Best places to live in Texas....?

What are the best cities in Texas, to live? For a single, mid to late 20's girl (w/ a dog)... Austin? Dallas? Houston? San Antonio? .... All in all, what does each city have to offer... good night life? lots of parks? lots of people? weather? I just need some opinions on different places in texas... I'm a california girl, looking to relocate.... possibly to Texas. I've never been there and just curious what life is like in Texas, what the different cities are like... how the people are?

Public Comments

1. Do you think you could narrow this question down a bit? I could write another dissertation on this rather broad topic. EDIT: I'm guessing Texperson has never lived nor been to Houston.
2. Yes, that question is like, I'm going to America, where's a good place to live. Texas is huge and each place, very different. Way too broad a topic to answer in this type of forum. But I'll give a quick overview. The summers are brutally hot in all the locations you mention. Hot, hot, hot. Spring and fall are nice. Dallas for a very large city, and Austin for a smaller more laid back place, would rank better than the others overall. Dallas has some similarities to LA in size and diversity. Tho smaller. So if you like LA you will like Dallas, stay to the northside of the city for nicer places to live. Dallas will have more jobs than the other three, it's the center of employment. Houston is an oil refinery town which smells like burnt oil and is hazy from the polluted smoke they bellow out. If you value your lungs, don't live there. Austin is a big college town, Univ. of Texas is there. Harder to find jobs as they spew out graduates every six months and most want to stay in Austin. It is by far the prettiest place to live, rolling hills, lakes, trees. Terrific place, but as I said, not good for employment. El Paso is a dump. Gross, don't go there. San Antonio is just south of Austin, in that area, Austin wins the battle of the cities for a young person. Response: I've been to Houston, and that's what I think of it. I live north of Dallas and I've lived in Texas for 25 years. Those are my opinions, so OP can take away what she finds valid. Only voicing what I think, so don't get all defensive you Houston people (we all know Dallas is better :>).
3. I'm from Texas, west Texas, i live in Holland now, but i've been to a lot of the major Texan towns. A brief run down: Austin is a very awesome town for a young girl your age. Great concerts (some of the best concerts and music festivals in the US and Texas), lots of 20 year olds because of the colleges, very beautiful city with lots to offer. They're motto is "keep austin weird" lol San Antonio, is also great, very relaxed, nice night life, great sports, ok Mexican food. I think Dallas is a bit scary to be honest! Not my kind of place at all! I lived in El Paso for a while, very quite calm city, known to be a very safe city, boarders Mexico so you can cross over anytime and Juarez has A LOT of bars and dance clubs and great Mexican food! Concerts are very cheap and you get good pop ins from time to time. I went to see Pepper play for 15 bucks, a few days later they played in Dallas for 50 bucks a pop. To get from El Paso to Cali it's about 12 hours drive on I-10, to drive from San Antonio to Cali it's about 22 hours down I-10.
4. Houston-umm b/c im from houston I going to have to say houston... Its a lot of fun. there are good and bad parts but if you in a good neighborhood then you should be fine (there's a bad side to every city). Ummm living in a town home sounds nice if your single or an apartment and here in Houston we have all that...Houston has plenty of parks and its close to Galveston so when ever you feel like the beach head on down (even though I personally HATE the Galveston beaches)... "Houston is an oil refinery town which smells like burnt oil and is hazy from the polluted smoke they bellow out. If you value your lungs, don't live there."--Texperson (shes never even been there I bet!) NOT TRUE! Dont listent to that bull! Houston is a great place to live with a variaty of peaple and does NOT SMELL LIKE BURNT OIL!!! San Antonio-- Welll ive been there once and its nice but its not by much water. Its a big city and youll probabbly find your place Austin---lol "Keep Austin weird!" Really thats there motto so if your looking for something a little different and weird then head to Austin! (they also have lakes and parks) Dallas----never been...so im not one to tell...
5. I agree with Jess...although I have never been to El Paso. Houston is also a very nice place to live. You might even want to live outside of Houston like Sugarland or Pearland or Lake Jackson. Austin seems like it would be a very good place for you too. Many of my classmates who live south of Houston moved to Austin or Houston or outside of Houston. There is lots to do and opportunity there. Same with San Antonio. Dallas area is not too bad either, I just personally like Houston better though. Really though either one of those cities have great night life, parks, people. Dallas is drier and less humid than Houston. Houston is more humid....but if you can handle heat, you should be able to adjust. I'm not too familiar with the weather in Houston. Austin is also a bit drier and less humid than Houston. Houson is located near beaches...galveston and Surfside. Austin has lots of lakes which is very nice too. Texans are very friendly people. Very hospitable.
6. Hi Redhead....I live in east Texas now, but I am a lifelong Texan and have lived in or visited all the cities you are considering. My brother lives in Dallas and my sister lives in Houston. Both are very large cities with lots of traffic and have very nice areas and not so nice areas. Houston is ok...they get alot of rain and it's very humid. It's just plain hot anywhere in Texas in the summertime. Just by what you described, it sounds like Austin would be great for you. There is so much to do there. Great nightlife and music and restaurants. And plenty of nice parks and lakes for you to walk your dog. And if you would rather live in a quieter, more low-key area, there are plenty of great small towns around Austin. There is San Marcus and New Braunfels nearby. Lots to do there including the Guadalupe River if you are into rafting and tubing. Round Rock is a wonderful smaller town near Austin. And San Antonio is about 2 hours away from Austin so you won't be far from visiting that great place either. Whatever you decide, I want to welcome you to Texas and lots of luck!
7. The best cities to live in Texas are Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Lubbock, Waco and Corpus Christi.
8. I would recomend The woodlands Texas. It is a community about 30 minutes north of downtown Houston. It is away form teh craziness of the city yet close enough for you to commute or go there for shopping and nightlife. The woodlands is a beatiful place with a great mall, bowling alleys, restraunts, a waterway, parks, and movie theaters. I live here and love it! www.thewoodlands.com
9. i would always suggest austin. austin, "Texas' best kept secret, and capitol" is full of twenty-somethings. the air around austin is also very clean and breathable, as there are no refineries around austin. it has plenty of recreational opportunities and downtown is very pedestrian friendly. there are plenty of arts facilities and music halls, bars and clubs, and lots and lots of rustic restaurants that have very nice outdoor patios/lounges. the population of austin is very eclectic. most people seem to be very open-minded and get along very well together. there is also a college in austin. houston is a major city full of traffic and smog, emphasis on the traffic. some of the suburbs are really nice. i'd always recommend austin over houston, but it is a matter of preference. Info on Austin: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin,_Texas http://www.city-data.com/city/Austin-Texas.html
10. I have spent a lot of time in all of these cities. I have a clearcut idea of each. All have their parks, nightlife, and similar weather in comparison to cities outside of Texas. Dallas is a little colder, Austin and San Antonio a little drier, Houston more humidity. Traffic bad in all 4 cities. Austin is the worst, Houston is second-worst. Dallas is third, and San Antonio is fourth. If you REALLY hate traffic then choose where you live wisely. You can avoid traffic in all four cities. 1. Austin. If you have a choice, this should be #1 in nearly any category you ask about. The nightlife is amazing. Yes, there are drunk kids on 6th street. There are also a plethora of 4-star restaurants on 4th street, a mere two blocks away. The nightlife is possibly better in Austin than any city I have been to (and I am getting a PhD in Tourism). Not matter what your style of nightlife, Austin is the place. Staying in shape, walkability, biking, activities - Austin's #1. The river is beautiful. Lakes Austin, Travis, and LBJ are beautiful as well. The North side of the city has some cheaper housing. The south side does as well. It is closer to San Antonio and San Marcos, a cool college town. 2. Houston - This is a city that stinks to live in unless you know where to go. They have random red and blue doors housing amazing bars. Houses that turn into clubs one night a month. Odd nightlife for mainstream culture. Still, there are some great areas. I love midtown and the Rice Village. If you want to get your "Ghetto" on then there is Westheimer outside of 610. Downtown has some great happy hour places. Memorial Park is beautiful. So is Allen Parkway. Both have little traffic and offer great places to jog, run into friends, and have fun playing frisbee golf. it is very different from Cali overall, but you can fit in just fine if you find the right places and people. The Galleria mall is one of the greatest shopping locations on earth - better than Toronto's Eaton Center, Rio's Copacabana, or Beverly Hills (unless you care more about the celebs than the shopping). 3. Dallas - I prefer San Antonio, but a Cali girl would like Dallas more. It has its trendy areas, but I think Dallas is just trying too hard. Downtown is not the best place to go unless there is a particular function going on. My favorite place to go in Dallas is Mockingbird Lane area near Southern Methodist University (SMU). I have always liked Cafe Brazil (coffee, soups, sandwiches) and Cuba Libre (nicer night out, still trendy/younger/hip crowd). I could list a bunch more of good places, but these are my two favorites. Mockingbird Lane is walkable and there are a lot of other good places you can stop in for a drink and such. 4. San Antonio has the Riverwalk and the west-side's La Cantera area. You'll get sick of those within 3 months. Then you're left with a Latino vibe throughout the rest of the city. I love it. BUT, know what you're getting into. If you want ethnic food or experiences, forget it. Nothing in comparison to the other 3 cities.
11. I live in Texas and this is what I know about the places: Houston gets really humid and I think is also hotter than Austin. Dallas, I've been there and it's got a lot of toll roads and probably a lot of traffic since it's such an urban place. Austin I think has the cheapest houses compared to other places in Texas. I think Austin is a good place to live.