My thoughts after leaving (Dallas, Fort Worth: apartment, how much, home)

[lepoisson]

I'm sure many of you know me as the resident "DFW Hater." I disliked my job and the pay, disliked Arlington, and really didn't care for the metroplex as a whole, so I moved to Chicago. That being said, there are some things I miss. I guess it goes back to old sayings "you didn't know how good you had it" or "you didn't know how bad things were until you got out".

The purpose of this thread is to provide some insight for those considering moving to the metroplex. I'll just make a list.

Things I miss:

• The weather - It was awesome not having to scrape snow and take 20min to remove layers of outerwear in the winter months. My car always looked shiny.
• The sun - There weren't very many cloudy days in Texas, even in the winter. If you're having a bad day, seeing the bright sun can really help perk you up.
• Newness - Almost everything in the metroplex is new and shiny. It feels like the metro of tomorrow. You won't find many dumpy areas. Here in Chicago, it's common to see trash on the sidewalks, graffiti, and dilapidated buildings
• Amenities - Tons of stuff to do in the metroplex. Two big airports. All the major sports. Theme parks, museums, zoos, aquarium, etc.
• People - The whole "Southern Hospitality" thing is overrated, but it really is true that people are nicer in the South. People are really rude here in Chicago. Honking at you for actually stopping completely at a stop sign, honking for not driving fast enough, honking for not cutting into traffic to turn left.

Things I don't miss:

• The weather - Yeah, this one belongs on both lists and it's one of the main reasons I left. I really missed having seasons. The summer temperature were unbearable to me. I was miserable May - September because I was on a top floor apartment and our AC unit was from the early 90s. It never got below 75 degrees inside. Completely unacceptable!
• The size - The metroplex is HUGE, everything is spread out, and you have to drive everywhere. Want to go to the aquarium in Dallas but live in Fort Worth? Be prepared for an hour car drive, or worse with traffic.
• Traffic - DFW made me realize how much I hate driving. I was so annoyed with traffic during the week that I rarely wanted to go out and do anything fun on the weekend because I'd have to get in traffic again.
• Cost of living - Actually, I should probably say "rapidly increasing cost of living". Home prices skyrocket in DFW and property taxes increase 5-10% every year. No way I'd feel comfortable managing a budget in those conditions.
• Salaries - Some jobs pay very well in DFW, but some are still stuck on an early 2000s DFW cost of living salary when rents and home prices were 25-50% lower. I couldn't even find a new job because ALL of them in my field paid around the same.
• City lifestyle - It took me a while to realize that I'm a city boy and a suburb lifestyle isn't for me. Unfortunately there are only a handful of areas in DFW which can provide this lifestyle.

[ChristieP]

Good luck in Chicago. Hope you sold any firearms you accumulated in DFW before you moved since they don't believe in the Second Amendment up there. And have fun with Chicago winter...

[gocubs418]

Enjoy the pizza and Cubs and Blackhawks....

that's about it.



The weather - enjoy the winters and dreary cloudy days, there will be PLENTY of them. .

Traffic - push. DFW folks have no idea how to drive and Chicagoians drive extremely aggressively.

As someone who came from Chicago from DFW, I agree with your "Things I miss" and I disagree with "Things I don't miss", but thanks for posting and enjoy the windy city. Enjoy Portillo's as well. Oh, and enjoy basements. I miss them.

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

I'm sure many of you know me as the resident "DFW Hater." I disliked my job and the pay, disliked Arlington, and really didn't care for the metroplex as a whole, so I moved to Chicago. That being said, there are some things I miss. I guess it goes back to old sayings "you didn't know how good you had it" or "you didn't know how bad things were until you got out".

The purpose of this thread is to provide some insight for those considering moving to the metroplex. I'll just make a list.

Things I miss:

• The weather - It was awesome not having to scrape snow and take 20min to remove layers of outerwear in the winter months. My car always looked shiny.
• The sun - There weren't very many cloudy days in Texas, even in the winter. If you're having a bad day, seeing the bright sun can really help perk you up.
• Newness - Almost everything in the metroplex is new and shiny. It feels like the metro of tomorrow. You won't find many dumpy areas. Here in Chicago, it's common to see trash on the sidewalks, graffiti, and dilapidated buildings
• Amenities - Tons of stuff to do in the metroplex. Two big airports. All the major sports. Theme parks, museums, zoos, aquarium, etc.
• People - The whole "Southern Hospitality" thing is overrated, but it really is true that people are nicer in the South. People are really rude here in Chicago. Honking at you for actually stopping completely at a stop sign, honking for not driving fast enough, honking for not cutting into traffic to turn left.

Things I don't miss:

• The weather - Yeah, this one belongs on both lists and it's one of the main reasons I left. I really missed having seasons. The summer temperature were unbearable to me. I was miserable May - September because I was on a top floor apartment and our AC unit was from the early 90s. It never got below 75 degrees inside. Completely unacceptable!
• The size - The metroplex is HUGE, everything is spread out, and you have to drive everywhere. Want to go to the aquarium in Dallas but live in Fort Worth? Be prepared for an hour car drive, or worse with traffic.
• Traffic - DFW made me realize how much I hate driving. I was so annoyed with traffic during the week that I rarely wanted to go out and do anything fun on the weekend because I'd have to get in traffic again.
• Cost of living - Actually, I should probably say "rapidly increasing cost of living". Home prices skyrocket in DFW and property taxes increase 5-10% every year. No way I'd feel comfortable managing a budget in those conditions.
• Salaries - Some jobs pay very well in DFW, but some are still stuck on an early 2000s DFW cost of living salary when rents and home prices were 25-50% lower. I couldn't even find a new job because ALL of them in my field paid around the same.
• City lifestyle - It took me a while to realize that I'm a city boy and a suburb lifestyle isn't for me. Unfortunately there are only a handful of areas in DFW which can provide this lifestyle.

It's always good to experience different places so that you learn more about yourself. It's unfortunate that your job wasn't closer to either Dallas or FW so that you could've enjoyed a more urban lifestyle, even though it still pales in comparison to Chicago. Many on either the Dallas-side or the FW-side find no need to visit the other city regularly. It's definitely more of an issue for the Mid-Cities & Arlington/GP folks.

[lepoisson]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Good luck in Chicago. Hope you sold any firearms you accumulated in DFW before you moved since they don't believe in the Second Amendment up there. And have fun with Chicago winter...

The laws here are getting better, but there's still a lot of work to do. I can own any handguns or shotguns I want, and concealed carry is a thing. Chicago bans "assault weapons" but the law isn't enforced.

Fortunately I didn't have to sell anything.

Originally Posted by DTXman34

It's always good to experience different places so that you learn more about yourself. It's unfortunate that your job wasn't closer to either Dallas or FW so that you could've enjoyed a more urban lifestyle, even though it still pales in comparison to Chicago. Many on either the Dallas-side or the FW-side find no need to visit the other city regularly. It's definitely more of an issue for the Mid-Cities & Arlington/GP folks.

Yeah, I think it's a great idea to live in different places. I don't regret moving to Texas at all.

If I had a higher salary and worked in Dallas, I would have probably stayed longer and lived in Uptown or Bishop Arts.

[HP48G]

you can always come back ...

[TurtleCreek80]

Hope you find happiness there. Life is too short to be so miserable.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

The laws here are getting better, but there's still a lot of work to do. I can own any handguns or shotguns I want, and concealed carry is a thing. Chicago bans "assault weapons" but the law isn't enforced.

Fortunately I didn't have to sell anything.



Yeah, I think it's a great idea to live in different places. I don't regret moving to Texas at all.

If I had a higher salary and worked in Dallas, I would have probably stayed longer and lived in Uptown or Bishop Arts.

Try getting a FOID card and then report back.

[TheotherMarie]

You know you have two airports there, too? Just checking.

Before we moved here, one of the options for husband to transfer to was Chicago.
I put my foot down. There was no way I was doing those winters.
That being said, the summers here are brutal.

There are tons of museums and things in Chicago too, though, I understand.
And I hear the food is awesome.

I've lived in a lot of places. There are always things you like and don't like.
The trick is to find the place that has more things you do like.

[WorldKlas]

Nice post. However, for anyone reading this not local to DFW, there are many urban edge neighborhoods that provide that living environment.