Will I like Dallas? (Houston, Plano: home, neighborhoods, theater)

[A1Precious4]

Thank you all for responding. I won't really have a chance to visit before deciding because my husband has a job offer that will be finalized soon and this also the reason I am considering these specific cities. Regardless of where I move whether it's to Dallas, PHX, or back home to NYC I would be uprooting myself so that's not the concern. Two people mention that based on my description that Dallas would probably not be a good fit - can anyone expand on why? Hot weather with humidity in all is more favorable to me than a cold winter so that's also not an issue. I'm really torn between PHX and Dallas and any info would be helpful.

[TheOverdog]

What about that doesn't seem like a good fit for Dallas?

late twenties and I like to take walks, go to the movies, eat different cuisines, I like being in diverse communities but safety is a top priority for me. I also plan on driving and am not into biking other than the occasional weekend bike trip. I also like shopping, I'm into the whole granola natural living lifestyle and so would want access to an acupuncturists but I also need access to good doctors, especially GI doctors.

That seems like something you could easily do in DFW. Dallas has all that, mostly drive but occasional biking, and it has affordable homes less than $500k and it's perfectly safe. Seems like a fine fit to me. And temp wise, in my opinion, Dallas weather is way better than Phoenix and closer to a beach, although a day trip to San Diego would beat the pants off a daytrip to Galveston.

[bencronin04]

I think Dallas would be fine, but you seem like you fell in love with NYC. You're going to be hard pressed to find anything like NYC anywhere else in the US, and you'll be constantly comparing back to NYC. Dallas is a great city, but it's VERY VERY spread out. It's much more like Phoenix than NYC.

[wallawallahoohoo]

Originally Posted by MTQ3000

Actually, a reading comprehension fail on my part. I saw "Phoenix, NY" or "Dallas" and thought about Phoenix, NY which is about 10 minutes north of Syracuse. Now I re-read the entire post, I guess OP really meant Phoenix, AZ. But the point is, NYS property taxes in general, can be surprisingly high. I lived in Queens for many years and my parents still own a house there.

Mick

I actually had no idea there was a Phoenix, NY.

But yes, I agree with the post above, if you love NY, you probably won't be happy anywhere else other than NY.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

What about that doesn't seem like a good fit for Dallas?



That seems like something you could easily do in DFW. Dallas has all that, mostly drive but occasional biking, and it has affordable homes less than $500k and it's perfectly safe. Seems like a fine fit to me. And temp wise, in my opinion, Dallas weather is way better than Phoenix and closer to a beach, although a day trip to San Diego would beat the pants off a daytrip to Galveston.

Because, to echo what a couple other posters are saying, if the poster found DC falling short of NYC, then they'll be doubly disappointed in DFW. With all due respect to DFW, it has nowhere near the restaurant scene or cultural amenities that NYC does. I mean, it may have most of the breadth but certainly not the depth. Moving down from Chicago I've been disappointed in the food/restaurants in DFW, and Chicago falls short of NY in that regard. DFW has some great museums and other cultural amenities, but NY is either at or near the top (among US cities) in most such offerings.

DFW does a lot of things very well and is far FAR more affordable than anything in the NY metro area ever will be (or DC, for that matter), and saying "it's not New York" is hardly a harsh criticism because no US city compares to NY in most areas. I'll also note that personally I'm not much of a fan of NYC, so this isn't just "I don't like Dallas". But if the OP found being in DC (large metro area with lots of history and character and tons of arts/culture, including all the free museums) a tough change from NY, then DFW going to be a heck of an adjustment (not to mention that the overall cultural vibe of DC is closer to NYC than DFW is).

I imagine Phoenix would be an even less attractive choice, but having never been I'll defer to others.

[TrueDat]

If the OP is looking for generally year-round weather and affordability, then Dallas may actually be one of the best choices. Most of the major Sunbelt metros are sprawly and car-oriented -- South Florida, Houston, Phoenix, Austin, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Tucson, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Tampa/St. Pete, Orlando, San Antonio, etc. -- and, with the exception of LA, can have excruciating summers.

Those that either have year-round decent weather, broader walkability, and/or culture tend to be really unaffordable (coastal LA, SF, San Diego, Honolulu, Santa Fe).

If the OP were open to moving anywhere, I might suggest Nashville or Charlotte, mid-sized metros with better weather than Boston but aren't as big as DFW and are closer to surrounding nature.

[RJ312]

Originally Posted by A1Precious4

I'm really torn between PHX and Dallas and any info would be helpful.

I have lived in both Phoenix and Dallas, so I can compare those well. Really, there is no comparison there. Dallas is a way better place to live than Phoenix.

The main reason why Dallas is a better place to live than Phoenix is because of the business environment. Quite simply, Phoenix's growth has far surpassed its infrastructure. You have to remember that in 1950, Phoenix was essentially a big nothing. Whereas, in 1950, Dallas was more of something. As Dallas is more established, there are more Fortune 500 HQs here, and that even helps people who work for small to medium sized businesses. The quality of jobs here is better than the quality of jobs in Phoenix.

I prefer Dallas socially to Phoenix, but it is pretty similar socially. Fortunate for you, you are married and don't have to deal with the dating scene of either city.

Weather wise, Dallas is a little colder than Phoenix. The summers are miserable in both places, but to me the sheer heat made Phoenix worse. Dallas' winter is worse than Phoenix's winter, but Phoenix's winter is a bit overrated because lows are commonly in the 30s, which is not seen in Tampa or Miami.

Dallas is probably better culturally than Phoenix. But neither compares to NYC.

[ItsTexas]

Based on what you say, Dallas is not your place.
There are two seasons: EXTREME HOT and COLD. That's it.

Too much to even elaborate on.

[TheOverdog]

Because, to echo what a couple other posters are saying, if the poster found DC falling short of NYC, then they'll be doubly disappointed in DFW.

Maybe, but she also said this:

It is also important to me that I can afford a nice home in a few years for under $500,000 in a good area with good schools which is just not possible in NY.

I personally wouldn't live anywhere in the US if I had unlimited funds, but that's not the world we all live in and being 'disappointed' with a city occurs up there in the super ego, while living & working in a safe neighborhood is down here with your back and hands. If she said she didn't care one bit about schools, and was cool renting forever and wanted 24X7 excitement and arts, then yeah, NYC all the way.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Maybe, but she also said this:

I personally wouldn't live anywhere in the US if I had unlimited funds, but that's not the world we all live in and being 'disappointed' with a city occurs up there in the super ego, while living & working in a safe neighborhood is down here with your back and hands. If she said she didn't care one bit about schools, and was cool renting forever and wanted 24X7 excitement and arts, then yeah, NYC all the way.

Oh, I TOTALLY get that, but it's one thing to say "yeah, I'd really like more affordability" and then discovering day to day that more affordability usually comes with tradeoffs.

The OP can chime in as to whether she's really hitting that stage in life where she's making that transition from young 20-something doing fun stuff to 30-something more focused on kids and bills and all that (I know that's a bit of a stereotype, but it happens to most of us to some extent). If she is, then NYC's advantages become less important and the Dallas stuff you mention moreso (plus, it's not like Dallas is some cultural wasteland, it's just not in NY's league, which again is hardly a harsh criticism).

Just that from the tone it sounds like she's still kinda feeling the NYC love, even if practically DFW might make more sense. Again, only she knows how she feels, and she might not even be sure yet, hence "come down here and check the place out".

(And none of this is a criticism, I still wonder if DFW was a good choice for me and family even after a few years here. Numbers are easy, people are difficult and all. "The heart wants what it wants" as Emily Dickinson once wrote [yes, all you young pups out there, the line existed before Selena Gomez wrote the song]).