What bothers you most about the DFW area? I have it on my list of retirement destinations. Been there for weekend visits many times, but really don't have an insider's view.
NYC is a great place to visit and play within. I imagine it can be gray and overwhelming place to live. Very high cost of living. I worked in the city for most of my adult life. Loved my stint in Lower Manhattan. A lot of energy and endless possibilities.
The pros are cost of living is cheap and in most suburbs you have everything you need (restaurants, bars, movies, entertainment venues, shops, etc) and some within a short distance. I rarely leave the 4 mile radius from my house unless it’s for a sporting event or concert.
DFW airport is also AA’s major hub so although it’s huge, there are lots of direct flights.
Honestly part of the reason I probably hate it is because I’ve been here my entire life (for the most part). The traffic sucks, Dallas itself isn’t that big but the entire metroplex is one of the biggest in the country and growing.
I hate the heat, really anything over 85-90. Unless you’re a lake person or golfer who doesn’t mind playing in triple digits or getting up really early, the summers are miserable. That leaves little options of things to do outside for ~4 months out of the year. The flip side is the winter and spring temps can be very nice (60’s today but 40’s on Fri).
Way too much concrete, nothing but concrete. Very few outdoors types of things to do for someone like myself who enjoys hiking, rafting, snowboarding, etc. Driving around just makes me want to puke. No mountains, no major rivers, no large “green areas” with the exception of abfew bigger parks. It’s literally concrete and concrete for miles.
A lot of major highways are tollways. I only live ~35 mins from DFW airport and it will cost me over $15 round trip.
Downtown proper leaves a lot to be desired, it’s almost all business with a few pockets of “entertainment” districts but I find most other major cities downtown areas much more desirable.
Public transportation sucks which contributes to the traffic.
To me it lacks a lot of individuality overall and nothing to get excited about other than the convenience of things.
I’ll let you know if I think of anything else and/or feel free to ask questions. I’m sure a lot of people love Dallas and are proud of it but it’s not for me. I also realize every city has it’s pros and cons but I need a change of scenery. Fortunately I love my job but unfortunately I’m tied to it for the next 15-18 years with no chance of moving so I’m stuck here until then.
I’ll also say, out of most of the DFW area, I feel fortunate to live in the area I do. Close to a small historic town with cool events, historic houses and neighborhoods (not the typical cookie cutter houses built on top of each other), easy access to the airport if not during rush hour otherwise it’s a nightmare and about 30 mins from downtown with no traffic which is almost never (no matter what time of day).
BTW, NYC and Breckenridge would be more win the lottery type situations. Maybe not Breck but NYC. Overall I would much rather be in the mountains assuming I was still able to be physically active.
