If you spent a month in Texas ....

Dr.Linda wanted to move to Arizona. I wanted Wyoming. We compromised on Arkansas. NW Arkansas is even "cultural." We have a really nice world class museum now. Google up Crystal Bridges. Them fancy-pants NYC museums were p-o'ed that bumfuq AR got nice artwork instead of them.

As was mentioned earlier, as long as you stay clear of the oil/shale areas, housing is very affordable. Can't fathom you'd want to live around those areas anyway.

Besides cars, what do you like to do for fun?

Lived in Dallas for 5 years. It seemed sort of generic - actual Texans were few and far between. Everyone else was a transplant. Always had the impression it was more expensive than it should be. In a few states having enough land to get an ag status/exemption saves thousands on property tax. You may have to actually grow plants or raise critters to get it.

Mrs. Oldtin is talking about Utah - around St. George. The state is well run, property/houses are pretty cheap (a lot of places are compared to Chicago). Taxes or ok. The negative - hope you like brown over green for land - and we're not mormons.

I used to like Colorado, but it seems to have been overrun by Californians. Mrs. Oldtin's theory is that Californians get sick of CA stuff, move elsewhere, then try to turn it into CA.

I prefer Dallas to Houston from my visits. Traffic doesn't bother me, I live in CA and drive the 101 and 405 regularly. Plus my friends are in Dallas.

+1 for San Antonio. I've visited there a few times, and each time left with "Man, i could live here and be happy."

It's still hot for me, but it's not a clusterberkeley, spread out, beautiful city.

Zomby Woof wrote: I loved Arkansas when I was there. Wife has NO interest. She likes Arizona.

Arkansas may be the new Texas. The limited parts of the state I've seen are beautiful, but that very limited. I did work with a guy from there about 35 years ago and he was not a good selling point.

oldtin wrote: I used to like Colorado, but it seems to have been overrun by Californians. Mrs. Oldtin's theory is that Californians get sick of CA stuff, move elsewhere, then try to turn it into CA.

THIS is exactly what's happening to Texas, Austin in particular. Can't smoke in bars (I don't smoke, but appreciate the rights of those who do), the so called LIve Music Capitol Of The World now has noise ordinances downtown because of all the yuppies who moved into downtown for the awesome music scene are complaining about the noise. It's just rediculous... UGH! I love that town, but it drives me crazy. Oh yeah, Austin just outlawed plastic bags for groceries and shopping... Hippies...

I live just north of Houston. Austin is ok if you like people and all of the stuff that they do, but it's busy and crowded and expensive, at least for Texas. I spent a lot of time in north Texas a really liked the solitude of the area. If you want to be alone, you can really be alone. You wouldn't escape winter much up there though. South Texas is a combination of nice and terrifying depending on how the drug war/immigration is going at any given moment.
Houston is a pretty ok town actually. The town has everything you could want to do. Property ranges from insanely cheap to insanely expensive. We live outside the established 'nice' areas and you could probably buy my house for new Corvette money, and not Z06 money either, I'm talking base vette. People complain about property taxes but the majority of that comes from local taxation. The cops don't really visit here, the roads don't get a lot of love, and I pay $580 a year. Outside sales tax and car registration, that's my total tax load to the state. If you get north and east of Houston it's a lot more like Louisiana or Arkansas. I have 100 foot pine trees in my yard, not cactus.
Most of all, Texas is a biiiiiiig place. Beaumont to El Paso is 827 Miles, all in the state of Texas. Los Angeles to El Paso is 802. Hopping in the car and driving from Manhattan to Chicago is only 797. It's hard for some people to wrap their head around the size and the variety of the state. I'd recommend a visit or two or three before choosing a place to settle.

Conquest351 wrote: Can't smoke in bars (I don't smoke, but appreciate the rights of those who do)

In Illinois (and many other states I assume) it is illegal to smoke indoors in any public building (not including smoke shops etc.). I absolutely hate the law, but I sure do love being able to go out for a beer and not smelling like smoke. I was talking to a bar owner (or manager) about it and he said that it initallly hurt business, but after a month or two the non-smokers who didn't go out because of the smell all started coming out, and eventually the smokers stared coming back and just taking a smoke break every 15 minutes.

Alabama? I mean we have lose laws on guns, cars, cheap cost of living, Barber Motorsports park, plenty of other motorsports, etc. Within 2 hours of me, we have 4 regions running autocross (including Huntsville). Also I am within 4 hours of Atlanta.

College Station is the gearhead paradise - so if you can find the work you like here, you'll enjoy $15 all-day autocrosses, road rallyes, good motorcycling, trackdays at Texas World, auto parts stores that actually have parts, a Formula SAE team that actually drives the cars regularly...

chaparral wrote: College Station is the gearhead paradise - so if you can find the work you like here, you'll enjoy $15 all-day autocrosses, road rallyes, good motorcycling, trackdays at Texas World, auto parts stores that actually have parts, a Formula SAE team that actually drives the cars regularly...

And the Dixie Chicken.

And now Little Feat is running through my head

...'I'll be your Tennessee lamb'...

In reply to Dr. Hess:

You're an Aggie, right?

If you live in Eastern NC (Beaufort, Greenville, etc.) the snowbird problem pretty much vanishes.

I have lived in Texas for a long time. I love this place. But I do not Love Hell Paso. No Lakes no Race tracks. Low English lower jobs. Come to Hell Paso only if you wont this. ][/URL]

Austin or San Antonio is the place to be. That way you can day trip to anyplace in Texas. If you wont to see what Texas has to offer.

I vote next door in Louisiana, better food and drive through daiquiri stores.

A very good description of Texas

although GVX19 has a good point, go to central Texas and do day trips to find what you like

chaparral wrote: In reply to Dr. Hess: You're an Aggie, right?

Howdy!

(Class of '92)

Flight Service wrote: I vote next door in Louisiana, better food and drive through daiquiri stores. A very good description of Texas although GV has a good point, go to central Texas and do day trips to find what you like

Uh, No. I lived in The Swampland for a year and a half. It is the armpit of the world. Not the shiny happy person of the world, which is the Persian Gulf, but the armpit. I actually think Panama has better weather in the summer. The food is good, though. I don't think you can get a bad meal in the state.

As I said on another board, trying to help a swampland biker fix his bike and explaining to the other forum members why he was having diagnostic issues, it's like this:

"See, me an' Boudreaux and Thibodeaux was out 'gater huntin', and the bike wouldn't start. We checked the wheel bearings and they was loose, so we tightened them and it still wouldn't start. Next we replaced the fork spring and then we went to the bar, which never closes, and the next thing we knew, it was Thursday."

Dr. Hess wrote:

Flight Service wrote: I vote next door in Louisiana, better food and drive through daiquiri stores. A very good description of Texas although GV has a good point, go to central Texas and do day trips to find what you like

Uh, No. I lived in The Swampland for a year and a half. It is the armpit of the world. Not the shiny happy person of the world, which is the Persian Gulf, but the armpit. I actually think Panama has better weather in the summer. The food is good, though. I don't think you can get a bad meal in the state. As I said on another board, trying to help a swampland biker fix his bike and explaining to the other forum members why he was having diagnostic issues, it's like this: "See, me an' Boudreaux and Thibodeaux was out 'gater huntin', and the bike wouldn't start. We checked the wheel bearings and they was loose, so we tightened them and it still wouldn't start. Next we replaced the fork spring and then we went to the bar, which never closes, and the next thing we knew, it was Thursday."

'bout right, but they are nice

I spent half a month in Houston once... I didn't much care for it at all. Nothing in particular stuck out - it was just a wide spread full of sameness and chain food. I did snag some good mexican but ... I wouldn't go back on purpose for any length of time.

I can talk about my brother's dislike for Louisiana's weather, but not Texas.

If you are going to North Texas YOU DON'T WANT DALLAS, YOU WANT FORT WORTH!

It's amazing the difference a few miles makes. Fort Worth today is like Austin of the 80's. Music and out door activities abound. Bike trails, hiking trails, culture, eating places to die for, parks, river, etc. FW actually has a downtown you could live in and enjoy. When we are bored we drive down many times a month just to kill a little time and walk around. Laid back is the atmosphere.

It' s small enough to be just about anywhere in town in 20-30 minutes from just about any other place in town. But traffic has a lot to do with that. They are sane about how they work any accidents and road work (for the most part). For rush hour I slow down from 75 to 60 or 65. It's a rare wreck to have more than one lane closed and to have traffic backed up - except on the north loop, but that's because the whole north loop is under construction to add more lanes.

I lived in Dallas for 25 years and only moved to FW 5 years ago and I can't believe I was that stupid for that long.

We've just finished up the 2nd coldest April on record and while we had 3 days in a row of mid to high 80's weather today at 4:00 p.m. it was 43 and misting.

EDIT: And HALLELUJAH! We've got good no smoking laws. Finally the non smokers can enjoy food, clubs and life in general!!!! You won't hear me bad mouthing any nonsmoking laws anywhere. If all smokers were forced to smoke under a bell jar so they didn't destroy the enjoyment of others then I'd say go ahead and smoke, but absent that they don't have the right to disrupt the lives and enjoyment of other for their selfish addiction. If pressed I'd tell you what I really think about smoking.

slantvaliant wrote:

iceracer wrote: Above all, don't go to Witchita Falls.

That recommendation would carry more weight if you could spell Wichita Falls correctly. Let me guess - you had something to do with Sheppard AFB? Wichita Falls is not a bad place to be. North Central Texas not as humid as Southeast Texas, nor as flat and dry as it is out West. Wichita Falls is close enough to the Dallas-Fort Worth messoplex to hit the fun stuff without living with the rest of it. Oklahoma is just across the river where it belongs. It's not the most exciting or beautiful city, but it also doesn't have all the issues that come with that excitement.

Well, it's been a long time, so I forgot the correct spelling. sorry about that. It was pretty flat when I was there and no real trees. Lots of dust. No lakes that you could swim in. I preferred going a little north into Oklahoma. You could find some hills, lakes etc. Yep, the weather wasn't too bad. we even had a snow storm once. Understand they have been hit by a couple of tornados