So your company has seen the light and has decided to relocate to Dallas, Texas. Welcome! We are very friendly people here, and in that spirit, I’d like to give you some things to know as you move to Dallas from wherever it is you are coming from.
1. The people here are very friendly. It’s unnerving to some arrivals from different places, because many people are not as open and willing to talk as your standard North Texan. In line at the bank, at Whataburger (something else you need to learn about) and just about anywhere. To paraphrase Hank Williams Jr., “We say grace, and we say Ma’am” here in Dallas, despite being such a big, cosmopolitan city. Texans are nice people, and Dallasites seem to be the nicest of the group.
2. “Dallas” can mean a lot of places. The city limits of the city of Dallas stretch quite a ways, but as we continue to grow, the boundaries of the city really become blurs – there are houses and neighborhoods stretching all the way from Desoto in the South nearly up to Mckinney in the north. We have hip places both in and outside city limits, vast stretches of houses and apartments; any way you like to live can be accomplished in the Dallas area. Be assured that you are not moving here alone – nearly 1000 people a day move to Texas, and quite a few of them land here in the metroplex.
3. Traffic is a thing here in Dallas. I remember the days when they first finished construction on Central Epressway, and traffic flowed like a river. Then those thousand people a day started moving in, and roads got considerably more crowded. If traffic is moving fast, then be ready to battle your way where you need to go, and if it’s moving slow, it is stopped. That’s on the highways though – most people who commute in Dallas have several “back routes” to work that help them avoid traffic. We used to plan 30 minutes to get anywhere; now it’s more like 45. When you add in the constant construction, it looks like no matter what, traffic is here to stay.
4. Insurance is expensive in Dallas. Back in 2014, Dallas had the 13th highest auto insurance rates in the nation. I couldn’t find a more recent list, but I assume that we have made our way up on the list. We have been selling insurance for many years in the Dallas area, and prices certainly aren’t going down, and prices are always a shock when people move here. Home insurance is also pricey, mostly because we have pretty damaging hail storms in the spring and tornados in the winter. That being said, even if the rates are higher, the cost of living in Dallas is well below the national average, so it works out. The best way to pay the least for insurance is to contact an independent agent – hopefully The Phoenix Insurance, as we are the highest rated agency by customers in Dallas.
5. Speaking of living, we do it. It’s not all rodeos here. Nightlife, street tacos, patio afternoons, theme parks, botanical gardens, zoos, art – if you want it, it’s here. We are home to many funky neighborhoods where you can get artisinal foods, trails where you can take a jog and have a pit stop for a beer, and shopping centers where you can buy your Prada and Gucci. We are dog friendly at most places, so bring them by when you get lunch on a patio on a Sunday afternoon. Go have a spa day, or just take in a game at one of the many major and minor league sports teams in the area. on top of all the things that are always happening, we are lucky enough to have Epic Jared in town – who does things like throw the worlds largest Nerf battle at AT&T Stadium. There is always something cool going on around here, despite the hot weather.
6. It is hot here. For a while. Generally, starting toward the end of June, someone starts to dial up the thermostat and doesn’t turn it back down until mid October or early September. I don’t know the difference between “dry heat” and what we have, but it’s awful. It’s ok though, because everything everywhere is air conditioned. We spend time in our cars and buildings once the heat turns on, and in the pool, though it’s not really that refreshing when the water is 85 degrees from the sun. (Here is a side piece of advice – always make freinds with your neighbors that have pools.) We tough the heat out though, because fall is awesome, and spring sometimes lasts long enough to fool us into thinking we won’t have a bad summer.
I am really just scratching the surface of things you need to know to relocate to the Dallas area, but to sum it all up, Dallas is an awesome place to be, and we are happy to have you. Go grab a gas station Taco and take it to the park we built on top of the highway, and just revel in being a Dallasite – you made it!