Dallas, Texas

What did people not tell you about living in Dallas, Texas that you had to find out yourself?

It's all about attitude. The folks in University Park want to be like the folks in Highland Park. Highland Park is full of old money, oil money and they spend so much time walking around with their nose in the air that sometimes I think they'll drown.

Then you've got the Oak Lawn area and Uptown where the newbies are settling in… lot of millennials, and basically they think that the rest of the world doesn't exist.

Plano and Frisco have an attitude about themselves as well.

Cedar Hill, Oak Cliff, Duncanville …those parts of old Dallas, have people who have been living there for generations, and a very proud of their communities, so there's an attitude that goes along with that.

The best thing to do, is just meditate, and find your own style, your own speed, and your own attitude. You'll be fine.

What is it like to live in Dallas, TX?

I moved to Dallas from California in 2005 (I'm still here), and spent the majority of my most significant growing years here. Compared to LA, where I used to live, New York (I was born in Manhattan), and London (where I'll be moving to in August this year for school), Dallas is small, with not a lot of things going on. Many of the people here live in a bubble where life is incredibly easy compared to the big cities. The population here is pretty diverse, although not as much as LA, NYC, or London.

I like Dallas because the people here are incredibly friendly, unlike NYC, but not unlike London or LA, and less friendly than say people in New Orleans.

Dallas is small enough to where it's quite easy to gain access to success, but too small in that you really can't take that success anywhere else. Hence, like living in a bubble.

Dallas housing is the cheapest!!! My current apartment will cost millions per year to rent if the same apartment was in NYC or London…yet I can afford it on a student budget (with a lot of help from scholarships and grants).

Pros/cons of living in Dallas?

Pro. Dallas is easy to get around. It's cleaner than say Austin or Houston. You avoid hurricanes. Decent music, sports, and entertainment scene. Above average outdoor recreation activities/options.(however, everything is privatized. Barely any public lands to go camping, hiking, whatever)

Cons: You're in Texas. You drive 3 hrs in any direction -- you're still in Texas. Dallas Traffic is rated some of the worst in the nation. Food costs are higher both at the grocery store and restaurants. Texas weed is absolute shit and you get the worst of other states exports. You can't buy booze from a store on Sunday. Lots of power outages (I lived in CA 2x and didn't have to deal with losing power this frequently). Something bad happens (like a hurricane or snowstorm), the state won't do anything to assist you unless you're wealthy or politically tied. Southern hospitality is code for passive gossip. Don't be fooled by the no state income tax b.s. you'll be paying for it in higher rent, tolls, insurance, electricity, etc. Your employment protections in NY will no longer apply in TX. This includes, extended FMLA, maternity/paternity leave, additional unemployment benefits, legal representation, etc.

But, Dallas is great.

Pros and cons of living in Dallas?

Pros: Cheaper than Most cities,vsuper diverse. Dallas is the 4th most diverse city in the US. There's Chinatown, Koreatown, Little India, Little Ethiopia, Little Seoul, Little Saigon, Asia Times Square…I could go on.

There's plenty of Job opportunities here, infact DFW has the most job openings in the US. There's also plenty to do here.. six flags, Grandscape, Legoland, Hurricane Harbor, Dallas world Aquarium, Museum of Illusions, Japanese gardens ,Butterfly gardens, Dallas zoo..I could go on.

The homes here are great, and it's warm year around. It's a liberal city and there's over 8million people in DFW which is nearly the size of Chicago

The cons are the Weather and The Ragidy Roads. Cost of living is high but not as High as NYC, LA, Miami or Chicago. Occupancy rates are sky high and That doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.

If anyone says DFW is flat, they probably live in the suburbs like Frisco or Plano and never leave.

I drive over and last Hills all the time..from Grand Prairie to CedarHill all the way to North East Dallas and Irving…there's hills.

The food here is amazing and in my opinion and by Facts…Dallas is the best city in Texas.

Pros and Cons of living in Dallas, Texas
I've been living in Dallas, TX for over 30 years so I thought I would share my personal pros & cons of living here! Hope you enjoy.