Do you regret moving to Dallas? (Plano, McKinney: best cities, apartments, crime)

[Cuggz]

Originally Posted by Fluffypoms

Yep, I’m Canadian. been living in Toronto for 15 years and 3 years in Markham before I moved to the US.

Do you live in Dallas now? How you liking it ?
Any tips?

[Fluffypoms]

Originally Posted by Cuggz

Do you live in Dallas now? How you liking it ?
Any tips?

I am in Prosper, north of Dallas. The distance is around the same as Richmond Hill / Markham to downtown. I don't feel any significant negatives compared to Toronto. I think healthcare would be the biggest surprise coming from Canada, but that applies to anywhere in the US. You'd need to find a family doctor and make appointments because going to a walk-in clinic here is only partially covered by most insurances.

There are lots of highways that have toll like the 407. It will save you ALOT of time depending on when and where you are going. The only reason I can think of now that would make me want to move back is healthcare when I am older maybe after 50 or 60s. It would suck having to pay 4 figures a month for health insurance for the family.

Edit: there is only one place for poutine that i know of

[Cuggz]

Originally Posted by Fluffypoms

I am in Prosper, north of Dallas. The distance is around the same as Richmond Hill / Markham to downtown. I don't feel any significant negatives compared to Toronto. I think healthcare would be the biggest surprise coming from Canada, but that applies to anywhere in the US. You'd need to find a family doctor and make appointments because going to a walk-in clinic here is only partially covered by most insurances.

There are lots of highways that have toll like the 407. It will save you ALOT of time depending on when and where you are going. The only reason I can think of now that would make me want to move back is healthcare when I am older maybe after 50 or 60s. It would suck having to pay 4 figures a month for health insurance for the family.

Edit: there is only one place for poutine that i know of

What about downtown dallas ?

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I lived in ATL and for me it was an okay place. I personally never truly fell in love with it but I did come to respect it for what it is. It has however more recently made some pretty impressive strides and accomplishments especially with Microsoft moving there and Google expanding there. The scenery, I don't -strongly- miss .. but it is refreshing to be surrounded by the trees found there, however; I've also grown quite fond of the big open sky found in Texas.

However I do have to admit there are things ATL does better than DFW. Urbanity, Core centrality, and College education seem to be among them. ATL seems alot more focused on its core areas than DFW does, although that isn't to say that great things aren't happening in DFW, but it does seem like ATL is on another level in this regard. Suburbs on the otherhand, I will take DFW over ATL. ATL's suburbs are beautiful but they are just so dysfunctional in terms of layout and connectivity. DFW's seem bland and very cookie-cutter but they are designed so much better in terms of functionality.

My 'dream metro' would be an Atlanta with the layout and suburban functionality of DFW while retaining the core of Atlanta.

As much as I complain about the sprawly layout of DFW, imo, Atlanta has much worse urbanity. There are very few cities that highways messed up more than Atlanta. Downtown is sliced and diced by them and most of the skyline is just running along the side of an uncapped freeway. And just look at a map of the place, grid is all jacked up too.

The only good thing about Atlanta is it provides a great case study into how much physical, structural damage white flight can inflict on a place as people have the impossible task of putting the pieces back together.

Atlanta has the physical scars that show it was a major battle ground for civil rights.

North Georgia is pretty though, prettier than any of the major Texas cities at least with better access to public lands, parks etc.

[Fluffypoms]

Originally Posted by Cuggz

What about downtown dallas ?

I think downtown Dallas is very different from Toronto. It feels very dated... maybe Toronto from 10-20 years ago. Most of the investor money is going north of Dallas. What specifically downtown are you curious about?

[mSooner]

I recommend East Tennessee or North Carolina. It seems like lots of Texas expats move there and their climate is pretty moderate.

Just stopping by to stay, it's true! I haven't felt temps about 95 since we've moved here and most of the time it's in the 80s. I was a little CHILLY watching fireworks on the 4th of July.

And somehow hell froze over and DFW definitely had a worse winter this year, though obviously that isn't common.

[Cuggz]

Originally Posted by Fluffypoms

I think downtown Dallas is very different from Toronto. It feels very dated... maybe Toronto from 10-20 years ago. Most of the investor money is going north of Dallas. What specifically downtown are you curious about?

Just curious about the vibe.
The nightlife
The people ( I hear it’s friendlier and easier to make friends)
No walkability ( does it feel like a ghost town )

Just the biggest changes you’ve noticed or had to make.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by Cuggz

What about downtown dallas ?

It's unlikely that someone who lives in Prosper, many miles from downtown Dallas, has much knowledge of day to day life in/near downtown. It's a 45 minute drive under good conditions; probably an hour and a half at rush hour or if there's a wreck on one of the two main highways one would use.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by Cuggz

What about downtown dallas ?

It's unlikely that someone who lives in Prosper, many miles from downtown Dallas, has much knowledge of day to day life in/near downtown.

[texstout]

If you haven't been to downtown Dallas in the last couple of months, then your out-of-date. Despite Covid, downtown is hopping (at least compared to anything I've seen in the last 20 years here).



The Downtown Discovery district is a gamechanger (and I honestly was suspect of it). I've been a couple of times on both week nights and weekends recently. Even on a Tuesday night, it was completely full of people walking around, eating in the restaurants, drinking, laying on the grass, street vendors, etc. I had initially thought it was going to be a daytime area, but its interesting how nighttime oriented it has become. The upstairs areas are very see-and-be seen.



https://www.dmagazine.com/commercial...very-district/


The new Thompson hotel is also anchoring multiple restaurants and upscale bars. We tried Catbird the other night..it was gorgeous, if trying too hard to be cool. But the tons of people waiting to get in, must like it. I've been wanting to try out the Monarch restaurant.



I went last weekend to get tomatoes at the Dallas Farmers Market and it was very busy - despite the 100 degree heat.


There isn't a grocery store downtown - so while its walkable for day-to-day living, you definitely want a car for shopping. Its amazing how many condos there are nowadays. My office is on the 21st floor downtown and I can see into so many people's condos and apartment pools. I don't know who they are all though.



I will say that downtown Dallas isn't the destination that people in the Northern suburbs are drawn to and regularly go to unless they work there (and that's a long haul). Professional sports aren't downtown (even Basketball is North). Unless folks are coming to the museums and arts district, I doubt they are making the trek frequently. (Just like I infrequently go North of 635). There are some very high-end shopping (e.g., the Neiman Marcus flagship store), but otherwise shopping is outside Downtown.


If you are lumping in Uptown with Downtown (they are quite distinct - albiet not too far away from each other), then there is lots going on there as well.