Okay folks, with each passing day, the family and I have come continuously closer to making the big move from NY to TX. I would suspect that within 4-5 years plans are we'll be leaving Hillary and Co. behind.

I can already say that I've gotten a hellava welcome from DonR, and his guidance has been worth its weight is gold. He's a true friend across many miles and his hospitable attitude is without equal!

Now I'm on a bit of a high, I received my official copy of the Texas Travel Guide [url]www.traveltex.com[/url] (for those interested) and the book is practically as big as the state! [:)] Now Don has been gracious enough to tell us about the areas in and around DFW - and I'd like to hear from others in TX from any other areas as well.

After reviewing the book, the wife has taken a liking to the area known as the "Piney Woods" area - Nacogdoches, Longview, Marshall, Lufkin etc.

To be honest, we're sh#t scared about the whole tornado thing. [:D] We know its just the way it is and the good Lord would watch over us, but have to say that it took some convincing on my part to explain that Class III goodies aren't just allowed in Texas in order to defend your possessions after your home gets blown away!

As for the job front - we're not so concerned about that as we would be in NY - the wifes a Vet Tech, and I currently hold a supervisory position in IT/Networking/Operations. But I'd chase chickens in TX if the family finances would allow however.

I just cant get over it, the cost of living seems so much better in TX - property taxes alone are 1/4 of what I'm paying to live in socialist central. We try not to fall into the 'grass in greener..." mentality - but damn. We've surfed the realtor sites, and for example - 25 acres, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths for $39,500????? (Shelby Co. Timpson, TX) - (if anyones interested in the property - just let me know [:)]

So, I would appreciate it if others from the great state could chime in - especially the "Piney Woods" area folks. I promise, Schumer won't follow us! [;)]

Thanks in advance from the disgruntled Yankee!


 

I went to college in the Dallas area.  However, my wife and I lived in Mesquite and a bad part to boot.  What I remember is the heat and dust.  What I remember most were the people.  Generous and kind, not all, but many.  Most are quite friendly and open.  We are looking to move back in maybe three years.  My wife has her whole family  there.  Home prices do not seem to be much better there. Our house will sell for 350+ and the ones we have in mind are a bit less expensive, but not much.  Oh the good old days of spend hours at Bid D Bizarre shopping for junk.  Bought my first 5 guns in Dallas.      

The piney woods area is very nice, but you'll probably need to learn a new language if you move there. [;)].  Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antoinio areas are more cosmopolitan.  It just depends on what you are looking for.  Austin is also a nice area, but it just has too many liberals.  Good luck with you decision making, and welcome to Texas.

So don't live in Austin.  In fact, avoid Travis County entirely, and look at Williamson County. Cedar Park, Georgetown, Round Rock, etc.  If he's in the computer business, he can't afford to ignore the jobs in the Austin area. Williamson County is still mostly rural, property cost is low, commutes are not bad, and most county offices are held by Republicans.

As for the tornado thing, been living here for several decades, and never actually been hit by one. Seen a couple, mind, but that's as close as I've gotten. Not as bad as the average paper or radio report indicates. If you build a house, plan a concrete storm shelter as part of the structure, if you like.

I prefer the chance at a tornado, now and again, over winter driving in NY or earthquakes in California.

  Personally, I would look at the San Antonio or Corpus Christi area. I live in Corpus Christi, and don't plan on moving any time soon.

  The attitude is very laid back in Corpus Christi. It's just the right size, 275,000 within the city and another ~125,000 in the surrounding areas. It's a popular tourist destination in Texas. The winters are very mild. Summers are not as bad as other places in Texas due to the ocean breeze. Beaches are AWESOME. If you like salt-water fishing...you'll be in heaven. If you like fresh water fishing...there are two lakes within an hour of us that are great. Hunting? What do you like? Dove, turkey, deer, javelina, feral hogs, quail, geese, ducks...you name it we got it. Actually, it's pretty refreshing to be able to drive 20 minutes away and duck hunt on the intra-coastal waterway. I could go on and on about why I like Corpus Christi, but let me tell you what I DON'T like. Jobs. The wages in Corpus Christi are well below other area's of the State. But in turn, housing is dirt cheap and cost of living is minimal compared to other cities in the State. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great employers in Corpus...you just gotta look for 'em...especially in the IT field.

[b]After reviewing the book, the wife has taken a liking to the area known as the "Piney Woods" area - Nacogdoches, Longview, Marshall, Lufkin etc.[/b]

Any info you might want on this area, just e-mail me. My dads' family farm is just about 18 miles east of Nacogdoches, and dad has an 800 yard range off the back porch. If that's not good enough we have a 1200 yard range (private) betweem Nac and Lufkin. I recommend it highly and spend weekends I'm not shooting HP there shooting w/ Dad or my uncle and our long range mentor friend who lives in Lufkin. BigDozer is from Lufkin too I believe.
Come-on down, I can introduce ya to quite a few chicken farmers in the immediate vicinity although for me the smell in summer and the way their treated by Pilgram and Tyson would be enough to cross off that pursuit. To each his own.

Offer stands though if you need anything in particular just e-mail me and I'll be more than happy to oblige.

Mike

Austin area, specifically west of Cedar Park.  Work for the city of Austin,  commute is 22 miles. Crime is not really a issue outside of the city proper. Never had any problem with traffic that comes anywhere close to the stuff up north.  5 minutes from the boat ramp on Lake Travis, other lakes are Buchnanan, Georgetown, Inks, LBJ, Belton, Stillhouse, all within 30-45 minutes. Gulf coast and deep sea fishing is under 4 hours.  (Port Aransas) Ocean front rooms go for about 70-100$ a night. Actually own two boats. One for lake parties/skiing and one for fishing. Bought my house for 42,000$, now valued at 86,000$. (Yankees driving the prices up. Was actually told price would be higher without the 25' by 30' metal building out back) 1600 sq ft house on yard so big I have yet to mow it all in a single day.  Frequent two ranges, Eagle Peak, (200yd and pistol) 5 miles, and Austin Rifle Club 25 miles,  various matches every Sunday, bring your own or shoot a club M1.  Ammo available through the club. Three good gun shops, Heritage, McBrides, and the Cutting Edge.  4 or 5 others, some with attached indoor ranges. A couple of really good gunsmiths. More high tech employers than anywhere else in the state.  5 colleges. For retirees or reservists, Three VA hospitals, and Ft Hood. If fishing on Lake Belton, you can watch the artillery fire.  Dozens of Hike and bike trails.  Extensive fine dining and music culture.  Evenings you can go into Austin and kick liberals.  They're easy to find, most are confined to three specific neighborhoods. It's sort of like going to the zoo.  My average bills are:  Electric 65$ Property taxes, to include school, 1109$. Sewage/water/trash 32$  vehicle insurance, 320$ a quarter for two cars, two boats, a camper, and a M/C.  Not bad considering my daughter's driving history.  It does get hot here,  but on the plus side, it never gets cold.  High today is supposed to be 84 degrees.  It's not called "Antifreeze" here, but "Coolant" . Tormados?  See them ocasionally,  neighborhood just to the east was hit by one two years ago, took out the grocery store and a blockbuster video, had VHS tapes in my yard. If it's that much of a concern, just build a saferoom.      

A man decided to write a book about churches and began traveling around the country gathering information.

Going to a very large church, he began taking  photographs and making notes. He spotted a  golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign which read, "$10,000 a minute." Seeking out the pastor, he asked about the phone and the sign. The Pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he pays the price he can  talk directly to God. The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he  continued to visit churches in Seattle, Atlanta, Greensboro, Chicago, Milwaukee, and all  around the United States, he found more phones with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.

Finally, he arrived in Texas. Upon  entering a church in Ft Worth, Texas, behold, he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time the sign  read "Calls: 35 cents." Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor. "Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone. I've been told it's a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 35 cents a call. Why?" The pastor, smiling benignly, replied, "Son, you're in Texas now.....it's a local call."

WELCOME!

You didn't mention what sort of outdoor/cultural/recreational activities your family is interested in.

I live in Austin and love it.  Texas is a good state all around, and you won't go wrong picking a place.  There's a few things I love about Austin.  It might not be for everybody, but if you want one of the big cities in Texas, I think Austin should be high on your list.  In any of the big four metros (Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin) you will have to deal with traffic and higher property prices (although probably not as bad as in NY).  If you want to avoid those things or like other aspects of country living, Texas has plenty of places to accomodate you, and I'm not really the guy to recommend one over the other.

However, if you're interested in one of the cities for employment reasons or because you want access to some of the other activities that  big cities can provide (food, movies, music, etc.), take a look at Austin.  It is certainly the most beautiful of the big four, having plenty of hills and trees and lakes.  The thing that struck me when I first visited Austin was how geographically unlike my expectation of Texas it was.  I grew up in Oklahoma and my view of Texas was that it was pretty much flat and treeless or at best had little scrubby mesquite trees.  I've since seen enough of Texas to know that there are plenty of places where that isn't the case, but if beautiful scenery is important to you, Austin has that.

Austin also has a big variety of people that I've really enjoyed.  The north and west sides of town have a lot of corporate, techie/yuppie types (think Dell Computer), and honestly they might be the majority in Austin by now.  There are also plenty of hunting and outdoors types.  You'll find as many AR-15 owners in Texas from Austin as from anywhere else.  Then you've got the historical Austin crowd--the hippies, environmentalists, musicians, etc.--what everybody else in Texas looks down on as the "liberals".  But they are what gives Austin character and makes it fun.  They aren't the Clinton-Schumer types of socialist liberals that try to run your life, they are more the 60's type of liberal that wants to make love not war and let everyone be.  Then in South Austin, where I live, you've got more of a good-ole-boy, redneck influence.  Mix these all together and you've got the best Texas has to offer, IMHO.

Agreed, I live in Austin, and the liberals are generally not the obnoxious controlling types.  They are more the live and let live types, so don't let them scare you away from a great city.

The only negative to Austin that I find is the traffic; Austin has the traffic troubles of much larger cities.

HK,

I've spent lots of time in the East Texas Piney woods area.  If you have any questions please feel free to email me directly.

I'm in Houston so I'd be happy to help with questions about either area.

CMOS

ill second that one..

I've lived in Texas my entire life, from Corpus Christi to Amarillo to the DFW area and I have always wanted to see a tornado. Hell, if I could, I'd probably hop in the car and chase it. However, I've never ever seen one. I don't know anyone personally that has ever been killed or even hurt in a tornado.

I'd bet that more people are shot to death by the police in New York than are killed by tornados in Texas.

I'd probably have more of a chance of being in a plane crash than seeing a damn tornado. So I wouldn't let our storms persuade you from moving here.

I am moving to Houston in June. Will be working Downtown. Any general advice? i was looking at an apartment complex at lousiana and 75 so I could walk to work. Should I live Downtown or elsewhere? I want to be close to the nightlife and avoid rush hour.

Also where can I take my class 3 toys to play with? (preferably outdoors)


Any other general advice would be appreciated.

Well, I could start off with a good ole "You know the difference between a good Yankee and a Damn Yankee??", but I am sure you have heard a few of those.......hehehe [rolleyes]

Anyway, whenever you get here - WELCOME!! I am just south of Dallas and have access to a fantastic spot to shoot for free. So, if you ever get around here "shoot" me an email and we will see what we can work out.

DK [:D]

HK

Why would you want to wait? I live northwest of Austin after growing up in Austin.  If you have time, look at this area. Financially, I believe there are economic opportunities here that you should consider.  Homes are getting somewhat pricey, but for the last ten years, area home appreciation has probably been in the range of 5-6%. I think everyone I know has, at one time or another, sold their $40000 home for $150000 after living in it for 10-15 years. Good luck on your adventure!

Thank you guys so much for your input. Once again, and as would be expected on this board, you Texas fellas reaffirm my desire to move there.

After briefly mentioning some of the responses to my wife she said "You want us to move there tomorrow dont you?" [:)] Well of course, but the delay is strictly financial at this point, and I dont want to be in over my head. Prior to purchasing our home here in NY, we consolidated several bills into one large one - along with a 10K home equity loan. According to our calculations and loans, we'll be debt free aside from the mortgage and a final year of car payments in approximately 4 years. Right now its still pretty much a matter of paycheck to paycheck living. Struggling now for greater things to come.

So with that being the case, and in the event we run into a job search problem we wont have to worry about much besides the new mortgage.

As I said, the wife is a veterinary technician and the job market is very tight here in NY - happy where she is, but certainly not getting paid what shes worth. As for me, I'm making more now than I ever thought possible, especially without a degree in the computer field - I have a B.S. in History/PoliSci - all my IT/Networking knowledge was self-taught and/or on the job learning. Have 3 years under my belt, but still feel like I'm running in place. My apprehension comes into play when I start looking online for IT/computer jobs in TX - most are looking for some sort of schooled specialty - all of which I dont have the personal finances to pursue at this time. I'd classify myself as having a ever growing working knowledge of the material - but not textbook. Expecting $40K + as soon as I arrive in TX I know probably isnt possible.

So thats why I said I'd "chase chickens" mr_wilson[;)] and although it wouldnt be the ideal job, within 4 years - taking a paycut to be where I feel I need to be is well worth it. I dont think even at age 30 (34 when the expected move takes place) I would hesitate to change careers if thats what it would take.

The wife and I have thoroughly discussed it all, and we'll be there - we're only going through this life once and we want to enjoy the ride.

The concern of tornados is in fact a pretty moot point actually. We figured it out like this - we enjoy the warm weather, the TX heat, sure its hot, but thats what air-conditioning and a pool are for. The winters and cold weather here in NY is a real down time for us - we're miserable. Might be different if we were into snowmobiling or skiing - but we just straight up hate, nix that, loathe the cold. The winters been pretty mild here this year, but thank God or I'd be kicking the proverbial puppy through a fan.

Thanks again so much for your input, if theres anything to add please do so. I will also take your invitations regarding emails with heartfelt thanks and will contact you guys soon with questions.

Damn son, will you stop typing and start packing??? [;)]

AHHH, ya see fellas, the man who started it all - DonR!! I tell him my whole life story, blood, sweat and tears - and he basically tells me to shut the hell up, start packing, light my current residence on fire and start driving [:D]

Man I love ya brother - dont ever change.

If you are interested in continuing in the IT field, I have a possibility for you right now, or whenever you are ready. I currently work as on-site security for a web hosting company located in Bedford (mid-cities), and we are almost always looking to add good quality personnel. There is a qestionaire to be filled out with your application/resume, and that has as much to do with the decision to hire or not as anything. Check out [url]www.cihost.com[/url], and take a look at the company. Being north centrally located between Dallas and Fort Worth, there are tons of options on where to live. Plenty of stuff to do, everything from great bars, cool live music, shooting, fishing, hunting, theatre, concerts, awesome food, basically you name it. If it is not right here in the metroplex, it is close. Best of luck to ya, and come on down.

Well I moved to Grapevine TX. (DFW area) when I was 5 & finished high school in the Houston area & went to college in San Marcos near Austin.

Houston is OK (except in August!), just getting too friggin big as well as DFW. If you want to avoid urban sprawl then your looking in a good area.  You might consider  Bryan/College Station or Brenham too.

Austin/San Antonio I35 corridor is a beautiful place but over the last 10-15yrs getting suburbanized & a little expensive.  A real shame!

I don't think you have to worry about tornadoes too much in east Texas, not like the panhandle.  I think the long term issue of water isn't much of a concern in the piney woods area of Lufkin etc.  Unlike the hill country or west Texas.

A GREAT state for gun owners!!

Come on down!

If you're looking to the singles scene nightlife, you probably don't want to live downtown.  Most of the singles action takes place in the Galleria and southwest part of town.  The commute from the Galleria area would not be too bad.  There are many excellent restaurants downtown, but not much else happening.

Let me know if you have any other questions.  I'll be glad to help.

HKgnnr-

I was born and raised in NJ, lived there 27 of my 29 years.  I moved to Austin, Tx, about 7 months ago, and despite leaving my whole family in NJ, have never looked back.  

The downsides here:
-The.  Frigging.  Heat.  I missed the triple-digit-fest here last summer, but caught the tail end of the heat when I got here.  Plan on sweating a lot, it's not a dry heat.
-The drivers.  The typical driver in urban areas of Texas makes NYC taxis look polite.
-The traffic.  Granted, I'm in an urban area, south Austin, so I should expect it.  But there's just too damn many people in Austin for this freaky frontage road system Texas seem to love.  People....it's called a **CLOVERLEAF**.  Look into it.  I don't like waiting 15 minutes to get thru a red light.
-National pride.  A surprising number of Texans seem to labor under the belief that they are still a country.  Try not to roll your eyes right in front of them when they mention this, they consider it rude.   ;-)


That out of the way, the upsides:
-If you're conservative, you're normal.  In NJ, especially North Jersey, being right of center made you a Nazi freakazoid in most company.  Here, I express a conservative position on something, with all my arguments, rhetoric, and logic cocked and ready to fire, and people just look at me like I revealed that the sky is blue.  I feel ideologically at home with probably 9 out of 10 people I know here.
-Darn near everyone owns, or at least has experience with, guns.  Probably 75%+ of the people I work with are pro-gun, my boss owns more guns than I'll ever hope to, and maybe 80% of the people I know outside of work own guns.  It's like a rootin' tootin' heaven down here.  :-)


....Anyway, that's just my two cents, your mileage may vary.  But for me, I've found a place where the general population seems very much in line with my views on many things.  There's not that feeling of "me against the world" ideologically like when I was working in NYC.  Hope some of this helps.

I heard Texas is a big place. You guys have room for one more?  

Come on down!  Decide what kind of terrain you'd like to live in and there's a place for you in Texas.  I've lived mostly in Central TX, but East Texas (piney woods) is mighty beautiful country.  We need more AR-15.com members here so we can have a big shooting party.

i have ben considering TX for a while, i like what i know so far.

anyone know of any land for sale?? i am particuarly fond of woods. also i will need to find "gainfull" employnemt. i have been browsing the net and found [url=www.tpwd.state.tx.us/involved/jobvac/all.htm]this[/url], sounds like my type of job. if anyone has anymore info i would appreciate it. it would be nice to be within 100 miles of some other members. aint noone up here near me.. [cept ARGONE] and hes in Vermont, so hes a free man, and i cant afford land there,  way too expensive.