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Wanting to move from Dallas to Houston


goddessmaker

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Ok so I'm a young single college grad who is desiring to launch her career.I currently life in Dallas,Tx.I looking at Houston as a viable area to move to in order to make my dream of HR not a dream deferred.I would like to know what would be some pro's and con's to living in Houston.Any info is very much appreciated.

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Ok so I'm a young single college grad who is desiring to launch her career.I currently life in Dallas,Tx.I looking at Houston as a viable area to move to in order to make my dream of HR not a dream deferred.I would like to know what would be some pro's and con's to living in Houston.Any info is very much appreciated.

If you can get the job you want, pretty much anywhere in Texas is viable. Costs of living are pretty similar.

Houston and Dallas as metropolitan areas are more or less neck-and-neck in terms of corporate headquarters per capita. Austin and San Antonio have had disadvantages due to smaller airports. This is an important criteria for HR jobs. The only difference is that Houston tends to have more business-to-business types of companies--particularly energy--whereas Dallas has more business-to-consumer type companies.

In terms of quality of life, I think that Houston trumps Dallas. From my experience...we're more diverse, we have a huge number of restaurants per capita, our restaurants don't have to be expensive to be good, and getting around is easier. Dallas has topography, I'll give it that.

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I am from Houston but have lived in Dallas for the past 5 years after going to college there. In the grand scheme of things, both cities are very similar.

Houston advantages over Dallas (keep in mind these are all subjective):

-More centrally located, if living in or around the loop you have access to anything you need. In Dallas a lot of things tend to be in suburbs, cheaper food, more diverse food, costco, stadiums just as example

-Cheaper living. I cant say from experience in Houston but my friends pay less in Midtown, Museum District, Heights, and Washington than Uptown Dallas on average.

-Diversity. Im sure you have heard this but it really is true, especially with food. I find in dallas that diverse food typically means more expensive.

Dallas advantages:

-Cleaner: Everything in Dallas is relatively new and planned, most of uptown and arts district is from 2000 and after.

-Easier commute: If you live in Uptown and work in Uptown/Downtown, you have virtually 0 commute. You can basically guarantee a 15 min commute at the minimum in houston

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Dallas advantages:

-Cleaner: Everything in Dallas is relatively new and planned, most of uptown and arts district is from 2000 and after.

-Easier commute: If you live in Uptown and work in Uptown/Downtown, you have virtually 0 commute. You can basically guarantee a 15 min commute at the minimum in houston

I'll give you cleanliness, but the commute...not so much. About half of Houston's jobs are inner-loop or off of the west loop. Dallas' jobs are somewhat more spread out. But a commute is what you make of it. I live outside the loop and within walking distance of my job. This was by design. But thank goodness for Houston having no zoning; otherwise my home probably wouldn't exist where it does.

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I'm no D/FW expert, but I lived in Arlington for about 1 year and have lived in Houston for 5. I've also lived in various parts of the city... Northshore on the East Side, Meyerland Southwest, Inner Loop east, and now Montrose.

Houston is more centralized than D/FW. Period. Our largest business districts are a mere 6 miles apart... it's like having downtown Dallas, downtown Ft. Worth and downtown Irving all close together. We still have a few outlying BDs (Greenspoint, Mem City, etc.), but it's very different from how far D/FW metro's "serious" jobs are located.

D/FW is more aesthetically pleasing and more user friendly. Things like shopping districts, employment centers, etc. tend to be in a more predictable pattern up there. Whereas in Houston, you have to get to know the city a bit before it's feels user-friendly. If you're going by freeways, you'd think that there are no shopping districts at all inside the loop. But two of our best are not located near a freeway. Stuff like that takes some getting used to.

D/FW has a great (if under-utilized) rail system. Houston is still working on ours, but right now we've got one little train that basically connects DT and the Med Center.

Just a few thoughts.

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I'm no D/FW expert, but I lived in Arlington for about 1 year and have lived in Houston for 5. I've also lived in various parts of the city... Northshore on the East Side, Meyerland Southwest, Inner Loop east, and now Montrose.

Houston is more centralized than D/FW. Period. Our largest business districts are a mere 6 miles apart... it's like having downtown Dallas, downtown Ft. Worth and downtown Irving all close together. We still have a few outlying BDs (Greenspoint, Mem City, etc.), but it's very different from how far D/FW metro's "serious" jobs are located.

D/FW is more aesthetically pleasing and more user friendly. Things like shopping districts, employment centers, etc. tend to be in a more predictable pattern up there. Whereas in Houston, you have to get to know the city a bit before it's feels user-friendly. If you're going by freeways, you'd think that there are no shopping districts at all inside the loop. But two of our best are not located near a freeway. Stuff like that takes some getting used to.

D/FW has a great (if under-utilized) rail system. Houston is still working on ours, but right now we've got one little train that basically connects DT and the Med Center.

Just a few thoughts.

I agree with the cleanliness too - Houston seems grittier an messier overall - but it doesn't necessarily mean Dallas is more aesthetically pleasing. I think Houston has more charm and character than Dallas, at least inside the loop, and even with the drought, Houston is a much greener city. Dallas does have cleaner, more cookie-cutter suburbs and freeway strip malls than Houston.

The biggest difference for me is the people. Houston just has a different feel than Dallas. It's not just the pretentiousness of Dallas, as there is some of that here too, but there's a certain laid-back, accepting, friendly vibe in Houston that I don't feel when I'm in Dallas.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Houston has the advantage of being next to the ocean - if you like the beach Galveston is great. Also, being a port city and a corporate oil/gas hub, a lot of money flows through Houston. This provides lots of professional opportunities for young architects in Houston.

I agree with the cleanliness too - Houston seems grittier an messier overall - but it doesn't necessarily mean Dallas is more aesthetically pleasing. I think Houston has more charm and character than Dallas, at least inside the loop, and even with the drought, Houston is a much greener city. Dallas does have cleaner, more cookie-cutter suburbs and freeway strip malls than Houston.

The biggest difference for me is the people. Houston just has a different feel than Dallas. It's not just the pretentiousness of Dallas, as there is some of that here too, but there's a certain laid-back, accepting, friendly vibe in Houston that I don't feel when I'm in Dallas.

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  • 1 year later...

why??????? HOUSTON SUCKS! and there is a hell of a lot more trash running the streets here than there is there.

So what are you doing to try and clean things up? I'm sure you are volunteering and trying to help clean up the "trash" right ??

Or are you just *itching and moaning....

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm no D/FW expert, but I lived in Arlington for about 1 year and have lived in Houston for 5. I've also lived in various parts of the city... Northshore on the East Side, Meyerland Southwest, Inner Loop east, and now Montrose.

Houston is more centralized than D/FW. Period. Our largest business districts are a mere 6 miles apart... it's like having downtown Dallas, downtown Ft. Worth and downtown Irving all close together. We still have a few outlying BDs (Greenspoint, Mem City, etc.), but it's very different from how far D/FW metro's "serious" jobs are located.

D/FW is more aesthetically pleasing and more user friendly. Things like shopping districts, employment centers, etc. tend to be in a more predictable pattern up there. Whereas in Houston, you have to get to know the city a bit before it's feels user-friendly. If you're going by freeways, you'd think that there are no shopping districts at all inside the loop. But two of our best are not located near a freeway. Stuff like that takes some getting used to.

D/FW has a great (if under-utilized) rail system. Houston is still working on ours, but right now we've got one little train that basically connects DT and the Med Center.

Just a few thoughts.

Which 2 shopping districts are you referring to?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Having lived in both cities, I do love both and would be happy living in either. Despite many similar features, each has its individual character.

Regionally, Houston’s central core is larger with more density, beyond that it generally transitions to sprawling neighborhoods (some exceptions in The Woodlands, Sugarland, etc). On the other hand, Dallas’s relatively large suburban cities have been establishing more ‘nodes’ of density throughout the region.

In town, Dallas does tend to be generally more clean and orderly, apparent in several nice neighborhood districts (e.g. M Streets, Uptown, Oak Lawn, Oak Cliff, Lakewood, etc.), but Houston’s ‘disorder’ has produced many interesting areas with a lot of great character and some ’quirkiness’.

While the people in Houston do tend to be more laid-back and open, you will find that in Dallas as well – just like you will run into some uptight people in Houston. Both cities have enough circles for everyone.

To the original poster, I would encourage you to take the opportunity to live in Houston and experience all that it has to offer – both similar and different from what you know in Dallas

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  • 2 months later...

Which 2 shopping districts are you referring to?

 

Well, 3 actually when you think about it.  West Gray, Rice Village and Highland Village.... none of which are immediately off the Freeway.  Though two are them are in close proximity to 59, you can't actually see them if you're driving through. 

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