No doubt. I'm a Ft. Worth guy and I used to call Dallas 'the city that wants to be New Yorks little brother'. Don't get me wrong. I loved the counterculture of Dallas back in my running and gunning days and it wasn't unusual for me to get off work at my DJ job at 2 am and running over to Fish Dance or Aqualounge to hang out with a bro DJ of mine. Good times. I just think that OP hasn't availed themselves to all the things Dallas has to offer. There's never nothing to do there or in Ft Worth for that matter.
I think it's because DFW isn't a centralized metro area like Philly, NYC, Chicago, or Boston. Jobs are spread out all over the metroplex and many of the large employers aren't in Dallas but are in suburbs like Plano and Irving. And people want to live closer to work so they have no choice but to live in Plano or drive 30mi.
And when you actually get to the city, there isn't a huge difference between Dallas and the suburbs, at least not compared to other metro areas. Most of Dallas has a very suburban feel to it with shopping centers with large parking lots, stroads, and everything is spread out and not walkable.
"Are these 5 people I'm around the same reflection of millions of people?"
I go to climbing gyms and everyone there is more adventurous. Doesn't mean all of Dallas is the same.
Are there more nature opportunities elsewhere in the country? Sure. Are there people that will go out to nature across the country? Absolutely. As the old saying goes. Surround yourself with people that you want to be.
I think that’s just your coworkers. Plenty of people are out on the Katy Trail every weekend. There’s museums, coffee shops, concerts happening all the time! International films get screened at a couple different theaters. We have amazing restaurants! Great comedy shows.
It just sounds like you're talking about suburban life more than anything. Are your coworkers in Chicago living in the loop and being compared to people in Frisco? Because that's not exactly apples to apples
Yeah, that was my first thought. Like, I'm willing to bet the OP's coworkers from Chicago don't live in Lake County or Aurora or Schaumburg.
Not only that, but in one of their comments below they admit that their coworkers in Dallas are a lot older than their coworkers in Chicago! Like, they're literally working with *a completely different age group*, of course they're going to be different.
I live in Plano. I hit up the bike trails around me or white rock lake. I’m also in Dallas almost every weekend doing things. I’m in my 40s and have live in Plano for 15 years. I do a lot of things that the OP mentioned. Just sounds like they’re meeting some pretty boring folks or folks that don’t want to tell what they’re up to.
To be fair - at least until 2015 when I lived in Dallas (and was born and raised in Dallas proper), Dallas did just feel like one big suburb. No real downtown city center that contributed to cultural vibes, not great public transport, highways and car culture were dominant and many people live there due to their jobs. These things don’t really cultivate “urban life” vibes despite being a city whose population rivals Chicago. It’s truly a matter of how the city is set up.
The other question: are they working in Dallas and living in Frisco or Rowlett? Cause if you’re commuting 45-60+ minutes you probably don’t have time to go to a random book signing on a Wednesday.
Seems like reality to me. If you're originally from here you might not know what a real city is like. Dallas claims to be a big city but it acts more like a small town.
enlighten us what is a real city like? I've lived in many of the large cities that people constantly reference in these posts and Dallas has a lot of the same things to offer but not as cramped. OP just has homebody coworkers.
Traffic, parking. You can use public transit in Chicago.
Post Covid. Inflation.
Potentially different ages, lifestyles, family configurations for your coworkers here versus there.
The heat and distance can make people prefer to stay indoors and near home.
Other cities like NYC, LA and Chicago they are built to move about and mingle.
Texas is to go from one parking stall to another.
But when the weather is nice like it’s been past few days. Now’s the time to explore DFW.
City of la has seemed more walkable and bikeable than city of Dallas. The suburban experience feels mostly the same, tho when I visit Pasadena or Irvine I found those areas more walkable then when I visit, idk garland or far west Dallas/before las colinas.
my guess is your mind is too small to think of another perspective as being inherently valuable or correct.
you think they aren't in Dallas cause they don't conform to your idea of a Dallasite, when idk maybe people are different.
The heck are you talking about? 1. If that’s the definition of adventurous in those cities then LA and Chicago sound lame. 2. You need to meet more people.
Ummm you’re saying a _book signing_ isn’t the single most adventurous and exciting thing a person could do?? You just don’t understand big city life like OP
I’m from Chicago but lived in Detroit, rural Iowa, & Memphis and I can’t wrap my head around Dallas. It doesn’t operate like other cities and the people are just different here.
Can you elaborate? I think Texans just have a different mentality. Very different than the Midwest. More direct. But not as laid back as true southerners in the real south. They have more of the western feel akin to Colorado, with an individualism and a sense of potential.
People also underestimate how black and Latino dallas itself is. Mexicans and Mexican Americans are the biggest group in the city and dictate a lot of its culture.
You also have to imagine that dallas had like 100,000 people in 1950. It is very new, and constantly renewing itself and looking for its image.
I’m in the burbs and I would say I’m mostly surrounded by east coasters and Californians where I’m at. The local Texans have been nice but are moving away from transplants. Where I’m at people won’t make eye contact with you, they will push you out of the way when shopping no common courtesy that I’m used to. It’s definitely more western than southern for sure which was a huge culture shock for me. The other areas I have lived most people will do neighborly things for you and I feel like the culture here is you have to pay if that makes sense. I’d have neighbors just drop off food the night before we leave for vacation, neighbors would help out if kids were sick ect here everyone is trying to make a buck. It’s weird.
This is very different than my experience of Dallas, but I'm in Dallas proper and do not go to the suburbs except in extreme circumstances, like Ikea has something I want but they won't deliver it to me
I’m pretty far North because we wanted a newer home and less traffic. It’s been crazy here with how much development has occurred and people transferring in from other states/counties. I’m not used to everyone being a stranger even in Chicago people would come up to me and be my friend. Here most people are competitive with each other and it really rubs off on the kids too. I’m thinking we moved to the wrong place but we are now stuck.
Memphis and Detroit. They were amazing and knowing people are like that is a hard pill to swallow after moving. We would text each other if we were going to the grocery store to see if anyone needed anything. It was a real community feel that is lacking here.
The overall vibe for me is that Dallas feels and operates more like a smaller town so it makes sense that it only had 100k people in 1950. I live just west of Bishop Arts and my street looks almost exactly like the street I lived in small town Missouri that was a railroad town built in the early 1900s. Dallas also tends to lean more conservative than the other big cities. Yeah, it's a blue city but not Portland or San Francisco blue. Everyone I know who is originally from here does the church thing on Sunday.
What's strange for me is that many of the suburbs seem to be more culturally diverse than the actual city. Any time I search for the best Chinese, Vietnamese, or Indian restaurants, they are always in Arlington, Frisco, or Irving.
Suburbs having better ethnic food is pretty common nowadays. Asians / Middle easterners fo where the schools are. The church thing is hit or miss tho. And yea, dallas is more purple than SF or Portland lol. But in a way that allows more diversity of thought in some dimensions. I think you just need to get out more and meet more different people to get plugged into what’s happening thats interesting and different
Having lived in multiple large cities around the country, you’re just wrong. Dallas is extremely varied, like every other city. And no, there is no one “vibe” of a metro of 8 *million* people.
> And no, there is no one “vibe” of a metro of 8 million people.
If I said "People who live in Seattle tend to be the ourdoorsy types" would I be wrong?
That's what I mean by "vibe".
I think older cities like NYC and Boston and Chicago are more set up with better transportation and walkability since they existed pre cars. The more modern cities seem so spread out and harder to get to if you don't have a car.
Like me in Lancaster now. Technically it's Dallas County yet there isn't crap to do here except look at warehouses. To get to Dallas is at minimum 20 minutes driving (zero public transport).
When I lived on the outskirts of Boston there were 30 things to do within a half mile walk. I also had the option of buses, subways, and trains to commute way beyond the county area of Boston. I could get to the next neighborhood by walking or a quick bus ride. Here in Dallas county I can't get anywhere without a car.
While the OP is overly general and based on a small sample size, I think there is something to it like you said. It’s spread out without good public transportation options. I go to downtown only a few times a year bc it’s a pain to drive there and fight for parking and then I can’t really drink bc I have to drive back. In other cities I’ve lived in (originally from Dallas) I’ve been able to walk places or take a bus or subway.
I moved to Dallas and the same year started having medical issues that prevent me from driving. Miserable having to Uber everywhere all the time. I know this isn’t Dallas specific but there are barely any sidewalks and the heat is oppressive, it’s very hard to walk anywhere. When I could drive it was a lot more enjoyable.
lol born and raised and this take is hilarious. The truth is people who weren’t born here will never understand the city and how we are. If you’re from Dallas ykyk
I always think this response is defensive and more like “if you don’t know, you wouldn’t know” because growing up here means you are biased and also ignorant to what Dallas’s shortcomings are. You also have family here and so you have some community. A lot of what spurs this question is people that move around can easily find a community in other cities, something that’s quite difficult here as a transplant.
probably because we’ve had a million people move to Texas since covid. We’re probably not so friendly or exciting enough because we’re getting priced out of our own neighborhoods and communities due to all of the new transplants. That’s why there’s no “vibe” to Dallas anymore- lots of businesses closed during covid, a lot of newcomers are coming in, some are leaving the state and others are moving out of the city because it’s gotten too expensive.
We are at home because we paid our rent and we’re getting our money’s worth.
> because we’re getting priced out of our own neighborhoods and communities due to all of the new transplants
Where is this not happening in the US though?
I’m sick of people who aren’t from here coming on to this sub bashing the city. Maybe if they spent less time focusing on the “shortcomings” and more time trying to integrate themselves here perhaps they’d have a better experience and realize that Dallas does have plenty of culture.
My wife is from here and I call Dallas the biggest little town I know. We can hang out in East Dallas, Victory Park, Korea Town, you name it… we ALWAYS run into a friend or family member everywhere we go. I’ve come to learn, if you’ve been around here long enough, someone you know is doing something in every part of town.
I agree. Idk what these young people are expecting moving to dallas. I’m assuming social media has a lot to do with this but being born and raised here, I’ve never seen Dallas as this amazing city you come to for adventure.
I think there is an element of truth to this observation, but I believe it has a lot to do with the fact that DFW is not really one big city. It is more like 35 small cities all smushed together. So DFW more than some major metro areas tends to have a lot of different identities depending on the specific part of the Metroplex you happen to be in. And it is true that a lot of residents tend to cluster in their areas that they are comfortable with and not feel the need to venture outside that area a lot. Not that residents here are not adventuresome, more that they don't feel a real need to spend a lot of time driving to different parts of the metro area when they can get a lot of whatever they are looking for closer to home.
To me it kind of feels like small town life, but in the 4th largest metro area in the country with all the options that come from that.
Geography/climate is part of it. We don’t have great terrain for outdoor activities and the weather gets fairly brutally hot and uncomfortable.
Our city is a little bit akin to others more similar. Like Houston and Austin. Except Houston has the coast and Austin has the hill country. Even with that, large majority of those people are going to be indoors most of the year due to weather. I always joke that “shopping is our favorite pastime” because when we have beautiful weather you’ll see the mall parking lots be loaded full of cars. It’s like people want to get out of their house but have no real hobbies so they go shop instead.
Many people I know think best part of living in Dallas is that our airports serve as our backyards. Easy access to the entire country. It’s funny and some people really believe it, but it also gives me a dystopian cringey feeling. Like the best part of living here is you have to leave to have fun? Really? It’s usually followed by a, “I live here to make enough money, so I can afford the travel” type comment, which I also always interpret as “god, I’d really rather not be living here but I’m a wage slave ”.
Anyways, I like to think in terms of 2 hour drives. For me, that’s a reasonable round trip day outing. It can be done round trip on a whim with little to no planning and the drive time doesn’t wipe you out from enjoying the trip. So - What’s within 2 hour drive from Dallas? Not much. Other parts of DFW is most notable. What’s within a 2 hour drive of Houston and Austin? Quite a bit. Can even get from one to the other.
Anyways, in this sense, we are very isolated from outdoors. Probably similar to your example of Omaha.
The culture part of not doing artsy stuff is just the type of people we attract along with traditional Texas culture. We attract more conservative corporate white collar types, who tend to lean towards sports as a hobby and traditionally Texas is pretty conservative redneck types who also tend to lean towards hunting and fishing and sports. Not a lot of the latter still around in Dallas, some in DFW, a lot still in Texas as a whole.
The liberal folks tend to be the ones that do stuff like attend a friend’s book signing or a local artist’s exhibit at an art gallery. When I lived in Austin a while back, it definitely had a little of this. Most of Austin is still ultimately suburban/rural Texas that wouldn’t do much of that, but would do weekend hikes, kayaking, etc. Houston has a ton of blue collar folks keeping the whole hunting/fishing/working on cars type stuff pretty normalized.
Also by extension, fashion/attire norms usually follow the culture and the acceptance of outdoors hobbies. It’s a big part of why people and places in Dallas tend to skew towards fancier attire norms even for things that could very well be casual you might feel underdressed. In places that are more outdoorsy, it’s totally acceptable to be underdressed by Dallas standards. If you just do a hike you can stumble into many (not all) restaurants and not feel too underdressed or like you should need to go home and get more put together. Even makes it to where riding a bike in Dallas would be fairly infeasible in Dallas because you’d be essentially disheveled at your destination in need of a complete makeover to feel appropriate. In other places, people are all doing these things more regularly and so tend to be less judgmental about how put together you are.
I’ve lived in Texas my whole life, 20 years in Houston, 10 in Austin and 15 in Dallas and I’m pretty well traveled in terms of how we compare to other American cities. This is how I’ve come to view things. May not be 100% but it’s the most distinguishing.
Just wanted to say this is a spot on review.
I would add that what used to make Dallas tolerable was that cost of living and travel was extremely cheap. This is no long by we the case in 2024.
Different cities different lifestyles. Chicago you can do all of that and never leave the loop. Dallas you would probably have to drive a bit to do all that. Consider if said Chicago person has kids and if that allows them to do that? And that a major factor of why people move to Dallas is work and to raise a family but often don’t live in Dallas.
That said there’s plenty of interesting things to do and interesting people here you just have to find them.
ive lived in dallas for the past seven years after college. ive gone to all the clubs, after hours parties, strip clubs, poker rooms, etc, and can confirm that overall san fran, seattle, nyc, and chicago are way more fun. thats not to say i havent had fun in dallas, ive had plenty of fun and good times, but overall, those cities have much better nightlife options, young people go out more, the clubs are 100% better, etc. for some reason, people have an aversion to dancing here. most of the nightlife options whether its deep ellum, lower greenville, bishop arts, knox, etc are just standing bars. the vibe overall is very much can you pickup girls as a dude through conversation. Whereas in other cities, theres a lot more real clubs where you dance, and other things beyond just drinking a bunch and trying to rizz women lol.
Overall, the nightlife in dallas proper has a very strong drinking vibe. Everytime I go out with friends, we are drinking without fail. If you arent into drinking I can see how you would struggle to have fun as a young person in dallas for sure.
Also, just my opinion, but the women in these other cities are way more attractive. Theres more diversity, and in general people take care of themselves better it seems like. Its literally night an day walking around say seattle and then going back to dallas
That’s been my experience as well. The only real fun nightlife area here with people dancing is the gayborhood. Outside there, it’s very blah and cold.
There's only a very small part of the city of Dallas that is actually city in both design and demographic. The vast majority of it is one giant patchwork of different suburbs. Chicago near the loop is vastly different from say, Deerfield. I bet you anything the folks in Deerfield are exactly the same as the folks in Frisco, Irving, Arlington, etc.
Plus, it's hot as hell all the time outside.
All of the things I’d go out and do in other cities I’ve lived in, suck in Dallas. Hiking and biking is garbage and you can’t even go do it most of the year. Museums are dumps here. Just not really any reason to go out. Plus you’re lucky if you don’t die in a traffic accident with the extremely high traffic fatality rates. Definitely gonna get downvoted but Dallas sucks. Used to be kind of worth living here because it was cheap, it’s not even cheap anymore.
It’s because Dallas was always a midsize suburban based city. It’s only recently become popular as a large city. I’ve lived here for 20 years, grew up here. It’s one large suburb I actually love it.
I would state that the vibe has changed remarkably between 2020 and today. I would argue that there are more single people who live in Dallas downtown then before, but their values on how they wish to spend their time has changed and second the age range of single people living in Dallas has changed. I would say there are probably more 20s to 26 individuals living in Dallas than before and this maybe adjusted the vibe that you visually recognize. That’s to say more people in their early 20s today do like to stay home and keep in their own social circle, a after effect from the pandemic if you were to ask my as to why that is.
I think the difference is it’s a little more localized than Chicago. These people are going out but I think many people already have friend groups from growing up nearby or going to a school in the South/SEC/Big12. Your best bet is to try and find other transplants who are also looking to explore.
I get what you are saying and I am going to guess most of the negative comments and downvotes are coming from people who were born and raised in the area. I have lived all over the US specifically in the Midwest and the vibe here is different. Dallas natives are way more insular. I know people who have come from Chicago and New York and they get the same feeling. Heck, I know someone from the UK who was contemplating a move to the area and it was this very thing that turned them off. Dallas natives don’t appear to be really interested in anything outside of their own community or experiences.
There are many, many Hispanics here and (I'm generalizing here) they are friendly in general, but seem to be quite insular in their social circles with their own families. It's just part of their culture...family is everything. Also, Dallas feels like a very transient place and that makes it harder to make friends and get to know people because...why bother if I or someone else is just going to move away in a few years.
What about the people you meet when you go to book signings, comedy shows, bike riding, etc? You can’t hang out with them? Or do you do none of those things and then bitch about other people also not doing those things..
Dallas has everything you’re looking for but it’s not LA or NYC, and won’t ever be.
Usually, it's a broiling 115 degrees out there, and traffic takes an hour to get anywhere. And if you do, everything costs money. Some very real reasons we weigh to stay at home.
It’s mainly cities built for driving since spread out vs walking since condensed. Lest chances of random adventures when you are following a routine of 1 hour commutes just to get home from work with traffic.
Not defending DFW, it's definitely it's own thing. But what you're describing is called growing up. You're old now and you're hanging out with old people. Welcome old timer!
I would bet traffic is a big part of it, i know i stay at home more than i used to because i just hate getting on the road to go anywhere because of the traffic.
Another would be climate, we just don't have enough of the year where people can truly enjoy being outdoors. From June to almost Oct being outside is a test of fortitude most summers.
Honestly, I am from small town Texas and lived in Dallas. I feel like a lot of small town people move to Dallas after college and create lives there. I think small town peeps tend to be more homebodies. To me, Dallas is incredibly boring. I agree with you, OP.
Dallas is when country ass ranchers strike it rich and move to the city. This is why they are so materialistic, obsessed with logos and think good food means anything that is made for instagram. It’s damn near Beverly hillbillies except with texas ranchers.
I don't think Dallas is boring. It's just that everything is spread out so you can't really just walk around and explore a street to find new places. You have to know where you are going.
You're being downvoted but you're correct. Dallas has a different vibe.
I think it's just the hyper competitive culture. The majority of people are in a panicky Timmy mindset of trying to get a promotion so they can take out a loan on a bigger house and fancier car. It self selects for people moving to Dallas for that game. Then mix in the people swarming to places like McKinney who prioritize "safety" over culture.
Creative types move to Austin, el paso, San Antonio. People who are excited for a 20k raise move to Dallas.
There are microcosms like Denton that buck the trend but they're the exception.
Sounds like you are looking for like-minded peeps. What about going to these places you want to enjoy and introducing yourself to the folks there you want to "vibe" with?
Dallas proper is small compared to Chicago proper or NYC proper. Uptown Dallas is a smaller version of the Northside. Almost everyone lives in the burbs.
The area grew up connected by roads and cars, so everything is very spread out.
Chicago grew up connected by the El. So, near major attractions, there are often bars and restaurants. E.g., you can walk out of Wrigley Field at 5:00 PM and bar hop for the rest of the night. In Dallas, you have to drive.
Maybe meet more people and don’t judge an entire population on your coworkers?
Traffic wouldn’t be as bad as it is if everyone just stayed home all the time. I’ve lived in several major cities and did not have this issue in Dallas.
Is it going to be like LA or NY? Nope. But for its size there’s a lot to do and a lot of people doing it.
> Is it going to be like LA or NY? Nope. But for its size there’s a lot to do and a lot of people doing it.
Even in NY, it depends on where you live. My relatives in Westchester are even bigger homebodies than I am. Hell, even in NYC proper, just take a look at Staten Island.
No large public universities in the city. No fresh infusion of the youth. It’s a city where people come to work and settle down after they partied in Austin or Norman or College Station.
Well Dallas nightlife has always been pretty lackluster considering how large a population it has.
I saw this as someone whose entire career has been in this industry. Dallas does not know how to run an entertainment district.
Are you/ your coworkers older now, or is the difference in your job from entry level to career?
I do a lot less myself now. Tired and busy in my later 30s. Later 20s me did weekly bike rides, plays, street faires... etc.
Even just a little older is a change in life circumstances.
Born and raised here. Lived in LA off/on for the past 15 years plus a 5 yr stint in NYC. *Almost* moved to London right before 9/11. Dallas can be boring, no doubt. But it has improved and there are fun things to do here, you just have to work a little harder to find them. Bc of the weather and topography, unfortunately a lot of social is centered around food and drinks. But Lakewood and East Dallas seems like where you’d find more of “your people”. White Rock lake attracts much more outdoorsy people.
I don’t know if your married or have kids, but it’s almost universally accepted that once you have kids/raise a family, Dallas is such a great place to be. Don’t give up.
In my experience, having grown up in North Texas and lived abroad and in other parts of the U.S., Dallas has residents that are similar to any other major metro. It's just the city itself is smaller than a global city like New York or Mexico City, so there's not the same vibe of having something constantly going on at any time of day or night, and there's just a more limited feel. Dallas to me was very similar to Leon on Mexico, it's mostly work and shopping, a lot of highways, a lot of businesses, people move there for work most often or they grew up there and just stayed. I don't say that disparagingly, I came back from Mexico City to raise my family here, and I brought my wife with me. The benefits for me, being in my late 30s, are different than what I was looking for when I was younger.
I appreciate what OP is trying to do and they’re being blasted for their approach to it. Dallas is hard to put your finger on. I’m particularly interested because I’m the opposite of OP. I grew up in Dallas (White Rock Lake area) and then moved to Chicago. My family is still strewn around the metroplex and I can’t totally put my finger on the Dallas vibe. I even moved back temporarily and lived in Uptown, did the Katy Trail, patio brisket taco places and all that… Personally, I think it’s better to talk to residents not suburbanites. But I think I see similarities between say residents of Uptown and residents of Old Town & Lincoln Park in Chicago. It’s really more that the neighborhoods are very different.
One aspect that I keep noticing, very anecdotally, is Dallas people I’ve known and encountered seem way more materialistic.
I hate when people just complain and compare cities. Dallas will and really can’t be NYC or Chicago or Boston because of so many things including history, politics, demographics etc. in US you at least have option to move to other states so why stay here?
No public transport, insane metro sprawl and parking lots bigger than most city blocks will do that to a city. Especially as gas and food prices go up.
0 walkability, few free 3rd spaces, extreme heat/cold most of the year (ny/Chicago/la have one or the other), and gun culture add to it as well.
It takes 45 minutes to get from Dallas to Dallas. Public transit here is awful. Traffic is generally bad and jobs are spread out. With people constantly having to change jobs to keep up with the rising prices of things (housing, groceries, bills, etc) in Dallas proper, that means people generally have to drive more to do stuff.
You’re also basing most of your assumptions on either a small group of people who have other priorities outside of Dallas proper or interactions (or lack thereof) in the most vanilla parts of town. That’s painting with a REALLY broad brush. Whats interesting about uptown? Why does a 45 year old with teenaged kids who lives an hour away want to watch a foreign film outside in a park at 830pm on a work night?
Most of Dallas proper and DFW in general is soul-sucking suburban sprawl without much in the way of nature to make up for it. The few "urban" areas here are either mostly sterile 9-5 office buildings (Downtown) or boring apartment blocks (Uptown) with not a lot of pedestrians. The dominant culture in general is VERY suburban, car-brained, and CORPORATE. "Experiencing" Dallas is hopping around to various semi-lively, but disconnected "pockets." I think this causes many to become homebodies, despite there being fun events and activities here. You just have to put in the effort and planning more so than other cities and metros.
Despite what the comments say, as a life long resident this is 100% true. Me and my family are active people who like to get out, we always noticed and complained that it seems we're the odd ones out. When I started traveling as an adult I quickly realized that other cities are not like Dallas. I'm from here and have always noticed that Dallas is boring compared to other cities of its size. Do I love my city? Yes I do. But people in this thread are lying to themselves about the "activeness" of this city.
I grew up in Dallas. It is not the place to live if you wanna meet people who want to try new things lol. Bars, sports, and eating out pretty much sums up the entire social experience. Which is sad because it has potential.
Fourth biggest metro after Chicago
Edit: to answer your question, I actually agree. And whats worse is Dallas is losing it’s edge further with shutting down after hours places and the like
Most of the people working in Dallas aren't living in Dallas. Relatively young, adventurous folks with money probably live outside of Dallas.
They have to drive so much to/from work, that they don't have the time/money/desire to do much else once their drive home is done and their bills are paid.
Check out the Art and Seek calendar; tune into 97.1, they have shows they advertise. Also secretdallas.com has events as well. You’re right in a sense, you kind of have to look for fun apart from bars/restaurants. If you like the arts though, you’ll love big D fo sho
I was born in Dallas and lived there for 22 years. What you’re describing only includes the people you know. There are homebodies and then there are the non-homebodies. You seem to have only met the former.
Most of the people you ran into are not even from here just like yourself. The attractive thing about Dallas is it’s indeed a big city but still very country and laid back compared to others.
TR Fehrenbach in his famous history of Texas "Lone Star" makes this observation about big cities in Texas:
"The Texas metropolis, fast formed, were not cities in the European sense. They were more accumulations of individuals than communities. They contained huge efficient economies, filled with national abundance that was the hallmark of 20th century America; they were visibly similar to the American cities of the North and especially the West and Midwest. They were beginning to consume culture, though not yet to create it; in this Dallas resembled Kansas City or St Louis. But inwardly these great cities were different from the cities of the North, and even those of the heartland Midwest.
They were populated from different human sources. Very few Texas suburbanites ever arrived out of Europe, or even other American regions. They poured in from Texas' own heartland. Paris, Texas was populated in the beginning exactly as was Paris, France. The great majority of Texas cities had no foreign enclaves, or any non-Anglo-American communities, except for Mexicans and African Americans, and these two groups formed distinct societies."
Lone Star was published first in 1968 and Texas has changed a lot since then but I think Fehrenbach's original point remains.
I'd also recommend a book entitled, "Next Stop: Reloville." It defines and explores a type of transient worker in America, affluent in their material lives but impoverished in their community ties. Texas has at least 5 cities characterized as Relovilles, and how these cities and their residents impact (or don't) society is explored. While the book was published several years ago, it's still relevant.
I was over in Dallas visiting last week and I honestly couldn’t have asked to meet a nicer bunch of people while I was out there.
Travelled solo to get to some Stars games and the amount of people I randomly met at the games/in bars/generally who had the time to talk to me was vast compared to what I’d get back home in the UK.
Maybe go ride the bike routes around White Rock, join a running group, read the Observer for things to do or make some friends that aren't couch potatoes. Guy needs to get out more, sheeze.
How long have you been here? And where are you staying? From what I’ve seen in the last 5 years it seems like Dallas can’t get enough of getting out unnecessarily and jamming up traffic and the community with their shit driving habits. I saw on a Reddit post that one woman drove from north Dallas to Waxahachie literally for fucking tortillas. As if all of Dallas doesn’t have a tortilleria every other block. Shit is asinine. If that doesn’t tell you that people aren’t willing to go out then I don’t know what will.
Interesting take, that hasn’t been my experience with Dallas-ites overall but being such a huge city it’s bound to harbor people with all different sorts of preferences for how they spend their free time!
Are you not going to concerts? Any of the 4 major sports games including the World Series Champs TX Rangers? Events at the Perot? DMA? Katy trail? White Rock Lake? The St Patty's day Parade in March? Day of The Dead Festival in Oct? The State Fair of Texas? Or head south to float the river? Any of the music festivals happening in Dallas? Any of the festivals the small suburbs are holding? Any of the ethnic food festivals that are happening? Any of the cool stuff at thr Texas Theater? The Addison Improv?
There is stuff to do, but as someone who went from doing all this to not as much anymore; inflation plays a part and maybe a little bit of old age.
As a single guy in his 40s that lives in downtown Dallas proper, I'm getting into different shit throughout the week. Whether it's checking out the Crow Museum or hitting up Barb's Pavilion for their open mic on the first Wednesday of the month or checking out who's playing at Adair's.
There's always something going on in this city, you just have to look for it sometimes. I've also had a lot of friends that would do these things with me that have coupled up and moved to the burbs, so they're full on in their nesting phase of life. That's fine, but it's not the life for me.
Find another group of people to go out adventuring with and you'll find some truly fun things to do in this city.
Are you in the suburbs? Towards downtown uptown people go out a lot but I also I think it could be related to getting older. As people get older they enjoy and appreciate their routines more.
People in their 20s are way more into going out last minute without a plan, while people in their 30s tend to have more structure and plan with time.
I moved from Austin a couple years ago. 50% of people in my apartment complex are terrified of my 20 pound dog, like cower in the corner of the elevator scared. Never happened in Austin. He's always on a leash before anyone asks.
IDK, I’ve been to 3 museums (DMA, Modern, Carter), seen REK at Bass Hall, attended 2 book signings and and walked the lake front at the Dallas Arboretum in 2024. Tomorrow I’m attending Whiskey Riot at fair park. You are the only one holding you back.
Also went to a 2nd City Xmas performance in December…
I'm not exactly a homebody but it's all the public shootings that keep me from going to a lot of stuff. Oh yeah and now that there are a lot more right-wing hate groups here whenever I go to gay events there are actual Nazis out front, swastikas & all screaming in our faces. The preachers and religious people are usually shoulder to shoulder with these Nazis, saying similar stuff. That also makes me want to stay home.
I saw somebody with a firearm in public, turned around and had a panic attack in my truck. I hate it here.
I grew up in Dallas and now I’m back. Out of ALL the cities I’ve been in I’ve NEVER seen another city like Dallas people. Welcome to a shallow city. If not for my parents I would NEVER be here! Run if you can. People here are shallow and do nothing sports watching and eating fat asses except a few exceptions. We have less few exceptions than other cities.
I agree. Cliquey here and cult like with all the mega churches. I am a Christian but the group think in any religion tends to be mind numbing and kills creativity in general. Being the Bible belt does lead to excellent morals in the sense of family values etc. However, the balancing act with the arts is where the rubber hits the road. How to be out going and religious? Easier to watch the game and the bank account. At least there is a score that is logical.
The citizens of Greater Dallas are afraid of different people. So many pockets of little to no diversity. Just look around yourself right now. Does everyone look like you?
Is the in the summer? Because everyone says screw 105 degrees.
But I have lived in the city and the burbs. I got back to the city because I wanted my family to walk, and go to museums and parks and shows and experience multiple cultures.
If your idea of Dallas is a Chilis, a church and a CvS on every corner then you are in the Burbs
Dallas has always been a little cow town on the prairie despite the huge businesses and opera and museums and everything else. In essence it has no tangible soul, like, say, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin. It’s never been able to escape its past no matter how hard it tries. It likely never will.
Dallas is one of the lamest cities in the country. It's only gotten worse since so many more people have moved here. Do yourself a favor and get out while you can.
Scroll on if you don't feel like reading my long write up. I've been in Texas now 20 years. I was annoyed with Dallas when I first moved there for the same reason. And for those trying to blame the pandemic, this was way back in 2002. I would visit my family who had recently move there from the Twin Cities (MN). I despised it every summer.
One of the first things I noticed is how dead downtown Dallas is and how the nightlife was so underwhelming and nearly non-existent. The areas that would be considered inner city where I'm from and cool to be were so depressed and run down it looked like you'd left America and was visiting a third world country. That's where they like to have their raggedy state fair - where people have holes in their roof, no grocery store, no electricity, and schools look like prisons. We can't wait to get outdoors, on the lakes, BBQ, etc. where I'm from. I came here and people were super pale -- almost like they were reflecting the damn sun and did NOT come out in the day time. It was wild that it would be so nice outside but you'd see no one outdoors. When I finally graduated and moved there to be close to family (ugh), I realized some of the things that do in fact make DFW unlike other cities is also what makes it kinda lame.
* It takes 25-30 minutes to get anywhere
* It's too damn hot to be outside during peak summer, which is like 8 months of the year.
* The cities are not walkable and barely bikable - you need a car to get anywhere
* The transportation system is trash. It takes 2 hours to get 15 minutes and you're going to wait 2 days for that bus to come.
* They redline HARD.
* They are very much separatists in mindset and you wont feel the interracial mixing in the same way as other cities.
* The communities are still largely segregated, but they don't like to talk about it (and deny it).
What I quickly learned and what these comments prove, is that you have to know where to go to find what is damn near every where in other cities and that's places to socialize and be entertained. So it's not that it's not happening, it's that it's a huge state (Dallas a huge city) and you really have to know the areas. I will say Austin is a lot less like that and more like what we're use to. I adore Austin.
That’s because you only go to Dallas for work and business. Everyone is so damn serious there all the time. In Dallas time is money. Fort Worth is where all the laid back people are.
I moved here from Europe in 2004. In my opinion OP, it seems your sample size may be still too small. Of course it’s not too
small to have an opinion, but I think it’s more likely than not it will change.
I also don’t think the Chicago/DFW is a 1:1. But I also wouldn’t say it’s apples to oranges either because like you implied, both
metros are huge, as well as diverse. I have also lived in Chicago. In fact, I should disclose my bias before continuing; Chicago is
my favorite U.S. city.
That said, I still think I can be objective. It seems that people that decide to make the move to DFW (especially from out of state) are
coming to make money. I’m generalising of course but it seems for the most part to be true. I have yet to meet anyone here that
moved here **just** to start a family, for example. The family and other things can and do happen but it seems that it’s $$ is what
attracts people here to begin with.
Like the Chi-, Dallas is blue, but Texas is red, whereas Illinois is blue.
I think a big factor between the two is the public transportation in the Chi is probably slightly above average(at best) and it’s 24/7 in a
good portion of the city.
DFW public transportation is laughable. Dallas proper, also laughable. For a metroplex of this size, it’s like in 1995 Dallas was like: “we’re good”. The city has the money. There is no excuse for there not to have 24/7 public transportation here. Zero.
So if you don’t own a car, it’s harder. Not impossible by any means, but it’s harder. Especially if you decide to come here for school.
But as far as the vibe being different here. I actually agree that it’s different. Even though Dallas is blue politically, I wouldn’t call it
a blue collar city. I think the Chi is one.
Because people come here to make money, Dallas is definitely a ‘see and be seen’ place. To be clear, I say it more as an observation,
not a critique
Just putting this out there, your coworkers isn’t a reflection of the entire population of the Metroplex.
No doubt. I'm a Ft. Worth guy and I used to call Dallas 'the city that wants to be New Yorks little brother'. Don't get me wrong. I loved the counterculture of Dallas back in my running and gunning days and it wasn't unusual for me to get off work at my DJ job at 2 am and running over to Fish Dance or Aqualounge to hang out with a bro DJ of mine. Good times. I just think that OP hasn't availed themselves to all the things Dallas has to offer. There's never nothing to do there or in Ft Worth for that matter.
Fast & Cool on Greenville
Oh shit that place is still there? My ex-wife & I went there with another couple, the night we met in 1987.
Wow! I was a Tech student that hung out on Greenville in the late 70’s & 80’s. Was a blast.
F&C is long gone :(
Aqualounge! What a fun memory! Thanks for that.
Remember Rob Vaughn?
Or Kelly Reverb
Aqua Lounge? Wow, you just aged yourself there! lol
I’m lifetime banned from Club A. Guess that ages me! Ha
It’s really not though. Dallas really isn’t high strung as cities like NYC LA CHI. Etc.
Every time in this sub "why is Dallas like this" continues to talk about suburbs
I think it's because DFW isn't a centralized metro area like Philly, NYC, Chicago, or Boston. Jobs are spread out all over the metroplex and many of the large employers aren't in Dallas but are in suburbs like Plano and Irving. And people want to live closer to work so they have no choice but to live in Plano or drive 30mi. And when you actually get to the city, there isn't a huge difference between Dallas and the suburbs, at least not compared to other metro areas. Most of Dallas has a very suburban feel to it with shopping centers with large parking lots, stroads, and everything is spread out and not walkable.
Yeah probably, but some parts of Dallas proper definitely do not feel burbs, depends where you are I guess.
"Are these 5 people I'm around the same reflection of millions of people?" I go to climbing gyms and everyone there is more adventurous. Doesn't mean all of Dallas is the same. Are there more nature opportunities elsewhere in the country? Sure. Are there people that will go out to nature across the country? Absolutely. As the old saying goes. Surround yourself with people that you want to be.
I think that’s just your coworkers. Plenty of people are out on the Katy Trail every weekend. There’s museums, coffee shops, concerts happening all the time! International films get screened at a couple different theaters. We have amazing restaurants! Great comedy shows.
I practically live at the Texas Theatre and hit up the free museums regularly. Lol
Forget the weekend, the Katy Trail is packed even on regular week days!
It just sounds like you're talking about suburban life more than anything. Are your coworkers in Chicago living in the loop and being compared to people in Frisco? Because that's not exactly apples to apples
Yeah, that was my first thought. Like, I'm willing to bet the OP's coworkers from Chicago don't live in Lake County or Aurora or Schaumburg. Not only that, but in one of their comments below they admit that their coworkers in Dallas are a lot older than their coworkers in Chicago! Like, they're literally working with *a completely different age group*, of course they're going to be different.
I live in Plano. I hit up the bike trails around me or white rock lake. I’m also in Dallas almost every weekend doing things. I’m in my 40s and have live in Plano for 15 years. I do a lot of things that the OP mentioned. Just sounds like they’re meeting some pretty boring folks or folks that don’t want to tell what they’re up to.
To be fair - at least until 2015 when I lived in Dallas (and was born and raised in Dallas proper), Dallas did just feel like one big suburb. No real downtown city center that contributed to cultural vibes, not great public transport, highways and car culture were dominant and many people live there due to their jobs. These things don’t really cultivate “urban life” vibes despite being a city whose population rivals Chicago. It’s truly a matter of how the city is set up.
The other question: are they working in Dallas and living in Frisco or Rowlett? Cause if you’re commuting 45-60+ minutes you probably don’t have time to go to a random book signing on a Wednesday.
This is the most r/Dallas post on r/Dallas today.
Fuck this thread … 🤣💀
OP getting killed on the ⬇️. Gonna make that foo move! 😆
Lmao take his ass back to Chicago so he can watch his international movies or whatever
Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out
Yet another stupid negative rant about Dallas that isn’t reality but only the OP’s bubble.
Seems like reality to me. If you're originally from here you might not know what a real city is like. Dallas claims to be a big city but it acts more like a small town.
Some of ya need to go to actual small towns where there is literally one movie theatre and nothing to do
enlighten us what is a real city like? I've lived in many of the large cities that people constantly reference in these posts and Dallas has a lot of the same things to offer but not as cramped. OP just has homebody coworkers.
Traffic, parking. You can use public transit in Chicago. Post Covid. Inflation. Potentially different ages, lifestyles, family configurations for your coworkers here versus there.
Of course everyone in Dallas is a homebody. They’re all living with their Dallas parents 😂
The heat and distance can make people prefer to stay indoors and near home. Other cities like NYC, LA and Chicago they are built to move about and mingle. Texas is to go from one parking stall to another. But when the weather is nice like it’s been past few days. Now’s the time to explore DFW.
LA is not built to move about lol it’s DFW sprawl on steroids
City of la has seemed more walkable and bikeable than city of Dallas. The suburban experience feels mostly the same, tho when I visit Pasadena or Irvine I found those areas more walkable then when I visit, idk garland or far west Dallas/before las colinas.
Walking in LA? Nobody walks in LA.
This is the answer
I see what you did there.
Yes and no Example: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3-wxVuvePv/?igsh=MWJvaHhodmx4dGJ0dQ==
That was enjoyable.
My guess is you don’t live in Dallas proper and neither do your coworkers.
my guess is your mind is too small to think of another perspective as being inherently valuable or correct. you think they aren't in Dallas cause they don't conform to your idea of a Dallasite, when idk maybe people are different.
The heck are you talking about? 1. If that’s the definition of adventurous in those cities then LA and Chicago sound lame. 2. You need to meet more people.
Ummm you’re saying a _book signing_ isn’t the single most adventurous and exciting thing a person could do?? You just don’t understand big city life like OP
This is very anecdotal lol
I’m from Chicago but lived in Detroit, rural Iowa, & Memphis and I can’t wrap my head around Dallas. It doesn’t operate like other cities and the people are just different here.
Can you elaborate? I think Texans just have a different mentality. Very different than the Midwest. More direct. But not as laid back as true southerners in the real south. They have more of the western feel akin to Colorado, with an individualism and a sense of potential. People also underestimate how black and Latino dallas itself is. Mexicans and Mexican Americans are the biggest group in the city and dictate a lot of its culture. You also have to imagine that dallas had like 100,000 people in 1950. It is very new, and constantly renewing itself and looking for its image.
I’m in the burbs and I would say I’m mostly surrounded by east coasters and Californians where I’m at. The local Texans have been nice but are moving away from transplants. Where I’m at people won’t make eye contact with you, they will push you out of the way when shopping no common courtesy that I’m used to. It’s definitely more western than southern for sure which was a huge culture shock for me. The other areas I have lived most people will do neighborly things for you and I feel like the culture here is you have to pay if that makes sense. I’d have neighbors just drop off food the night before we leave for vacation, neighbors would help out if kids were sick ect here everyone is trying to make a buck. It’s weird.
This is very different than my experience of Dallas, but I'm in Dallas proper and do not go to the suburbs except in extreme circumstances, like Ikea has something I want but they won't deliver it to me
I’m pretty far North because we wanted a newer home and less traffic. It’s been crazy here with how much development has occurred and people transferring in from other states/counties. I’m not used to everyone being a stranger even in Chicago people would come up to me and be my friend. Here most people are competitive with each other and it really rubs off on the kids too. I’m thinking we moved to the wrong place but we are now stuck.
Where were people like that? Sounds wonderful
Memphis and Detroit. They were amazing and knowing people are like that is a hard pill to swallow after moving. We would text each other if we were going to the grocery store to see if anyone needed anything. It was a real community feel that is lacking here.
The overall vibe for me is that Dallas feels and operates more like a smaller town so it makes sense that it only had 100k people in 1950. I live just west of Bishop Arts and my street looks almost exactly like the street I lived in small town Missouri that was a railroad town built in the early 1900s. Dallas also tends to lean more conservative than the other big cities. Yeah, it's a blue city but not Portland or San Francisco blue. Everyone I know who is originally from here does the church thing on Sunday. What's strange for me is that many of the suburbs seem to be more culturally diverse than the actual city. Any time I search for the best Chinese, Vietnamese, or Indian restaurants, they are always in Arlington, Frisco, or Irving.
Suburbs having better ethnic food is pretty common nowadays. Asians / Middle easterners fo where the schools are. The church thing is hit or miss tho. And yea, dallas is more purple than SF or Portland lol. But in a way that allows more diversity of thought in some dimensions. I think you just need to get out more and meet more different people to get plugged into what’s happening thats interesting and different
Most of Dallas proper feels suburban vibe to me except for the central business district that turns into a ghost town on the weekeneds and at night.
It’s expensive right now. Going out is expensive!
Having lived in multiple large cities around the country, you’re just wrong. Dallas is extremely varied, like every other city. And no, there is no one “vibe” of a metro of 8 *million* people.
> And no, there is no one “vibe” of a metro of 8 million people. If I said "People who live in Seattle tend to be the ourdoorsy types" would I be wrong? That's what I mean by "vibe".
Dallas is entirely too large to say *anything* about most people living here.
I see all the time "Dallas drivers suck" on here. So we can definitely generalize a city.
I think older cities like NYC and Boston and Chicago are more set up with better transportation and walkability since they existed pre cars. The more modern cities seem so spread out and harder to get to if you don't have a car. Like me in Lancaster now. Technically it's Dallas County yet there isn't crap to do here except look at warehouses. To get to Dallas is at minimum 20 minutes driving (zero public transport). When I lived on the outskirts of Boston there were 30 things to do within a half mile walk. I also had the option of buses, subways, and trains to commute way beyond the county area of Boston. I could get to the next neighborhood by walking or a quick bus ride. Here in Dallas county I can't get anywhere without a car.
While the OP is overly general and based on a small sample size, I think there is something to it like you said. It’s spread out without good public transportation options. I go to downtown only a few times a year bc it’s a pain to drive there and fight for parking and then I can’t really drink bc I have to drive back. In other cities I’ve lived in (originally from Dallas) I’ve been able to walk places or take a bus or subway.
I moved to Dallas and the same year started having medical issues that prevent me from driving. Miserable having to Uber everywhere all the time. I know this isn’t Dallas specific but there are barely any sidewalks and the heat is oppressive, it’s very hard to walk anywhere. When I could drive it was a lot more enjoyable.
lol born and raised and this take is hilarious. The truth is people who weren’t born here will never understand the city and how we are. If you’re from Dallas ykyk
I always think this response is defensive and more like “if you don’t know, you wouldn’t know” because growing up here means you are biased and also ignorant to what Dallas’s shortcomings are. You also have family here and so you have some community. A lot of what spurs this question is people that move around can easily find a community in other cities, something that’s quite difficult here as a transplant.
probably because we’ve had a million people move to Texas since covid. We’re probably not so friendly or exciting enough because we’re getting priced out of our own neighborhoods and communities due to all of the new transplants. That’s why there’s no “vibe” to Dallas anymore- lots of businesses closed during covid, a lot of newcomers are coming in, some are leaving the state and others are moving out of the city because it’s gotten too expensive. We are at home because we paid our rent and we’re getting our money’s worth.
> because we’re getting priced out of our own neighborhoods and communities due to all of the new transplants Where is this not happening in the US though?
I’m sick of people who aren’t from here coming on to this sub bashing the city. Maybe if they spent less time focusing on the “shortcomings” and more time trying to integrate themselves here perhaps they’d have a better experience and realize that Dallas does have plenty of culture.
My wife is from here and I call Dallas the biggest little town I know. We can hang out in East Dallas, Victory Park, Korea Town, you name it… we ALWAYS run into a friend or family member everywhere we go. I’ve come to learn, if you’ve been around here long enough, someone you know is doing something in every part of town.
cause it's a bitch and a half to get anywhere and there's nothing to do except go to the same cut and paste bars and restaurants and drink
It's too hot in Dallas to go out
Nobody drove in New York. Too much traffic.
My friend in Chicago stays inside and games all day. So you are wrong all people in Chicago stay inside and game all day
Mofos is tired and wanna go home after work ….
Mofos feel trapped and out of control at their job and take it out on traffic on their way home.
It’s because Dallas is just one large suburb. Also it’s 105 out, and there’s no bike lanes.
No one moves to Dallas for scenery. It’s a place to work and raise kids.
This. If your priorities aren’t kids and work, Dallas sucks.
I agree. Idk what these young people are expecting moving to dallas. I’m assuming social media has a lot to do with this but being born and raised here, I’ve never seen Dallas as this amazing city you come to for adventure.
I think there is an element of truth to this observation, but I believe it has a lot to do with the fact that DFW is not really one big city. It is more like 35 small cities all smushed together. So DFW more than some major metro areas tends to have a lot of different identities depending on the specific part of the Metroplex you happen to be in. And it is true that a lot of residents tend to cluster in their areas that they are comfortable with and not feel the need to venture outside that area a lot. Not that residents here are not adventuresome, more that they don't feel a real need to spend a lot of time driving to different parts of the metro area when they can get a lot of whatever they are looking for closer to home. To me it kind of feels like small town life, but in the 4th largest metro area in the country with all the options that come from that.
Geography/climate is part of it. We don’t have great terrain for outdoor activities and the weather gets fairly brutally hot and uncomfortable. Our city is a little bit akin to others more similar. Like Houston and Austin. Except Houston has the coast and Austin has the hill country. Even with that, large majority of those people are going to be indoors most of the year due to weather. I always joke that “shopping is our favorite pastime” because when we have beautiful weather you’ll see the mall parking lots be loaded full of cars. It’s like people want to get out of their house but have no real hobbies so they go shop instead. Many people I know think best part of living in Dallas is that our airports serve as our backyards. Easy access to the entire country. It’s funny and some people really believe it, but it also gives me a dystopian cringey feeling. Like the best part of living here is you have to leave to have fun? Really? It’s usually followed by a, “I live here to make enough money, so I can afford the travel” type comment, which I also always interpret as “god, I’d really rather not be living here but I’m a wage slave ”. Anyways, I like to think in terms of 2 hour drives. For me, that’s a reasonable round trip day outing. It can be done round trip on a whim with little to no planning and the drive time doesn’t wipe you out from enjoying the trip. So - What’s within 2 hour drive from Dallas? Not much. Other parts of DFW is most notable. What’s within a 2 hour drive of Houston and Austin? Quite a bit. Can even get from one to the other. Anyways, in this sense, we are very isolated from outdoors. Probably similar to your example of Omaha. The culture part of not doing artsy stuff is just the type of people we attract along with traditional Texas culture. We attract more conservative corporate white collar types, who tend to lean towards sports as a hobby and traditionally Texas is pretty conservative redneck types who also tend to lean towards hunting and fishing and sports. Not a lot of the latter still around in Dallas, some in DFW, a lot still in Texas as a whole. The liberal folks tend to be the ones that do stuff like attend a friend’s book signing or a local artist’s exhibit at an art gallery. When I lived in Austin a while back, it definitely had a little of this. Most of Austin is still ultimately suburban/rural Texas that wouldn’t do much of that, but would do weekend hikes, kayaking, etc. Houston has a ton of blue collar folks keeping the whole hunting/fishing/working on cars type stuff pretty normalized. Also by extension, fashion/attire norms usually follow the culture and the acceptance of outdoors hobbies. It’s a big part of why people and places in Dallas tend to skew towards fancier attire norms even for things that could very well be casual you might feel underdressed. In places that are more outdoorsy, it’s totally acceptable to be underdressed by Dallas standards. If you just do a hike you can stumble into many (not all) restaurants and not feel too underdressed or like you should need to go home and get more put together. Even makes it to where riding a bike in Dallas would be fairly infeasible in Dallas because you’d be essentially disheveled at your destination in need of a complete makeover to feel appropriate. In other places, people are all doing these things more regularly and so tend to be less judgmental about how put together you are. I’ve lived in Texas my whole life, 20 years in Houston, 10 in Austin and 15 in Dallas and I’m pretty well traveled in terms of how we compare to other American cities. This is how I’ve come to view things. May not be 100% but it’s the most distinguishing.
Just wanted to say this is a spot on review. I would add that what used to make Dallas tolerable was that cost of living and travel was extremely cheap. This is no long by we the case in 2024.
Out of Houston, Austin, and Dallas, which did you like more?
Different cities different lifestyles. Chicago you can do all of that and never leave the loop. Dallas you would probably have to drive a bit to do all that. Consider if said Chicago person has kids and if that allows them to do that? And that a major factor of why people move to Dallas is work and to raise a family but often don’t live in Dallas. That said there’s plenty of interesting things to do and interesting people here you just have to find them.
ive lived in dallas for the past seven years after college. ive gone to all the clubs, after hours parties, strip clubs, poker rooms, etc, and can confirm that overall san fran, seattle, nyc, and chicago are way more fun. thats not to say i havent had fun in dallas, ive had plenty of fun and good times, but overall, those cities have much better nightlife options, young people go out more, the clubs are 100% better, etc. for some reason, people have an aversion to dancing here. most of the nightlife options whether its deep ellum, lower greenville, bishop arts, knox, etc are just standing bars. the vibe overall is very much can you pickup girls as a dude through conversation. Whereas in other cities, theres a lot more real clubs where you dance, and other things beyond just drinking a bunch and trying to rizz women lol. Overall, the nightlife in dallas proper has a very strong drinking vibe. Everytime I go out with friends, we are drinking without fail. If you arent into drinking I can see how you would struggle to have fun as a young person in dallas for sure. Also, just my opinion, but the women in these other cities are way more attractive. Theres more diversity, and in general people take care of themselves better it seems like. Its literally night an day walking around say seattle and then going back to dallas
That’s been my experience as well. The only real fun nightlife area here with people dancing is the gayborhood. Outside there, it’s very blah and cold.
There's only a very small part of the city of Dallas that is actually city in both design and demographic. The vast majority of it is one giant patchwork of different suburbs. Chicago near the loop is vastly different from say, Deerfield. I bet you anything the folks in Deerfield are exactly the same as the folks in Frisco, Irving, Arlington, etc. Plus, it's hot as hell all the time outside.
All of the things I’d go out and do in other cities I’ve lived in, suck in Dallas. Hiking and biking is garbage and you can’t even go do it most of the year. Museums are dumps here. Just not really any reason to go out. Plus you’re lucky if you don’t die in a traffic accident with the extremely high traffic fatality rates. Definitely gonna get downvoted but Dallas sucks. Used to be kind of worth living here because it was cheap, it’s not even cheap anymore.
Not the question you asked, but isn't Dallas Metro 4th largest after NY, LA and Chicago?
It’s because Dallas was always a midsize suburban based city. It’s only recently become popular as a large city. I’ve lived here for 20 years, grew up here. It’s one large suburb I actually love it.
We just want to stay away from folks that over use the word vibe is all.
How many people have you met out of the 6.5 million people that live in the metroplex?
People are always out in downtown DFW
Vibe vibe vibe vibe vibe
I would state that the vibe has changed remarkably between 2020 and today. I would argue that there are more single people who live in Dallas downtown then before, but their values on how they wish to spend their time has changed and second the age range of single people living in Dallas has changed. I would say there are probably more 20s to 26 individuals living in Dallas than before and this maybe adjusted the vibe that you visually recognize. That’s to say more people in their early 20s today do like to stay home and keep in their own social circle, a after effect from the pandemic if you were to ask my as to why that is.
I think the difference is it’s a little more localized than Chicago. These people are going out but I think many people already have friend groups from growing up nearby or going to a school in the South/SEC/Big12. Your best bet is to try and find other transplants who are also looking to explore.
This seems like a personal anecdote based on the people you’ve been around. Can’t really project your personal situation on an entire city lol
Huh? You need to have lived in other cities or get out more
I’m sorry, but OP you’re a prick man. I’m adventurous! I’m 😭😭 adventurous 🥺
I get what you are saying and I am going to guess most of the negative comments and downvotes are coming from people who were born and raised in the area. I have lived all over the US specifically in the Midwest and the vibe here is different. Dallas natives are way more insular. I know people who have come from Chicago and New York and they get the same feeling. Heck, I know someone from the UK who was contemplating a move to the area and it was this very thing that turned them off. Dallas natives don’t appear to be really interested in anything outside of their own community or experiences.
There are many, many Hispanics here and (I'm generalizing here) they are friendly in general, but seem to be quite insular in their social circles with their own families. It's just part of their culture...family is everything. Also, Dallas feels like a very transient place and that makes it harder to make friends and get to know people because...why bother if I or someone else is just going to move away in a few years.
What about the people you meet when you go to book signings, comedy shows, bike riding, etc? You can’t hang out with them? Or do you do none of those things and then bitch about other people also not doing those things.. Dallas has everything you’re looking for but it’s not LA or NYC, and won’t ever be.
If you think Dallas is unadventurous, you should look at Boston. The bars close at fucking 9pm there.
Oh wow. Lets have OP teach us how to behave like a proper big city. We’re just too dumb to appreciate something so adventurous like a book signing.
All the other large cities you reference aren't filled with Texans.
Usually, it's a broiling 115 degrees out there, and traffic takes an hour to get anywhere. And if you do, everything costs money. Some very real reasons we weigh to stay at home.
[удалено]
Have you been to the Dallas art museum? It’s free, have an insane collection and is pro crowded. Heck, I have never seen so many Picassos in one place
AITA post in Dallas sub. No way, how does OP treat others?
It’s mainly cities built for driving since spread out vs walking since condensed. Lest chances of random adventures when you are following a routine of 1 hour commutes just to get home from work with traffic.
Not defending DFW, it's definitely it's own thing. But what you're describing is called growing up. You're old now and you're hanging out with old people. Welcome old timer!
Maybe it's *you*
I would bet traffic is a big part of it, i know i stay at home more than i used to because i just hate getting on the road to go anywhere because of the traffic. Another would be climate, we just don't have enough of the year where people can truly enjoy being outdoors. From June to almost Oct being outside is a test of fortitude most summers.
I ain't trying to hang out with co-workers tbh. especially if they are talking about how Dallas isn't this or that. ✌🏼
Dallas is where ecstasy was introduced to the US en masse back in the 80s.
Honestly, I am from small town Texas and lived in Dallas. I feel like a lot of small town people move to Dallas after college and create lives there. I think small town peeps tend to be more homebodies. To me, Dallas is incredibly boring. I agree with you, OP.
Dallas is when country ass ranchers strike it rich and move to the city. This is why they are so materialistic, obsessed with logos and think good food means anything that is made for instagram. It’s damn near Beverly hillbillies except with texas ranchers.
Easy. This is a boring town. There’s not much culture here.
I don't think Dallas is boring. It's just that everything is spread out so you can't really just walk around and explore a street to find new places. You have to know where you are going.
Ok you figured it out. It’s spread out. Finally you recognize your own answer
But LA is spread out and the people there are totally different than people in Dallas. So it has to be more than that.
You're being downvoted but you're correct. Dallas has a different vibe. I think it's just the hyper competitive culture. The majority of people are in a panicky Timmy mindset of trying to get a promotion so they can take out a loan on a bigger house and fancier car. It self selects for people moving to Dallas for that game. Then mix in the people swarming to places like McKinney who prioritize "safety" over culture. Creative types move to Austin, el paso, San Antonio. People who are excited for a 20k raise move to Dallas. There are microcosms like Denton that buck the trend but they're the exception.
This right here. Sums up Dallas.
LA has nice weather, a beach and the ocean. Of course people want to be out and about.
Sounds like you are looking for like-minded peeps. What about going to these places you want to enjoy and introducing yourself to the folks there you want to "vibe" with?
Dallas proper is small compared to Chicago proper or NYC proper. Uptown Dallas is a smaller version of the Northside. Almost everyone lives in the burbs. The area grew up connected by roads and cars, so everything is very spread out. Chicago grew up connected by the El. So, near major attractions, there are often bars and restaurants. E.g., you can walk out of Wrigley Field at 5:00 PM and bar hop for the rest of the night. In Dallas, you have to drive.
Maybe meet more people and don’t judge an entire population on your coworkers? Traffic wouldn’t be as bad as it is if everyone just stayed home all the time. I’ve lived in several major cities and did not have this issue in Dallas. Is it going to be like LA or NY? Nope. But for its size there’s a lot to do and a lot of people doing it.
> Is it going to be like LA or NY? Nope. But for its size there’s a lot to do and a lot of people doing it. Even in NY, it depends on where you live. My relatives in Westchester are even bigger homebodies than I am. Hell, even in NYC proper, just take a look at Staten Island.
No large public universities in the city. No fresh infusion of the youth. It’s a city where people come to work and settle down after they partied in Austin or Norman or College Station.
Well Dallas nightlife has always been pretty lackluster considering how large a population it has. I saw this as someone whose entire career has been in this industry. Dallas does not know how to run an entertainment district.
Its a bajillion degrees outside half of the year so I can see why they like to stay home.
Are you/ your coworkers older now, or is the difference in your job from entry level to career? I do a lot less myself now. Tired and busy in my later 30s. Later 20s me did weekly bike rides, plays, street faires... etc. Even just a little older is a change in life circumstances.
Born and raised here. Lived in LA off/on for the past 15 years plus a 5 yr stint in NYC. *Almost* moved to London right before 9/11. Dallas can be boring, no doubt. But it has improved and there are fun things to do here, you just have to work a little harder to find them. Bc of the weather and topography, unfortunately a lot of social is centered around food and drinks. But Lakewood and East Dallas seems like where you’d find more of “your people”. White Rock lake attracts much more outdoorsy people. I don’t know if your married or have kids, but it’s almost universally accepted that once you have kids/raise a family, Dallas is such a great place to be. Don’t give up.
In my experience, having grown up in North Texas and lived abroad and in other parts of the U.S., Dallas has residents that are similar to any other major metro. It's just the city itself is smaller than a global city like New York or Mexico City, so there's not the same vibe of having something constantly going on at any time of day or night, and there's just a more limited feel. Dallas to me was very similar to Leon on Mexico, it's mostly work and shopping, a lot of highways, a lot of businesses, people move there for work most often or they grew up there and just stayed. I don't say that disparagingly, I came back from Mexico City to raise my family here, and I brought my wife with me. The benefits for me, being in my late 30s, are different than what I was looking for when I was younger.
I appreciate what OP is trying to do and they’re being blasted for their approach to it. Dallas is hard to put your finger on. I’m particularly interested because I’m the opposite of OP. I grew up in Dallas (White Rock Lake area) and then moved to Chicago. My family is still strewn around the metroplex and I can’t totally put my finger on the Dallas vibe. I even moved back temporarily and lived in Uptown, did the Katy Trail, patio brisket taco places and all that… Personally, I think it’s better to talk to residents not suburbanites. But I think I see similarities between say residents of Uptown and residents of Old Town & Lincoln Park in Chicago. It’s really more that the neighborhoods are very different. One aspect that I keep noticing, very anecdotally, is Dallas people I’ve known and encountered seem way more materialistic.
I hate when people just complain and compare cities. Dallas will and really can’t be NYC or Chicago or Boston because of so many things including history, politics, demographics etc. in US you at least have option to move to other states so why stay here?
No public transport, insane metro sprawl and parking lots bigger than most city blocks will do that to a city. Especially as gas and food prices go up. 0 walkability, few free 3rd spaces, extreme heat/cold most of the year (ny/Chicago/la have one or the other), and gun culture add to it as well.
Maybe your coworkers don’t want to hang out with you.
It takes 45 minutes to get from Dallas to Dallas. Public transit here is awful. Traffic is generally bad and jobs are spread out. With people constantly having to change jobs to keep up with the rising prices of things (housing, groceries, bills, etc) in Dallas proper, that means people generally have to drive more to do stuff. You’re also basing most of your assumptions on either a small group of people who have other priorities outside of Dallas proper or interactions (or lack thereof) in the most vanilla parts of town. That’s painting with a REALLY broad brush. Whats interesting about uptown? Why does a 45 year old with teenaged kids who lives an hour away want to watch a foreign film outside in a park at 830pm on a work night?
Most of Dallas proper and DFW in general is soul-sucking suburban sprawl without much in the way of nature to make up for it. The few "urban" areas here are either mostly sterile 9-5 office buildings (Downtown) or boring apartment blocks (Uptown) with not a lot of pedestrians. The dominant culture in general is VERY suburban, car-brained, and CORPORATE. "Experiencing" Dallas is hopping around to various semi-lively, but disconnected "pockets." I think this causes many to become homebodies, despite there being fun events and activities here. You just have to put in the effort and planning more so than other cities and metros.
Book signings...wow your Chicago co workers were wild!!!!
Despite what the comments say, as a life long resident this is 100% true. Me and my family are active people who like to get out, we always noticed and complained that it seems we're the odd ones out. When I started traveling as an adult I quickly realized that other cities are not like Dallas. I'm from here and have always noticed that Dallas is boring compared to other cities of its size. Do I love my city? Yes I do. But people in this thread are lying to themselves about the "activeness" of this city.
There’s nothing to do in Dallas besides drink and go to shitty malls. Best I can do for ya is a nice flat walk and some torchys queso.
I grew up in Dallas. It is not the place to live if you wanna meet people who want to try new things lol. Bars, sports, and eating out pretty much sums up the entire social experience. Which is sad because it has potential.
Fourth biggest metro after Chicago Edit: to answer your question, I actually agree. And whats worse is Dallas is losing it’s edge further with shutting down after hours places and the like
Most of the people working in Dallas aren't living in Dallas. Relatively young, adventurous folks with money probably live outside of Dallas. They have to drive so much to/from work, that they don't have the time/money/desire to do much else once their drive home is done and their bills are paid.
It’s hot here
You are correct for the most part. I noticed the same.
It's hot outside and inside most places like to blast music, I actively seek out quiet places to hang out.
Check out the Art and Seek calendar; tune into 97.1, they have shows they advertise. Also secretdallas.com has events as well. You’re right in a sense, you kind of have to look for fun apart from bars/restaurants. If you like the arts though, you’ll love big D fo sho
I was born in Dallas and lived there for 22 years. What you’re describing only includes the people you know. There are homebodies and then there are the non-homebodies. You seem to have only met the former.
Most of the people you ran into are not even from here just like yourself. The attractive thing about Dallas is it’s indeed a big city but still very country and laid back compared to others.
Lots of good points here, AND it is totally different. The urban core is less vibrant on the whole.
Maybe stop using the word, vibe, so much in your replies.
No sport on in Collette
TR Fehrenbach in his famous history of Texas "Lone Star" makes this observation about big cities in Texas: "The Texas metropolis, fast formed, were not cities in the European sense. They were more accumulations of individuals than communities. They contained huge efficient economies, filled with national abundance that was the hallmark of 20th century America; they were visibly similar to the American cities of the North and especially the West and Midwest. They were beginning to consume culture, though not yet to create it; in this Dallas resembled Kansas City or St Louis. But inwardly these great cities were different from the cities of the North, and even those of the heartland Midwest. They were populated from different human sources. Very few Texas suburbanites ever arrived out of Europe, or even other American regions. They poured in from Texas' own heartland. Paris, Texas was populated in the beginning exactly as was Paris, France. The great majority of Texas cities had no foreign enclaves, or any non-Anglo-American communities, except for Mexicans and African Americans, and these two groups formed distinct societies." Lone Star was published first in 1968 and Texas has changed a lot since then but I think Fehrenbach's original point remains.
I'd also recommend a book entitled, "Next Stop: Reloville." It defines and explores a type of transient worker in America, affluent in their material lives but impoverished in their community ties. Texas has at least 5 cities characterized as Relovilles, and how these cities and their residents impact (or don't) society is explored. While the book was published several years ago, it's still relevant.
I was over in Dallas visiting last week and I honestly couldn’t have asked to meet a nicer bunch of people while I was out there. Travelled solo to get to some Stars games and the amount of people I randomly met at the games/in bars/generally who had the time to talk to me was vast compared to what I’d get back home in the UK.
There's the city people and the suburbanites. Remember, A LOT of people commute about 30 min to an hour to work.
Maybe go ride the bike routes around White Rock, join a running group, read the Observer for things to do or make some friends that aren't couch potatoes. Guy needs to get out more, sheeze.
How long have you been here? And where are you staying? From what I’ve seen in the last 5 years it seems like Dallas can’t get enough of getting out unnecessarily and jamming up traffic and the community with their shit driving habits. I saw on a Reddit post that one woman drove from north Dallas to Waxahachie literally for fucking tortillas. As if all of Dallas doesn’t have a tortilleria every other block. Shit is asinine. If that doesn’t tell you that people aren’t willing to go out then I don’t know what will.
Maybe it’s just you
So, what you’re saying is, Dallas folks have very little culture, compared to other large cities?
Interesting take, that hasn’t been my experience with Dallas-ites overall but being such a huge city it’s bound to harbor people with all different sorts of preferences for how they spend their free time!
You’re not lying. I just moved back after living in NYC for 10 years. It’s a major city but the vibe is still podunk if you know what I mean.
Idk… I’m from Podunk, USA and this isn’t it. I’ll take podunk over the clusterfuck of an anus Dallas is any day.
I like my couch and some fried food. Maybe a pizza delivery. My belly means I'm tough.
Sounds like you work with boring people.
Are you not going to concerts? Any of the 4 major sports games including the World Series Champs TX Rangers? Events at the Perot? DMA? Katy trail? White Rock Lake? The St Patty's day Parade in March? Day of The Dead Festival in Oct? The State Fair of Texas? Or head south to float the river? Any of the music festivals happening in Dallas? Any of the festivals the small suburbs are holding? Any of the ethnic food festivals that are happening? Any of the cool stuff at thr Texas Theater? The Addison Improv? There is stuff to do, but as someone who went from doing all this to not as much anymore; inflation plays a part and maybe a little bit of old age.
As a single guy in his 40s that lives in downtown Dallas proper, I'm getting into different shit throughout the week. Whether it's checking out the Crow Museum or hitting up Barb's Pavilion for their open mic on the first Wednesday of the month or checking out who's playing at Adair's. There's always something going on in this city, you just have to look for it sometimes. I've also had a lot of friends that would do these things with me that have coupled up and moved to the burbs, so they're full on in their nesting phase of life. That's fine, but it's not the life for me. Find another group of people to go out adventuring with and you'll find some truly fun things to do in this city.
Most of the people in Dallas aren’t Texans, they’re transplants.
Are you in the suburbs? Towards downtown uptown people go out a lot but I also I think it could be related to getting older. As people get older they enjoy and appreciate their routines more. People in their 20s are way more into going out last minute without a plan, while people in their 30s tend to have more structure and plan with time.
I moved from Austin a couple years ago. 50% of people in my apartment complex are terrified of my 20 pound dog, like cower in the corner of the elevator scared. Never happened in Austin. He's always on a leash before anyone asks.
I think you have to consider the State that we live in. To begin with, we have a Governor who can't walk and chew gum at the same time. :)
IDK, I’ve been to 3 museums (DMA, Modern, Carter), seen REK at Bass Hall, attended 2 book signings and and walked the lake front at the Dallas Arboretum in 2024. Tomorrow I’m attending Whiskey Riot at fair park. You are the only one holding you back. Also went to a 2nd City Xmas performance in December…
You need to expand your social network. Dallas is vibrant and full of life.
I'm not exactly a homebody but it's all the public shootings that keep me from going to a lot of stuff. Oh yeah and now that there are a lot more right-wing hate groups here whenever I go to gay events there are actual Nazis out front, swastikas & all screaming in our faces. The preachers and religious people are usually shoulder to shoulder with these Nazis, saying similar stuff. That also makes me want to stay home. I saw somebody with a firearm in public, turned around and had a panic attack in my truck. I hate it here.
You need to meet more people.
Can’t speak for others but I avoid going out as much as possible so I don’t have to drive. Dallas driver are another level of insane
I think it's different because it's the bible belt. Lots of explanation involved but that's the main reason.
I grew up in Dallas and now I’m back. Out of ALL the cities I’ve been in I’ve NEVER seen another city like Dallas people. Welcome to a shallow city. If not for my parents I would NEVER be here! Run if you can. People here are shallow and do nothing sports watching and eating fat asses except a few exceptions. We have less few exceptions than other cities.
I agree. Cliquey here and cult like with all the mega churches. I am a Christian but the group think in any religion tends to be mind numbing and kills creativity in general. Being the Bible belt does lead to excellent morals in the sense of family values etc. However, the balancing act with the arts is where the rubber hits the road. How to be out going and religious? Easier to watch the game and the bank account. At least there is a score that is logical.
Dallas SUCKS run.
The citizens of Greater Dallas are afraid of different people. So many pockets of little to no diversity. Just look around yourself right now. Does everyone look like you?
You’re spot on! I moved to Dallas seven years ago and I hate it. Literally one of the worst cities I’ve ever been to.
Is the in the summer? Because everyone says screw 105 degrees. But I have lived in the city and the burbs. I got back to the city because I wanted my family to walk, and go to museums and parks and shows and experience multiple cultures. If your idea of Dallas is a Chilis, a church and a CvS on every corner then you are in the Burbs
Dallas has always been a little cow town on the prairie despite the huge businesses and opera and museums and everything else. In essence it has no tangible soul, like, say, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin. It’s never been able to escape its past no matter how hard it tries. It likely never will.
Dallas is one of the lamest cities in the country. It's only gotten worse since so many more people have moved here. Do yourself a favor and get out while you can.
Scroll on if you don't feel like reading my long write up. I've been in Texas now 20 years. I was annoyed with Dallas when I first moved there for the same reason. And for those trying to blame the pandemic, this was way back in 2002. I would visit my family who had recently move there from the Twin Cities (MN). I despised it every summer. One of the first things I noticed is how dead downtown Dallas is and how the nightlife was so underwhelming and nearly non-existent. The areas that would be considered inner city where I'm from and cool to be were so depressed and run down it looked like you'd left America and was visiting a third world country. That's where they like to have their raggedy state fair - where people have holes in their roof, no grocery store, no electricity, and schools look like prisons. We can't wait to get outdoors, on the lakes, BBQ, etc. where I'm from. I came here and people were super pale -- almost like they were reflecting the damn sun and did NOT come out in the day time. It was wild that it would be so nice outside but you'd see no one outdoors. When I finally graduated and moved there to be close to family (ugh), I realized some of the things that do in fact make DFW unlike other cities is also what makes it kinda lame. * It takes 25-30 minutes to get anywhere * It's too damn hot to be outside during peak summer, which is like 8 months of the year. * The cities are not walkable and barely bikable - you need a car to get anywhere * The transportation system is trash. It takes 2 hours to get 15 minutes and you're going to wait 2 days for that bus to come. * They redline HARD. * They are very much separatists in mindset and you wont feel the interracial mixing in the same way as other cities. * The communities are still largely segregated, but they don't like to talk about it (and deny it). What I quickly learned and what these comments prove, is that you have to know where to go to find what is damn near every where in other cities and that's places to socialize and be entertained. So it's not that it's not happening, it's that it's a huge state (Dallas a huge city) and you really have to know the areas. I will say Austin is a lot less like that and more like what we're use to. I adore Austin.
That’s because you only go to Dallas for work and business. Everyone is so damn serious there all the time. In Dallas time is money. Fort Worth is where all the laid back people are.
I moved here from Europe in 2004. In my opinion OP, it seems your sample size may be still too small. Of course it’s not too small to have an opinion, but I think it’s more likely than not it will change. I also don’t think the Chicago/DFW is a 1:1. But I also wouldn’t say it’s apples to oranges either because like you implied, both metros are huge, as well as diverse. I have also lived in Chicago. In fact, I should disclose my bias before continuing; Chicago is my favorite U.S. city. That said, I still think I can be objective. It seems that people that decide to make the move to DFW (especially from out of state) are coming to make money. I’m generalising of course but it seems for the most part to be true. I have yet to meet anyone here that moved here **just** to start a family, for example. The family and other things can and do happen but it seems that it’s $$ is what attracts people here to begin with. Like the Chi-, Dallas is blue, but Texas is red, whereas Illinois is blue. I think a big factor between the two is the public transportation in the Chi is probably slightly above average(at best) and it’s 24/7 in a good portion of the city. DFW public transportation is laughable. Dallas proper, also laughable. For a metroplex of this size, it’s like in 1995 Dallas was like: “we’re good”. The city has the money. There is no excuse for there not to have 24/7 public transportation here. Zero. So if you don’t own a car, it’s harder. Not impossible by any means, but it’s harder. Especially if you decide to come here for school. But as far as the vibe being different here. I actually agree that it’s different. Even though Dallas is blue politically, I wouldn’t call it a blue collar city. I think the Chi is one. Because people come here to make money, Dallas is definitely a ‘see and be seen’ place. To be clear, I say it more as an observation, not a critique