Those who have relocated. - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

xrivera91 · 02-03-2017, 11:18 PM

Anybody here who is originally from NJ that now lives in Texas? Currently in Jersey and playing around with the idea of moving out there. I would love to get some insight on what it's like or ideal places to love and what not.

If this is not the right place for this sorry mods delete!!!

Dmpsix · 02-04-2017, 05:33 PM

Depends on what you want, big city life and lots of people will easily be Houston or Dallas, Houston is a bit crowded so be careful.

San Antonio, TX is pretty laid back, traffic isn't too bad and it's a growing and affordable city.

I can't speak really on behalf out of anything outside of Central Texas... Texas is HUGE so there's plenty of options.

xrivera91 · 02-04-2017, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmpsix

Depends on what you want, big city life and lots of people will easily be Houston or Dallas, Houston is a bit crowded so be careful.

San Antonio, TX is pretty laid back, traffic isn't too bad and it's a growing and affordable city.

I can't speak really on behalf out of anything outside of Central Texas... Texas is HUGE so there's plenty of options.

Thanks for the response I was worried no one would respond!!

I've been looking into San Antonio as I've seen some nice affordable rentals out there. I'm really just looking for a place that is close to the city but offers open space where im not on top of my neighbors and big yards (never had a yard) and good schools for my kids.

bkevind · 02-04-2017, 06:42 PM

I didn't move from NJ, nor have I lived there. I grew up in west Texas, went USAF and lived in Vegas, then to Dallas, then Spokane WA, then back to Austin, then to San Francisco, then back to Austin. I'm staying in Austin.

Lots of space in Texas. DFW area is more of a rat race feeling. It's got a lot going for it but depending on what you're thinking of for "space" you'd have to get pretty far out in the suburbs for a lot of space. I don't really care for the Dallas vibe so much, hard to explain. There are different aspects to it, the old money, the trendy cool people, the country po folk, etc. Underlying feeling was not for me after 6 years.

Austin I like, more down to earth for the most part. Basically a town with a lot of people living in and around it. Partly a college town thanks to UT. Infrastructure/roads etc kind of suck to support a lot of people, so rush hour is kind of a pain, but really not so bad. I work from home so, doesn't matter to me. I live almost in Dripping Springs, which is southwest of Austin, but still have an Austin address. Live on two acres in a rural area where everybody has 1+ acres. Feels good, private and "country". 20 minutes from downtown Austin. It can get pricey to buy the closer you get to Austin, depending on the specific area. I think people are a lot more friendly here than in Dallas or Houston. Genuine friendly, not that fake Canadian friendly haha (married a Canadian, she agrees with that).

I haven't lived in Houston, but spent a lot of time working there for the PD, so my view of Houston is pretty much all from where HPD has their jails around town. I can tell you Houston has a lot of crime, and a surprisingly/relatively high amount of people get nabbed wanted for major stuff (on national watch lists etc) compared to other cities. BUT, there are some damn pleasant suburbs around Houston. It's an oil town, lots of chemist / engineer/ petrochemical work. Sometimes driving around town it almost feels like it's about to be madmax crazy.

Dallas you have to worry about tornados.
Houston you have to worry about hurricanes.
Austin you have to worry about...hippies? I dunno.

Bay Area...lived there for 3 years. Amazing place geographically. The coast, the hills, the forests, the weather, incredible. But it's ridiculously overpriced, and I couldn't get used to the mentality of people. I met some great people, but the whole of it wasn't for me. Under different personal circumstances, I could have stayed there and made it work, it would have been worth it in a lot of ways.

Glad to be back in Austin overall. Can't speak to San Antonio.

jrhagen · 02-05-2017, 07:45 AM

It all depends on what your idea of affordable is. I moved here from NoCal. I bought a 2300 sq ft house 3 bed 2 bath nice yard and garage where the mortgage, insurance and property taxes cost less than my tiny 1 bed apartment cost in the Bay Area to rent.

The best place to live in TX is an area that is made up primarily of of people from other states, diversity is good. Easier to fit in and find people with similar interests.

Also take into consideration there is no personal income tax in TX, so other taxes are higher to compensate. All in all, cost of living is pretty good here.

If you want more freedom with regards to living arrangements, I would recommend an area that is more established, built pre-1990. No HOA is the key to happiness. If you are going to be in an apartment, make sure none of your external walls face west and preferably not south either. Summer sun will bake the walls and your electric bill will be very high.

I have lived in SoCal, No Cal, Hawaii, STL, DC, Japan and DFW over the years. All have there pros and cons. You just have to find where you fit in.

Mortious · 02-07-2017, 04:39 PM

Texas is full, go away...

Like what others have said, its all about what you want, the problem is Texas is a whole different mindset, and there are a bunch of transplants that don't like that mindset and are actively trying to change it, don't be like that and you will fit in quite well, if you come here and hate how the people are, look elsewhere...

jrhagen · 02-07-2017, 05:08 PM

Also, if you vote blue, move to a blue state. TX is the wrong place for you.

bkevind · 02-07-2017, 05:28 PM

Austin is fairly liberal by Texas standards. Most cities with major university tend to be that way. If you look at the recent POTUS elections, all the major cities of Texas voted blue. Typical scenario for urban areas.

There is a good mix of different views here, what I hope is that doesn't change the friendly nature. Intolerance on either side of the fence is what makes people ugly, and stupid IMO. People leave whatever place they're from to get away from it, then try to make their new home just like the old one.

Oh yeah - everybody has trucks with gun racks, wears wranglers and boots, and a big belt buckle. Hats are optional but advisable. So you might try to fit in that way.

My Canadian wife was impressed when she moved here, with the mostly genuine friendly nature of people. More often than most places I've lived, people will meet you in eye just walking by and offer a smile and hello.

xrivera91 · 02-07-2017, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortious

Texas is full, go away...

Like what others have said, its all about what you want, the problem is Texas is a whole different mindset, and there are a bunch of transplants that don't like that mindset and are actively trying to change it, don't be like that and you will fit in quite well, if you come here and hate how the people are, look elsewhere...

Im not into changing folks mindset. I just want to live a normal peaceful life in an affordable state as opposed to NJ.

xrivera91 · 02-07-2017, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrhagen

Also, if you vote blue, move to a blue state. TX is the wrong place for you.

Nope didn't vote blue not sure why that would matter

xrivera91 · 02-07-2017, 06:40 PM

My main goal is to find a location that offers wide open space (hate feeling like I'm on top of my neighbors. Also, good schools for my son. I don't mind commutes that are under 45 minutes.

hammdo · 02-07-2017, 07:16 PM

DFW housing market is crazy, homes are literally selling in hours, no joke. It is a bit of a rat race feel with a lot of folks moving here.

I've been here 25 years and it's grown so much, it's getting harder traffic wise. Nothing like the north east, but still. Build up here has been unbelievable...

They're right about the major cities being more democratic leaning...

Texas is awesome though and I love it here...

-Don

bkevind · 02-07-2017, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xrivera91

My main goal is to find a location that offers wide open space (hate feeling like I'm on top of my neighbors. Also, good schools for my son. I don't mind commutes that are under 45 minutes.

There are a lot of top notch school districts in Texas. There are a lot of areas that you can buy large lots, or acres and acres.

Commute really depends on your work, your home location, your hours etc. Once you have sorted out your city, your office

Mortious · 02-07-2017, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xrivera91

My main goal is to find a location that offers wide open space (hate feeling like I'm on top of my neighbors. Also, good schools for my son. I don't mind commutes that are under 45 minutes.

I get you, I came to Texas because of the tech, and stayed because of how freaking awesome it is here.

Austin has some top notch schools (Round Rock ISD has a number of nationally ranked schools), but not the wide open feel you want, you head north and it opens up but not quite the great schools. Dallas and Houston I can't say.

And like everyone else has said, traffic sucks in the major cities (and sucks ass on I35 between Austin and Dallas) and most people (I would say 99%) are super nice.

I would suggest doing a quick bit of research on Texas history, from there you will understand why Texans have an attitude.

02-03-2017, 11:18 PM	#1
xrivera91 Drives: 2015 Camaro 2ss Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: 07002 Posts: 1,165 View My Garage	Those who have relocated. Anybody here who is originally from NJ that now lives in Texas? Currently in Jersey and playing around with the idea of moving out there. I would love to get some insight on what it's like or ideal places to love and what not. If this is not the right place for this sorry mods delete!!!

02-07-2017, 04:39 PM	#6
Mortious Ammo Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS (LS3 M6) Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 229 View My Garage	Texas is full, go away... Like what others have said, its all about what you want, the problem is Texas is a whole different mindset, and there are a bunch of transplants that don't like that mindset and are actively trying to change it, don't be like that and you will fit in quite well, if you come here and hate how the people are, look elsewhere... __________________

02-07-2017, 07:16 PM	#12
hammdo 'It's an experiment' Drives: [COTW 2/09/15] '11 GPI LSA SC Z/LE Join Date: May 2014 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 8,694 View My Garage	DFW housing market is crazy, homes are literally selling in hours, no joke. It is a bit of a rat race feel with a lot of folks moving here. I've been here 25 years and it's grown so much, it's getting harder traffic wise. Nothing like the north east, but still. Build up here has been unbelievable... They're right about the major cities being more democratic leaning... Texas is awesome though and I love it here... -Don __________________ 747 RWHP 794 RWTQ "Horsepower sells cars, torque wins races." - Enzo Ferrari See My Build: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=385577 Last edited by hammdo; 02-07-2017 at 08:43 PM.

02-04-2017, 05:33 PM	#2
Dmpsix Drives: Black L99 2SS/RS Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 1,862	Depends on what you want, big city life and lots of people will easily be Houston or Dallas, Houston is a bit crowded so be careful. San Antonio, TX is pretty laid back, traffic isn't too bad and it's a growing and affordable city. I can't speak really on behalf out of anything outside of Central Texas... Texas is HUGE so there's plenty of options.

02-04-2017, 06:42 PM	#4
bkevind Drives: 2013 2SS RS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Austin Posts: 555 View My Garage	I didn't move from NJ, nor have I lived there. I grew up in west Texas, went USAF and lived in Vegas, then to Dallas, then Spokane WA, then back to Austin, then to San Francisco, then back to Austin. I'm staying in Austin. Lots of space in Texas. DFW area is more of a rat race feeling. It's got a lot going for it but depending on what you're thinking of for "space" you'd have to get pretty far out in the suburbs for a lot of space. I don't really care for the Dallas vibe so much, hard to explain. There are different aspects to it, the old money, the trendy cool people, the country po folk, etc. Underlying feeling was not for me after 6 years. Austin I like, more down to earth for the most part. Basically a town with a lot of people living in and around it. Partly a college town thanks to UT. Infrastructure/roads etc kind of suck to support a lot of people, so rush hour is kind of a pain, but really not so bad. I work from home so, doesn't matter to me. I live almost in Dripping Springs, which is southwest of Austin, but still have an Austin address. Live on two acres in a rural area where everybody has 1+ acres. Feels good, private and "country". 20 minutes from downtown Austin. It can get pricey to buy the closer you get to Austin, depending on the specific area. I think people are a lot more friendly here than in Dallas or Houston. Genuine friendly, not that fake Canadian friendly haha (married a Canadian, she agrees with that). I haven't lived in Houston, but spent a lot of time working there for the PD, so my view of Houston is pretty much all from where HPD has their jails around town. I can tell you Houston has a lot of crime, and a surprisingly/relatively high amount of people get nabbed wanted for major stuff (on national watch lists etc) compared to other cities. BUT, there are some damn pleasant suburbs around Houston. It's an oil town, lots of chemist / engineer/ petrochemical work. Sometimes driving around town it almost feels like it's about to be madmax crazy. Dallas you have to worry about tornados. Houston you have to worry about hurricanes. Austin you have to worry about...hippies? I dunno. Bay Area...lived there for 3 years. Amazing place geographically. The coast, the hills, the forests, the weather, incredible. But it's ridiculously overpriced, and I couldn't get used to the mentality of people. I met some great people, but the whole of it wasn't for me. Under different personal circumstances, I could have stayed there and made it work, it would have been worth it in a lot of ways. Glad to be back in Austin overall. Can't speak to San Antonio.

02-05-2017, 07:45 AM	#5
jrhagen Banned Drives: Camaro Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: USA Posts: 2,701	It all depends on what your idea of affordable is. I moved here from NoCal. I bought a 2300 sq ft house 3 bed 2 bath nice yard and garage where the mortgage, insurance and property taxes cost less than my tiny 1 bed apartment cost in the Bay Area to rent. The best place to live in TX is an area that is made up primarily of of people from other states, diversity is good. Easier to fit in and find people with similar interests. Also take into consideration there is no personal income tax in TX, so other taxes are higher to compensate. All in all, cost of living is pretty good here. If you want more freedom with regards to living arrangements, I would recommend an area that is more established, built pre-1990. No HOA is the key to happiness. If you are going to be in an apartment, make sure none of your external walls face west and preferably not south either. Summer sun will bake the walls and your electric bill will be very high. I have lived in SoCal, No Cal, Hawaii, STL, DC, Japan and DFW over the years. All have there pros and cons. You just have to find where you fit in.

02-07-2017, 05:08 PM	#7
jrhagen Banned Drives: Camaro Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: USA Posts: 2,701	Also, if you vote blue, move to a blue state. TX is the wrong place for you.

02-07-2017, 05:28 PM	#8
bkevind Drives: 2013 2SS RS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Austin Posts: 555 View My Garage	Austin is fairly liberal by Texas standards. Most cities with major university tend to be that way. If you look at the recent POTUS elections, all the major cities of Texas voted blue. Typical scenario for urban areas. There is a good mix of different views here, what I hope is that doesn't change the friendly nature. Intolerance on either side of the fence is what makes people ugly, and stupid IMO. People leave whatever place they're from to get away from it, then try to make their new home just like the old one. Oh yeah - everybody has trucks with gun racks, wears wranglers and boots, and a big belt buckle. Hats are optional but advisable. So you might try to fit in that way. My Canadian wife was impressed when she moved here, with the mostly genuine friendly nature of people. More often than most places I've lived, people will meet you in eye just walking by and offer a smile and hello.

02-07-2017, 06:40 PM	#11
xrivera91 Drives: 2015 Camaro 2ss Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: 07002 Posts: 1,165 View My Garage	My main goal is to find a location that offers wide open space (hate feeling like I'm on top of my neighbors. Also, good schools for my son. I don't mind commutes that are under 45 minutes.