Is Dallas green with trees? Are people friendly? (Plano, Keller: houses, neighborhood)

[turf3]

Originally Posted by EDS_

There are literally thousands of magnificent pecans trees in Dallas.

That first part is simply wrong. The area sports a number of largest in the country and largest in the state types trees according to A&M's big tree registry. Dallas County south of 635 has many thousands of very large pecan trees for an example. Roughly 30% of the land area in Dallas is tree covered.

And have you seen the size of the crepe myrtles at the Arboretum? Wow.

[Chloe333]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

The Dallas area is definitely greener than Denver and there are (mostly older) areas with a lot of tree cover. There are also quite a few treeless prairie areas, but these are more common in the suburban areas.

The people aren't bad overall. I haven't spent enough time in Denver to compare, but I wouldn't imagine Dallas would be socially worse than Denver for most folks.

Fantastic! I'm really over the moon about possibly living in a neighborhood with a yard with lovely trees, some canopy, more formal landscaping, and a sense of privacy. Also, I've been jogging on these dusty, rocky trails in flat, open spaces out here in Denver which is unpleasant especially in summer, and sounds like the local parks-trails in Dallas will be far more wooded and shaded. When I was researching, it was getting confusing with people making comments that there is no natural or scenic beauty and some saying no trees, yet in the Zillow property pics, I was seeing some very beautiful, lush properties and aerial views with trees. If he gets the job, it will be nice to finally see it for myself in a few weeks. Also, the Front Range feels very crowded with houses all crammed together to me, lots of dense suburban sprawl, and so hoping Dallas is a bit more spread out with more land and space between everything.

Thanks everyone for your helpful input!

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by turf3

And have you seen the size of the crepe myrtles at the Arboretum? Wow.

Yea. We really enjoy going it.

[Chloe333]

Originally Posted by turf3

Nope, no trees at all.

All those objects lining streets like Tokalon Dr. or Gaston Ave? Those aren't trees, just incredibly realistic replicas.

The Trinity Forest? Actually located in Kentucky and they use mirrors to project an image of it to Dallas.

The big pecan tree on Armstrong Pkwy? Actually made of fiberglass. Amazing how people can be fooled for over 100 years, isn't it?

As far as friendliness, if you expect people in a city of well over a million people to ooh and aaah over the fact that you have moved here from elsewhere, or if you expect busy people in a fast paced city to "set a spell and chew the fat" like they might in a town of 75, you will be disappointed. If you refrain from constantly complaining about how Dallas is different from where you came from, you will find Dallasites about as friendly as people in any similar urban environment anywhere in the US. The difference between the behavior of corporate gypsies in their exurban McMansions versus aging hippies in their lower Greenville 1920s bungalows is much bigger than the difference between McMansion-exurbanites in Denver and McMansion-exurbanites in Dallas, just to pick an example.

Well then forget it! I definitely expected lots of people to ooh and ahh upon my arrival and sit for hours amongst my lush shrubbery listening to me moan on and on about bugs and heat! This is very disappointing to learn. We are corporate gypsies, but my spouse followed the Grateful Dead around from '86-'93 so he is actually a corporate-dead head-gypsy. The Greenville hippies will oohh and aahh upon our arrival!

[DarkStar1013]

In order of nice people as an aggregate in my experience: Atlanta then Ft. Worth then Denver then Dallas. That said, I have met some fantastic people here in Dallas. Be advised it is tough to make good friends here.

[Chloe333]

Originally Posted by DarkStar1013

In order of nice people as an aggregate in my experience: Atlanta then Ft. Worth then Denver then Dallas. That said, I have met some fantastic people here in Dallas. Be advised it is tough to make good friends here.

I’ve read many online comments about Ft Forth being unusually friendly. Strange how Dallas-Ft. Worth are so close, but a lot of people say there is a difference in friendliness and warmth between the two cities. Elton John bought a house in Atlanta because he found Atlanta people so friendly, and I recall Atlantans being generally warm and friendly having grown up there.

[CCCyou]

There ARE homes/areas of DFW that have amazing old-growth White oaks,pecans,elms, etc.
Don't expect any NEW house to though-most new houses built last 20years have been on 'last-to-be-claimed' undesirable land/farm fields - the choice lots with views/old growth trees picked LONG ago.

Live Oaks do well here too & maintain their greenery longer than the winter-sleeping deciduous oaks.

Life is too short: We have always chosen a home w/Large mature oaks; you can 'fix-up' a house quick, but you cannot plop monster 100yo oaks on a bare plot!!!!

[DarkStar1013]

Originally Posted by Chloe333

I’ve read many online comments about Ft Forth being unusually friendly. Strange how Dallas-Ft. Worth are so close, but a lot of people say there is a difference in friendliness and warmth between the two cities. Elton John bought a house in Atlanta because he found Atlanta people so friendly, and I recall Atlantans being generally warm and friendly having grown up there.

My equivalent job here in Dallas would pay me 20 to 30k less in Atlanta. If they were more comparable I'd move to Atlanta in a heartbeat. I have friends there and have visited dozens of times.

[octo]

Parts of Dallas are very lush. Others are rather barren (usually where all the new construction happens).

My backyard looks like the Amazon from April to November. It’s wilderness along a creek.

[Prumio]

I am outside every day raking leaves this time of year!* The thing you have to understand about Dallas & green is that for the most part, we do not have a lot of evergreens. So, super-green right now and into the summer, but more barren in the winter months. The other thing (for any Californians reading this) is that the green-grass season is reversed: green in spring & summer, brown in winter.
*I rake almost all year long because I have "pin-oaks" which continually leaf out and shed at the same time (new growth forces old growth to drop). People are great, IMO.