Contemplating moving to Texas
 

Hello All,

Looking for advice:
I was born and raised in Chicago and after 30 years I am contemplating moving to Texas. My family is moving to San Antonio within the year.
Prior to this I never contemplated moving anywhere.
I have employment opportunities in Dallas or San Antonio. I plan to travel to Texas next month but wanted to get any feedback from anyone who currently resides or has made a similar move. Thanks!

Chicago411,

I moved to Dallas from San Antonio about seven years ago and love it here. The two cities are completely different from each other, San Antonio is more of a military blue color town where Dallas is more upscale. It just depends on what you are looking for. Good luck if you choose to come down here.

I moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and lasted less than a year. I just missed trees and hills.

We went to the Hill Country every weekend we could. I'd take Austin/ Fredricksburg area in a heartbeat.

I was raised in Minnesota and moved to San Antonio where I lived for 16 years. I now live in Minnesota again. San Antonio is beautiful, hot, humid, conservative, and a city of two tales. The north side is affluent and the south side is poor. The humidity is increadible from April through September. San Antonio is also a party town, a tourist town, and a military town. Home prices are far below the US average. Freeways are well built. People are friendly, especially to new people. Huge hispanic population. Good police department. Great winters. Bad drivers. Fantastic downtown. Tons of beautiful apartment complexes.

One difference between Dallas and San Antonio is population. SA has about 2 million people in its metro, and metro Dallas currently has about 6 million. Dallas is the 5th largest metro in the USA, whereas San Antonio is the 29th. Those numbers make a big difference in what the two metro areas can support.

These numbers are in the Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/population/cen...t29/tab01a.csv

Dallas' metro population is about the same size as Miami, Washington DC or Philadelphia. San Antonio's metro is comparable to Columbus, Ohio, Sacramento, California or Kansas City.

Essentially, Dallas will look like a smaller, emerging Chicago, whereas SA will compare to a Cincinatti or a Cleveland.

Dallas has much more of an employment base than SA. This means that after you get the first job, you have many more employment options in Dallas, in case the first job is not to your (or their) liking. The Dallas job also is in a more competitive marketplace for employees, and has more incentive to keep you happy in the job.

The area called Uptown Dallas has several square miles of densely populated, pedestrian oriented residential, many mid-to-high rise residential buildings, shopping on the ground, virtually everything in walking distance. Dallas has several times as much cultural life, performance art, theater, museum life as SA, simply because of the difference in metro population. You would have less need of a car if you lived there, especially since Dallas has a good light rail and commuter rail system. SA has only buses, and has rejected any sort of fixed route transit.

On the other hand, some people prefer smaller cities (metros) to larger ones. And you may want to live close to your family. On the other hand, you may want to be close enough to visit occasionally, but not TOO close.

Good luck on your move.

Xbt gave a great insight ont he differences between Dallas and San Antonio. Let me add a little more...

San Antonio is the largest Hispanic-majority city in the US. 55% of the population is Hispanic, so the Hispanic culture really dominates the area. If you like good Mexican food, this is great! But it can be a bit of a culture shock for someone who is not prepared for it.

There is also a very strong military presence in SA, so that is something else to keep in mind.

You're used to a lot of pro sports in Chicago, and San Antonio only has the Spurs in the NBA and a half-decent horse track. Dallas has all of the pro sports (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and MLS) and a first-class horse track.

Personally, I couldn't imagine living in Dallas without a vehicle (since I am a happy suburbanite), but it is possible. If you're not into the urban lifestyle, there are a lot of great suburbs to choose from. And if you miss trees, you'll find a lot more in the suburbs than in town!

Dallas has the DFW airport, and it is easy to get to anywhere in the world with just 2 connections. San Antonio has basically a regional airport.

Just a little more fuel for the fire...

ChristieP, San Antonio International Airport is Not a regional airport. My town in Minnesota has a Regional airport.

SAT has a grand total of <b>one</b> non-stop flight to the New York metropolitan area per day (CO's 737 to EWR), and <b>two<b> non-stops to the LA metropolitan area per day (one Southwest and one UA regional jet to LAX).

Now, sure it's an international airport, but even Mexico City is only 2 Mexicana and one CO regional jet a day; or 2 turboprops to Monterrey.

Forget about non-stops to Asia or Europe, or even South America.</b></b>

San Antonio airport has NO hubs for any airline. As rkkwan said, it barely has any long-haul nonstop flights. In my book (speaking as someone who frequently travels from DFW), that is a regional airport.

I used to live in the Dallas area, but live in San Antonio now. San Antonio has more of a relaxed, casual feel about it. The northside is mostly anglo, professional, and affluent, while the south and east sides are predominately poorer, blue-collar, and Hispanic. The area in the middle, just north of downtown, has a mix of everything with many residents interested in diversity and the arts. Dallas, to me, is quite a bit faster-paced and also more focused on outward appearances, with more emphasis on luxury cars, huge &quot;McMansions,&quot; designer clothes, lots of makeup, etc. Dallas does have its upsides, with lots more arts, sports, and shopping opportunities.

Gee wiz already. I guess that makes my Regional Airport a model airplane park. BTW There are more internationl flights out of SA than from Dallas. You forgot about the three Air Force Bases. Kelly, Lackland, and Randolph.

Well, of course there are more if you include those! But most folks can't get on military flights...so it's a moot point.

You can get just about anywhere in the world from DFW with 2 connecting flights. That's not the case with San Antonio.

Military families don't count? Their are at least 75,000 (military personnel and their families) who can and do travel non stop overseas from SA.

As a San Antonio resident for many years, I have to concur with Christie. If I want to go to London, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, etc., I will HAVE to fly through another U.S. city to get there. Even my military friends usually do not fly military flights (for fun), as it is on a last-minute, inconvenient &quot;space-available&quot; basis.

Even flights within the U.S. usually require flying through another city's hub.

My sister moved from Long Beach to Dallas many years ago. She used to complain about the place, but now she love it. Enjoy the adventure.

As Starrsville alluded to, San Antonio is in the hill country. It is a more attractive area of the state than Dallas. You will likely earn a higher salary in Dallas, but also have a higher cost of living. Traffic is not as bad in SA, but it is getting worse.

In regards to the argument about international travel, if you have to travel weekly, this might be a concern, but otherwise you can always take a Southwest flight to Dallas or Houston. It's not like San Antonio is a remote village.

San Antonio is not IN the Hill Country, but it is near it. Of course Dallas is also near some nice scenery, in the Cedar Hills area, and also in the Lake Texoma area... two of my favorite places to camp out.

In the Cedar Hills, you have almost a 300 foot drop in elevation from the top of the peaks to the surface of Joe Pool lake. The hills are lovely, with many hiking trails, and are heavily wooded. Part of the area is actually in the Dallas city limits.

Texoma is a wonderful place as well. The lake is vast, almost an inland sea, and the shoreline is rugged and picturesque, huge boulders on the shore, high cliffs before the waterline in many places... looks something like the California coast.

Another place with some restful scenery is the east side of Ray Roberts lake. Look for some hills and scenic outlooks near te lake, with some very pleasant &quot;Gentleman&quot; farms farther to the east... actlally quarter-horse raising small ranches.

The areas around Dallas are considerably wetter, greener and more lush than the terrain around San Antonio, and the landscape can change dramatically, from grass-covered prairies, to heavily wooded streams, to entire belts of thick forest.

Oh my goodness, xbt! You need to alert San Antonio and let them know they aren't in the hill country. I'm sure they will be very glad to know because many are confused and think they are. Here are a few to start with -

Hyatt - The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio would be glad to know they named their property incorrectly.

Hill Country Greyhound Adoption - serving San Antonio &amp; surrounding areas are equally confused.

Magazine - The Hill Country Sun magazine covering &quot;interesting people, places and events in the scenic Central Texas Hill Country..from Austin to San Antonio, and just about every place in between&quot; needs to know as well

One last one one from my google search - Be sure to let www.sanantoniocvb.com know. I hate it when a city's CONVENTION AND VISITOR'S BUREAU gets confused about where they are located!

WHAT are you talking about!!!

The Dallas you described is not the Dallas I lived in. I imagine there's been a climatic and geologic change since I lived there. Probably about the time San Antonio was moved out of the hill country.

Thank you, starrsville--the San Antonio he and some of the other posters describe is not the San Antonio I live in either...I must consult a map, perhaps there is another San Antonio, Texas! ;-)

Starrsville, Dcespedes, hills in San Antonio? I think your Visitors bureau is doing what the Irish call &quot;A bit of the blarney&quot;. Your city is flatter than Dallas.

For example, downtown SA is at 654 feet elevation. Six miles away, at the intersection of I10 and I410, the elevation is at 879 feet, a barely perceptible rise... A few more miles northwest, at the intersection of I10 and rte 1604, you're at 990 feet... sorry, but that's not particularly hilly. The real Hill country is still many miles away, more like Fredericksburg, or Johnson City.

Maybe your Visitors Bureau should talk to your Better Business Bureau about Truth in Advertising.

So you didn't live in the Dallas I described? That's too bad, you really missed out. Or perhaps I know the city better than you did. Of course I spend my time researching North Texas, and I can usually tell even native Dallasites many things they don't know.

Or perhaps I'm flat-out lying? There is no Joe Pool lake at the foot of the Cedar Hills, Texoma doesn't really exist, Dallas doesn't really have art museums and concerts and 180 starred restaurants in the Mobil Travel Guide?

Chicago, as you can see, Texans can be very attached to their opinions about their respective regions. I don't think one area is intrinsically better than the other.

xb2316 may be right in that the living experience in Dallas might be closer to Chicago than that in SA. However, I don't see anything in xb's initial posting to suggest xb has ever even been to San Antonio. The references to the census figures and the comparison to CLEVELAND are a big clue to that. San Antonio is one of the most historically significant towns in the southwest U.S., with a heavy influence from the latin american community. Its census figures may be similar to those of Cleveland, but the statement that living in SA would be like living in Cleveland, which I think xb suggests, is not accurate.

For the record, I have never lived in Dallas. I have had friends/family move FROM Dallas, and friends move TO Dallas. I have also travelled there on business on a number of occasions. My personal experience does not include the suburbs of the city.

My friends and family members who have worked in both communities do not feel that the companies that they worked for valued them more and treated them better in Dallas. They did make more money. Their jobs were more stressful. There are more opportunities in Dallas (more job openings) but also more people competing for them. There are many more cultural opportunities in Dallas. Its museums are better.

In any event, you are clearly going to have to visit both cities and decide for yourself. Be sure to drive during rush hour. And please let us know what you choose! Good luck!

starrsville, After living in San Antonio for nearly twenty years I know exactly where this Hill Country or no Hill Country is comming from. San Antonio's northern edge is In the hill country. The southern half of SA is Not in the Hill Country. So its really a matter of what part of SA you are talking about. In one sense everyone is right about if it is or isn't in the Hill Country.

&gt;&gt; Cedar Hills State Park just southwest of downtown Dallas has a large farm, with many buildings you can wander around. It also has weekend tours and occasional festivals. The terrain is very hilly and forested, a sort of Dallas answer to the Central Texas Hill Country.&lt;&lt;

Found this on another post. There's a state park near Dallas that has terrain similar to the Central Texas HIll Country.

As I read that, my interpretation would be that the other terrain in and around Dallas is NOT similar to the terrain to the hill country.

Hmmm... what that mean FLAT?

Here's MY post on this board -
&gt;&gt; moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and lasted less than a year. I just missed trees and hills.

We went to the Hill Country every weekend we could. I'd take Austin/ Fredricksburg area in a heartbeat.&lt;&lt;

By the way, the first poster I quoted was YOU, xbt. I suggested Austin or Fredricksburg (not San Antonio).

I stand by my comments - folks living in San Antonio would be amazed to learn that they don't live in the hill country. I defer to them. I'm no longer a Texan.

Jorr, I appreciate your Solomon-like decision... what a way to split the baby! You should be a diplomat or an attorney.

I don't know that the difference is particularly meaningful... one way or the other, the true Hill Country towns and their antique shops are certainly a day trip from San Antonio, much as Glen Rose and Granbury are a short day trip from Dallas.

My interest is not in proving that San Antonio is an unimportant place, but to present its true position in the Sorth-Central states. It's not the regional capital that Dallas is, but still has some validity in its own context.

Starrsville, you keep on trying to make a point...

The Cedar Hills area is steep, several hundred feet deep. The land to the east, Southern Dallas, is very hilly in nature, with dramatic changes in elevation, many creeks and streams and gullies, very heavily forested.

Much of the rest of Dallas is riparian woodland... rolling hills created by stream and river erosion, with extensive forest cover.

Bisecting the area between the Dallas and Fort Worth downtowns is the Cross Timbers strip... a solit belt of thick woodland, not tied to particular watercourses, but existing in a solid belt, several miles thick.

And I will stop trying. I've read enough of the Jan. 05 thread to learn what other Fodorites already knew - your reputation.

My last comment on this topic - I moved to Dallas, TX for a career move and did not stay because I missed the hills and trees. Your description does not match my reality. If a woodland belt &quot;several miles wide&quot; is enough for you, then so be it. It must be a Texan's view of a woodland. I am happy to have a home at 3000 feet elevation in a county that is 78% state park and national forest. I have found the terrain and vegatation that matches my expectations - and am glad that you have as well. Enjoy.

Starrsville, you're welcome to your county. My interest is in cities and the benefits to be derived from many people placed together, and creating a synergy of interaction.

When I go to the top of Reunion Tower in Dallas and I look over the landscape, I see millions of trees, It looks like a forest, with high rise buildings poking out of the green. If that isn't good enough for you, well, let's hope you find something better...

Back to reality... Dallas is a CITY, not a state park or a mountain hideaway, and it succeeds or fails on its validity as a city.And my current perception is that it is doing quite well as a CITY, thank you very much.

I moved back to the &quot;City of Trees&quot; - Atlanta, GA.

Go ahead and compare those two cities as intelligently as you did in the Dallas/Chicago thread and others.

I agree with the numerous posters on the above thread that you have some sort of problem - and I'm glad it's not my problem. As it is, I've been given one more reason NOT to move back to Dallas. I've visited it recently and darn it doesn't look pretty much the same...just built up more - with mesquite trees cut down in the process.

Have fun with your future arguments.

Dallas versus Atlanta,

Well, that's outside the original question, isn't it.

In many ways, the two metros are similar... except that greater Dallas is moderately larger... but the urban growth dynamic are the same.

Personally, I don't like Atlanta's extensive pine forests... but that's immaterial to the general discussion. My personal preferences shouldn't influence anyone.

Do I have a problem? Not with Fodors travel forum... perhaps some posters have a problem with my arguments... if they can't support their side of the argument, let them learn better. Instead of making their frustrations into a personal issue.

Atlanta has some unique problems as an urban area, mainly involving traffic and congestion... but it will solve them, I'm sure. Also, I am sorry that the Atlanta suburbs don't support the extension of MARTA. The Dallas suburbs have a much better appreciation of Dallas' system, DART. The Dallas suburbs want to extend DART trains into their communities... they just don't know how to pay for them.

I prefer Dallas to Atlanta, but the Georgia city is doing well in its ability to attract migrants... on the whole, there seems to be rough parity between the two cities as to growth and desirability.

So... if you think you're better off in Atlanta... I wish you luck.

I was born north of Dallas, and lived in Dallas for 20 years, 3 years in Houston, and now live between Austin and San Antonio. You must understand that Texas, being so big, is really like several different states in one in terms of politics, environment - physical and cultural. In one state there are the plains area, the piney woods, the coast, the hill country, the valley and flat west texas.

So some real unbiased opinion:
Please know that when people talk about Dallas, they're really talking about all of North Texas: Plano, McKinney, Lewisville, Colleyville, etc. etc. These areas can be as different as night and day. Some are older: stately homes in lush green areas with huge mature trees, others are in strip mall nightmare areas...some our new money havens (Plano) with huge McMansions with zero lot lines. They are right, if you travel north of McKinney, you will see some rolling plains still (not for long, the developers have found it). If you travel to LAke Texoma, it is quite rolling and green. Spent my summers there.

I love Dallas b/c it is home. However, that being said I can see the downside to it. It can be very very shallow and image driven. It is not friendly for Texas, but it is certainly friendly compared to other Metro areas. There is culture to be found if you know where to go/live, and there is cultural morass to be endured. I like to revisit Dallas for the shopping and restaurants, for Shakespeare in the Park, for the State Fair, and of course family. Cost of living wise: My friend purchased a lovely custom kitchen, designer 3200 sq. ft. home in Frisco, on a big lot, for $225K.

When people talk about San Antonio, they are also talking about a wide swath that includes traditional downtown area as well as the now sprawling suburbs. Parts of San Antonio are flat, colorless, dirty, while others are hilly and green (North and West). In fact, I was just in the Sea World area, and the construction over there in this NOW green area is really moving. Can't say it will be so pretty for long. It is very culturally diverse, and has a larger transient population due to the military and immigrants. It does seem to have more of a soul, is more interesting as opposed to Dallas cookie cutter...but that too seems to be fading as people from other states discover how close it is to the Hill Country (and no, no matter what anyone says, this is not quite the Hill Country, any more then Austin is...which is MUCH hillier and greener then SA. Austin and SA are more like gateways to the Hill Country, no matter how much the Marketing Dept. of businesses try to tell you differently). San Antonio might be a skosh cheaper then Dallas...again, it's all about area. You can no longer expect to get big homes on big acreage for a good buy...again, we've been &quot;discovered.&quot; However, with the plethora of new development does come more opportunity. You can buy one model of a Ryland home for $145K in one subdivision, and drive 15 miles to pay $180K for the exact same model with some upgrades in a nicer subdivision.
San Antonio offers more opportunity for outdoor activity as it is so very close to the Hill Country...kayaking, hiking, camping, tubing, B&amp;B overnights, wine tasting (ok, to be fair, take this with a grain of salt). People are more active in this area b/c there is simply more opportunity. Many people who live in Dallas vacation weekends in the Hill Country. That must tell you something.

In SA you're closer to Austin which is the only town that the majority voted for Kerry. It's a more politically diverse area. Dallas is more good ol' boy with money, while south Texas can be more good ol' boy with land. You'll find far more granola then socialite here. I personally prefer where I live now to Dallas...simply b/c it is more &quot;flavored&quot; and naturally pretty. But if you love glitz and flash, Soccer moms and suburbs, Dallas may be more for you.

If you can't decide, don't forget Austin of course...which is about 1 hr. from SA. IT's MUCH more expensive...but it's a wonderful town, kind of an oasis. Not like it used to be by far, but still of great worth.

Good luck to you, I hope you find your place.

If you are used to Chicago and the big buildings big city then you will love Dallas. Austin is fun but sometimes too laid back and the job market is saturated! The hill country is great but if you are not used too the country then you could be bored. Houston is way too over populated. I have lived in Dallas all my life except I just moved back from LA. I was out there 2 years.

Weather will be an adjustment for you. It doesnt snow here and the summers usually get into the 100's.