Is Dallas a better place to live than Austin? (college, living in)
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I don't think anyone's disputing that Collin and Tarrant, and other surrounding counties, are red. I will say this though, I'm not sure there's another "twin city" metro where there is such a contrast between the two dominant cities. I'm just going to guess that the presidential voting patterns of, say, Seattle/Tacoma, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Minneapois/St. Paul, San Francisco/Oakland/Berkeley/San Jose were probably much more similar than those of Dallas and Fort Worth.
I am always perplexed by these "conservative vs liberal" arguments. I guess it's just not something I notice. I've lived on Castro Street in San Francisco (main commercial block of the gay area) as well as 5th Ave in San Diego (also main gay block) so in that sense all of Texas to me is pretty conservative since there aren't a lot of men feeling free to hold hands in public like I'm used to.
I live in the center of Plano and if someone hadn't told me, the only clue I'd have that this is a conservative place is that there are a bunch more churches here than in San Diego. Other than that, my Asian husband and I (white) walk around the neighborhood and everyone is nice to us. A few churches showed up at our doorstep bearing gifts the first month, but since then we haven't heard a peep from anyone about religion or politics. So I could really care less how my neighbors vote. If you ask me, that's why they make ballots secret - not everyone needs to know your politics.
After 40 years in San Diego, LA, SF and East Bay, I have lived the last 3 years in Austin and now Dallas (Plano). Lived in Austin for 18 months and it wasn't very "wierd" compared to anyplace I lived in California. It was boring to me with a lot of suburbs, very few decent art galleries, and lousy libraries. The hills were pretty but weren't enough to make me want to stay. And, wow, I've never seen such confusing ways to get everywhere and such horrendous traffic.
I really like Plano. Have all the benefits of a huge city nearby without having to deal with the city unless I feel like it (once every month or two). Dallas is my amusement park. Plano is pretty, clean, I can have a nice cheap house with a swimming pool and the neighbors all take care of their houses without an HOA. I have seen 0 traffic in 18 months in Plano. Can't remember the last time I was in slow traffic. I'm sure there's some bad traffic in Dallas, but I avoid that sort of thing by usually using surfaces streets and visiting it on the weekends.
Do I miss California? Sure. Whenever I see pictures of stucco buildings with palm trees all around and the ocean in the background, I get a little homesick. California has superior libraries and galleries which is important to me. But really, with the $10k a year I save in taxes over what I would be paying living the equivalent life in California, plus the extra $400k I save by owning a $250k house instead of the $650k house in the equivalent sort of neighborhood on the coast, I can take as many vacations as I like (I could fly out with my husband for a weekend every month and still be ahead) and live a more relaxed life. It's also nice not to worry if my house is worth twice or half as much as it was last year. I can't really compare salaries as my husband and I both work from home for different Bay Area companies.
In summary, love Texas, especially Dallas area. Austin is good if you are in college or heavily into college football. Financially, unless you are rich, I think it's better to live here and visit California.
Didn't you just say Austin was boring, had horrible libraries, horrible roads, and poor art galleries?
I wouldn't even want to live there even if I went to a college there. Seriously, I'd be so bored.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tashina
In summary, love Texas, especially Dallas area. Austin is good if you are in college or heavily into college football. Financially, unless you are rich, I think it's better to live here and visit California.
I am always perplexed by these "conservative vs liberal" arguments. I guess it's just not something I notice. I've lived on Castro Street in San Francisco (main commercial block of the gay area) as well as 5th Ave in San Diego (also main gay block) so in that sense all of Texas to me is pretty conservative since there aren't a lot of men feeling free to hold hands in public like I'm used to.
I live in the center of Plano and if someone hadn't told me, the only clue I'd have that this is a conservative place is that there are a bunch more churches here than in San Diego. Other than that, my Asian husband and I (white) walk around the neighborhood and everyone is nice to us. A few churches showed up at our doorstep bearing gifts the first month, but since then we haven't heard a peep from anyone about religion or politics. So I could really care less how my neighbors vote. If you ask me, that's why they make ballots secret - not everyone needs to know your politics.
After 40 years in San Diego, LA, SF and East Bay, I have lived the last 3 years in Austin and now Dallas (Plano). Lived in Austin for 18 months and it wasn't very "wierd" compared to anyplace I lived in California. It was boring to me with a lot of suburbs, very few decent art galleries, and lousy libraries. The hills were pretty but weren't enough to make me want to stay. And, wow, I've never seen such confusing ways to get everywhere and such horrendous traffic.
I really like Plano. Have all the benefits of a huge city nearby without having to deal with the city unless I feel like it (once every month or two). Dallas is my amusement park. Plano is pretty, clean, I can have a nice cheap house with a swimming pool and the neighbors all take care of their houses without an HOA. I have seen 0 traffic in 18 months in Plano. Can't remember the last time I was in slow traffic. I'm sure there's some bad traffic in Dallas, but I avoid that sort of thing by usually using surfaces streets and visiting it on the weekends.
Do I miss California? Sure. Whenever I see pictures of stucco buildings with palm trees all around and the ocean in the background, I get a little homesick. California has superior libraries and galleries which is important to me. But really, with the $10k a year I save in taxes over what I would be paying living the equivalent life in California, plus the extra $400k I save by owning a $250k house instead of the $650k house in the equivalent sort of neighborhood on the coast, I can take as many vacations as I like (I could fly out with my husband for a weekend every month and still be ahead) and live a more relaxed life. It's also nice not to worry if my house is worth twice or half as much as it was last year. I can't really compare salaries as my husband and I both work from home for different Bay Area companies.
In summary, love Texas, especially Dallas area. Austin is good if you are in college or heavily into college football. Financially, unless you are rich, I think it's better to live here and visit California.
Excellent post. I wondered though.... SF/SD to Plano is quite a contrast in terms of urban feel. Especially in your old areas out west, going from an urbanite to a burb is quite the difference. How did you find the adjustment?
I have been contemplating moving to Austin because of the supposedly liberal feel. Thus, I have visited numerous times in the past few years. However, I just don't see that.
I checked out an art gallery in Austin. Well Fort Worth and Dallas IMHO have better art galleries.
Food: Austin has some very interesting funky places to eat. However, I just did not find as many ethnic choices as in Dallas. I think Japanese restaurants in the DFW area are more numerous and thus I have more choices.
I found the city of Austin very expensive. Looking at houses they have the same small yards that Dallas does (unless you are looking at expensive houses in which case you can find a large yard in either city).
Then I explored a few of the suburbs. Wow, some of the Austin suburbs have the most backward people I have ever encountered although maybe comparable to some of the backwards people I met in Mississippi. Oklahoma had more "progressive" people than some of the suburbs of Austin. I am just saying...
I am trying to find a reason to like Austin more because I have heard it was more liberal. I am quite liberal, like art, music, etc. However, I cannot find an overwhelming reason to prefer Austin. The northern suburbs are like anywhere USA. Exploring neighborhoods there - some are downright scary. Just like in Dallas.
I thought since it was a University town I would see more liberal people. Well, I saw the different cliques that make up any large university. I suspect it is a very cliquish city.
In Austin, I went to restaurants and felt seriously under dressed. I never felt over dressed - so much for casual.
I did see some areas that I might like in the southwest part of town. However the houses there were too expensive. Going further out I could afford the houses but it would be a long commute to Austin.
Anyway, I am about to rethink my Austin idea of Utopia. Did I mention HOAs. New homes in Austin as in Dallas consist of HOAs. I am giving up on the new home idea in either city.
I think I will stick with the DFW area. I see the differences in Fort Worth and Dallas and prefer Dallas. However, I do have to admit that I am always surprised when I encounter liberal artsy areas in Fort Worth. Sometimes I think that city might actually be more artsy than Austin. However, I just can't handle all the cowboy themes in Fort Worth. Hmm, Austin is big on the lone star emblem I don't know which is less preferable.
Just my thoughts - I really want to prefer Austin but just do not see it as a preferrable city. More expensive to live there unless you live in the suburbs and then you run into the same mentality that you find everyone else in the small Texas towns in this state.
Please if I am wrong clue me in to some subtleties that I might have missed. Why did I feel more under dressed in Austin than in Dallas? I think Austin is much snootier.
I have been contemplating moving to Austin because of the supposedly liberal feel. Thus, I have visited numerous times in the past few years. However, I just don't see that.
I checked out an art gallery in Austin. Well Fort Worth and Dallas IMHO have better art galleries.
Food: Austin has some very interesting funky places to eat. However, I just did not find as many ethnic choices as in Dallas. I think Japanese restaurants in the DFW area are more numerous and thus I have more choices.
I found the city of Austin very expensive. Looking at houses they have the same small yards that Dallas does (unless you are looking at expensive houses in which case you can find a large yard in either city).
Then I explored a few of the suburbs. Wow, some of the Austin suburbs have the most backward people I have ever encountered although maybe comparable to some of the backwards people I met in Mississippi. Oklahoma had more "progressive" people than some of the suburbs of Austin. I am just saying...
I am trying to find a reason to like Austin more because I have heard it was more liberal. I am quite liberal, like art, music, etc. However, I cannot find an overwhelming reason to prefer Austin. The northern suburbs are like anywhere USA. Exploring neighborhoods there - some are downright scary. Just like in Dallas.
I thought since it was a University town I would see more liberal people. Well, I saw the different cliques that make up any large university. I suspect it is a very cliquish city.
In Austin, I went to restaurants and felt seriously under dressed. I never felt over dressed - so much for casual.
I did see some areas that I might like in the southwest part of town. However the houses there were too expensive. Going further out I could afford the houses but it would be a long commute to Austin.
Anyway, I am about to rethink my Austin idea of Utopia. Did I mention HOAs. New homes in Austin as in Dallas consist of HOAs. I am giving up on the new home idea in either city.
I think I will stick with the DFW area. I see the differences in Fort Worth and Dallas and prefer Dallas. However, I do have to admit that I am always surprised when I encounter liberal artsy areas in Fort Worth. Sometimes I think that city might actually be more artsy than Austin. However, I just can't handle all the cowboy themes in Fort Worth. Hmm, Austin is big on the lone star emblem I don't know which is less preferable.
Just my thoughts - I really want to prefer Austin but just do not see it as a preferrable city. More expensive to live there unless you live in the suburbs and then you run into the same mentality that you find everyone else in the small Texas towns in this state.
Please if I am wrong clue me in to some subtleties that I might have missed. Why did I feel more under dressed in Austin than in Dallas? I think Austin is much snootier.
It is called Lone Star Pride...love it or leave it
Austin is a backward college town. It's boring and backward there to the core.
Quote:
Originally Posted by concertmate
Ignore stupidity - that can be found anywhere. Given that what are some real reasons to prefer Austin to Dallas?
What are some of the subtleties I might have missed about Austin?
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Dallas vs. Austin?
