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Old 04-01-2017, 05:16 PM
 
Location: In a George Strait Song
9,546 posts, read 7,017,666 times
Reputation: 14045

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If you moved to Texas from out of state, what are some aspects of living there that have pleasantly surprised you? Or been better than you expected (or at least not as bad !) Similarly, what has been a negative aspect that you didn't anticipate?
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Old 04-01-2017, 08:05 PM
 
Location: Chicago
6,160 posts, read 5,653,594 times
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I'm originally from NC, lived in MO and IA, moved to Texas (specifically DFW) for a year, and live in Chicago now.

Here are my pros:
  • Super nice people
  • Cost of living is fairly low when you compare it to cities comparable in size
  • Booming job market
  • Stable and healthy economy
  • There's something for everybody: city life, regular suburbs, wealthy suburbs, and rural living
  • Not having to walk in snow and scrape ice off my windshield!

Here are my cons:
  • The weather was awful and unbearable for me from mid-May to late September. The winter weather was okay, but I really started to miss seasons.
  • My allergies were the worst I've ever had anywhere. It started in late December.
  • DRIVING and traffic - God is it awful. "Let's go to Dallas this Saturday" turns into a 25mi/1hr drive in awful traffic. Definitely not my idea of fun.
  • Cost of living is low compared to the coasts, but it's really high compared to the Midwest
  • The big cities in Texas really aren't that great. Yawn...
  • The obsession with Texas. I got so tired of the circlejerk of seeing Texas stickers, tattoos, t-shirts, etc plastered on everything.
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Old 04-01-2017, 09:12 PM
 
Location: In a George Strait Song
9,546 posts, read 7,017,666 times
Reputation: 14045
Ok, I get your pros and cons, and based on your other posts I am not surprised. But that doesn't really answer my question about your expectations. I am already expecting it to be God-awful hot, for example.
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Old 04-01-2017, 09:22 PM
 
3,199 posts, read 2,310,158 times
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You complain about traffic in Dallas/FW but move TO CHICAGO!? I'm in D/FW now and visited Chicago more than once. By all official metrics Chicago is worse.


Second, you say D/FW cost of living is worse than the Midwest BUT again, you move to Chicago which again but all metrics is HIGHER! The second best metro in the Midwest in Minneapolis/SP. Well compared to D/FW, MSP is no better. So what other big cities do you speak of..Cleveland, Detroit, Cincy, Milwaukee? LMAO no one cares for any of those towns. They all have moved away and thus, driven the price of housing DOWN!


Weather? May/June in Dallas is like many July/August up north. Now July through mid September, yea that's rough. But no worse than winters in Chicago, M/SP, Detroit or Cleveland. And no shoveling of snow.


Change of seasons happens in north Texas. I've been here 15 years and have experienced, ice and even snow more than once in February and March, albeit not what you will have in the Midwest.


Boring, compare to what in the Midwest, outside of Chicago? And once you leave Chicago, what else is there in Illinois? What is there in Indiana outside of Indianapolis, Wisconsin, outside of Milwaukee? You can swing down to Austin, San Antonio or Houston in state. Chicago has great culture but look at that crime, compared to what you saw in any big Texas city.
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Old 04-01-2017, 09:42 PM
 
23,690 posts, read 9,273,859 times
Reputation: 8650
Quote:
Originally Posted by lepoisson View Post
I'm originally from NC, lived in MO and IA, moved to Texas (specifically DFW) for a year, and live in Chicago now.

Here are my pros:
  • Super nice people
  • Cost of living is fairly low when you compare it to cities comparable in size
  • Booming job market
  • Stable and healthy economy
  • There's something for everybody: city life, regular suburbs, wealthy suburbs, and rural living
  • Not having to walk in snow and scrape ice off my windshield!

Here are my cons:
  • The weather was awful and unbearable for me from mid-May to late September. The winter weather was okay, but I really started to miss seasons.
  • My allergies were the worst I've ever had anywhere. It started in late December.
  • DRIVING and traffic - God is it awful. "Let's go to Dallas this Saturday" turns into a 25mi/1hr drive in awful traffic. Definitely not my idea of fun.
  • Cost of living is low compared to the coasts, but it's really high compared to the Midwest
  • The big cities in Texas really aren't that great. Yawn...
  • The obsession with Texas. I got so tired of the circlejerk of seeing Texas stickers, tattoos, t-shirts, etc plastered on everything.
Why did you move to Chicago if you complain about high cost of living in Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington?Also, were you expecting traffic to be better in Chicago than DFWA?I am not trying to be mean or anything...I am just wondering.I agree that traffic is bad in the Big D but i have always heard its worse in Chicago.I dont blame you for hating the climate in the summer.
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Old 04-01-2017, 11:05 PM
 
Location: Tempe, AZ
113 posts, read 112,192 times
Reputation: 75
I would ask if lepoisson as been out to Phoenix. Sure there isn't big construction like in Dallas, no humidity either, but same as most souther border states a lack of seasons sometimes.

Also traffic is bad anywhere really the difference between Dallas and Phoenix is that Dallas is spread out and I could always find alternative routes. There are so many people that live in Phoenix right now that traffic is more of it being overcrowded in a small fish bowl. What might take me 10 to 15 minutes to drive 20 miles on a slow day could be an hour other times. And there aren't always alternative routes because they are just as backed up.

If your there as a tourist you might get bored because it's like other big cities that advertise themselves. I've visited 3 times and I hope this August will be my last before a move back there. It's all preference on what you like and don't like.

Lastly, the obsession not many residents care for the cities/states other than Texas and maybe California.
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Old 04-02-2017, 09:05 AM
 
Location: Chicago
6,160 posts, read 5,653,594 times
Reputation: 6193
Quote:
Originally Posted by calgirlinnc View Post
Ok, I get your pros and cons, and based on your other posts I am not surprised. But that doesn't really answer my question about your expectations. I am already expecting it to be God-awful hot, for example.
Aaah, gotcha. I went in with an open mind. I was excited to be moving to a new area and was excited for a new job. I was happy to be able to try famous Texas chili, TexMex, and see other famous sites in the state.

I was expecting DFW to be a big city with big city amenities. It definitely is, but the overall ambiance doesn't really feel like a big city. To me, it feels more like a super spread out and oversized mid-sized city. The main difference I saw is that in a place like NYC or Chicago, you can find places to eat or things to see/do simply by walking by or driving by. I actually found the famous Chicago theater simply because I was walking around. In DFW, since everything is spread out, it makes "naturally" discovering things more difficult. You have to look up things to do on the internet, then make a special trip in the car.

As for the heat, I was ready for and expecting it. But what caught me off guard was the heat at night, and that the heat would last into months where I expected cooler weather.


Quote:
Originally Posted by C24L View Post
Why did you move to Chicago if you complain about high cost of living in Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington?Also, were you expecting traffic to be better in Chicago than DFWA?I am not trying to be mean or anything...I am just wondering.I agree that traffic is bad in the Big D but i have always heard its worse in Chicago.I dont blame you for hating the climate in the summer.
I rent a 3br 1000sqft flat in Chicago for $1200/mo and am 1 mile away from work, and about 3mi from downtown. I walk to work most days.

I was paying $1000 for a 650sqft 1br in Arlington, so I'd say I'm getting a WAY better deal in Chicago. There were cheaper options in Arlington, but they all had bad reviews about car break ins, crappy management, and other issues.

Chicago is more expensive in some ways, but less expensive in some ways. There are neighborhoods and suburbs that are close to NYC prices, but there are also neighborhoods and suburbs with normal America prices. Also, my car insurance rates dropped, and I only get gas once a month instead of once a week.

Also, I'm not sure if traffic is better or worse in Chicago because I rarely get on the highway or drive at all. You can walk or take transit here, so it doesn't matter to some people. That's not an option in DFW, so that means EVERYONE is on the road.

Another reason I moved was that I was getting screwed on my salary. Lower salaries seems to be somewhat of an issue in DFW in certain fields. I WAY underestimated the cost of living in DFW and would not have been financially comfortable long term on that salary. My salary in Chicago is almost double and the cost of living stayed the same or actually decreased.

Last edited by lepoisson; 04-02-2017 at 09:16 AM..
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Old 04-02-2017, 09:12 AM
 
Location: In a George Strait Song
9,546 posts, read 7,017,666 times
Reputation: 14045
Thank you all for turning this thread into Dallas Vs. Chicago. Just what I was hoping for.

And yet no one has answered my original question.
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Old 04-02-2017, 10:20 AM
 
Location: Unknown
569 posts, read 554,454 times
Reputation: 678
Quote:
Originally Posted by calgirlinnc View Post
Thank you all for turning this thread into Dallas Vs. Chicago. Just what I was hoping for.

And yet no one has answered my original question.
Moving back to Texas recently hasn't been a great experience. As a native Texan I sincerely cannot wait to leave either. I am so sick and tired of being the nice person and getting **** on by every one else. I plan on living in San Diego soon.
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Old 04-02-2017, 10:23 AM
 
Location: Unknown
569 posts, read 554,454 times
Reputation: 678
Not to say Texas isn't a great place to live which it is. People are generally polite and respectful. I guess I'm just burned out.
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