Dallas or Houston for a young professional? (Howe: apartment, to rent)

[PinkBunny]

If I were to be living in one of the financial districts of either Dallas or Houston, would there be a difference in rent and am I looking at around $1000/month to rent a room in someone's apartment?

Also, which city is better suited for someone without a car? (assuming I will be living in the main business downtown).

And is there a large difference in weather? I personally can't stand humidity during the summer and I scream at the sight of bugs, so is Dallas a better choice weather-wise? I LOVE the cold. I know Texas doesn't sound like the best option for someone that loves the cold, but I'm mostly looking at Dallas and Houston, because of low taxes and a lower cost of living.

[RonnieinDallas]

You can find a nice small apartment in a good neighborhood for under a $1000 in either. Neither are good for someone without a car. They are both humid, but Houston is noticeably more humid. There are bugs in both. It's a personal preference choice, both are similar. Houston is on the coast, so you may prefer the weather in Dallas.

I would be happy in either. In fact, I've been looking for jobs in Houston.

[TurtleCreek80]

Both are great for young professionals. Both are incredibly difficult without a car; Dallas may be slightly better but you will be extremely limited on where you can live & work (need to be on DART rail line; busses are so slow).

Both are hot & Houston is quite humid- think about that while waiting for a bus or train (or walking or biking) in your work attire when it's 95 and 90% humid in Houston (or just a steaming 105 in Dallas). Summer lasts from May through end of September and highs are in the 90's-100's for most of those 5 months.

I'd suggest looking for a $600 share and buying a car with the other $400. You should be able to easlily find a 2 BR share in a less trendy, but close in, area of Dallas for $1200/mo.

[maloy]

Originally Posted by RonnieinDallas

You can find a nice small apartment in a good neighborhood for under a $1000 in either. Neither are good for someone without a car. They are both humid, but Houston is noticeably more humid. There are bugs in both. It's a personal preference choice, both are similar. Houston is on the coast, so you may prefer the weather in Dallas.

I would be happy in either. In fact, I've been looking for jobs in Houston.

Don't believe any of this, I live here just fine with no car at all. It is very doable.

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by maloy

Don't believe any of this, I live here just fine with no car at all. It is very doable.

I said it's not good for someone without a car, not that it's impossible not to have one. It's much easier to drive here, and public transportation takes much longer to use, compared to cities like NYC or DC. It's getting better, but let's be realistic

[TX75007]

If you do not have a car, do not get a job in either city where you have to go visit clients or go to business lunches. Taxi service in Dallas is not as good as NYC either.

[madrone2k]

I live in Houston, but I pretty much agree with the advice given already. If you moved to Houston and hated the humidity and bugs, I imagine you'd regret not going to Dallas. But ... anywhere in the eastern half of Texas might be too buggy and muggy for your taste, despite that.

I don't know about the bus systems in the two cities, but DART is way ahead of Houston in light rail. So, if you could orient your life around that, Dallas would be a better choice.

Decisions like this involve a lot of personal choices and can also be swayed by random chance of events and places. However, I'll repeat the advice I've seen elsewhere: if you have a much more attractive job offer in one of the places, take it. You'd get a nice think to put in your resume and you are still young enough to move elsewhere if you wind up not liking the city.

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I'd suggest looking for a $600 share and buying a car with the other $400. You should be able to easlily find a 2 BR share in a less trendy, but close in, area of Dallas for $1200/mo.

Without a car, your employment options in DFW are extremely limited. For example, you can't even get to/from DFW airport on a Sunday using public transit because the TRE train doesn't run on Sunday...

[PinkBunny]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Without a car, your employment options in DFW are extremely limited. For example, you can't even get to/from DFW airport on a Sunday using public transit because the TRE train doesn't run on Sunday...

Well, all of the companies I will be applying to are in the downtown (and actually happen to be a few blocks from each other in the very center), so I would live a few blocks away in any case. How much would it cost to take a taxi to the airport?

[ChristieP]

Taxi from downtown to DFW is about $50... There are shuttle services but they aren't much cheaper.