From Portland OR to Greenville TX or Charlotte NC (Dallas: new home, construction)

[DisplacedBadger]

I have two pending job offers; a) Charlotte NC and b) Greenville TX. Currently I’m in Portland, OR with my current employer. My challenge; determine whether or not I should accept either job offer [versus staying with my current employer].

Notwithstanding the salary issues, I am interested in learning more about both Charlotte NC and Greenville TX. I have been to Charlotte, NC but not Greenville TX. From initial readings, I assume I would live in McKinney TX and drive to Greenville. Is this a realistic plan? Has anyone moved from Portland OR to Greenville (or McKinney) – your thoughts? As I will also relocate a senior aged parent with me, I am interested in learning more about the quality of health care in McKinney TX (or Greenville, TX).

As a decision is due soon, any comments or opinions regarding Texas would be appreciated. Thank you ahead of time.

[thefatneck]

I am moving from PDX metro area in Jan. 08.I am moving my family of 6 to McKinney.I just got back from there after looking for a house and LOVE that area. McKinney,Plano,Allen are pretty nice.The housing is way more affordable then anything we can by here.A $350k house in PDX is around $160-$210 in those areas.Health care in the DFW area is some of the best in the country.There are many hospitals around just as there are in the PDX metro.They have 70% less rain the we do and VERY nice people.I will not miss the expense of PDX. I will miss the gorge views and the PNW beauty that I take for granted every day.There is a reason people come visit from hundreds of miles just to see what I have out my front door.

Good luck!

[DisplacedBadger]

Thank you for your prompt reply. I plan on traveling down to McKinney, TX this coming week. My concern however is the apparent large driving distance from McKinney to Dallas. Of course, I am only looking at the map distance and not the actual road conditions.

McKinney appears to be a small city compared to Portland.

[GayleTX]

McKinney is over 100,000 now but 3/4 of that has happened in the last 5-6 years so everything still has paint drying on it....therefore most of it is new and clean and very modern (downtown is quaint and restored very nicely, tho)......the east side (the Greenville side) is the older, more rundown part of town. The town is growing west. It may seem 'small' to you, but since it blends right into all the other suburbs (Plano, Richardson, Frisco, etc) and Dallas itself, it just seems like part of the Metroplex when you are there. The trees are nice, especially in the Eldorado Parkway area. There are 3 hospitals that have been built in the last few years (a brand new Baylor Hospital just opened...good cardiac care....and the new Cooper Aerobic Center (heart research) is under construction and will have lots of medical offices around it.

Greenville itself is a livable place..to you, it would probably seems like the sticks, but it is okay. Slower paced, not much excitement or shopping, but they have a nice branch of Dallas' Presbyterian Hiospital there. The schools are not as advanced as the McKinney schools . Housing is less expensive than McKinney. There are some nice new homes on the East side of Greenville (I'm assuming you are working on the west side just off the Loop?) but that's a very short drive. The drive from Greenville to McKinney is not bad...wide open spaces.

Hope things work out well for you, wherever you land!

[Victoire2002]

Ummm, North Carolina.

If you're from Pac NW, I think you will really, really miss the scenery and outdoor options you currently have if you live in Greenville.
It's good that you're traveling to Texas so you can see what it's like in McKinney and Greenville.

North Carolina, I think you said Charlotte, right? I have not been to Charlotte, though I hear it's really nice. My family lives in Portland, OR and Raleigh, NC. I really, really like Raleigh, and I have been to the coast (Emerald Isle) in N. Carolina, and it's really great. In N. Carolina, you will be 3 hours from coast, 2.5 hours from the mountains. It's ideal, really. Cost of living in N. Carolina is really nice and low, housing prices are much lower than Texas.

Now, if you really like sunshine, Texas is the place to be. It will take some getting used to, simply because everything is so spread out, but we do have a coast (Galveston) 5 hours away (though I don't think it's very lovely), and we have the mountains of Big Bend, around 8-10 hours away. Or Colorado, a short 2.5 hour plane ride away, or about 12 hours in your car, approximately.

Hope this helps!
Vicki

[BstYet2Be]

Originally Posted by Victoire2002

North Carolina, I think you said Charlotte, right? I have not been to Charlotte, though I hear it's really nice. My family lives in Portland, OR and Raleigh, NC. I really, really like Raleigh, and I have been to the coast (Emerald Isle) in N. Carolina, and it's really great. In N. Carolina, you will be 3 hours from coast, 2.5 hours from the mountains. It's ideal, really. Cost of living in N. Carolina is really nice and low, housing prices are much lower than Texas.

I disagree that the cost of living in Charlotte is lower and that housing prices are lower than here in Texas. That may have been so a number of years back, but they have had a considerable influx of people moving in from the northeastern and western states just in the last few years and housing as well as cost of living have both sky-rocketed! And, from what I understand, the traffic situation has been made a nightmare, i.e., too many new people commuting on outdated highway systems.

Now, don't get me wrong, I really like Charlotte... it's a really nice southern town, rich with southern history and old homes... in addition to having modernized considerably in the last decade w/a lot of new development. But, it's also suffering from massive growing pains much more than we are at the moment.

[nsumner]

I would highly recommend that you check out Rockwall too. It's close to one of the largest lakes here (Ray Hubbard), lots of shopping, restaurants, a lot less congestion than Mckinney, the drive to Greenville is about 25 minutes. and 35 minutes to downtown Dallas. Lots of people that have relocated live in Rockwall. Another brand new hospital is opening up next year. Schools are pretty good too. Home prices range from the the low 100s to the multi-millions..