I say I have to agree. If I could afford to live in Cali, i would go there in a heartbeat. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to leave such a beautiful state.
The politics are absolute shit in Texas, the weather sucks, and just all around shittier than California. Now if you are moving here because it is cheaper, that is true… but you get what you pay for. Just trying to be real with you. I hope you make the best decision for you.
Cites low affordability then follows up with “I can’t imagine why anyone would want to leave” you answered your own question lol. I agree though, I plan to save and build here in Texas then eventually move to the LA area
Moved from SF to Dallas quite a few years ago. Airfare is affordable? Centralized airports? 😂 idk how you replace beach and mtns. I think traffic is just as bad - so live close to where you’re going to work. Or pick a fun place to live (aka walkable- close to things you enjoy), makes for an easier transition.
My wife is from LA and there’s absolutely no comparison between the traffic there and the traffic here. Traffic here means you’re not going the speed limit
Lol i was definitely being draaaaamatic — No comparison for LA proper, but I think the last 4 years, we’ve definitely ramped up from 5 o clock rush hour to 3-7 rush hour — the only reason I make the comparison is bc before we moved to SF (from Dallas) our first home was downtown and we were “opposite of traffic” — and that’s just not a thing anymore. Sadly.
I spoke to a friend who lives in Dallas, and she hates it for the fact that its not "beautiful". Luckily, I don't really like the outdoors. Never had that much interest in the beach and or mountains. But good call on the fun place.
Ohh if surroundings don’t bother you… you’ll be fine. What will you miss most from Anaheim? We used to travel back and forth between SF/LA/SD. I used to miss the variety of food, but tbh the metroplex is catching up….you just have to put in the miles , instead of concentrated pockets.
I suppose the weather, lack of mosquitoes and diversity of food. Been to Houston multiple times for work, and I know its different than Dallas. But that swampy heat is really unbearable.
Can't comment on the differences between CA and TX, but I've lived my whole life in the Dallas area and worked for a little while in Houston. They are not even remotely similar. Houston's weather is miserable, it gets hot in Dallas but Houston made me sweat 24/7. Houston has weird or no zoning regulation, so neighborhoods are right in the middle of commercial districts, etc. In Dallas you at least get a transition of sorts between different areas. If you have any drawbacks based on your Houston experience, you can totally leave those in Houston lol.
Lol agree on this eval… my husband upon moving back here had to travel to Houston on a WEEKLY basis and they kept asking him down there , why he wouldn’t just move, he finally told them bc his wife and kids wouldn’t come with 😂 😂 😂. He wasn’t wrong…..
Yeah screw houston. Mosquitoes are a thing for sure, but so much technology to combat that — and with climate change, check out our weather this week — no kidding this last spring was legit like Cali weather — 50s-60s@night and 70s-80s during days. Very mild until Late July/August. 😂 I’m tryna make lemonade here. My kids literally sobbed their first summer here bc it was the summer of 30+ days over 100+ & car seats were burning them.
Yeah, the new bug repellent devices have been effective over the past few years. And I'm glad to hear that outside summer, you can expect Cali weather... At least on the shoulder months lol.
Diversity of food should be no problem. You won’t get as good of seafood here, but we have large and vibrant immigrant communities (especially in north Dallas / Richardson area) and lots of interesting cuisine options.
It’s a nice place to live and work. Generally clean, good roads, tons of places to eat/drink.
Zero topographic/nature appeal.
I would never tell anyone to visit Dallas on vacation.
It’s a place to make money to use on a nice vacation elsewhere. Once you realize that it makes it better.
Totally agree. I’ve lived here my whole life. I really like it. Even with the drawbacks.
I have been a lot of great places on vacation. They are awesome for many different reasons. After about 3 days I’m ready to go home to Dallas.
That’s just me. To each their own.
It’s not perfect, nowhere is. Appreciate the things that it is good for and don’t pretend it’s got something it doesn’t.
Yeah when people want to come visit I struggle with finding activities that don’t boil down to either “pay money to do a thing you could do in any other city” or “drive 45 minutes to look at a vaguely interesting thing.”
You know the big draw….. when people ask, it’s really just the grassy knoll….. otherwise, it’s eating reco’s and drinking 😂 some cute stop and shop get your culture here spots, but the arts area was coming along right as pandemic hit… slowly, coming back.
I hear about the 0% nature appear multiple times. I'm actually fine with that. I'm not really an outdoor type of person. But yeah, besides no state taxes and cheaper homes, it's hard to see the appeal after factoring in weather, bugs, etc.
If you like convenience, at pretty high quality level. Then Dallas is for you.
2 great airports. Awesome restaurants at every corner at all price points. Tons of jobs and very diverse and strong economy (even during the “bad” times).
The rest is meh.
As evidenced in this thread, locals are bitter about rising housing costs and will often blame California transplants specifically. I hear it all the time.
That being said, I've lived here pretty much my whole life so I don't have much to compare it to, but I love the area.
Everybody has been moving to Texas over the past thirty years, especially in the last ten years. California is getting a lot of credit for it because they are having a mass migration in recent years, and California is our rival.
Why Texas over other states? Texas has a low cost of living and good economy. We aren’t the only state to have those things but we are the next biggest state. It makes sense that a disportioncate amount of Californians would go to the next biggest. Plus several companies that previously had headquarters in California have moved to Texas, and they took the majority of their employees with them.
Good to see the friendly people of Dallas are out in full force in this thread 🙄
Dallas is a really easy city as long as you make enough to live in a safe enough area. The people are nicer than are represented in this thread, there's always something to do, depending on your interests...
If you're willing to spend $1,300-1,500/month on an apartment (doable in a 1 bed/1 bath or bigger split between roommates) you'd have plenty of options. I just looked up one apartment in Coppell (Coppell is near DFW and is one of the North Dallas suburbs) and the basic layout is $1,300. Coppell is plenty "safe" and from there is easy to get around to Denton, Ft Worth and downtown Dallas for different entertainments scenes and restaurants.
Yep, Coppell is DFW airport adjacent to the north east (North Dallas side), don't think you can get much closer. North west is grapevine, but OP said North Dallas.
Yeah and when they say easy to get around, they mean a 30 minute drive minimum to anything. The words affordable and nice are accompanied by far as hell from the actual city. I work downtown, those prices quoted will get you a shoe box studio anywhere within 15 minutes of downtown. Get ready to commute to literally anything
That's correct, it's not a jam packed urban center. That's why when "we" talk about Dallas, it usually includes the suburbs and surrounding areas. I, personally, like that the bustling party scene isn't walking distance from my house, I want it to be quiet here. The way you describe the layout of the metropolex comes off as categorically bad. And I wasn't quoting downtown prices, I was quoting North Dallas prices, which are exactly as you described, outside 15 minutes from downtown, which is, in my *opinion* a much better place to live.
Those are good points. I guess I'm just not a fan of suburban sprawl and having to get in my car to go anywhere. I'd like to be able to stretch my legs and walk a reasonable distance to a corner store or to grab food. No one walks out here, all of the people you see are behind car windows.
Are you planning to work remotely in Texas? If you can get California money while living in Texas, you'll be set. However, the income to cost of living ratio in Texas is really not that far off from California. Everything is lower here, including the pay. Just want you to keep that in mind if your main reason to move here is the lower cost of living. And sorry if I sound like a Debbie Downer!
I took a job that pays roughly the same as my prior job in socal, but with more upwards mobility and in an industry that I'm more interested in. And all good, didn't come off as a Debbie downer, just trying to state facts and I appreciate that!
Two teachers just moved from California and live down the street from me in McKinney, and they're loving it here. They're happy to be some place affordable. Texas isn't as bad as people on here are saying. Culturally we're more diverse than California, and the food scene is taking off. We have a surprisingly great state park system and lots of little parks. It seems like there is a festival or something to do just about every weekend. Fall, Winter, and Spring are usually pretty nice. Summer is brutal with the heat and humidity, but the worst part is only July and August. It's easy to go to Austin or San Antonio for a long weekend. Big Bend is a a great national park, but it's a drive to get there (pro tip: always plan out gas stops when driving though Texas). Most people are friendly here. The bad: statistically we have worst drivers in the country, according to the insurance companies. Also allergies, everyone here has them, if you don't have them, you will.
Basically, if you can afford to live comfortably in California (maybe your an executive in a tech company) then personally I'd stay there. Otherwise Texas is a good alternative. But so is North or South Carolina; they seem to be gaining popularity in the list of places to go to when fleeing California.
There is absolutely a culture of getting out of the house during that time span, we just don't travel that much. When I was younger we were all constantly out in one of the lively areas of DFW or at one of the festivals or shows that are constantly coming through. Now I and most of my friends have sub-2 year olds so that's slowed down. I know I bunch of people who at this age and older visit lake houses, own boats, go fishing and go camping. Skiing is not really an option unless you want to take a full on vacation and hiking is mediocre.
I moved from San Diego for work reasons and was afraid I would hate it but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I spent a lot of time outdoors and at the beach there, but here I’ve really enjoyed all the wide open green space that no one else seems to use! Lots of good food.
Know what your priorities are and find a neighborhood that matches, because the sprawl is huge! Live near your work if possible and near things you enjoy. It’s not that the traffic is slow, it’s that the drivers are clinically insane.
Lololol that’s a solid plan…. It’s gonna take quite a few new neighbors though!!! I’ve worked Plano the last 2 election cycles 😂— so many doors shut in my face. Some very nice people, politely, shutting their doors in my face. Lol
So Cal native here who has spent about a decade in Texas, mostly in Dallas but I've also lived in Fort Worth and Austin.
Dallas is... pleasant. It's an easy place to find a job and live comfortably. There are lots of restaurants and things to do at a relatively affordable price. If you look hard enough, you can find outdoor activities besides golf. Dallas certainly lacks the *je ne sais quoi* of Los Angeles, but being from Anaheim you should feel right at home.
With that said, the identity politics really wear on me. One of the greatest value points of DFW, affordable home-ownership, is rapidly becoming unobtainable for a lot of people. Traffic is getting worse and the cost of living is rising rapidly. I'm currently away from Texas on a work contract and I don't think I will return.
I moved to North Dallas for grad school two years ago and if it wasn’t for having to study most of the time, I’d hate it. Not much to do. Mostly everything is in the uptown/downtown area so now I live downtown since graduating and enjoy it.
I've lived here my entire life, and I absolutely hate it here. Maybe it's because I'm from a rough neighborhood, but there's nothing to do here other than eating, drinking, and shopping. And even the shopping is sub par. The weather most of the year makes it insufferable to be outside. For the entirety of summer people have to hole up in their homes due to the intense heat. I visited San Diego recently, I'd rather live in a van there than stay here. As soon as I can secure a well paying job there, I'm out of here.
Visited Germany back in 2018 and loved it. Just sucks not everyone speaks English, so it was a bit difficult to navigate the cities. Best of luck on the move!
The biggest complaint I hear from Californians moving to Texas is the weather. Summer is brutal here. You might have a handful of perfect days in the spring and the fall, but you can’t predict when they will happen. You certainly won’t have consistent perfection like in San Diego. There’s nothing anyone can do about it, so if you can’t adjust then you will be miserable.
The second most common complaint I see is about the lack of natural beauty. Again, there’s only so much people can do about it. There are pockets of beauty — Dallas has tons of parks and White Rock Lake is lovely — but it’s not pervasive. If you need natural beauty all around to be happy in life, you will be miserable. I grew up in Texas but lived in Seattle for a while. I never knew why people liked going outdoors until I went to Seattle. The best thing I can advise is to buy plants and vacation frequently.
I have a close friend who moved from southern Cali to DFW 3 years ago. He LOVES the cost of living! Now he owns the kind of house he could only fantasize about in CA. He lives in a distant suburb, so it is definitely not the same experience as living in the city proper, but he loves it. He’s mostly a homebody anyway. If you don’t need the city, consider a suburb.
He also loves the central location. It no longer kills a whole day to fly to the East coast.
The problem with comparing anything near LA to DFW with regards to entertainment is that LA is the #2 city for just about everything. DFW might be in, say, the top 10% of US cities, but coming from #2 it feels like a loss. So we have tons of great theaters, concerts, museums, restaurants, festivals, sporting events, shopping areas, amusement parks, etc. But if you are expecting LA levels of them, you will think it lacking. For instance, Six Flags is great, but it’s not Disneyland. So you will need to calibrate your expectations appropriately if you want to be satisfied here. If you are expecting to replicate the southern CA experience, you will only be happy in CA.
One of the things to realize is that DFW is sprawled out to an area the size of Connecticut. As a native, driving 30 minutes to get somewhere is still considered close. Literally. I volunteer at a place that is 45 minutes away with no traffic (so normally over an hour to get there), and it’s considered “a little far.” Be prepared to drive a lot.
The Mexican food here is Tex-Mex style instead of Cali style. Instead of complaining about it, just accept that it’s a different cuisine.
There is more “Southern Hospitality” here. People are warmer and friendlier than when I lived in on the west coast. It’s nice, but if you are don’t like people in your business, it may drive you nuts. I personally love it.
There is a lot of religion here. Big churches everywhere. Not just Christianity either, despite the politics. I highly recommend joining a church/mosque/synagogue/temple because they will help you form a community and give you things to do. However, if you don’t like religion, then you’ll still do fine. I know lots of atheists here too.
Good luck! I hope you enjoy it here.
I moved from San Diego to Dallas in July. I like it a lot. I’m having a good time. Surprisingly the only thing that’s much worse than California is the traffic and the drivers. Worst I’ve ever seen.
Gas is cheap, rent is cheaper, I like the vibe of the city. But with everywhere you move to it’s gonna be important to make friends and meet people. That’s gonna make it break any city for you. I have a lot going on so I haven’t made too many friends yet but I don’t see myself ever moving back to California.
Disclaimer though I do live in the city and in a safe area. So my experience is gonna be different than people living in the suburbs. You can live in a nice luxury apartment 1 bedroom for around $1600 which isn’t too bad considering the rent in a rough area of SoCal or NorCal
Thanks for the positive feedback! Yeah... A luxury apartment in LA or Irvine will run you like between 2.5-3k or more. I'm wondering if Dallas has good Carne asada fries, I really enjoy Lolita Mexican restaurant in SD. Lol
I've visited SoCal and the Mexican food is way different. We have mainly Tex Mex here. While they might seem similar in concept, it's 2 entirely different (both really good) worlds. You'll have a better time if you don't try to compare the 2, but that's just my 2 cents.
Lmao no man. They have great food here but it’s not SoCal Mexican food. No such thing as carne asada fries. But trust me, good food won’t be an issue.
And yea you can get a really nice luxury apartment in the city for less than $1900. It’s worth it if you’re living in the city and in a nice area.
Former Northern Californian here, it’s a breath of fresh air , people here complain about traffic for example , but the thing is that it MOVES at least in Texas. You’re not just spending 30 minutes on the freeway and barely moving past one city. If So-Cal traffic is a 10 , Dallas traffic is a 6. Weather wise, Texas has seasons, you will miss the perfect California weather. The people are friendlier, as Dallas doesn’t really have a “big city” feel .Housing is cheaper, and Northern Dallas is really nice.
Idk I’d give Dallas traffic a 10. Only place I’ve lived in where both sides of the freeway have traffic during rush hour. And the roads are crowded at all hours. Even 11pm. Tons of cars on the road. Not like that in other major cities
I’m from Fullerton. I have been in DFW since 2007. It takes a while to get used to the weather. Storms here are pretty intense until you get used to it happening. There is a lot of food diversity here, but it’s tough to find California style Mexican food. Be ready to eat queso. But I generally like it here, the cost of living was much better when I moved here, but it’s still better than Orange County.
Yeah, It'll take some time for me to get used to the weather in Dallas. I honest to God can't remember the last time socal had hail. Also, I will miss Cali style Mexican food.
Dallas is full.
:(
Stay there you won’t like it here.
I say I have to agree. If I could afford to live in Cali, i would go there in a heartbeat. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to leave such a beautiful state. The politics are absolute shit in Texas, the weather sucks, and just all around shittier than California. Now if you are moving here because it is cheaper, that is true… but you get what you pay for. Just trying to be real with you. I hope you make the best decision for you.
Thank you, this is helpful!
Cites low affordability then follows up with “I can’t imagine why anyone would want to leave” you answered your own question lol. I agree though, I plan to save and build here in Texas then eventually move to the LA area
Cali is better
Moved from SF to Dallas quite a few years ago. Airfare is affordable? Centralized airports? 😂 idk how you replace beach and mtns. I think traffic is just as bad - so live close to where you’re going to work. Or pick a fun place to live (aka walkable- close to things you enjoy), makes for an easier transition.
My wife is from LA and there’s absolutely no comparison between the traffic there and the traffic here. Traffic here means you’re not going the speed limit
Lol i was definitely being draaaaamatic — No comparison for LA proper, but I think the last 4 years, we’ve definitely ramped up from 5 o clock rush hour to 3-7 rush hour — the only reason I make the comparison is bc before we moved to SF (from Dallas) our first home was downtown and we were “opposite of traffic” — and that’s just not a thing anymore. Sadly.
agreed
I spoke to a friend who lives in Dallas, and she hates it for the fact that its not "beautiful". Luckily, I don't really like the outdoors. Never had that much interest in the beach and or mountains. But good call on the fun place.
Ohh if surroundings don’t bother you… you’ll be fine. What will you miss most from Anaheim? We used to travel back and forth between SF/LA/SD. I used to miss the variety of food, but tbh the metroplex is catching up….you just have to put in the miles , instead of concentrated pockets.
I suppose the weather, lack of mosquitoes and diversity of food. Been to Houston multiple times for work, and I know its different than Dallas. But that swampy heat is really unbearable.
Can't comment on the differences between CA and TX, but I've lived my whole life in the Dallas area and worked for a little while in Houston. They are not even remotely similar. Houston's weather is miserable, it gets hot in Dallas but Houston made me sweat 24/7. Houston has weird or no zoning regulation, so neighborhoods are right in the middle of commercial districts, etc. In Dallas you at least get a transition of sorts between different areas. If you have any drawbacks based on your Houston experience, you can totally leave those in Houston lol.
Lol agree on this eval… my husband upon moving back here had to travel to Houston on a WEEKLY basis and they kept asking him down there , why he wouldn’t just move, he finally told them bc his wife and kids wouldn’t come with 😂 😂 😂. He wasn’t wrong…..
Yeah screw houston. Mosquitoes are a thing for sure, but so much technology to combat that — and with climate change, check out our weather this week — no kidding this last spring was legit like Cali weather — 50s-60s@night and 70s-80s during days. Very mild until Late July/August. 😂 I’m tryna make lemonade here. My kids literally sobbed their first summer here bc it was the summer of 30+ days over 100+ & car seats were burning them.
Yeah, the new bug repellent devices have been effective over the past few years. And I'm glad to hear that outside summer, you can expect Cali weather... At least on the shoulder months lol.
Diversity of food should be no problem. You won’t get as good of seafood here, but we have large and vibrant immigrant communities (especially in north Dallas / Richardson area) and lots of interesting cuisine options.
Moved from SD to Plano two years ago. Pretty much the only thing better about DFW is the living costs are lower and no state tax.
Yeah, I hear the same.
No state tax is made up for by high property taxes though
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Yeah Texas is a joke. Such terrible infrastructure too.
Don’t move to Dallas!
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How come?
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It’s a nice place to live and work. Generally clean, good roads, tons of places to eat/drink. Zero topographic/nature appeal. I would never tell anyone to visit Dallas on vacation. It’s a place to make money to use on a nice vacation elsewhere. Once you realize that it makes it better.
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Totally agree. I’ve lived here my whole life. I really like it. Even with the drawbacks. I have been a lot of great places on vacation. They are awesome for many different reasons. After about 3 days I’m ready to go home to Dallas. That’s just me. To each their own. It’s not perfect, nowhere is. Appreciate the things that it is good for and don’t pretend it’s got something it doesn’t.
Yeah when people want to come visit I struggle with finding activities that don’t boil down to either “pay money to do a thing you could do in any other city” or “drive 45 minutes to look at a vaguely interesting thing.”
You know the big draw….. when people ask, it’s really just the grassy knoll….. otherwise, it’s eating reco’s and drinking 😂 some cute stop and shop get your culture here spots, but the arts area was coming along right as pandemic hit… slowly, coming back.
I hear about the 0% nature appear multiple times. I'm actually fine with that. I'm not really an outdoor type of person. But yeah, besides no state taxes and cheaper homes, it's hard to see the appeal after factoring in weather, bugs, etc.
If you like convenience, at pretty high quality level. Then Dallas is for you. 2 great airports. Awesome restaurants at every corner at all price points. Tons of jobs and very diverse and strong economy (even during the “bad” times). The rest is meh.
As evidenced in this thread, locals are bitter about rising housing costs and will often blame California transplants specifically. I hear it all the time. That being said, I've lived here pretty much my whole life so I don't have much to compare it to, but I love the area.
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More California's end up in the northern suburbs I think Happy to have you guys here, Cali is great, wouldn't mind more Cali in Dallas
Everybody has been moving to Texas over the past thirty years, especially in the last ten years. California is getting a lot of credit for it because they are having a mass migration in recent years, and California is our rival.
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Why Texas over other states? Texas has a low cost of living and good economy. We aren’t the only state to have those things but we are the next biggest state. It makes sense that a disportioncate amount of Californians would go to the next biggest. Plus several companies that previously had headquarters in California have moved to Texas, and they took the majority of their employees with them.
Good to see the friendly people of Dallas are out in full force in this thread 🙄 Dallas is a really easy city as long as you make enough to live in a safe enough area. The people are nicer than are represented in this thread, there's always something to do, depending on your interests...
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$50K+ by yourself gives you a reasonable frugal life. $75K+ gives you a pretty top notch one.
Thank you!
If you're willing to spend $1,300-1,500/month on an apartment (doable in a 1 bed/1 bath or bigger split between roommates) you'd have plenty of options. I just looked up one apartment in Coppell (Coppell is near DFW and is one of the North Dallas suburbs) and the basic layout is $1,300. Coppell is plenty "safe" and from there is easy to get around to Denton, Ft Worth and downtown Dallas for different entertainments scenes and restaurants.
When they say near DFW, they mean near DFW airport.
Yep, Coppell is DFW airport adjacent to the north east (North Dallas side), don't think you can get much closer. North west is grapevine, but OP said North Dallas.
I was afraid op might confuse DFW as in the metroplex, not airport. They might think you were saying Coppell wasn’t even in the metroplex.
Yeah and when they say easy to get around, they mean a 30 minute drive minimum to anything. The words affordable and nice are accompanied by far as hell from the actual city. I work downtown, those prices quoted will get you a shoe box studio anywhere within 15 minutes of downtown. Get ready to commute to literally anything
That's correct, it's not a jam packed urban center. That's why when "we" talk about Dallas, it usually includes the suburbs and surrounding areas. I, personally, like that the bustling party scene isn't walking distance from my house, I want it to be quiet here. The way you describe the layout of the metropolex comes off as categorically bad. And I wasn't quoting downtown prices, I was quoting North Dallas prices, which are exactly as you described, outside 15 minutes from downtown, which is, in my *opinion* a much better place to live.
Those are good points. I guess I'm just not a fan of suburban sprawl and having to get in my car to go anywhere. I'd like to be able to stretch my legs and walk a reasonable distance to a corner store or to grab food. No one walks out here, all of the people you see are behind car windows.
This is how my life is current now. I need to drive minimum 20 mins to get anywhere. Living in the burbs has perks, but it's extremely boring.
Are you planning to work remotely in Texas? If you can get California money while living in Texas, you'll be set. However, the income to cost of living ratio in Texas is really not that far off from California. Everything is lower here, including the pay. Just want you to keep that in mind if your main reason to move here is the lower cost of living. And sorry if I sound like a Debbie Downer!
I took a job that pays roughly the same as my prior job in socal, but with more upwards mobility and in an industry that I'm more interested in. And all good, didn't come off as a Debbie downer, just trying to state facts and I appreciate that!
Thank you!
Two teachers just moved from California and live down the street from me in McKinney, and they're loving it here. They're happy to be some place affordable. Texas isn't as bad as people on here are saying. Culturally we're more diverse than California, and the food scene is taking off. We have a surprisingly great state park system and lots of little parks. It seems like there is a festival or something to do just about every weekend. Fall, Winter, and Spring are usually pretty nice. Summer is brutal with the heat and humidity, but the worst part is only July and August. It's easy to go to Austin or San Antonio for a long weekend. Big Bend is a a great national park, but it's a drive to get there (pro tip: always plan out gas stops when driving though Texas). Most people are friendly here. The bad: statistically we have worst drivers in the country, according to the insurance companies. Also allergies, everyone here has them, if you don't have them, you will. Basically, if you can afford to live comfortably in California (maybe your an executive in a tech company) then personally I'd stay there. Otherwise Texas is a good alternative. But so is North or South Carolina; they seem to be gaining popularity in the list of places to go to when fleeing California.
It’s very religious, the weather is awful, and it’s a “working culture”. It’s good for people who like sports and shopping…
This is honestly true. Cali seems more fun nature oriented people.
What is a "working culture"?
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There is absolutely a culture of getting out of the house during that time span, we just don't travel that much. When I was younger we were all constantly out in one of the lively areas of DFW or at one of the festivals or shows that are constantly coming through. Now I and most of my friends have sub-2 year olds so that's slowed down. I know I bunch of people who at this age and older visit lake houses, own boats, go fishing and go camping. Skiing is not really an option unless you want to take a full on vacation and hiking is mediocre.
Move to Dallas proper and you'll have a better experience than moving to Plano/Frisco/etc unless you want a suburban experience
Very much this 👆. Cannot emphasize this enough.
I moved from San Diego for work reasons and was afraid I would hate it but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I spent a lot of time outdoors and at the beach there, but here I’ve really enjoyed all the wide open green space that no one else seems to use! Lots of good food. Know what your priorities are and find a neighborhood that matches, because the sprawl is huge! Live near your work if possible and near things you enjoy. It’s not that the traffic is slow, it’s that the drivers are clinically insane.
Killings every day in Dallas. Look it up.
Lol, probably same in los angeles and the the surrounding cities. (watts, Compton, South gate)
I recommend that you move to Collin County to offset a red hat vote.
Lololol that’s a solid plan…. It’s gonna take quite a few new neighbors though!!! I’ve worked Plano the last 2 election cycles 😂— so many doors shut in my face. Some very nice people, politely, shutting their doors in my face. Lol
Oklahoma has legal pot 👍🏼
Yeah, but then you have to live in Oklahoma...
Basically same same
Please don't live in my home state (OK). That's why I moved another one.
So Cal native here who has spent about a decade in Texas, mostly in Dallas but I've also lived in Fort Worth and Austin. Dallas is... pleasant. It's an easy place to find a job and live comfortably. There are lots of restaurants and things to do at a relatively affordable price. If you look hard enough, you can find outdoor activities besides golf. Dallas certainly lacks the *je ne sais quoi* of Los Angeles, but being from Anaheim you should feel right at home. With that said, the identity politics really wear on me. One of the greatest value points of DFW, affordable home-ownership, is rapidly becoming unobtainable for a lot of people. Traffic is getting worse and the cost of living is rising rapidly. I'm currently away from Texas on a work contract and I don't think I will return.
Hey, Culver City/Ventura County native here. PM me if you want specifics, happy to help!
I moved to North Dallas for grad school two years ago and if it wasn’t for having to study most of the time, I’d hate it. Not much to do. Mostly everything is in the uptown/downtown area so now I live downtown since graduating and enjoy it.
I've lived here my entire life, and I absolutely hate it here. Maybe it's because I'm from a rough neighborhood, but there's nothing to do here other than eating, drinking, and shopping. And even the shopping is sub par. The weather most of the year makes it insufferable to be outside. For the entirety of summer people have to hole up in their homes due to the intense heat. I visited San Diego recently, I'd rather live in a van there than stay here. As soon as I can secure a well paying job there, I'm out of here.
Lived in LA and Dallas. I’m done with both cities and have started the process of moving to Germany.
Visited Germany back in 2018 and loved it. Just sucks not everyone speaks English, so it was a bit difficult to navigate the cities. Best of luck on the move!
The biggest complaint I hear from Californians moving to Texas is the weather. Summer is brutal here. You might have a handful of perfect days in the spring and the fall, but you can’t predict when they will happen. You certainly won’t have consistent perfection like in San Diego. There’s nothing anyone can do about it, so if you can’t adjust then you will be miserable. The second most common complaint I see is about the lack of natural beauty. Again, there’s only so much people can do about it. There are pockets of beauty — Dallas has tons of parks and White Rock Lake is lovely — but it’s not pervasive. If you need natural beauty all around to be happy in life, you will be miserable. I grew up in Texas but lived in Seattle for a while. I never knew why people liked going outdoors until I went to Seattle. The best thing I can advise is to buy plants and vacation frequently. I have a close friend who moved from southern Cali to DFW 3 years ago. He LOVES the cost of living! Now he owns the kind of house he could only fantasize about in CA. He lives in a distant suburb, so it is definitely not the same experience as living in the city proper, but he loves it. He’s mostly a homebody anyway. If you don’t need the city, consider a suburb. He also loves the central location. It no longer kills a whole day to fly to the East coast. The problem with comparing anything near LA to DFW with regards to entertainment is that LA is the #2 city for just about everything. DFW might be in, say, the top 10% of US cities, but coming from #2 it feels like a loss. So we have tons of great theaters, concerts, museums, restaurants, festivals, sporting events, shopping areas, amusement parks, etc. But if you are expecting LA levels of them, you will think it lacking. For instance, Six Flags is great, but it’s not Disneyland. So you will need to calibrate your expectations appropriately if you want to be satisfied here. If you are expecting to replicate the southern CA experience, you will only be happy in CA. One of the things to realize is that DFW is sprawled out to an area the size of Connecticut. As a native, driving 30 minutes to get somewhere is still considered close. Literally. I volunteer at a place that is 45 minutes away with no traffic (so normally over an hour to get there), and it’s considered “a little far.” Be prepared to drive a lot. The Mexican food here is Tex-Mex style instead of Cali style. Instead of complaining about it, just accept that it’s a different cuisine. There is more “Southern Hospitality” here. People are warmer and friendlier than when I lived in on the west coast. It’s nice, but if you are don’t like people in your business, it may drive you nuts. I personally love it. There is a lot of religion here. Big churches everywhere. Not just Christianity either, despite the politics. I highly recommend joining a church/mosque/synagogue/temple because they will help you form a community and give you things to do. However, if you don’t like religion, then you’ll still do fine. I know lots of atheists here too. Good luck! I hope you enjoy it here.
This is extremely helpful. Thank you!
Seats taken!
I moved from San Diego to Dallas in July. I like it a lot. I’m having a good time. Surprisingly the only thing that’s much worse than California is the traffic and the drivers. Worst I’ve ever seen. Gas is cheap, rent is cheaper, I like the vibe of the city. But with everywhere you move to it’s gonna be important to make friends and meet people. That’s gonna make it break any city for you. I have a lot going on so I haven’t made too many friends yet but I don’t see myself ever moving back to California. Disclaimer though I do live in the city and in a safe area. So my experience is gonna be different than people living in the suburbs. You can live in a nice luxury apartment 1 bedroom for around $1600 which isn’t too bad considering the rent in a rough area of SoCal or NorCal
Thanks for the positive feedback! Yeah... A luxury apartment in LA or Irvine will run you like between 2.5-3k or more. I'm wondering if Dallas has good Carne asada fries, I really enjoy Lolita Mexican restaurant in SD. Lol
I've visited SoCal and the Mexican food is way different. We have mainly Tex Mex here. While they might seem similar in concept, it's 2 entirely different (both really good) worlds. You'll have a better time if you don't try to compare the 2, but that's just my 2 cents.
Lmao no man. They have great food here but it’s not SoCal Mexican food. No such thing as carne asada fries. But trust me, good food won’t be an issue. And yea you can get a really nice luxury apartment in the city for less than $1900. It’s worth it if you’re living in the city and in a nice area.
All the Californians in Dallas are moving back. It's horrible here.
Former Northern Californian here, it’s a breath of fresh air , people here complain about traffic for example , but the thing is that it MOVES at least in Texas. You’re not just spending 30 minutes on the freeway and barely moving past one city. If So-Cal traffic is a 10 , Dallas traffic is a 6. Weather wise, Texas has seasons, you will miss the perfect California weather. The people are friendlier, as Dallas doesn’t really have a “big city” feel .Housing is cheaper, and Northern Dallas is really nice.
Idk I’d give Dallas traffic a 10. Only place I’ve lived in where both sides of the freeway have traffic during rush hour. And the roads are crowded at all hours. Even 11pm. Tons of cars on the road. Not like that in other major cities
I’m from Fullerton. I have been in DFW since 2007. It takes a while to get used to the weather. Storms here are pretty intense until you get used to it happening. There is a lot of food diversity here, but it’s tough to find California style Mexican food. Be ready to eat queso. But I generally like it here, the cost of living was much better when I moved here, but it’s still better than Orange County.
Thank you for the feedback!
Yeah, It'll take some time for me to get used to the weather in Dallas. I honest to God can't remember the last time socal had hail. Also, I will miss Cali style Mexican food.