NC to TX Anybody move from Raleigh or Charlotte? (Dallas: rental, amusement parks)

[Chrishomepro]

Hey everyone

Looking to come down for a visit In the near future to check the area out. Little back story for you guys, me and my family wanted to move to NC or TX a few years ago but ended up moving to NC. We like the area we live in but we feel like it’s missing something and have always wondered if TX would have been a better fit. Dallas seems like it has a lot more to do than Raleigh. We did visit TX but our trip was very short. So my question is has anybody move here from Raleigh or Charlotte? How are you guys liking the area. Thanks for the reply’s in advance and yes I know writing is not my forte never has been.

[mrsb9494]

What do you think is missing? To ME, dallas seems to lack its own culture, which I feel Raleigh has more of. Yes, dallas is huge, but to me a lot of it is the same big box stores, same exact neighborhoods, and they have gotten rid of a lot of their history in some areas. Not to mention I think NC is infinitely prettier. but again, my opinion.

[calgirlinnc]

We lived in Raleigh for three years and the Charlotte area for over eight years.

Scenery: Raleigh/Charlotte...more trees everywhere, rolling hills, closer to the beach and the mountains. Also from NC it is easier to drive to D.C., NYC, Florida, etc.

Schools: DFW. North Texas has some of the best public and private schools in the country. Plus help for special needs students is more available in Texas schools. Our experience with that in NC (our son is dyslexic) was abysmal.

Weather: most here will disagree, but I say the weather in DFW is better than Raleigh/Charlotte. Yes the temperature in summer is hotter but it is so much less humid here. There is almost always a breeze in North Texas.

Things to do: DFW has tons of shopping, sports, lakes, trails, parks, places to eat, cultural offerings (music/theater), horse racing, amusement parks. I find both places similar in that there is tons to do but you do have to plan your activities.

Cute historic towns: tie

Buying a live Christmas tree: NC hands down

Something that is hard to quantify...there is a lot more wealth in the DFW area. In Raleigh or Charlotte, there are 3 or 4 more upscale areas (for example, in Charlotte...There's Myers Park and south Charlotte, but other areas it is an upscale neighborhood like Jetton in a more ordinary area). Here, entire towns are cleaner/nicer/newer. It is not as common to see trailer parks near $400,000 neighborhoods.

I disagree about NC having more of its own culture than DFW, unless you are talking about abandoned and decaying mill towns. Ever been to Huntersville? It is the very definition of a generic suburb. And yes even though it is very nice, with Birkdale, etc., it is not unique and could be anywhere.

Housing: more expensive in DFW

Taxes/Utilities no state taxes in TX, but higher property taxes. Electricity is cheaper but water is more expensive. Groceries are about the same.

So far I don't regret moving here. When we were telling people in NC that we were moving to Texas, most of them were horrified, as if we were moving to somewhere gross. Let me tell you, DFW makes Raleigh/Charlotte look like a backwater. They are very nice medium sized cities. DFW is a different animal. Only one woman appreciated Dallas and that's because she was from Chicago.

I also find the people I have met here to much nicer than in N.C. but that's just me.

Hope this helps. DM if you have more questions.

[Chrishomepro]

Originally Posted by calgirlinnc

We lived in Raleigh for three years and the Charlotte area for over eight years.

Scenery: Raleigh/Charlotte...more trees everywhere, rolling hills, closer to the beach and the mountains. Also from NC it is easier to drive to D.C., NYC, Florida, etc.

Schools: DFW. North Texas has some of the best public and private schools in the country. Plus help for special needs students is more available in Texas schools. Our experience with that in NC (our son is dyslexic) was abysmal.

Weather: most here will disagree, but I say the weather in DFW is better than Raleigh/Charlotte. Yes the temperature in summer is hotter but it is so much less humid here. There is almost always a breeze in North Texas.

Things to do: DFW has tons of shopping, sports, lakes, trails, parks, places to eat, cultural offerings (music/theater), horse racing, amusement parks. I find both places similar in that there is tons to do but you do have to plan your activities.

Cute historic towns: tie

Buying a live Christmas tree: NC hands down

Something that is hard to quantify...there is a lot more wealth in the DFW area. In Raleigh or Charlotte, there are 3 or 4 more upscale areas (for example, in Charlotte...There's Myers Park and south Charlotte, but other areas it is an upscale neighborhood like Jetton in a more ordinary area). Here, entire towns are cleaner/nicer/newer. It is not as common to see trailer parks near $400,000 neighborhoods.

I disagree about NC having more of its own culture than DFW, unless you are talking about abandoned and decaying mill towns. Ever been to Huntersville? It is the very definition of a generic suburb. And yes even though it is very nice, with Birkdale, etc., it is not unique and could be anywhere.

Housing: more expensive in DFW

Taxes/Utilities no state taxes in TX, but higher property taxes. Electricity is cheaper but water is more expensive. Groceries are about the same.

So far I don't regret moving here. When we were telling people in NC that we were moving to Texas, most of them were horrified, as if we were moving to somewhere gross. Let me tell you, DFW makes Raleigh/Charlotte look like a backwater. They are very nice medium sized cities. DFW is a different animal. Only one woman appreciated Dallas and that's because she was from Chicago.

I also find the people I have met here to much nicer than in N.C. but that's just me.

Hope this helps. DM if you have more questions.

Thank you this is very helpful. If I have any questions I will definitely send you a dm

[Chrishomepro]

Yes I feel like Raleigh and the surrounding area are lacking when it comes to shopping, dining and just things to do. I mean it’s not the worst place but it’s lacking. My wife is a stay at home mom and she is I hate to say it but bored and so is my kid. There’s only so many times you can do the same thing.

[Repatriot]

Good you posted this as I am considering the same thing, mostly due to what I think are better job prospects in DFW than Raleigh (despite what many may say).

So I'm interested to see what kind of replies you get, and I've already had an offline with CalGirl (thanks CG).

[EcoDeb]

We lived in the Raleigh area while attending NCSU. Moved to western NCarolina and then to Dallas Metroplex for 17 years for work. We're outdoors people who really enjoyed the mountains in WNC, that said, the immediate Dallas area lacks LARGE public lands to hike, backpack, camp, etc.... If you want to shop, Dallas is great! Dining, lots of chain establishments, no real farm to table movement yet. Traffic is AWFUL and it's crowded here, we were used to living on least an acre and had to go out a bit to get a home with some land. Insurance (home and auto) and property taxes as well as housing are expensive, there are no state taxes. I dig the people, we live in Denton County which is more laid back and near 2 Universities. We don't have kids but the neighborhood kids have done very well, several are actually in Med School and most are attending or planning to attend college. I love to garden and that is just hard to do in the summer, the sun and heat and the price of water! Yes, if it is dry there are very serious water restrictions. We are in the process of moving back to western NC. Our stay in the Dallas area was fine and must say it was great to jump on a plane a be almost anywhere non-stop.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[Aggielina]

I lived in the Raleigh area for a few years while in grad school. There is way more to do in DFW just due to the sheer size difference. I thought Raleigh lacked shopping and dining options, but I loved all the artisan and craft galleries / shops they had (although, that's not exactly kid-friendly!). I discovered pottery in Seagrove. I also loved how easy it was to see mountains and beaches. You can get that in Texas but you have to drive a lot more. I also loved all the historical sites in NC. I love TX history, but it was a nice change of pace to see American & Revolutionary War historical sites within an easy drive.

I thought the housing and rental prices were astronomical compared to Texas, but that was almost 20 years ago so I don't know what it's like now. And keep in mind my experience was from that long ago, so I don't know how it's changed.

(An aside: it also seemed like there was a moonshine bust in the news every week, and pig trucks seemed to overturn on the highways quite frequently too.)

You have to decide which is a better fit for your family and lifestyle. If I had a great opportunity to move back to NC I would strongly consider it because I enjoyed my time there, and it's so pretty. But it would have to be a lot of $$$ to entice me to leave my TX family and friends.

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by EcoDeb

Dining, lots of chain establishments, no real farm to table movement yet. Traffic is AWFUL and it's crowded here, we were used to living on least an acre and had to go out a bit to get a home with some land. Insurance (home and auto) and property taxes as well as housing are expensive, there are no state taxes. I dig the people, we live in Denton County which is more laid back and near 2 Universities. We don't have kids but the neighborhood kids have done very well, several are actually in Med School and most are attending or planning to attend college. I love to garden and that is just hard to do in the summer, the sun and heat and the price of water! Yes, if it is dry there are very serious water restrictions. We are in the process of moving back to western NC. Our stay in the Dallas area was fine and must say it was great to jump on a plane a be almost anywhere non-stop.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

There is for sure a reasonably large farm to table movement in DALLAS. You live in or near Denton, where I am sure there is far less of it.

[EcoDeb]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

There is for sure a reasonably large farm to table movement in DALLAS. You live in or near Denton, where I am sure there is far less of it.

They farm food in Dallas? There are plenty of ranches, but real farming? Beef and Buffalo I can see. In western NC the eating establishments own and operate their own farms or they share farms. I have a client who owns a sizable farm for his 4 restaurants. This would be my definition of a farm to table establishment.