College Grad maybe moving to Dallas?! Need some help please!!! (Fort Worth: apartments, rental)

[FLNJ17]

Hey y'all,

So... I might be moving to Dallas after college. I'm currently 20 years old, thinking about calling Dallas my home for the next chapter in my life.
A little about me... I'm a 20 year old college kid (will be 21 or 22 when I move), I've lived in a really small town in NJ outside of New York City all my life. I love the small town life, but I currently go to college in NYC and live about 20 minutes away so I basically call NYC my home. I can go both for country or city life. I'm a double major in Marketing and Business Management. I have absolutely no knowledge about Dallas, no friends there and have never been there so definitely would appreciate any advice about moving to Dallas.
My first question is where is the best place to live? I'm a young, almost college grad, from the north, and would describe myself as outgoing, and energetic. I'm all about that fast life, so I feel like I need to be doing something every second of my life or else I'll die of boredom, but that's just how it is up north. I also like to go out to the bars/clubs occasionally. So looking for a young, hip, lively, slightly artsy place to live, where the most important thing is being able to walk around and be able to go to stores/coffeeshops.
It doesn't necessarily have to be uptown... Also, one really important thing is: My small town ranked #1 safest in the state so safety is really really really important for me. I'll probably be looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment. Not looking to spend more than $850 or $900 a month (is that possible, not sure how apartments go in Dallas).

I am Jewish and I believe being close to a temple or synagogue is essential. There is one called Congregation Shaare Tefilla, it's by Preston Rd. and the 635. That's essentially where I'd like to be, but if there are better areas, by all means... I was looking at one specific neighborhood... From looking at google maps, it's in North Dallas by the 635 above University Park. Is this area safe? It's a really big issue for me because safety is probably my #1 most important qualification. I don't mind a 30 min maximum commute to work daily. I also don't know too much about the traffic, but I definitely know it's nowhere near as bad as the traffic in NYC.

So yeah... If y'all can really help me out, (especially with that neighborhood in North Dallas), I'd really appreciate it. Also, I look forward to meeting really nice people because I've heard of the southern hospitality. Bring on the heat, I'm sick of the snow and cold up here.

Thanks y'all and have an amazing day!!

[TurtleCreek80]

I lived in NYC for 5 years after college but am a native Dallasite. I would HIGHLY encourage you to come visit because Dallas and NYC are completely different. Some thought starters:

1. Considering you are Jewish - while Dallas has a large Jewish population for a Southern/Southwestern city, it is TINY compared to NYC/ Tri-State area. There are 2,000,000 Jews in NYC/Tri-State are and only 57,000 in Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Even adjusted for the population differences, 13% of the NYC area population is Jewish vs 0.9% in Dallas. I say this to level-set your expectations....if you think you're going to join a synagogue here and have 500 singles in the young adults group, think again. Temple Emanu-El is one of the largest synagogues in Dallas and my sense from a good friend whose active with their Young Adults group is that there is a core group of approx 50 single 20-30 somethings. If you plan to only/mostly date within the Jewish community, your "pickings" will be significantly slimmer here vs NYC.

2. Dallas isn't very walkable. Uptown is the most walkable neighborhood, even though there are large pockets of Uptown where you can't easily walk to a grocery store. You will still need a car to get to/from work and other errands, unless you meticulously plan your life in Dallas to live & work on a DART rail line (which will significantly limit your job & apartment prospects). The synagogue you mentioned has a walk score of 45 which means cars are required for most errands and a public transit score of 37 (some bus lines run up/down Preston but no light rail nearby). The things you would be able to walk to are a large, 4-cornered shopping center strip.

3. Safety - Most of Dallas south of 635 between the Dallas North Tollroad & US 75 is safe. It IS still a major city so most crimes are crimes of opportunity - ie, if you leave your keys in the car and your car running, someone WILL steal it. If you leave your iphone in plain sight while you run in to pick up groceries, someone WILL steal it. You will need to always lock your home/apartment, even if you're inside. Violent crime is pretty rare in that huge swath of Dallas. One note on the synagogue you mentioned - I would avoid the apartments south of 635 along Harvest Hill between DNT & Preston Road. They're mostly low-income immigrant apartments, but that area has an elevated crime rate compared to the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

4. Budget - Dallas isn't as cheap as you may have heard. Your $850-900 budget is largely inadequate for a 1-br in the neighborhoods you've mentioned and completely laughable for a 2br. A cheap studio in Uptown is going to run $1200/mo, with 1br's mainly STARTING AT $1500/mo. There is one inexpensive apartment neighborhood east of 75 (off Lovers Lane) that is safe & popular with young professionals - it's called The Village. The old apartment buildings in that complex will be at the upper end of your range. That is all in today's dollars. I own rental property and just raised the rent 20% when my tenant moved out last year. In 2 more years, your $850-900 budget likely won't even work for The Village.

5. Pace of Life - Dallas is way, way, way slower than NYC. Read that about 5X to let it sink in. Yes, Dallas is cosmopolitan and has things to do, but except in small pockets, people don't walk so there is no "hustle & bustle" of Manhattan & the boroughs. As another current thread points out, Dallasites love to eat & shop. Those are the main "activities" of most people your age. There are few (almost no) street fairs, flea markets, and other street festivals like NYC has. Sure, we have a great St Patty's Day parade on Lower Greenville and the Bishops Arts District does a lovely Bastille Day celebration, but in NYC there is something going on every single weekend. Not here. Dallas is a GREAT place to raise a family. It's a GREAT place to start a career due to our strong job market and wide variety of industries. It's an EASY place to live - way less stress than NYC. But exciting and fast paced, it is not. Sure, there is plenty to keep you busy but for someone who described himself as "needing to do something every second of [his] life or else [he'll] die of boredom".......Dallas is probably not my #1 pick for someone like you.

[metroxian]

Well, after that refreshing splash of chilled rocks let it be said, 'No one argues facts with TC80'. But don't let that come between you and an adventure. Take the visit, look around, get oriented, ask more questions. There's something for everyone (almost) and the adventure will give you a new exposure upon which to design a future. And there might be that Jewish beauty (I don't know jewish stuff) wondering where that Jewish boy is and when is he going to get here.

Do well in school, plan your adventure, spit the rocks out... we'll keep a light on for you.

[ChristieP]

There ARE outdoor festivals going on most weekends during the spring and fall, but most of them are in the surrounding suburbs. You won't see them past June due to our summer heat.

DFW has an excellent Renaissance Faire; it's held in Waxahachie about 45 minutes south of Dallas from March through Memorial Day.
Grapevine is host to Grapefest every September. It's the largest wine festival in the southwest.
The State Fair of Texas is in Dallas in September/October.

[UKWildcat1981]

You might like Atlanta better than Dallas, lot of the Jewish people in my family moved to Atlanta and they love it.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Temp43k

Well, after that refreshing splash of chilled rocks let it be said, 'No one argues facts with TC80'. But don't let that come between you and an adventure. Take the visit, look around, get oriented, ask more questions. There's something for everyone (almost) and the adventure will give you a new exposure upon which to design a future. And there might be that Jewish beauty (I don't know jewish stuff) wondering where that Jewish boy is and when is he going to get here.

Do well in school, plan your adventure, spit the rocks out... we'll keep a light on for you.

Oh, I don't disagree that he should come visit Dallas and judge it first hand, but seeing how from the OP he seems to have randomly thrown a dart at Dallas since he's never been here, has no friends here, and has "absolutely no knowledge about Dallas".....I thought I should provide him with some context vs the area he does have knowledge of (NYC/Tri-State).

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

There ARE outdoor festivals going on most weekends during the spring and fall, but most of them are in the surrounding suburbs. You won't see them past June due to our summer heat.

DFW has an excellent Renaissance Faire; it's held in Waxahachie about 45 minutes south of Dallas from March through Memorial Day.
Grapevine is host to Grapefest every September. It's the largest wine festival in the southwest.
The State Fair of Texas is in Dallas in September/October.

Yes, but many of those are day trips. In NYC, you can walk right out your door and the festivals practically come to you. Or you just happen to stumble across the Feast of San Genero while you're out shopping in SoHo/NoLIta or you spontaneously walk through the Chelsea Flea after meeting friends for brunch ......it's not a pre-planned excursion. It's just a different set-up in the city--> more discovery, less planning.

[UKWildcat1981]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Oh, I don't disagree that he should come visit Dallas and judge it first hand, but seeing how from the OP he seems to have randomly thrown a dart at Dallas since he's never been here, has no friends here, and has "absolutely no knowledge about Dallas".....I thought I should provide him with some context vs the area he does have knowledge of (NYC/Tri-State).

I am Jewish and I don't really care if I live among Jewish people thou, every Jewish person is different.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by UKWildcat1981

I am Jewish and I don't really care if I live among Jewish people thou, every Jewish person is different.

Oh, I know that. I have lots of Jewish friends - three in Dallas and many more in NYC. Some have married & dated outside the faith, but most have not. I'm just pointing out that for someone who has lived his entire life in the NYC area where there are more Jewish people than in Israel itself......Dallas is way different.....like, it's really darn hard to find an authentic bagel here!

[UKWildcat1981]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Oh, I know that. I have lots of Jewish friends - three in Dallas and many more in NYC. Some have married & dated outside the faith, but most have not. I'm just pointing out that for someone who has lived his entire life in the NYC area where there are more Jewish people than in Israel itself......Dallas is way different.....like, it's really darn hard to find an authentic bagel here!

I am the only Jewish guy here in Kentucky pretty in my area that I know, most Christians support Israel which is pretty cool.