Friday, November 6, 2009
Since I'm Lazy...
So I have a question for my Dallas-based (or formerly Dallas-based, I don't judge...) peeps.
Let's say I was considering having to relocate to Dallas in, say, January. I mean, this is totally crazy, but let's just pretend. Further, let's pretend that I'm going for a job that would be located in the northern part of Irving. Let's also say that I friggin' hate long commutes. I used to have a 30 mile commute that took 45 minutes on a good day but was closer to an hour most of the time. When I got my current job and then moved to my current residence one of my reasons for doing so was because it was just under 10 miles and 25 minutes during rush hour except in the worst conditions.
So where should I live? Oh, let's also pretend, for the sake of argument, that money isn't really an issue. I know that electricity costs more in Dallas than it does in Chicago, but rent is lower and in theory, in theory, in this crazy scenario I'll be receiving the same level of compensation in Dallas that I currently receive in the significantly-more-expensive Chicagoland area (seriously, it'd be like getting at least a 10% raise just because...). Most of the rent figures I've seen are between $100 and $300 lower than I'm currently paying.
This is what I know/have heard:
1. I don't want to live south of 30.
2. Irving itself is kind of boring. And located directly between two airports that are less than 10 miles apart (I currently live about four or five miles from Midway and I barely notice, so this might not really be an issue. But flight patterns and the relative traffic of DFW and Love Field combined when compared to just Midway could be an issue).
3. Bedford is nice. And also on the other side of DFW from my completely imaginary possible future place of gainful employment.
4. Carrollton is kind of a hole.
5. Plano ain't bad, but wouldn't be my desired commute.
Oh, also, since the cost of things is so out of whack down there when I try to compare it to what I've experienced up here:
If I saw a listing for a 1-bedroom near Chicago for $550/month I would absolutely not even consider it. We're talking slum or worse. I'm not saying I'd rent a 1-bedroom for $550 in Dallas, either. But I've seen listings for such in the general Irving area. Should I consider that a place to avoid, or about right? I'm just looking for a baseline here.
Thanks a pantload in advance, everybody.
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10 comments:
Well I live in Oklahoma, just across the border from Dallas (2.5 to 3 hour drive). Irving is not bad, my aunt used to live there. Don't forget the price of gas is significantly lower in Dallas than it is in Chicago. I tend to like Chicago better than Dallas though, also the mass transit system in Dallas is nothing compared to Chicago.
Oh, apparently you haven't been around lately. I tend to like Chicago better than Dallas, too. I also tend to like employment better than unemployment...
And it's really not about the cost of gas. It's really about my dislike of sitting in my car for long periods of time just to spend 8 hours sitting at a desk. Five days a week. Fifty-two weeks a year.
Ugh.
Moving to a new place - it brings all the worries and concerns, yet it also brings such excitement.
$550's a little on the low end, but not really likely to get you killed.
$650-$700 is more like it for a one BR, $800-1000 for a two BR (depending on the size of the place)
Living south of 30 would be bad.
Carrollton is a massive hole.
Irving's boring, yes, but you're close enough to western central Dallas where all the cool shit is
that I'm not sure it is matters.
Also, Dallas Love Field has very little influence on the traffic pattern, and DFW's traffic is pretty much restricted to 35E, 635, and 121, all of which would be easily dodgeable if you lived anywhere between 114 and 30.
I agree with Big A.
I'll call an old friend of mine that lived in Irving for several years to see what neighborhoods are good. There are plenty of cheap houses for rent out there if you're not wanting apartment living.
Bedford is actually a really nice little suburb... of Fort Worth. Your commute wouldn't be terrible, but you would be in what I call the "Red Zone" of conservatives. Plus, you'd be that much farther from the cool Dallas stuff (like the semi-decent local music scene).
I'll set a reminder to call my friend sometime this evening.
I'm more North Dallas (live in Plano, work in Richardson), but my parents are down in Farmer's Branch. That's actually a bit closer than Carrolton, and the residential living varies from run down to nice (depending on the neighborhood). Unfortunately, I don't know anything about apartment living in that area.
Big A's assessment of prices sounds about right to me.
One of my old friends has an apartment off MacArthur, a little north of 635, which is a pretty nice area and not too far afield from where you're looking. Let's see if I can create a link:
Google Map looking down on the apartment complex (I hope?)
If you're thinking about a scouting expedition and want a place to crash, drop me a line: michaelmock /at/ mockwriting /./ com
Here's some copy pasta from the response I got from my friend:
"What is his price range?
Essentially all of the good neighborhoods in Irving are in north Irving. This means north of 114. Also, most of the areas that are really *worth* living in claim their own township names like Highland Park does in Dallas – so places include Valley Ranch and Las Colinas."
I didn't even think of Las Colinas. I guess I think of it more like its own town even though it isn't.
::nods:: And the one I was just pointing a google map at is Valley Ranch, now that you mention it.
Big A: So, um, why would you think that you confirming for me that Carrollton is a hole would help? You're the one who told me in the first place...
Michael: Thanks for the offer. I'll probably be down there once or twice before any move date, but I'd be going for the transition meetings, so I'll be on the company dime. Those are the two second-greatest words in the English language, right behind de fault...
Fake Al Gore: Well, Las Colinas has the first listings I've seen and said, "I don't want to spend that much on housing." But it appears to mostly be some swanky new lofts that hit that price range. After Chicago almost everything looks cheap...
Anyway, thanks again everybody. I now have a much better idea of what to expect.
Also, how did people move cross-country before the internet? Seriously...
Also, how did people move cross-country before the internet? Seriously...
W'all, ye jest hooks up yer covered wagon, see? And ye just keeps goin until ye gets there.
Having lived to the ripe old age of thirty(mumble), I have made several major moves without benefit of technology. And really all you need is friends or family in the area who will let you sleep on the couch until you figure out the area.
And a word of encouragement: I've lived in quite a few different places(*), and I've found something I _really like_ about each of them.
- YetAnotherKevin
(*) not including Texas
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