From NY to Fort Worth - Need some questions answered from others who have made the transition. (living in, moving to)

[beowulf7]

Less than 2 years ago, I made the jump from a lifelong NJ resident to becoming a TX resident. There was a culture shock period that's still ongoing, but it's not all that bad. I miss family and friends, the Jersey Shore, good pizza and bagels, and mild summers. But I like D/FW's more affordable real estate, warmer winters (OK, today is not a good example of that ), big city/small town mix of FW, and less traffic (west part of FW), to name a few.

[zeus mom]

Being a life time resident of Chester who just recently moved here maybe I can help as I see you are from Warwick. Yes real estate is a WHOLE lot more affordable here than Orange County. The taxes on my Chester home was almost 8000. per year. Here with the homestead it will be almost half of that. I agree with Beowulf7 that there is a culture shock that will be ongoing for a while but the majority of the people are friendly. I also miss the pizza (nothing like NY pizza!) but the Tex-Mex is awesome. Also unless you have driven in NY city traffic you might be a little overwhelmed with some of the drivers here until you know your way around. Some of the traffic in Dallas can be a nightmare. Electric rates are about the same as O&R but I haven't really had to turn on the heat except for a few days this winter as opposed to every day from Nov. to at least end of March. Haven't experienced the summer yet so will reserve that for a different day. I do miss the changing of the leaves in the Hudson Valley but don't miss having to shovel the driveway and walkway and worrying about slipping on the ice. Also don't miss the pot holes on Rt. 17. Much more shopping centers than Orange County with a more diverse selection, more things to do without having to drive into the City, more restaurants, movie theaters, etc. All in all a really nice place to live.

[krisco750]

Originally Posted by zeus mom

Being a life time resident of Chester who just recently moved here maybe I can help as I see you are from Warwick...

Are you referring to Chester, NJ? That's funny - I used to be a delivery driver for a pizza place in Flanders and we would deliver to Chester all the time. I lived in Netcong (which is 2 towns over from Chester) for a couple years as well

[zeus mom]

No, sorry. I meant Chester, NY but I do know where Netcong is.

[jhenning28]

Hi all,
I am new to this chat, but boy am I sure glad I came upon it!! We are going to be relocating to the FW area in about 4 weeks. And it is such a big step you are always wondering if your doing the right thing and hoping it works out for the best. My husband and I have two young childeren,come from a very small town in NY and are looking foward to this new adventure! I have family that lives in the FW area so I think it will help having them around, going through this next step in our lives. We have been looking at smaller towns, so we can raise our kids in a nice place, and have room for them to do things they have been doing in NY. And this has helped in so many ways, just answering questions you want answers to and just giving you the peace of mind.
Just want to say Thanks it is wonderful being able to read all your input..
Thanks..

[beowulf7]

^ Good luck w/ your move! Yes, the people here are friendly and helpful.

[saleen245]

Hey joeymarine,

If I were you, I wouldn't do it! I was born in New York and lived there until I was about 12. I moved to Texas in '95. I live in Manhattan now. Although I only had to endure Texas' wrath for about four years (I went to college in the Northeast), those four years were the worst of my life. I now live in New York and don't ever want to go back again.

My first reason is that Texas is HIGHLY bible-oriented. I do not know if you are Christian, but I AM. Even though I am Christian, it always got really annoying to hear people talking about God every single day. There was absolutely no diversity there, in terms of religion and race. It's always nice to have some diversity.

My second reason is that the heat during the summer is UNBEARABLE. The first time I came to Texas, the highs in October were in the 90's! During the summer the highs are in the 100's for a good part of the season. Apparently it snowed a couple of days ago. It's supposed to be 90 there in Fort Worth tomorrow.

The weather can get really bad in the spring. Severe weather is not uncommon, and considering the fact that the DFW area is in tornado alley, tornadoes aren't rare! Although snow can sometimes get annoying here in New York, it is worth dealing with, and in my opinion, a little snow is enjoyable.

The only mass transportation is in Dallas County and although you may think you're ready to drive 50 miles everyday, you definitely won't be soon enough.

Although this might be considered highly biased, the accents here take quite a bit of time getting used to.

I don't know if you have kids, but the education in Texas is quite mediocre compared to that of NY. There are very few Gifted and Talented Programs, oversized classes, and way too much importance to athletics.

Every 5 blocks, you will see a Super WalMart. So get used to that...

The property taxes in Texas are greater than or equal to those on Long Island. (I'm assuming the same rule applies for Upstate).

Although the homes are cheaper and the gas prices are a bit less, the cons outweigh the pros, in my opinion. Good luck, joeymarine. Remember, this decision will affect your entire family so make the right one...

[beowulf7]

^ Since I lived in NJ (granted, not NY) and moved to TX in 2006, I can chime in on what saleen said. I'll just briefly address some of the points.

- Yes, far more bible thumpers in TX than in NJ. However, no one ever forced their religion on me.
- Yes, the summer heat stinks. 2006 (my 1st summer) was a big shock - we had 40 days in the 100s. Last year was relatively mild. Who knows what this year will bring.
- The temp. fluctuates quite a bit in TX, no doubt about that. However, not having to deal w/ temps. in the 10s and 20s every night like you have to in NJ/NY is worth it. I haven't seen any tornadoes. They're hit or miss, but it's not as bad as in Kansas and Arkansas. FW took a direct hit in 2000, I believe. Dallas got hit in the 1950s, from what I hear. Most native Texans I know haven't even seen a live tornado. So don't exaggerate.
- Mass transit is def. not as good or reliable in TX, I agree. But it's cheaper. Also, at least in FW, much less traffic than NJ/NY.
- I don't have kids, but in general, NJ has better education than TX. I don't know how NY compares. However, there are still some very good school districts if one stays in the outskirts (e.g. Eagle Mountain ISD instead of FW ISD).
- Yes, the accents can be annoying, but no biggie. Not everyone talks like a hick. Texans put up w/ our NJ/NY accents.
- Yes, there are more Wal-Marts in TX, but it's not that bad. I saw a ton of W-Ms in NJ.
- Prop. tax is better in TX than NJ. I don't know about NY. Real estate is MUCH cheaper in TX - about 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of houses in NJ.
- Gas prices are similarly priced in TX and NJ.

I hope my opinion helps joeymarine out as well.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Another thing I noticed is that of course Texas isn't as old a state as New York.

You won't see the historical buildings that you do in New York, on the upside there is more of an inventory of newer homes to live in for a reasonable price.

Something I also noticed is that old towns in New England were centered around a church. In Texas these towns are centered around the Court House. These Court Houses are often very nice examples of older architecture.

[padcrasher]

I'm from the DFW area but lived and worked in Midtown/Penn Plaza for two years and loved it. And I really did enjoy New Yorkers.

My advice is this. Southerners mistake the fast pace of New Yorkers for rudeness. Slow down a little bit, in business conversations don't get to the bottom line so quickly. Talk about family, hobbies, sports, etc. first. Smile, make eye contact, say thank you. The guy at Jiffy Lube who changed your oil really was sincere when he said "Thank your for your business". He wasnt just yankin your chain.