If you’ve lived in both Metro DFW and Metro Atlanta tell me what you like and dislike about each of the metro areas?
Posted by Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 96 comments
forthe_99and2000@reddit
OP, thank you for making this post. Currently entering year 5 of living in Atlanta and feeling like this will be my last. Dallas is in the top 5 of possible moves. Reading the comments here have given me good insight on whats comparable in the two cities.
What I Like about ATL:
My hometown is a smaller city where there wasn't much to do, so its great to live in a city where there is plenty. Artists I like are always coming through for concerts, plenty of restaurants and bars to try, a great scene for people who are creatives or performers (but not as expensive as LA or NY), huge airport with many flight options, and the amount of square footage you get is decent or plentiful with housing/apartments when it comes to rent prices.
What is driving me to leave:
Rent. I know that cost of living in Dallas is the same or a tad bit higher, but at least there is no state tax. Many so-called “luxury” apartments still have problems like crime and poor infrastructure, yet rents often increase by $200 or more at renewal with little justification. This leaves renters stuck between moving frequently to avoid hikes or staying and paying significantly more. For those not ready to buy a home, renting here can feel unsustainable.
The trees are beautiful yes, but crazy trees mean crazy bugs. Especially in the apartments. The giant flying cockroaches are everywhere, in upper-floor units too. They always find a way inside, whether via patio or bath drain. Gnats are also swarming for the whole spring and summer. I’ll miss the parks and scenery, but not enough to deal with bugs like that in my living space.
Stunt culture/scam city. So many people here want to 'appear' as rich, exclusive or popular. Many trendy restaurants or tiktok famous spots don't match what they advertise. I love that this is home to many black owned businesses but the grass walls and neon signs do not make up for poor customer service, long wait times, the same menu items and unbalanced cocktails. And scamming is an issue - for example the water boys in Buckhead, who have been known to snatch phones and send themselves money. Overall, it can feel like too much of the city is built on appearances and taking advantage of people.
Traffic -Its not the traffic for me, its the reckless driving. Like another commenter said, people are often pulling grand theft auto type moves on the highway. Speeding erratically and weaving throughout traffic. And don't let there be a GSP chase. You better not be in the path of it because your car will be an unfortunate casualty, they don't seem to care about keeping others safe while doing a pursuit.
Crime. It feels like no matter where you are, you have to constantly be on guard for for break-ins, robberies, assaults, or car theft. Even places that market themselves as “luxury” don’t feel as safe as they should. It is tiring always having to think about safety when you go out to enjoy yourself.
RoosterzRevenge@reddit
Moved from Atlanta to Dallas 7 years ago, the only thing better about Atlanta is its proximity to better beaches. Traffic is worse, humidity is worse, crime is worse. Food scene is rather equal with Atlanta having better southern food and Dallas having better Mexican. Cost of living is close enough to not matter. Dallas does have a greater tornado threat but Atlanta has a greater tropical storm threat.
lit776@reddit
If you moved 7 years ago then you probably missed out on the WILD improvements Atlanta has made in the last 7 years. It has completely surpassed Dallas in leaps and bounds. I can not understate the number and expansiveness of improvements Atlanta has made around walkability. When I lived there 4 years ago, I only drove for day trips to the mountains or weekend trips to the beach.
Atlanta has the Beltline. Calling the Katy Trail temu Beltline is an insult to the Beltline. Its a 26 mile connected walking, biking, running loop around atlanta that is PACKED with restaurants, bars, cultural spots, shops, breweries, art, parks, festivals, etc.
RoosterzRevenge@reddit
Walkability is at the very bottom of my list of importance.
lit776@reddit
What is your list of priorities?
TXElec@reddit
The Falcons suck too
trugbee1203@reddit
How has being a cowboys fan the last 20 years??
Granted we’re feeling pretty good after the eagles and chiefs lol
TXElec@reddit
Still better than being a Falcons fan
vividbiviv@reddit
This is an interesting take. Falcons have had some extreme lows but they’ve played in 2 Super Bowls and a 3rd NFC title game since the last time the Cowboys got out of the divisional round. Guess it just depends on whether you value competing for championships or avoiding let downs.
Hope-u-guess-my-name@reddit
28-3 will do that to ya
halnic@reddit
When being for a team becomes part of your identity, the win/loss ratio is irrelevant. In reality, supporting the team even harder when they're losing is in the rules.
mchante14@reddit
I’ll take every cowboy season over 28-3 any day
halfuser10@reddit
Food scene isn’t even close. Atlanta food was considerably worse, though some good pockets, and yes better/easily available traditional southern food.
Cost of living nope. Rent was just as expensive PLUS 6% in income tax.
The best thing about Atlanta was the trees. It’s incredibly green and access to nature is amazing.
parikptlcfa@reddit
Would you rather have 6% of your pay back and live without “nature” here in dfw? Or would you rather have the 6% and have Atlanta nature?
Lurcher99@reddit
Food prices were more there for sure.
Pony2013@reddit
Cope
extraordinaryevents@reddit
I would say Piedmont park and the beltline dwarfs anything we have here as well. Those are the main things I miss about ATL
mrsmateen@reddit
Also, Dallas is far uglier than Atlanta 🫣. Dallasites always get up in arms when I say this, but it’s true
halfuser10@reddit
As a Dallasite, you are correct. Dallas is well manicured but it has absolutely 0 natural beauty.
Thegiantlamppost@reddit
You forgot you have access to actual topography unlike dallas
Lurcher99@reddit
Took a three yr detour from DFW through ATL after covid. Hated Buford, but 6 hrs to PCB, and 1 hr to the edge of the mountains (I'm a car guy) + 10 miles to road Atlanta, well it was not all bad. Back in Plano, 3 miles from my old house. Love being home, but damn it's flat, treeless, and no curvy roads. Missing Lidl too - IYKYK
whydoueat@reddit
Just moved to DFW from Atlanta. I really liked Atlanta for its nature, weather and the southern hospitality but I feel MUCH safer doing anything in DFW. The food scene is slightly better here in Dallas. I miss Atlanta, but the rent, water bills (thanks Coca-Cola) and utilities were too high adding to the pinch from income tax rates. If Atlanta works on its safety and rent prices, I would move back no doubt.
pamalamTX@reddit
Dallas is well lit, Atlanta is not, especially highways. So dark.
MemberChewbacca@reddit
I live in Austin, but am from Dallas, and I’m just chiming in to say how much I appreciate Dallas streetlights! Austin is so damn dark in residential neighborhoods and I’m always so happy to drive at night back home… It seems like a trivial thing, but in the winter it’s SO nice to be able to see the freaking road!
DungeonCrawlerCarl@reddit
Really just boils down to if you prefer American Airlines or Delta.
MemberChewbacca@reddit
Or Southwest.
MemberChewbacca@reddit
I have been to over 40 countries, and I must say that I’ve never experienced any city that felt more like home (Dallas) than Atlanta, like they are uncannily similar.
I think proximity to your loved ones is the only real deciding factor that makes one better than the other.
I am so glad to see a thread finally confirming that I’m not the only one to notice their similarities.
nomadschomad@reddit
Traffic sucks in both. But there are neighborhoods dispersed throughout the working areas in both which allow you to design a reasonable commute.
Speaking of neighborhoods, I think Atlanta has better white collar upscale apartment/condo neighborhoods than Dallas does. Uptown and downtown are pretty boring in Dallas these days. Both have solid upscale neighborhoods for single families near the urban core – HP/UP in Dallas, Brookhaven or Buckhead ATL. and both have lots of great suburbs close to the city and far from it depending what you want. Pretty similar on schools also. Couple of smaller premier public districts. Then of course the big city district that is a mixed bag. And wide range of privates to choose from.
Dallas weather is certainly better without Atlanta’s summer humidity
Air travel is pretty much unlimited from both although the Delta experience is certainly better than AA
Atlanta food is certainly better. Dallas has plenty of good food but also lots of places that deliver a half ass IG vibe and crappy grub. Better holes in the wall sprinkled throughout Atlanta compared to Dallas where you have to go to specific ethnic suburbs to get your fix.
Music scene is solid and diverse in both. A little heavier on the indie/country in Dallas and Fort Worth. Little heavier on the hip-hop in Atlanta.
Dallas has a solid big performing arts scene – I think Winspear and Myerson and the entire AT&T/Hall arts district is better than Dallas actually deserves. But overall, the performing and especially fine. Art scene is nowhere near as rich/deep as in Atlanta.
Dallas has the best county fair/state fair.
Even though the Cowboys and Mavericks are a shit show, Dallas sports is certainly better. Cowboys are on a decent run in preparation for disappointing their fans horribly over the next several weeks. Stars are always great other than the stupid lawsuit with the Mavericks. Rangers will be hit or miss.
Georgia’s state government is unquestionably a more tolerable version of the GOP than Texas. That said, Texas is bigger and richer, and simply better funded in many ways.
Atlanta is much more diverse in terms of actual integration. Dallas feels pretty segregated by Reese and SES.
I think people are much more authentic in Atlanta and have a lovely southern hospitality/charm. Dallas is image conscious, but that consciousness lacks the authenticity and uniqueness of NYC or LA. It’s pretty cookie cutter in Dallas.
lit776@reddit
Don’t forget Atlanta United and you can get there pretty easily on Marta
mrsmateen@reddit
As somebody who moved to Dallas from Atlanta, this is spot on in every way.
gumdrop92@reddit
I lived close to Atl and visited often. Just moved to the Dallas area.
Atlanta’s airport is so much better. I miss having great lounges and direct flights overseas (via delta). Roadtrips are easy from Atlanta. Atlanta has culture and soul. Music scene is diverse. There are trees!! I can’t tell you how much I miss seeing trees. Atlanta’s water and air quality are better. My skin misses the humidity. The food, and locals, are also better in Atlanta. Atliens are more attractive.
Traffic… I do not miss the traffic in Atlanta. There are rude/unhinged drivers in TX, and some of them don’t understand merging, but I will take that over sitting in one place for an hour in Atlanta. Housing costs in both areas are terrible but at least you get land in GA.
Dallas has more career opportunities.
SomethingHasGotToGiv@reddit
Atalanta is very green. Public transportation is excellent. Huge homeless population. The downtown, midtown, and Buckhead areas are actually decent and are destination areas. Piedmont Park is a great asset.
Dallas is concrete. Bad public transportation. Huge homeless population. Uptown is a destination area.
SpannerInTheWorx@reddit
Wait......what? Marta is excellent?!?! Gufaw Ya, right.
Muted_Chard_139@reddit
Yea no. I was almost stabbed on Marta a few years ago. Never agai.
SomethingHasGotToGiv@reddit
Have you ever lived anywhere else so that you have something to compare it to?
SpannerInTheWorx@reddit
Yes. Chicago, Denver, and several places around NC.
dbclass@reddit
CTA>MARTA>RTD
SomethingHasGotToGiv@reddit
Try comparing it to Dallas, Houston, Detroit, Los Angeles.
SpannerInTheWorx@reddit
Wait. Are you saying I think Marta is good or bad?
CaptainMorale@reddit
You actually think the MARTA is better than the DART? Even without the comparison, calling the MARTA excellent is a pretty insane take.
Excellent public transport would be London, DC Metro, Tokyo…MARTA is oof. Average at best on its best days IMO.
50West@reddit
Buckhead is garbage now. What used to be one of the nicest areas of ATL just a few years ago, commanding multi million dollar homes and condo's, is no more.
The ATL MARTA is a great experience if you enjoy the thrill of life and death. Because the people that ride that thing are not the people you want to ride public transpiration with if you want to live.
SomethingHasGotToGiv@reddit
That’s too bad!
grn_eyed_bandit@reddit
Dallas Pros: People are super friendly with one caveat (see Dallas cons) Great restaurant scene Beautiful sunsets in the fall and winter Great employment opportunities in TECH (or at least when I left in 2023) Two airports - one big for international travel, and one great for domestic travel Nice to have a decent sized metro nearby (Ft worth) with a different feel Traffic is bad - but there are enough surface roads to navigate around and the surface roads aren't two lanes (like Atlanta) Dallas Cons: Rude and inconsiderate drivers. It amazed me how nice people are EXCEPT for on the road Toll roads. GRRRRRRRR. Cost of living went through the roof post pandemic HOT. RIDICULOUSLY HOT from May through October. I had to deprogram my thinking that fall starts in September. *Texas does not apply. Storms are insane. The storms in Dallas have definitely awakened me out of my sleep a time or two. And in the winter the temperature swings are definitely bipolar. Atlanta Pros: Close to decent beaches Lots of activities/social scene for different demographics Airport with a ton of flight options Scenic/mountain views Atlanta cons: People are rude and unfriendly AHJ International Airport is HUGE. A second airport is desperately needed. People can't drive, but it's a different kind of "can't drive" than Dallas. People perform driving maneuvers straight out of a Grand Theft Auto game Cost of living is bad - but not as bad as Dallas Horrible traffic. The initial highway setup (which engineer decided it would be great to combine two highways into one right through the middle of the city, then criss cross it with another interstate? They need to be lobotomized). Then there are a ton of main roads dead smack in the city which are two lanes. Hot, but it's a different kind of heat than Dallas. Dallas heat is a little bit drier (especially from July through October). Atlanta's heat isn't as hot "number wise" but the humidity is INSANE. Dating is trash. Especially for certain demographics. Career nepotism - I was easily able to find employment based on my skills and merit in Dallas. In Atlanta, it felt like more of "who you know" and not my resume. TLDR: I would give the slight edge to Dallas, but it depends what you're looking for overall.
Muted_Chard_139@reddit
The ATL airport is terrible. Good point I’d forgotten. I’ve literally clocked a 5k in there getting from my plane to a rental car. It is absurd.
Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit (OP)
Especially agree with you about needing a second airport, but Delta will literally never allow it.
50West@reddit
It has not so much to do with Delta but everything to do with the city of Atlanta and federal money. The city of ATL loves Hartsfield airport because it makes astronomically amounts of money. That is money the city gets through taxes.
As an opposite, you can look at DFW airport. DFW airport is its' own city, with its own zip code. DFW gets the benefits of the travel through the airport, but not the taxes.
Muted_Chard_139@reddit
Atl traffic is much much worse. We travel there frequently cause family. So many winding roads I get car sick. I think DFW has more interesting little pockets/cities to explore.
halfuser10@reddit
Native Dallasite that’s lived in ATL before.
They’re very similar. I always say Dallas is a less ghetto version of Atlanta but without trees.
Food is miles better in Dallas overall. People are nicer (people were surprisingly kind of rude in Atlanta…?). Atlanta has some racial stuff still going on; it’s a very odd dynamic for such a modern city. It’s Something that someone from Dallas wouldn’t be used to/find comfortable.
Atlanta was more expensive, especially with income tax.
Both are hot and humid, Atlanta MAY be slightly more humid on the average… but I’d say barely. It doesn’t get/stay nearly as hot as DFW, and you actually get 4 real seasons.
The only thing I really miss about Atlanta is the trees and greenery. It’s like a hug. Great access to nature, smoky mountains, etc. beats DFW hands down in nature.
BeachStrandBiker@reddit
What is there to even do in Atlanta? I am not being rude I'm just curious. Last year we had a chance to visit Atlanta but then noticed we had no idea what to do. So we did some research on attractions and still felt more confused on how we could spend our time. I get a sporting event and Coke museum, but there was like nothing else.
lit776@reddit
You can spend a whole weekend exploring the beltline
BoyEdgar23@reddit
Atlanta has wayyy better nightlife than Dallas if you’re into that.. Atlanta has better nature to explore.. Dallas has better shopping and amenities than Atlanta
halfuser10@reddit
This is a good take.
vividbiviv@reddit
The TREES are the biggest difference. I sometimes get emotional going back to ATL and seeing the trees lmao. ATL has an interesting dynamic where the northern burbs are mostly white and the southern burbs are mostly black. But if you’re cool with the culture you can fit in anywhere.
JokersGlascowSmile@reddit
When you say trees, what do you mean? My neighborhood in Lake Highlands has dense, old trees, 8 of them in my yard.
yeahright17@reddit
It'd be like if you were driving down 635, and both sides of the road had long stretches where you saw nothing but trees. Texas's feeder roads got rid of a lot of those same kind of trees be cause every highway has feeders. Atlanta is also more hilly, so there's pockets that are too steep for development all over the place.
GhostFaceNappa@reddit
Atlanta has very dense tree coverage for a major city. The stark difference between Atlanta and Dallas is immediately noticeable when visiting.
MarysSoggyBottom@reddit
I visited Atlanta a couple summers ago and there were multiple times where I said good morning to the cashier/barista before ordering and they just looked at me with a blank face. I was shocked! No way they didn’t hear me but that’s never happened to me before.
Scary-Power-5542@reddit
> Atlanta has some racial stuff still going on; it’s a very odd dynamic for such a modern city.
Like what? I've never been to ATL, only lived in DFW
grn_eyed_bandit@reddit
Can definitely confirm. As a black woman, I feel like Dallas was more classist than racist.
Atlanta - there is definitely still MAJOR racial tension.
NoCoversJustBooks@reddit
That’s so unfortunate (the racism thing). I hate this earth. I don’t know WHY i assumed Atlanta would be pretty sane.
halfuser10@reddit
Was just thinking this. Dallas has its issues. But it’s definitely more classist than anything.
halfuser10@reddit
Very racially segregated. And not just by neighborhoods etc similar to Dallas. But white people hang out with white people. Black with black. Lots of racists on both sides.
There’s not a lot of true integration, just surface level. It feels like there’s a constant racial tension boiling just beneath the surface.
RH70475@reddit
Dallas has some racial stuff going on too!
theregoesgravitee@reddit
Dallas: gays without AIDS Atlanta: gays with AIDS
CaptainMorale@reddit
I see a lot of good posts regarding food and culture, so I’m going to focus on travel.
Dallas was designed for urban sprawl and expansive suburbs. Traffic, yes - but traffic compared to Atlanta? Hell no.
Idk who designed Atlanta’s highways, but they definitely did it with a lobotomy. Say what you want about the toll roads here, but Dallas at least considers the congestion we have. Atlanta is hell no matter the time of day, direction of travel, or if you have an express lane tag or not.
Additionally, Dallas expanding with DFW and DAL airports helps alleviate the air travel congestion. I still don’t understand how the only viable airport is Hartsfield in Georgia. The smaller regions airports (Macon, Savannah) are just not in desirable locations, and Atlanta could extremely benefit from having another hub like we do with DAL.
Fournier_Gang@reddit
Dislike: cars.
Cansum1helpme@reddit
I haven’t lived in Atlanta, but I did spend one week out of every month there for a year doing customer stuff. This was about a decade ago. Usually stayed across the street from the Fox.
To compare, I would say Atlanta has soul, DFW does not.
SomethingHasGotToGiv@reddit
There you go. Atlanta has soul. Dallas doesn’t not.
50West@reddit
Case settled.
SomethingHasGotToGiv@reddit
🤣
StringBean_GreenBean@reddit
Atlanta has more trees but the traffic is worse in my opinion. Dallas traffic can be really bad but I feel like you have more options to get where you need to be. Food scene is better and way less pretentious in Dallas, and culturally Dallas seems a little more diverse. Atlanta seems like it has more for like 20-30 somethings (as in non-work related culture) than Dallas but both are good places to live and start your careers in.
Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit (OP)
I agree.
BoyEdgar23@reddit
Dallas is the 4th largest metropolitan area about to be 3rd in the coming years surpassing Chicago for a reason.. Dallas economy is more diverse and bigger than Atlanta meaning if there’s a recession it will bounce back quickly… also lots of money being invested into Dallas right now which means lots of opportunities for career growth and businesses moving to the area.. as far as culture goes Atlanta has more but Dallas is a good place to live and stack money also has one of the biggest airports in the US only Atlanta being bigger
Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit (OP)
If or when metro DFW overtakes metro Chicago as the third largest metro in the US what does this say about our ever changing country? This could take place as early as sometime in the 2030’s.
mattgoldey@reddit
I like that they both have a Dallas.
drakeallthethings@reddit
My family moved from DFW to metro Atlanta when I was a kid. I grew up in metro Atlanta and spent my young adult life there. I moved back to DFW in my 30s. I’ve been back and forth a lot and have seen them both grow from what they were in the 1980s into what they are now.
Atlanta traffic is actually bad. Dallas drivers who don’t know any better think Dallas traffic is bad because of a few situational pockets where it gets bad. Atlanta had a literal freeway revolt that has led to it being very conservative about adding new controlled access highways. It’s a nightmare. It’s bad in every direction at all times of day. And I get the argument that adding more highways causes more sprawl but the sprawl happened anyway in Atlanta’s case.
Atlanta is closer to mountains and beaches and has nicer lakes.
I personally enjoy road trips from DFW more than metro Atlanta. This one is situational for you but I enjoy going to places like the hill country and San Antonio more than I liked going to places like the north Georgia mountains or Savannah.
DFW airport is a far better location than Hartsfield. If you fly a lot it gets old driving all the way through Atlanta if you live in the North Atlanta suburbs. DFW is dead ass middle of Dallas and Ft Worth.
Atlanta doesn’t have a Ft Worth. It doesn’t really have a Denton either. Atlanta does have an Athens but that’s a lot further away.
DFW has a lot more amusement options. It has more theme parks and water parks. It has more arcades, go karts, etc.
I’d argue that DFW has more shopping but Atlanta has better shopping. I’ll take a Publix over an HEB any day.
To me the DFW heat and the Atlanta humidity kind of cancel each other out. I spend most of my time outside in the summer on the water so it’s fine either way by me.
Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit (OP)
Great insight. Thanks.
extraordinaryevents@reddit
Traffic in ATL was much worse than it’s been for me in Dallas. Getting around in city is much easier in Dallas and the only real traffic is on the highways. In Atlanta, traffic is terrible everywhere.
I lived in ATL right out of college so maybe my lower income played into this, but I’ve eaten at much better restaurants in Dallas compared to ATL. Bbq and Mexican specifically are levels better than anything in ATL
ATL felt like a more authentic urban city to me, mainly due to the beltline and Piedmont park. I sorely miss those spaces as Katy trail and white rock lake have not quite scratched the itch since moving here
ATL is much more green and has better access to nature
Overall I think they are comparable in terms of what you get, but not in the feel of the cities whatsoever. They’re different, but moving from ATL to Dallas has been a pretty lateral move in my experience
BeachStrandBiker@reddit
Dallas traffic is actually underrated IMO. I know that's controversial for this sub, but other major cities around the size of Dallas are so much worse getting around.
PantherCityRes@reddit
OP is just recently graduated and got a consulting gig…
Atlanta got hills, trees, four seasons and the women have better accents. Much better outdoor life and the suburbs don’t resent the city proper nearly as much as the Christian nationalist psycho NIMBY’s do here.
ATL also has that marvel of fucking modern civic engineering where they take the three most important traffic arteries in the city (I-75, I-85 & GA-400) and merge all three together within a god damn mile of each other. It’s an unbelievable traffic factory in a metro area pushing 6m people.
And once every 5 years, Hartsfield Jackson becomes a weeklong homeless shelter for travelers when Delta’s computers take a shit because they don’t know basic business continuity / disaster recovery.
Take your pick.
Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit (OP)
No, I’m retired after 30 years in Atlanta and my son started working in Metro DFW about half a year ago. I’ve been to the Metroplex and I’m trying to figure out what is good or bad in each.
PantherCityRes@reddit
30 years huh? Then stay in Atlanta, the benefits of DFW, being location and no income tax do not outweigh the change you would go through.
First, property tax burden is extremely high here. If you are retired and living on limited income, you gonna lose a lot living here.
Second, you’ve already figured out Atlanta, the traffic, the where are the good areas, where are the tough ones.
It’s barely a two hour flight between DFW and ATL. You can visit anytime and usually the airfare is dirt cheap because it’s AA competing with Delta competing with Southwest, head to head to head.
All that change just to get stuck with a bigger tax bill?
grn_eyed_bandit@reddit
Dang I completely forgot about the property tax demerit for Dallas. It's a MAJOR one.
Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit (OP)
I’m really retired, I really have lived in metro Atlanta for 30 years and my son really has been working in metro DFW for about half a year. And the flights between the two cities aren’t too bad. Thanks.
azzers214@reddit
Honestly I wouldn't sweat it. As long as your son starts with a short term lease somewhere and then tries to learn about the individual areas so he can figure out what's his speed he should be fine. There's just tons of little "communities" here from yuppies, to Korea towns, to artsy, to you name it.
The Tornados are the only "systemic" threat to worry about and while not impossible they are extremely "dumb luck". They're less active now then they used to be but I'd liken it to the odds of being in a car wreck even with defensive driving; you can't prevent it and you can't control it.
TXElec@reddit
Atlanta rap is garbage too
Its-Brucey@reddit
I have lived in both cities (in the hearts of those cities, not the suburbs) for about five years each. A lot of comments here already echo my thoughts, but to give my perspective on pros and cons:
The big thing that makes Atlanta more difficult to live in, in my mind is traffic. Neither city has a properly developed metro system but Dallas has great highway systems and the tollway which make driving around relatively easy. Atlanta traffic is unfathomably bad unless you’ve lived in it. People who complain about traffic in Dallas just don’t have perspective.
Weather is very similar, Atlanta is a little more humid whereas Dallas has some higher temps but I find them dryer and more tolerable. Summers in both cities can be rough.
Food scene is both cities is well developed. I think Dallas is slightly better just because it has more restaurant options on average but the two are close in this regard.
Dallas economy is more diverse and expanding more rapidly, even though both cities are good in this regard.
Atlanta is better for proximity to nature, mountains and coastline.
While in Dallas I have really valued the ease of travel with DFW being one of the best designed airports I’ve flown through and its central location means all domestic travel is relatively short.
Dallas people do tend to fall more into a “white, suburban” kind of flavor but both cities are pretty diverse and you can always pick a neighborhood that matches your vibe.
Overall they are very similar. Dallas is my pick for the “best” southern metro area just because of its economy and size giving it the most options for stuff to do. Neither city is very close to the “ideal” super concentrated city like NYC that people on Reddit obsess over.
SpannerInTheWorx@reddit
Lived in Atlanta 15yrs & Dallas 13yrs. Most of this thread is correct. Green spaces are better in Atlanta, traffic better in Dallas, humidity better in Dallas - everything else is relatively able to come out in the wash. Depends greatly on your specific wants at that point
ranjithd@reddit
it’s called dallaspuram for a reason. plethora of indian restaurants and events happening in dallas area!
TheZuckuss@reddit
My wife and I grew up in Gwinnett and moved to the North Dallas area about 25 years ago.
For Dallas: We much prefer the blast furnace summer to the sauna in ATL. My wife said she never had a good hair day until we moved here. The traffic is far worse in Atlanta. When we go back to visit family, it's almost immediate that the drivers get worse when we cross the state line. Lack of state income tax is nice. Centrally located, so flying most places in the US is 4 or 5 hours tops, usually much less. While still hilly, it's much flatter, so I feel better driving on ice here than in Atlanta. You can drive down to Galveston for the beach (not great), a couple of ours to Hot Springs and some nice hilly areas of AR & OK or out west for some plains. Better Tex-Mex. Roads aren't as claustrophobic because the trees and kudzu aren't closing in on you.
For Atlanta: Much greener. Weekend excursions are a bit closer (Stone Mountain, Helen, Delonegah, Cleveland with Babyland General, the north Georgia Mountains). Stone Mountain Laser Show. MARTA is better than DART (from my experience).
That's all I can think of for now. 😁
Ewe_Search@reddit
They are the same for the most part. Atlanta has greenery. My experience with Dallas people is them snobby and or prejudice
Agreeable_Gap_1641@reddit
I prefer Atlanta weather, outdoor space and socially it’s miles better for me. Dallas has a better economy for me.
PilotApprehensive621@reddit
Grew up in Metro Atlanta (18 years) and have lived in DFW my whole adult life.
I would say Atlanta is slightly cheaper than Dallas but not Fort Worth - so depends where you live in DFW
Food scene wise, I always preferred Dallas to Atlanta, but lately I think Atlanta has begun to surpass Dallas. Lots of expensive, upscale restaurants in Dallas but Atlanta has more options at various price points.
Atlanta is way prettier with all the trees and close access to the mountains and easier drive to better beaches. However, Dallas is closer to more cities (Austin, Houston, San Antonio, OKC).
Atlanta feels like it has more culture to me. The Beltline has a lot more going on than Katy Trail and there’s more diversity everywhere rather than just in pockets in the suburbs.
Atlanta traffic and airports are worse.
Sweedish-Whale@reddit
Atlanta’s weather is better. Less hot in the summer with a real fall/spring season. From an outdoors/green perspective it’s prettier being close to the southern tip of the Appalachians. The suburbs are more racist and it’s not uncommon to see confederate flags.
Dallas has a much better food scene and shopping. DFW is a better airport, it’s a nightmare getting through security in Atlanta. There’s more professional opportunities in most fields in Dallas outside of perhaps entertainment with Atlanta’s tv/movie investments.
azzers214@reddit
I haven't lived in ATL but I have lived in other major cities.
Dallas is a choose-your-own-adventure. You will be happy or miserable largely based on your decisions within the city. There are areas that probably fit you well, and others where you might feel uncomfortable and out of place. If you're OK with diversity there's less of the latter but they do exist depending on the demographic.
The single biggest bit of advice is for anyone new is to get involved with groups immediately and keep going to different parts of the city. Random movie at the Texas Theater? Go. Horse Racing in Grand Prairie? Go. Some event in Samuel Grand? Go. The faster you figure out how everything is laid out currently, the faster you'll find what you enjoy and where you fit. And I say currently because like any city it changes.
purpleamory@reddit
The Beltline in Atlanta is awesome, both for exercise and meeting people socially as a 3rd space with all the activity and restaurants around it. I miss the trees and forest feel you get all over Atlanta.
I really like the overall vibes in tons of parts of Atlanta, the closest thing that comes to mind that I've seen in other cities is Houston in terms of how widespread the "cool" parts are.
In Dallas, it feels like the fun parts with my favorite vibes are more silo'd and less widespread. But I've found my people/communities here and am very content. This might just reflect my individual hobbies, but the dance scene in Dallas is incredible.