of snow or ice here (usually happens once or twice a year, for one day only), the whole city will shut down over 2 inches of snow.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by ch4l

I moved here a week ago, and I'm very happy with my move! The people on this site offered great advice, so I wanted to give people who are thinking of moving here a fresh perspective from a new transplant.

Here's what I learned:

* As people have suggested here, make sure you can handle your commute. People are not exaggerating when they refer to how bad the traffic is. I've driven on 75, 635, 35, 820, 183, Dallas Pkwy, 114, 121, and FM 423 in rush hour after work to different areas to find area that fits me. During rush hour, traffic is conjested everywhere, and blinkers are not often used.

* Get a GPS and a sun shield. I couldn't have survived without my GPS. The only bad part about getting in my car after working all day is that the steering wheel is scorching!

* If you don't like high expressway bridges, than you may not like Dallas. Although I've driven a lot in many states, I almost fainted when I drove on 635 (highest level). But I'm used to them now.

* There is no toll booth to pay for tolls. People have something like an Illinois I-pass, or they're sent a bill. If you have out of state plates, they don't bill you, as I've been told. However, I've heard that they may get you when you transfer your plates and require you pay for previous tolls. If you don't want to pay tolls, like on 121, etc., than you can drive the frontage roads. But they take longer.

* Rain here is very heavy. I saw some vehicles hydroplane, which is scary during rush hour traffic with 5 lanes when you can barely see the road. Snow seemed easier to drive in than this rain. But fortunately, it has only been one bad day.

* People are very nice and polite. Even the cashiers are more pleasant and actually greet their customers.

* Food is everywhere!!!!! Even in the suburbs.

* There is a lot more to do than just shop. I've enjoyed exploring different areas.

* There are trees, and I've seen many creeks and a few big lakes.

* The mosquitos are huge! They're like the midwest ones but on steroids, times 5. But they are not an annoyance (at least not yet), as they are in the midwest.

* Get used to bottle water or get a filter.

* 90 degrees here doesn't seem as hot as 90 degree in the midwest. But I've been told to wait for next month.

* Everything is bigger in TX.

* There are flags everywhere, which is new to me because where I'm from, I mainly saw flags twice a year. Texans really are proud!

Good luck, y'all!!!

You're saying that now. Just wait until summer when there's weeks of 100 degree weather.

I hope you haven't mistaken the Trinity River as a creek.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

The flip side of the lower gas prices is that you often have to drive further (farther? I always mess that up), so the gas is cheaper but you use more of it.

Yes, 90 here feels much less oppressive than 90 in Milwaukee or Chicago (I'm one of many ex-Chicagoans on this forum). Last summer we were over 100 40 straight days and then another 15-20 after one day below it, and even with lower humidity 105 is damn hot. That was arguably the worst summer here ever, it's been much milder so far.

Traffic may be bad compared to Milwaukee, but it's mild compared to Chicago. However, the DRIVERS are the worst I've encountered anywhere.

And yes, thunderstorms here put the ones in the upper midwest to shame. I thought I was prepared after watching squall lines come thru there (with the occasional tornadoes that do hit in Illinois), but the storms here are fierce, with hail occurring much more often. Which is another thing - there are times when covered parking isn't a nice convenience, it's a NECESSITY.

Re: the elevated bridges, yeah, they really do that for the highway to highway interchanges here. It freaks my wife out big time. I have never seen it so prevalent anywhere else. Also, I HATE the merges from two lanes down to one on many of those (like going from Eastbound PGBT to southbound DNT and the ramp has the merge with traffic going from Westbound PGBT on to south DNT). You can't really see cars coming from the other lane until you're practically on top of each other and then it can be tricky to merge in time without smashing into each other. Surprised there aren't more accidents on those.

BTW, just wait til winter when they get a day of snow or ice here (usually happens once or twice a year, for one day only), the whole city will shut down over 2 inches of snow.

Hey, In 2010 we had over 12 inches of snow. In 2011 we had 2 inches of ice in the beginning of the week and 5 inches of snow at the end. The whole week was below freezing.

[pinipig523]

Looking forward to the move in 3 weeks!!!