Where is the best place to live in TX?

[chirojeremy]

Where is the best place to live in TX and why do you think that? I am currently living in Dallas because of school. My wife is from OKC. I dont like either too much frankly. The weather is a little hot and humid. Houston would be even worse so I would not consider living there at all. I like the sound/idea of Austin. For some reason is sounds like a fun/neat town or area to live in. I heard they have really cold natural springs or rivers there. Is the weather the same there as it is in San Antonio/Houston/Dallas etc?

[frameteam2003]

Yes it's hot as hell in the summer in all south texas.Austin is a fun bicycle town--San Antonio is also a great town--not as "bicycled" as Austin but has a lot of things to do.And austin is only about 60 miles from SA so you really can't go wrong with Austin(or the austin area)

[ken cummings]

I feel for Oklamoma City residents. I lived there for two years. At least they have air conditioned tunnels connecting a lot of the down-town areas. Having been born in Texas it is OK for me to say the best place for a Texan to live is somewhere else. Ouray, Colorado was swarmed by Texans every summer. Can you move to somewhere in far western Texas where it may be dry enough to tolerate the heat. Somewhere like Langtry or Wink.

[StephenH]

My experience is that your happiness in a place depends about as much on you as on the place. The places that are nicest to live in may be far from shopping, far from your family, etc. The places that are nice in summer may be terrible in winter and vice versa. The places that are least crowded may be the hardest to find work in. The best jobs may be in places with highest cost of living.

My cousin was in Austin several years and didn't like it- not sure of the reason. But then again, he's not in Dallas now, either. I went to college in Lubbock and liked it there just fine, while I got to listen to everyone else complain about it.

[chirojeremy]

Dallas in general is ok. I just keep hearing about Austin. It sounds like a fun place to live. I am considering where to practice once I graduate from Chiropractic college. It is so cliche to practice near the school when you graduate. I want to move at least 20-30 miles away. I lived in CO for 3 years and loved it there. I apsolutely loved the view. My dad practiced in Guam and the view was nice there too, but man was it humid!

[rainycamp]

When we moved to Austin eight years ago, I was surprised that it can be quite humid here, too. But that's a minor thing -- it's not as humid as some places we've lived before. Winters are milder than in Dallas. Even though the city is growing like crazy, it's still a manageable size -- for the time being. Home prices are still reasonable. It's a good biking town.

[dr. nate]

I live in Katy, which is just outside of Houston. I like it here.

-Nate

[Will G]

The cold river/spring in Austin could be Barton Springs. It is a spring fed creek that was damned up to make a pool.

Life is what you make of it. I have lived in a lot of different states and a couple different countries and enjoyed most of them. The trick is to take advantage of what the place has to offer.

[forensicchemist]

Best place to live in Texas??:rolleyes: Alpine-Fort Davis area....in the Davis mountains! Hot during the day, cool in the evenings.......very different lifestyle. Although finding employment (for me at least) is a major issue.

[chirojeremy]

I live in Katy, which is just outside of Houston. I like it here.

-Nate


My wife's aunt/uncle/cousins live in Katy. What do you like about living there?

[chirojeremy]

Best place to live in Texas??:rolleyes: Alpine-Fort Davis area....in the Davis mountains! Hot during the day, cool in the evenings.......very different lifestyle. Although finding employment (for me at least) is a major issue.

I might have to check into it. Is that West TX? Is it dry there? Sounds similar to colorado except, I am sure the mountains dont compare. Any skiing?

[forensicchemist]

I might have to check into it. Is that West TX? Is it dry there? Sounds similar to colorado except, I am sure the mountains dont compare. Any skiing?


Yea....West...very West. Find Fort Stockton, then go South about 60 miles give or take. Skiing?? That's a big NO....sorry.

[dr. nate]

My wife's aunt/uncle/cousins live in Katy. What do you like about living there?

I like living in Katy because for the most part it is an upper class side of town so you don't have to deal with to many of the issues related to living near the ghetto. The schools are good (I have no children that attend there, just my friends that graduated from there years ago themselves), the community is very friendly of cycling, roads are decent, good parks, access to a very large county park, and the best part is that your just far enough from the city to be away, but still close enough to have access to it if you want it.

There is one draw back to Katy, the fact that I-10 is under construction. The traffic has improved greatly, but until it is done being widened (end of next year), you'll see traffic during rush hour.

Houston is humid, but if your in decent shape it doesn't become to much a problem until midday in August. Every other month is usually good, rain here sucks because people panic and some areas flood in Houston. The best part is that no one in Houston seems to understand that 32*F isn't that cold and that schools don't have to close just because there is 0.000000000001" of ice on a sidewalk. There is plenty to do here, lots of culture, and lots of hidden treasures of Houston no one really notices or knows about.

-Nate

[geminicricket]

chirojeremy, Just for weather, Alpine and Ft. Davis are real nice. Are there any other characteristics you seek? The closest skiing to Alpine is Ruidoso NM, and that's about a 5 hour drive.

[Jamtastic]

i like dallas/fort worth. But Houston served me well for along time.

[chirojeremy]

chirojeremy, Just for weather, Alpine and Ft. Davis are real nice. Are there any other characteristics you seek? The closest skiing to Alpine is Ruidoso NM, and that's about a 5 hour drive.

Thats a good question. I grew up in northern california until I joined the military, so obviously the weather was really nice out there. Not to mention, the scenery is very nice out there too.

Basic Training was in San Antonio. I was not there long enough to realize the full potential of that place, but I thought the river walk was neat. I am sure the heat was a killer though.

Next training was in Biloxi, MS. That place was a dump and boy was it hot and humid. I only enjoy that weather when I am in the water. I am hoping that as I get into better shape, maybe I wont be such a sweaty hog and I will enjoy more types of weather than I do now. I only like to sweat when working out, so I am sure I will love biking in the heat.

Once I was stationed in Germany, I loved the weather there. It was much cooler, the only problem was there was no sun there!

I came back to OKC and the first thing I noticed when I got off the plain was how miserably hot/humid/raining it was. There is no scenery like mountains, oceans, rivers etc so I am not a big fan of it, although my wife's family is very important to her. If we end up divorced, I would probably move somewhere else, but that is where she is destined to be and of course we have kids. So do I do what my dad did and move where I want to and only see my kids a little bit, or live by them but be miserable when they are not around?

I went TDY to Saudi Arabia for 3 months. The weather there was miserably hot. Luckily I worked the night shift so instead of 120 in the shade, I was privy to only about 90; but it was a dry heat!

Next was CO. My favorite place by far. Granted, I would love the ocean and less harsh winters in CA, but the 4 seasons were kind of cool. I REALLY liked snowboarding, so if I could be closer to skiing that would be great (2hrs). I loved the Mountains there. I would just drive and look at Pikes Peak without paying attention to the road. It really calmed me. The summers got decently warm, but not to unbearable, especially if you have A/C, but some homes did not have A/C because it was generally not needed.

I have also been to Guam. That place is miserably humid, but I liked the ocean views. I could definately see myself commuting along the coastal highways.

Then there is Dallas. It is hot/humid in the summers. I moved from Dry nice spring weather in CO in July to hot humid in Dallas so it was a shock. But again, maybe if I get into shape I would like the weather more. I do like parts of Dallas and could see myself here, but it would not be my first choice. I am thinking either the mountains or some lake areas in OK if I have to live here like TenKiller or Skytook. I would like an environment where people are active and outdoorsy and into a healthy lifestyle because that is what I want to be my patients...

[Rex G]

Don't assume Houston is more humid than DFW, and the Houston area is almost always quite a few degrees cooler in the summer than DFW on any given day. With the Gulf breezes blowing in, I would rate Houston as more pleasant. I am not in love with Houston itself, and many of the smaller cities/towns/villages near Houston are much better places to live. I live in Bellaire, for example, a very pleasant little city surrounded on three sides by Houston and another couple of small cities on the other side. Houston is still nearby for cultural stuff and cool bike shops, and our commutes are under ten miles.

When I and the wife are both retired, which may be as soon as 2013, with no need to commute, we may well relocate, but it will probably not be too far from right here. There is a pleasant arc of area outside the major commuting zone of Houston, with great riding and other outdoors stuff to do. About halfway between Houston and the I-35 corridor looks good.

[chirojeremy]

Don't assume Houston is more humid than DFW, and the Houston area is almost always quite a few degrees cooler in the summer than DFW on any given day. With the Gulf breezes blowing in, I would rate Houston as more pleasant. I am not in love with Houston itself, and many of the smaller cities/towns/villages near Houston are much better places to live. I live in Bellaire, for example, a very pleasant little city surrounded on three sides by Houston and another couple of small cities on the other side. Houston is still nearby for cultural stuff and cool bike shops, and our commutes are under ten miles.

When I and the wife are both retired, which may be as soon as 2013, with no need to commute, we may well relocate, but it will probably not be too far from right here. There is a pleasant arc of area outside the major commuting zone of Houston, with great riding and other outdoors stuff to do. About halfway between Houston and the I-35 corridor looks good.

I just know Houston is humid from when I got off a plane there. It definately was more humid there that day than Dallas. It was so muggy, the air reeked of mold. I have relatives in Katy, so maybe I will make it a point to go visit them during my spring break in the next few weeks. Any areas in particular you would reccommend?

[crdean1]

Dude, Fort Worth, the Panther City. That's where it's at.

[chirojeremy]

Dude, Fort Worth, the Panther City. That's where it's at.

Would you care to explain why? I have not seen much of Ft. Worth, but what I have seen, I have not liked...

[J.W.]

NOT Abilene. I like the area around Ft. Worth (Granbury/Tolar...where i grew up), but i went down to New Braunfels this spring break and i loved it down there (Gruene kicked ass), so i vote the Hill Country.

[mrstupor]

If you have kids or plan to have kids, I would give another thumbs-up to Katy. The schools are top-notch, and it is rated as one of the top school districts in the state of Texas. The schools are generally better south of I-10. I have 3 kids, one in HS, two others in Jr. High, and we are extremely pleased with the Katy schools. You'd be surprised how many people move to Katy, just for the schools (my wife works in front office of a elementary school).

I think I-10 is supposed to be done THIS YEAR in October, though it doesn't look that way. Traffic sucks, but I'm hoping it gets better when I-10 is done later this year

Katy is a great community for families, very low crime, and plenty of stuff to do, and excellent for biking. There is George Bush Park, which connects to Hershey park, and there are also short trips out to Fulshear, Brookshire, Bellville, etc. We always start our ride from our house, and its no problem getting anywhere.

And the weather is great 9 months out of the year. It gets hot July Aug Sept, but you get used to it being 85 degrees out at 10pm.

[crdean1]

Would you care to explain why? I have not seen much of Ft. Worth, but what I have seen, I have not liked...

I just spend half an hour typing out the greatness of Fort Worth complete with links to videos and recommendations. Then submit, 'Database error'. I'll retype later on. I can't stand bikeforums.net at this particular moment.

[dr. nate]

I just spend half an hour typing out the greatness of Fort Worth complete with links to videos and recommendations. Then submit, 'Database error'. I'll retype later on. I can't stand bikeforums.net at this particular moment.

I agree...it is flipping annoying.


Anyways, I think the best place to live is Clear Lake, its on the water, good nightlife, and their are some really hot women there.

-Nate

[Rex G]

I just know Houston is humid from when I got off a plane there. It definately was more humid there that day than Dallas. It was so muggy, the air reeked of mold. I have relatives in Katy, so maybe I will make it a point to go visit them during my spring break in the next few weeks. Any areas in particular you would reccommend?

Was it Hobby Airport? That is right next to the industrial areas of the Ship Channel area and Stinkadena, er, I mean, Pasadena. Dr. Nate is right about the Clear Lake area, though much of the elevation is low enough to necesitate evacuation if a hurricane is approaching. I like The Woodlands, based on fairly regular visits with friends who live there. To the west and northwest, Katy/Brookshire and Hockley are nice, as I remember them, though I have not visited there, and sprawl can change things right quickly. It is quite possible to find employment in these outlying areas, which means no commute to
Downtown or Uptown. Trendy areas to live to the southwest include Stafford and Sugarland.

[chirojeremy]

Rex G, yes, it was hobby early may last year...

[Rex G]

Austin is much less humid than Houston; when gas was cheaper, I would drive to Austin and Lake Travis quite a bit.

[bluebottle1]

Was it Hobby Airport? That is right next to the industrial areas of the Ship Channel area and Stinkadena, er, I mean, Pasadena. Dr. Nate is right about the Clear Lake area, though much of the elevation is low enough to necesitate evacuation if a hurricane is approaching. I like The Woodlands, based on fairly regular visits with friends who live there. To the west and northwest, Katy/Brookshire and Hockley are nice, as I remember them, though I have not visited there, and sprawl can change things right quickly. It is quite possible to find employment in these outlying areas, which means no commute to
Downtown or Uptown. Trendy areas to live to the southwest include Stafford and Sugarland.

The area around Hobby is pretty much of a toilet. There are nice areas north and west of downtown. (Rex looks to live in one of them--Bellaire--and I'm in another--the Heights). Houston probably has one of the best fine arts scenes in the country. No place in Texas rivals Austin for popular music, but Houston and Dallas probably both top it for quality of museums, etc. Also, Houston has one of the best restaurant scenes in the country, including NYC and Los Angeles.

[chirojeremy]

Thats why Houston is always ranked as one of the fattest cities in america right? jk. I might check out Houston in general this next week.

[geminicricket]

I've not traveled the world as you have chirojeremy, but it's clear that you like mountains. You may have to get a painting if you want mountains in Texas. What cartographers charitably called "mountains" will not appear to be mountainous to you after you have lived in Colorado.

On the other hand, you will acclimate to any environment you stay in for a few weeks. We very rarely have any days' high temperature equal to what you experienced in the sandbox. Today was somewhat humid in the Dallas area. Yesterday wasn't. That's not unusual. Here in North Texas we are at the margins of all the big weather influences. On days when southerly winds predominate, we get saturated air from the Gulf. On days when westerly winds predominate, we get dry winds from Mexico. On days when arctic winds prevail, it's a straight and unimpeded shot from Canada. On those occasional days when we are the triple point, whoa Nelly!

Other considerations of real import are the rate of property taxes. They differ in every town and county.
Generally, the wealthiest areas have the lowest property taxes, but the state is making sure that they don't always have the best schools. In addition, every town has some flexibility to have local sales taxes on top of the state sales tax of 6%. If you care about public transit, you'll need to learn about the present conditions and state of progress of the various agencies around the state. In the DFW area, at least, light rail is expanding into the suburbs and sparking a large amount of mixed-use development near new rail stations.

If you care about good government, forget Dallas. Forget any of the big cities except Fort Worth. Fort Worth isn't run by crooks.

After all that discussion, I'll mention one more place that might tickle your happy bone, and that is Williamson County. It is just north of Travis County (Austin), and convenient to Austin and all the biking delights of the hill country, but full up with prosperous people with good insurance. After all, you want to set up a chiro shop, no?

[StephenH]

Actually, Texas has some pretty decent mountains (I'm thinking Guadalupe Peaks), just they aren't near any places to live, either.

There's lots of little subtleties involved, too. Amarillo is a lousy place to live if you like mountains. Except that, unlike Dallas, it's only a days drive from the mountains so you can run out there on a long weekend and hike a 14'er. When I lived in Lubbock, the folks around there would drive out to NM to ski, but around here, they fly to CO.

[chirojeremy]

While I was studying for my finals at Barnes and Noble, I picked up to texas traveling mags and they both featured areas like the gulf coast and the hill country. They both looked really appealing as far as scenery. Weather on the other hand, probably would suck. Days like today were not miserable because the temp was not too high, but it was still bleh outside. Not bad if the wind is blowing though. Those mags had some nice looking hills/mountains there. As far as I am concerned a mountain is anything over 2000ft.

[dstrong]

Funny...I expected an overwhelming "Austin is the place to be" set of responses! Maybe we're not pushing Austin because it's already too crowded? Not sure. If you haven't heard the saying already..."They say there are two types of Texans...those that live in Austin and those that want to!".

We moved here 15 years ago, during the great migration of Californians (and others) to the area. Great decision as we wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area with our two young children (5 & 7).

If you look at interesting geology and employment, it's tough to beat Austin. The Hill Country is truly remarkable and HUGE! It just happens to end here in Austin but if you drive (or ride) west, it goes on for a looooooong way. The economy continues to do well here, with Gov't, Education and Technology provided a strong base of employment. Music thrives here and the film industry continues to make strides.

My exposure to the other big 3 cities is limited and I certainly don't dislike them...just am glad that we chose Austin for the last 15 years.

And if you're going to live in Texas, especially around any of the four major cities, it's going to be hotter than heck during the summer (May to October!).

Oh yeah...the cycling community is strong, with plenty of opportunities for group and charity rides. And the hills help you build strong guads. :)

[George Handy]

If money wasn't a problem, I'd vote for Fredericksburg. As touristy as it has gotten in the last few decades, I still love it.

[SpiderMike]

...Stinkadena, er, I mean, Pasadena.
No you had it right the first time.:rolleyes:

I second the Heights. Though the number of new condos replacing old houses is going up. But then again I'm partial to having a yard.

I'd stay away from Pasadena, and anything in Matagorda County. The taxes on a lot of land in Sargent, TX is more expensive than large houses in either Austin, Pasadena, and Woodlands.

[Sgt. Spillco]

It’s been said the 3 worst things about Houston are July, August, and September. As a 50 year native Houstonian I can attest the summers here are brutal. All one can do during these hot months is get up a little earlier and focus on finishing your ride before the daytime heating sets in. Even then it’s still hot but I’ve grown use to it.

The best riding in Texas, in my opinion, would be the Bandera or Big Bend area. If you live in the Houston area there’s plenty of beautiful hilly routes just North of town. Huntsville, Coldspring, Richards, Chappel Hill, all having great bike riding routes that are sure to challenge riders of all levels.

Of course it goes without saying if I had a chance to live anywhere for cycling my #1 choice would be Boulder Colorado, but for now Houston will have to suffice.

Sgt. Spillco

[George Handy]

We gripe about the summers here, but most of Texas is pretty darn nice 8-9 months of the year! In summer, you gotta be on the road at the crack of dawn.

[Sgt. Spillco]

Plus it's great training for the Hotter than Hell!

[ripa]

The Austin area would be great for a cyclist looking for a place to call him.