Moving from LA to Dallas (Plano, McKinney: scorpions, schools, allergies)

[TheOverdog]

I didn't have allergy problems until I moved to DFW, and they are BAD, especially for someone who had never had any allergy problems triggered before.

LA has horrible allergy problems too - the air quality is no better than Dallas and the plants continue to bloom during the winter - it really just depends on what you are allergic to.

And Dallas is still like 50% less expensive than LA when it comes to housing - so Dallas has a long way to go to be on par with LA. Most other things are pretty close to the same price between the two places, with LA being slightly more expensive.

[happycrow]

Used to live in San Pedro, TheOverdog. It's worse here. A lot worse.

I'm not saying OP shouldn't come, and I do wish them the best of luck. But they should be ready for it if allergies are already an issue.

[TheOverdog]

Used to live in San Pedro, TheOverdog. It's worse here. A lot worse.

I spend 3-4 months a year in southern CA (my wife takes care of her aging parents) and everyone in my wife's family there takes allergy shots.

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by stephwin

Budget? Job location? We can't recommend anything without those two.

Lots of people never have allergies and then move here and they suddenly develop them. My oldest daughter has eczema. It usually flares up a couple of times a year but it's easily controlled.

Bugs are a thing almost anywhere you live in DFW. Crickets, spiders, doodle bugs, grasshoppers, etc.
Mosquitoes are abundant, but I'm hoping the cold snap we had this winter will keep their numbers lower than they have been. I've lived in DFW my entire life and I've seen 1 scorpion and a handful of snakes, and that was when I lived in a rural area. I haven't seen either during my time in the suburbs. Mice on the other hand...

Mosquitoes are here but "ABUNDANT"...no...that is something you see along the gulf coast all the way to Miami. We have them but I may suffer a bite or two per year and that's without using any repellant. Now of course If you work outdoors, odds will increase. Humid/west weather attracts them more. Try Minnesota for example, the land of 10,000 lakes.

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by Dasha1011

Hi guys, we are planning to relocate to Dallas from LA. Have a few questions:
1. Weather. Both me and my kids have eczema here in LA and hubby has super bad allergies because of dry climate. What can you say about weather in Dallas?
2. Daycares and schools? Any advices here? My kids are little, so I'm not there yet.
3. What are the best family areas to move to in Dallas?
4. Homeless people. They are huge part of California (lived in SF and LA). How is the situation in Dallas?
5. Bugs, scorpios and snakes? A lot? In every backyard? Or those are old wife's tales?
Thank you!

Homeless are nowhere near the problem you see on the west coast for two reasons:
1. this is a more affordable area;
2. the state/local municipalities are frankly not as giving so the homeless are drawn here as they are out west.




Where will you be working area-wise? I would say avoid the southeast quadrants of Dallas and of Fort Worth as they are most disadvantaged and have higher crime rates. Staying north of I-30 is typically a good thing in terms of school quality with exception being south west fort worth.


Climate is less humid than any places south of here but you will see a lot more rain than anyplace in California though not as much as what Houston gets.

[wannabeaTexan]

I hear allergies are bad when you move to Texas. I thought I got away with moving here from WA & not developing them. But, I did end up with eczema issues & eventually found out it is an allergic reaction, so I didn’t get away with anything. I haven’t been able to get rid of the eczema issues & it’s mostly horrible.

I’ve thought sometimes that moving out of Texas would be worth it if the only good thing that came out of it was this clearing up. I’m used to it now, but that’s not saying much.

[wannabeaTexan]

Originally Posted by Dasha1011

Wow. Thank you guys so much for the replies. Dallas doesn't seem cheaper to me than LA any longer. We live in great area and pay 2k for 2/2 apartment 1200sf. Daycares are 1200/m. Plus we have no rats, mice or moscitoes.

Apartments aren’t generally *that* expensive here in good areas. I would’ve moved far away if I had to pay $2K for a 2-bedroom in DFW. Lived here 9+ years & I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rat or mouse & I barely notice the mosquitos. June bugs...that’s a different story. Also, I’ve never seen a tarantula, but they are around. My kids have seen them near our yard, co-workers all have stories, and I know people have seen them where I work.

I believe daycare is about the same here for a baby at a good place.

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by wannabeaTexan

Apartments aren’t generally *that* expensive here in good areas. I would’ve moved far away if I had to pay $2K for a 2-bedroom in DFW. Lived here 9+ years & I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rat or mouse & I barely notice the mosquitos. June bugs...that’s a different story. Also, I’ve never seen a tarantula, but they are around. My kids have seen them near our yard, co-workers all have stories, and I know people have seen them where I work.

I believe daycare is about the same here for a baby at a good place.

In what part of L.A do you live? Are you in L.A. proper? Remember L.A. city and L.A. county are HUGE. L.A. county square miles is the size of Dallas, Collin and Tarrant counties combined. I live in a great area in Dallas county, playing $800 less for a 2 bdrm apt than what you pay in L.A> and less you forget, Texas has not state income tax and average price per gallon of gas is .80 cents less than in Southern California.

[wannabeaTexan]

Originally Posted by walker1962

In what part of L.A do you live? Are you in L.A. proper? Remember L.A. city and L.A. county are HUGE. L.A. county square miles is the size of Dallas, Collin and Tarrant counties combined. I live in a great area in Dallas county, playing $800 less for a 2 bdrm apt than what you pay in L.A> and less you forget, Texas has not state income tax and average price per gallon of gas is .80 cents less than in Southern California.

I live in Texas. I was responding to OP’s post that said Dallas no longer seems cheaper than L.A. to her.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by Dasha1011

Hi guys, we are planning to relocate to Dallas from LA. Have a few questions:
1. Weather. Both me and my kids have eczema here in LA and hubby has super bad allergies because of dry climate. What can you say about weather in Dallas?
2. Daycares and schools? Any advices here? My kids are little, so I'm not there yet.
3. What are the best family areas to move to in Dallas?
4. Homeless people. They are huge part of California (lived in SF and LA). How is the situation in Dallas?
5. Bugs, scorpios and snakes? A lot? In every backyard? Or those are old wife's tales?
Thank you!

1. 4 pretty distinct seasons, but all bets are off on any one day at what the temp will be. 60 in July? Sure.
80 in January? Sure. Snow the next day? Sure. My brother had horrible allergies that got way better when he moved from LA to Plano. His asthma was all but gone.

2. They are everywhere and of various qualities.

3. Everyone has a different budget and different expectations. The great news is that there are TONS of really good choices all over the metroplex. We are blessed with many quality places to live near great schools. The catch is always...$$$$.

4. I don't see homeless people where I live or on my commute. They tend to be near certain parts of town and freeways.

5. No scorpions unless you go north of Dallas. Snakes...I mean, in 30 years living here, I've seen like 4. None venomous. I don't spray my house and I don't really have a bug problem. Fire ants do pop up in our yard, and we deal with them accordingly. All of this living right by a golf course and creek.
Lots of people have mosquito issues, but I haven't really been bothered (despite spending a lot of time outside). Dusk seens to be really the time to avoid.