Texas DISer's~ Question about areas!

[DMickey28]

It looks like Derek may get a chance to transfer to Texas. He doesn't need to live in a particular location, however I work for the Olive Garden restaurants and would want to transfer to either the OG or a Red Lobster. Any ideas on area's that would be good for a couple in their mid twenties moving from Massachusetts. I don't know anything about texas so I am looking for any information I can gather.... Thank you soo much!

 

[4greatboys]

You dont really say what part of Texas you are looking at. I live in the Houston area and we have lots of Red Lobsters and Olive Gardens around here.

 

[DMickey28]

we don't have to be in a specific location. Derek is interested in Austin but neither one of us has any idea of the area!

Thanks!

 

[4greatboys]

Austin is beautiful. Everyone in Texas loves it there. Im sure they have Red Lobster/Olive Garden there. Be prepared for th eheat though, summer times are a killer here.

 

[WDWHound]

I work in Austin and live in Round Rock (just north of Austin). Central Texas is a very green area with lots of trees, hill, lakes and rivers. The average temperature in the summer is high 90's to low 100s, high 80's to mid 90's in spring and fall, and 50's to 60s in the winter. Housing prices vary, but the average 3-4 bedroom home goes for around 170,000-200,000.

Overall, I find this a wonderful place to live. We do have some traffic problems during rush hour, but not as bad as Boston traffic. We have lots of Red Lobsters and Olive Gardens here too.

I would be happy to tell you more. What sort of questions do you have?

 

[DMickey28]

I have lived in Massachusetts almost my whole life. Mostly on the Cape. I am very used to this way of life and am wondering how Texas compares.... I don't know in what aspects I am looking for!

I think the first year we will rent until we decide if we'll stick it out for a while. I love the heat, as long as there is ac.

 

[WDWHound]

I moved here from Vermont when I was 20 and had no porblem adapting. The only thing that I really miss is snow. We get a bit of it here every 3 or 4 years, but nothing substancial.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Austin is really traficy...okay, so is the Dallas area but I like the Dallas area so much better than the Austin area. The Dallas area has so much to do. I live in Lewisville which is almost the best of both worlds. We're within about 20 miles of EVERYTHING but you still kinda get the nice small-town feeling with the friendly people and all. There's an Olive Garden just up the road from me, maybe about three miles and the Red Lobster is right across the road. Plus the heat up here doesn't get as bad as it does down in the Austin area...sure it gets hot but at least during the winter we have a better chance of getting snow than Austin does Allthough we didn't get snow this past weekend and Austin did...I still don't know how that happened. Anyway, I came from the central Texas/ Waco area and I LOVE the Dallas area so much more

 

[WDWHound]

I think Princess Aurora's post shows something important. There are plusses and minuses to every part of Texas and which town you like will depend on your taste. I am not a fan of Dallas (and I really have a hard time with Dallas traffic), but I know many people who love Dallas. Austin still has some of that college town feel to it (though it has lost some of that in the last 10 years), while Dallas feels more metropolitan. It all depends on what sort of interests you have and what sort of atmosphere you like.

Also, you might consider Houston or San Antonio. Both offer very different experiences compared to Dallas or Austin.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Houston and San Antonio are too muggy for me. I guess it probably is just a matter of taste. I can't really put my finger on it though. I mean, Austin and Dallas are both large cities so they both offer a lot.

Oh, I think I know what it is...Dallas has the DALLAS STARS!!! I LOVE the Stars and even if you're not a hockey fan you can still enjoy going to a Stars game. We also have the Cowboys, the Rangers, and the Mavricks...in case you don't know, that's football, baseball, and basketball teams.

You should probably visit some towns first. I'd visit Dallas, Waco (Waco does have an Olive Garden and Red Lobster) Austin, Houston, San Antonio or whatever cities you are most interested in. I know some people that really like Waco because it's a city but it's not big at all. So if that's what you like you can try that. Then of course you have West Texas and East Texas, which I don't know that much about. Texas is about the size of four smaller states.

 

[DStar4cup]

I am from The Colony which is just down the road from Princess Aurora. The North part of the Metroplex is really growing and the Frisco area is booming. Housing in the Dallas area is about the same as Austin. You can get a 3-4 bedroom house for 150,000-200,000. Traffic can get bad at times but I think that is a problem that is everywhere. I think Houston's traffic is worse than ours. I have 2 brothers and a sister that live close to Houston and it is muggy hot there but at least it is close to the beach. I agree that the best thing that you could do is come stay at least a week in Texas and you could travel to each city. It is only about 4 hrs. between each city. I love Texas and hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!!!

 

[Rajah]

Another vote for Austin!! I loved Austin, *hate* Houston, wasn't fond of Dallas (though it's been a while since I visited), and don't mind San Antonio. But if I were picking one of those four, I'd go for Austin in a heartbeat!

 

[JohnTBap]

Texas is REALLY different in all parts - depending. You really should try to visit and see what you think. What does your SO do?

 

[TigerBear]

Unless you like small towns I would stay away (as in far, far away) from Waco. I lived there three years while my ex-husband went to law school and it was actually painful. San Antonio is my favorite city in Texas to visit - I don't know if I would want to live there. I much prefer Fort Worth to Dallas - Fort Worth has a much friendlier feel to it. I grew up in Austin and will always love it. I currently live in Houston and can honestly say that I like it MUCH more than I expected to. I agree with the suggestion to come and visit before deciding where you would like to live!

 

[stego]

We moved down here because my stepfather was in the army, so we went to Ft. Hood. You don't want to move there. I was so bored. The big thing I missed was the snow. After being here over 25 years, I don't miss it too much. Most of my childhood was growing up in massachusetts, and new hampshire.
In texas, it's very spread out. The distances between the big cities is hours, by driving. And with big cities come big city problems. Of course, there are big city benefits too.
Theathers, museums, sports venues, malls and shopping.
Depending on where you settle, the coast could be an 11 hour drive(from the panhandle).
Most suburbs of the big cities have those two chains.
I worked at both for a few years, then moved on.
It would take a good couple of days to see all the big cities, and then again, to go to el paso, and amarillo, and corpus christi, and beaumont, and brownsville, and midland, and well, you get the idea. I guess you'll have to spring for an air tix to come down and check it out. Southwest does fly out of manchester, nh, so maybe you could fly down that way.

 

[Mattsmom]

I grew-up in Quincy, MA. I moved to TX with DH when I was in my late twenties. Lived in Houston for 6 yrs. Have lived outside Austin for 8 yrs.

I would rather live in MA but.........if I had to pick only in TX, Austin would be it. It has trees! Short tree, but trees! Most Texans will tell you they have trees too. Not like New England they don't!

The city has a "feel and charactor" about it like Boston does. Houston and Dallas are glass and steel. Their downtown areas are mostly business zones that close up at night. Not Austin, the Univ. of Texas is right there and there is plenty of entertainment options.

It's very different here. Things are much farther apart. Much more open space and ranch/farmland then what your use to. People think nothing of driving 4 hrs. between major cities. Most people in MA think driving from the North Shore to Cape Cod is a major trip.

The culture and people are different here too. Very friendly, strangers will chat with you in stores etc

I agree with the other posters, you should visit.

 

[phamton]

I'd pick Austin if you like lots of greenery and rolling hills. If you like the beach and palm trees like I do, I'd pick Corpus Christi. The weather there is very similar to Orlando.

Bev