Moving from CT to Dallas — is it actually worth it?

Posted by devletmillet@reddit | askdfw | View on Reddit | 29 comments

So this isn't really my choice, my family is looking at relocating to the Dallas metroplex; mainly for work opportunities, more diverse communities (specifically the significant south asian/muslim community there), and relatively cheaper housing. I Figured I'd ask the people who actually live there to see what the deal is.

I've heard a bunch of things about DFW sprawl, infinite suburbs, traffic, and poor weather. But here's the thing, I live in Connecticut and I'm already dealing with most of that. CT is this weird car-dependent suburban sprawl where everything is spread out, nothing is walkable, and your daily rotation is college, the gym, the mall, and the same big box stores that exist everywhere else. It's all strip malls and state routes with no real identity between them. I'll admit some of the older downtowns have character and the nature is "nice", it's just trees and rivers and the best of spring and fall lasts like 2 weeks. Not exactly a reason to build your life somewhere. The whole upstate NY region around us is just as bleak, so it's not like there's anything vibrant nearby making up for it.

Before you say "but you're so close to NYC", I don't work there, I'm not commuting there, it's just an occasional visit at best. It's not the flex people think it is when you're actually living out here day to day.

And the traffic here is already crippling. The interstates and parkways are dense and narrow, and the city roads aren't any better. So it's not like I'd be going from some smooth-driving paradise to Dallas gridlock. I'm already sitting in it, just with less to show for it when I get where I'm going.

So if I'm already living the car-centric lifestyle with nothing to do, does Dallas at least upgrade that experience? More food options, more stuff going on, more energy in general? Or am I just trading one kind of sprawl for another with worse humidity?

Not looking for the "Dallas is perfect" pitch — just want real talk from people who live there. What should I know?

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SampleSize_N1@reddit

Alright so I’m a DFW native and the thing about Dallas is you basically just described the suburbs here *just add in a little more Texas flare.

The restaurant situation here is weird. Our diversity and young professional population makes this the perfect place for people to test out new restaurant concepts but they rarely stick around long-term after the buzz dies off.

Sure, there’s always something new to try and there’s a half decent rotation of ones that do stick around but for the most part, they’re nothing to write home about.

Now there are a lot of upsides to living here in your 20’s and 30’s. It’s easy to hop a non stop flight to a lot of places and bargains to be had.

There are a lot of things going on all the time if you’re willing to drive. We get all the major concert tours, our arts scene is alive and well, some of our movie theaters even show a lot of movies of interest for the SE Asian population. Our zoos and botanic gardens compete with some of the best.

Visitors always comment that it’s super flat here. Lots of parks, walking, and bike trails but not a lot of elevation changes so there’s not really any hiking.

There are a ton of golf courses/driving ranges here of all different playing levels if you’re into that and a lot of nonprofit volunteering options.

Grad schools, internships, and job opportunities are plentiful across a ton of industries.

Rent isn’t cheap but it could definitely be worse.

The experience can be as good or as bad as you make it.

Different_Summer8615@reddit

I loved in Westchester, NY for 6 years. Moved here for new job and been 2 years. I would choose Dallas over CT anything lol.

Final-Albatross-1354@reddit

As climate change worsens, and it will- Dallas is going to be a place too hot to live.

Greater Hartford, CT, is considered safer from climate change risks compared to Dallas, TX, which faces severe heat and drought. Connecticut ranks among the 10 least affected states, while Dallas faces increasing heatwaves (39 days over by 2050), making Hartford more climate-resilient.

lindz2205@reddit

You don't have to keep posting this.

Return-of-Trademark@reddit

I’m raised New Haven. Been in Dallas 6 years. Comment this and I’ll give a write up tomorrow.

devletmillet@reddit (OP)

Yeah would love to hear your thoughts

distinguishedsadness@reddit

Not even joking when I say this but visit in the summer. Seriously, spend a few days here in early August.

Would you say that the weather is worse than somewhere like dubai or south Florida?

South Florida is worse. But it’s still not great here

sarahbeth124@reddit

You know that feeling when you open the oven door and the wave of heat hits you in the face? That’s pretty much what opening the front door feels like here for at least half the year.

Lifelong Texan, but OMG the summers suck, not to mention what that kind of heat does to your electric bill.

Depends on what you like I guess. It’s not as humid as south florida, but it’s not as dry as it is out west. So the heat here can feel oppressive in a way that it doesn’t in Florida. I can’t compare to Dubai though, I haven’t been.

RealTeewithT@reddit

Ok so I actually moved from the East Coast too and honestly the sprawl comparison doesn’t hit the same. CT sprawl feels grey and purposeless, but DFW sprawl has energy to it. Everything’s being built, new restaurants, new communities. It actually feels like a place going somewhere. And if that South Asian community matters to your family, Frisco and the corridor is genuinely one of the best kept secrets. It’s woven into the actual fabric here, not some small pocket. My kids don’t feel like the odd ones out and that changes everything. Yes, summers are brutal. But CT winters are their own kind of miserable. I’ll take August over five months of grey cold any day. If you want to chat more about what the move actually looks like, I’m a Realtor up here in Frisco and North Dallas and I help families navigate this transition all the time. Happy to answer questions. ☺️✨

Petesbestone@reddit

Dallas is not a walkable city. Texas is all sprawl. Do not move here unless you are forced. Texas is a he’ll hole.

d00mz@reddit

welp, get ready for no state level income tax, and incredibly high property taxes.

EquivalentDay4887@reddit

ct to dallas is a long haul so get binding quotes from at least three companies before committing. my cousin moved a similiar distance last year with Safebound Moving and paid exactly what the quote said.

fadedblackleggings@reddit

Connecticut has a way way higher quality of life than DFW.... Would be sure Dallas is what you want first.

CatsNSquirrels@reddit

I moved from Dallas to CT. They are polar opposites in almost every way. I cannot see how anyone who loves the northeast would enjoy Dallas, and vice versa. I did not enjoy Dallas (I’m a native) and I love the northeast.

Also, what you think is suburban sprawl is not Dallas suburban sprawl. I would argue CT has very little actual sprawl. It has towns.

Triplettoddlerstired@reddit

Ur gonna have a culture shock of how much nicer people are on average!!!!! Source -lived in Connecticut

Street_Celery2745@reddit

Born in CT. Absolutely love it here in Dallas

NoExplanation8595@reddit

You seem to have a really negative view on suburban sprawl, it’s not like you’re making it out to be. Most suburbs here have a decent to good core of things to do, and their own towns with individual personalities. They constantly expand the highway system here so it does help manage traffic, it’s not as bad as you’d expect with the population.

The weather is also fine, it does get crazy hot for 3 months (the last two summers were mild compared) and the rest of the year is comfortable for the most part.

Theres a ton to do, it’s not hard to find a group who shares your hobbies. Pretty much all events come through here, we have all major sports, lots of lake activities.

If there were 14k foot mountains near by, it’d be the perfect place.

I wold totally avoid Texas.

frosty_the_snowman-@reddit

Having come from Chicago to Dallas, I don’t understand the hype of Dallas in relation to its rising costs. It is really like an overgrown suburbs with extremely high prices in certain areas like insurance and utilities and tolls where the whole no income state tax thing is a wash. In Chicago we had to pay high taxes but this is an established city with a downtown and neighborhoods and everything. Coming to Dallas just made realize how the grass is not always greener and that it is more boring than not. Here in Dallas you have people driving like turtles and still managing to get into horrible accidents. Never understood it. We have crazy Chicago winters but here I’ve never dealt with so much severe weather in a years span dealing with so much potential for baseball sized hail and tornados. Summers are so uncomfortable here. It feels like you are literally melting.

RandomRageNet@reddit

Also something to keep in mind: the DFW metro area is larger than the entire state of Connecticut.

karmaofgd@reddit

To get an idea of what the restaurant scene is, check out D Magazine's restaurant coverage. DMagazine.com They have 2 big reviews a month of restaurants which could be a steak house or the new Uyghur restaurant. They also have mini reviews of restaurants sorted by cuisine.