Posted on 09/24/2009 8:04:34 AM PDT by Frogtacos
Calling Texas Freepers!
My husband and I lived in the Wichita Falls area several years ago (he was stationed at Sheppard AFB) and we absolutely fell in love with Texas. Since then, he has gotten out of the Army, had a great job, and gotten laid off.
Now, 6 months and a whole lot of job searching later, he has 2 job opportunities in Texas. One in Dallas, the other in Houston. Both are excellent job opportunities with very similar salary packages. I have never been to Houston, and only into Dallas for the airport and Nascar track so really have no knowledge of either one.
If any of you can help me with good/bad info (as far as living there) on either/both cities I would greatly appreciate it. Education need not be a factor as we homeschool.
/johnny
I think housing is cheaper in Houston, but we're overrun with illegals - if I were to choose right now, I'd choose Dallas, but I'm from north central Texas so I always liked that area.
I lived in Houston for two years (1998-2000) and loved it.
Houston can be so humid and so hot as to be unendurable sometimes. It can really be awful.
If you homeschool then you have a better choice of locations. I would say Dallas, just because of the weather.
BTW I live in south-west TX.
In Texas being in a good school district is an important factor in the future value of your property though.
Vast - help a soon to be Texan out here...
If you are just talking about the cities themselves, not the surrounding burbs, Dallas is a much nicer town to live in, however, the Houston FReepers are more fun. If you end up in Houston, you may want to look to my old stoming grounds- The Woodlands.
Houston has hurricanes, Dallas has nasty hail storms.
Dallas’ climate is more moderate, for me, Houston is unbearable in the summer.
Traffic in Dallas is much better.
We had to make the exact same decision to make in 2003. We finally settled on Dallas.
Houston is an interesting place. A massive city with no zoning. It’s also much hotter and more humid than Dallas. Plus tropical storms.
The Dallas area is actually bigger, although Houston is bigger on paper. The reason is that 7 of the 10 largest cities in Texas are in the DFW metroplex, while Houston is pretty much Houston.
Only outsiders complain about the Houston summer weather. Houstonians never go outside in the summer.
You’re within an hour of a warm beach, more lakes, more watersports opportunities. Air travel is much cheaper out of Houston. If you live on the north side (FM 1960, The Woodlands), you have very good schools, attractive shopping, concert venues, etc. Dallas politics is a nest of snakes. (And I live in the Dallas area.) Don’t think about living in Houston proper, except maybe west Houston. Katy is very attractive, but the commute is hell.
I am seriously considering moving to the Houston area when I retire.
Houston is sea locked on one side. East is the third world nation of Louisiana and west is the growing nation of Atlan or something like that plus a lot of nothing before you get to the hill country. Houston has better drivers than Dallas but it also has hurricanes, high humidity and incessant heat.
Somehow Dallas seems easier to get out of and get through but it is infested with yuppie types. It also seems easier to get to somewhere I want to go that has a little topography and fewer people. Anywhere north of Houston soon runs into recreating people coming south from DFW. And there ain’t much for recreating north of Houston.
I would choose neither but am eternally grateful a lot of people choose one or the other.
Ping
The only good thing about Houston is that it’s so close to Texas. It barely resembles anything Texan.
Dallas! Houston and the surrounding area are ginormous! Traffic galore. High humidity. Houston Texans football.
Definitely Dallas.
Massive Houston vs. Dallas fight in 5, 4, 3, 2, ....
:O)
Houston is a great city, as long as you live inside the 610 loop. Outside the loop (which is most of the city) you will spend all your time in traffic. The summers are worse than anywhere on earth.
Not Eaker. He's no fun at all.
Cowboys or Texans?? That’s really all that matters isn’t it?
Personally... I think people in Dallas are snobby. Heck, they’re almost Okies... :-)
Houston is a more interesting place to live IMHO. More storms, more bugs... a beach. Interesting.
In either location, it will help if you learn some Spanish. That way, you’ll be able to communicate with the sales people everywhere.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.