Various Cities: Things to Do, Places to Live: Seeking Info About YOUR City?
 

Hello Sorors and Friends,
Since there has been so much talk about how great Houston is on our board and since it was ranked #4 on BE's list of cities for AA's, I was wondering if we could start a thread about it. Thinking of maybe relocating there.

Are there any good predominately AA neighborhoods?
Where do the young professionals :) hang out?
Where are the clubs and hot spots?
What are the favorite AA-owned businesses?
Is there a First Friday's or other events?
How are the men and the dating scene? :)

If I moved there, I'd be working downtown so I'd be looking for a home or condo with a commute of less than 30 minutes each way, if possible.

I know that many love the city partly due to its proximity to LA. For those of us who have no family in LA, would you give any info on why you love the city that does not bear on its proximity to LA? It sounds like there were tons of other great things about the city.

Also, is the workplace pretty progressive for AAs? A friend who is not AA (he is Caucasian) said that in my field and maybe in other fields, there is a bit of a "good old boy" attitude and AAs are not promoted as readily in Houston. Have you found this to be fairly widespread? I know that it's possible anywhere, just wondering the attitude of the city and workplace bosses in general in Houston.

SC

As you know from the other thread I love Houston. I hated it at first but now its awesome. I am not from La. (but my husband is and we went to school there) so I came here becuase of the low cost of living, the large population of progressive and educated African Americans, and the feel and benefits of a large metro area. Since Houston is so spread apart though its like 10+ mini cities in one city.

Are there any good predominately AA neighborhoods? There are ALOT of good neighborhoods I am not sure if there is just an AA neighborhood.
Where do the young professionals :) hang out? OMG there are like millions of places to go clubs, retatraunts, Galleria, etc.
Where are the clubs and hot spots? Depends on your age and style. Sometimes I go downtown but I always feeel like because I am married with kids thats not my scene.
What are the favorite AA-owned businesses? Hmmm, good question?
Is there a First Friday's or other events? Many events way to many to name
How are the men and the dating scene? :) I'm married but my best friend moved here 2 years ago and she found a husband and just bought a house.

I am in education so the opposite holds true in my field, as the school districts become more diverse they are looking for more minority leadership.

Let me ask where are you coming from?

Hi Soror,
Thanks for the information. I currently live in southern Cali (Culver City). I am originally from Chicago and have lived in Atlanta during high school years and college years.

Well its a far cry from Southern Cal (I am from California) if you are looking for an actual real pool of minorty circles you will love Houston. Its similiar to Atlanta in the respect of a large group og AA's doing thier thing, but Houston is really has an awesome cost of living, especially coming from Cali. Everyone I know has purchased a very decent house here for a great price ans we are all under 30, so its really a buzzing place.

Hope that helps. :)

I was gonna say the Breakfast Klub but wasn't 100% sure it was Black owned.

I am assuming your LS is a radio personality here?

I piggyback off of the Skybar, great place. I like the Red Cat Jazz Cafe as well, and I can even get down at the Red Rooster if I have too. ;)

Yes, she is. Nnete from the Madd Hatta Morning show is my LS.

I like the Red Cat also but I hate trying to find parking! And I've gone to the Red Rooster only for parties where it was rented out.

How are the men and the dating scene? The dating scene is somewhat "competitive" because there are far more single women here than men.


I'd heard that Houston is a place where there are the most single black men. Your statement makes Houston kinda sound like Atlanta. Is it that bad?

I have been giving Houston some serious thought lately

For real. LOL.
Inquiring minds want to know. :)

SC

I'll put it like this: any of these men could be in Houston. ;)

Dang! I'm married! Just kidding but for real Soror there are alot of men here that are date worthy!:D

Thanks.....i think.:(

Where and what night of the week please and thanks!

I probably know you MDiscreet.

Hey Soror, I'm an attorney. I have worked in the private, lawfirm sector, which has not always been the most progressive or diverse.
SC

I've been commuting to Houston for work for the last year and some change.

I live and mostly dine in an area called Midtown. It's less than 10 minutes drive from downtown, and I believe that it's a neighborhood that has recently been revitalized. I really enjoy it.

As for the black owned businesses, I also co-sign on the Breakfast Klub and the Reggae Hut.

As for the guys...I don't kick it much here, but I haven't noticed or been approached my nearly as many guys as in Chicago. I think that guys are here, but more laid back. Even when I have gone out to clubs...guys just don't seem to be nearly as aggressive as guys in Chicago. I guess that's only a problem if you expect to meet someone out and about. If you tend to meet guys through friends/acquaintances, then its not so much of an issue.

In all of my time here, I have yet to identify the hub of the black community. I assumed that it was because the city is more integrated than Chicago, but I'm not sure.

I also co-sign on the great cost of living. Honestly...that is the only thing that would motivate me to move here permanently. Other than that...it's a nice city, but nothing particularly spectacular or unique.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington - Things to Do, Places to Live
 

Hello Sorors and Friends,
Since the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlingtona area was ranked #6 on BE's list of cities for AA's, and there are apparently lots of jobs there, especially related to the telecommunications fields and those that support those fields, I was wondering if we could start a thread about it. Thinking of maybe relocating there.

Are there any good predominately AA neighborhoods?
Where do the young professionals hang out?
Where are the clubs and hot spots?
What are the favorite AA-owned businesses?
Is there a First Friday's or other events?
How are the men and the dating scene?
What is the weather like, in real life? Tornados? I know that it's at the south end of tornado alley.

If I moved there, I'd be working either downtown or in the Plano or Irving areas so I'd be looking for a home or condo with a commute of less than 30 minutes each way, if possible.

I have heard alot of what appears to be alot of competition between Dallas and Houston. Sorors and Friends, I am just trying to evaluate Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington in and of itself, not in relation to Houston. Sorors and Friends, I'm not in ya'll's rivalry :) so can ya'll please just give a soror some feedback on the area??? :)

Thank you to the two sorors that PM'd me about the city before my first visit. I am going back again. The job opportunities are plentiful but I need to have the quality of life too. Please, let me in on the quality of life there, if possible.

Also, is the workplace pretty progressive for AAs? A friend who is AA said that in my field and maybe in other fields, there is a bit of a "good old boy" attitude and AAs are not promoted as readily in Dallas, especially in law firms. He and other of his friends worked there and all have left the firm life - this was about 8 years ago. There are also in-house opps. Have you found this attitude to exist and/or to be fairly widespread? I know that it's possible anywhere, just wondering the attitude of the city and workplace bosses in general in Dallas.

so have I... so far it's been a toss up between NC and Houston... Houston might be the winner...

Soror, I use to live in Dallas. I lived near "Little Mexico" off Maple Ave. close to Love Field Airport. I would not recommend living there.

Dallas has these "Park Cities" that they call the Bubble. If you can tolerate the segregation, then you will be fine. However, the houses are exquisite.

The cheaper housing is way out, like in Allen off the 75. And they toll their roads so buy a toll tag. Because if you commute, you will be on the toll highways.

Plano is nice. Personally, I like Las Colinas/Coppell. Housing is expensive over there, whereas, you CAN ACTUALLY BUY A HOUSE for $200,000--a 4 Bedroom!!! So, renting is quite illogical...

I did not club. But Rockberry's--no. Not impressed. Downtown, okay, if you want to get into the Petroleum Club-which is kinna like Sears Tower or the old Amacoo. And Adams Mark top, it nice for high end. But that's me.

Dating. I did not do a lot of. There are well to do brothas. But, they have "goals".

I wasn't there long enough to know 1st Fridays or Urban League YP. But I know the YP's are about something. The Plano chapter of AKA I heard was decent.

The irony, everyone under 25 gets married there for some reason. I didn't get it. So, when I got there, the 30 year olds looked at as if I was 25! Something about the SoCal sun.

And yeah, tornadoes do exist is Texas all the time throughout parts of Dallas Metroplex and it is flat as hayle...

I visited Houston twice. In my right mind, I think Houston is more accustomed to US. I like the Sugarland area, but again it is high end.

And all you TEXAS FOLKS, TEXAS DOES have alligators in the little ponds!!!

Dallas is my hometown. What's funny is that I have no clue about the night scene or the dating scene because I came to Houston for college and whenever I go home, I never party. I just hang with my family.

Soror, thanks for your feedback. It is useful. I flew into Love Field Airport this time and the scenery seemed so much more green and lively than over on the DFW side of town. I was kind of depressed with the lack of greenery over there and into those cities. I haven't seen Coppell. I was in Las Colinas to talk to some people last time I went. This time it was Plano.

What are the park cities? why do they call the cities a bubble? What kind of segregation are we talking about? Yes, soror, if you are talking about Plano and Frisco, yes, the houses are exquisite. A soror would definitely be interested in purchasing one.

I have heard that Allen is also a cool place to live for the suburban experience. I'm also told that McKinney is good.

Well to do brothers with "goals"? :) Soror, why the quotation marks. Please, do tell. LOL. Essence did the top cities back in 2006 or so and said that the ratio of AA single men to women was 8:9. Of course, you have to account for random people being lost to random stuff but that didn't seem like a bad ratio to start with. I could kind of believe it b/c there are so many corporations in the area...supposedly, it's the corporation headquarter capital. If that's true, it would have lots of professionals. Now whether they are single and AA and hetero ..and sane and not commitment/marriage phobic and all the other stuff :) would be another matter.

Also, I'm told that the clubbing with AAs can be done in Arlington. Know anything about that area?

I have heard that TX might be a good place for finding people looking to settle down and have families but that's real interesting about the marriage by 25 thing. Wow. Yes, Soror, I'm sure the SoCal sun had treated you right. :)

The tornado potential scares me. Also, they get a little snow don't they? I'm not really trying to shovel snow again. LOL.

I want to visit Houston soon. By all accounts that I have heard, yes, AAs appear to get more love from the city of Houston than the DFW area.

SC

How come the truck driver looks like Tiger Woods? :rolleyes:

I highly recommend a GPS system for your car. If I had one, I would be very happy.

Highland Park and University Park near the Central Expressway (75) and the White Rock Lake. Beautiful and exquisite houses. Dallas North Tollway and Northwest Highway West takes you through the exquisite parts of the city. Upto Beltline off Preston and Arapaho. If I had the wherewithall at the time, that is where I would look to live. You will be near the President George Bush Turnpike that is a toll road and after that, you will be in Plano.

I think Allen and McKinney is way out up the 75 Expressway. When I lived there, there actually was a toranado in Allen...

Yes, there are a lot of professionals there. They tend to be under 30 years old. So if you don't have a problem with it, hey, you are going to have an excellent time. My exposure is very different. I found that much infidelity goes on with people, yet it is preached heavily against. That is my personal problem with it. But, folks may feel differently. Dallas is not a "party town" like many of the "beach cities".

Arlington is near Fort Worth... That is all I know about it.

TX is a good place to settle down because people with families can afford housing for families. But, what "qualifies" as a family in Dallas is a Mother, Father and 2.5 children... Single parents are given a defined amount of slack, but once it is complete, that is it. Social services could be improved somewhat. Oh, yes, to an extent single mothers get assistance--to an extent--but, one has to join a Church to get it or go to unrelated classes. Too much judgement on someone.

And it snows in Dallas every now and then in the winter. But, the entire city shuts down. It is not deep enough to shovel like in place in the north. The city does not have snow equipment or salt...

And yes, even I got love in Houston than DFW. But Texas is a state that generally loves people compared to the cold Pac NW, where I live right now.

Any other cities want to chime in? I'm really enjoying this and it's helping with my relocation research.

funny...me to...thinking about charlotte

florida....cost of living is too high. dont do it

Washington, DC (not the suburbs)
 

Are there any good predominately AA neighborhoods?
Yes. However, this is changing rapidly.

Where do the young professionals hang out?
Too many to name!

Where are the clubs and hot spots?
I don't do clubs too much, but Club H20, Zanzibar, Club Love (formerly Dream) seem to be the places to be. Another hotspot is Adams Morgan and Georgetown.

What are the favorite AA-owned businesses?
Ben's Chili Bowl


Is there a First Friday's or other events?
I don't know of a "First Fridays" but there are many events that go on in this city.

How are the men and the dating scene?
Don't be naive is all I can say......

DC is a decent place, but I was born, raised, and still live here so of course I think that. Most people from out of town tend to stay. The traffic is the worst though and the cost of living.....lets just say that for my house, I could have gotten alot more "bang for my buck" if I had relocated to midwest or south (minus FL).

Atlanta, GA
 

Not that I do much at all myself, but I'm sure everyone has heard things about ATL. Below is a link of what is considered 50 fun things to do in Atlanta.

http://www.atlanta.net/50funthings/index1.htm

The only things I saw that I have done in the list are the following:
Stone Mountain Park
Six Flags over Georgia
Centennial Park
City of Decatur(Downtown Decatur scene)
Piedmont Park
Atlantic Station
Buckhead scene
Downtown Atlanta/Underground
Malls(Lenox, Phipps, Perimeter, Stonecrest, Northlake)
Virginia-Highlands

I'm very boring and laid back. I love the restaurant and bar scene(Barnacle's, Dudley's, Los Arcos, El Azteca, Spondivits, Pappadeaux, Chequers, etc.). Let's not forget my favorite spots with drink specials(Chili's and Applebee's). I have also been to events at the Georgia Dome(Battle of the Bands) and Philips Arena(Mariah Carey Concert). I've been to Too Groovy spa off Ponce De Leon. I've attended the Car & Bike Show. I know it does look like I do a lot. However, I'm pretty much a homebody.

Are there any good predominately AA neighborhoods?
I hear there are some in Lithonia and Conyers(which is about 25 min from downtown). However, they are rebuidling a lot of the downtown area right now.

Where do the young professionals hang out?
There is a club called Twist that is great for sophisticated adults who want to network and mingle.

Where are the clubs and hot spots?
Depends on what you like. There are tons of clubs. My ghetto friend's love Mama's Primetime and The Ritz.

What are the favorite AA-owned businesses?
I like a restaurant called Arizona's that is AA owned. I don't really do my research to know about who owns what.

Is there a First Friday's or other events?
Good question. I don't know.

How are the men and the dating scene?
Like someone else said, don't be naive. Plenty of DL men.

I don't live in DC but frequently visit. I would have to say, you hit it right on the nose esp, with the last statement about the dating scene :confused:

Philly Bound
 

why do blacks always want to move down south? that's where most of the overt racism goes on. i know, because i was raised in oklahoma.

kevin

OMGoodness, this post is hilarious.
Thanks b/c I needed that at 4:43 p.m. on a Tuesday.

Ok, um where do I start?

Blacks don't *always* want to move down south. In fact, have you heard of the Great Migration? During the Great Migration, Blacks were moving *from* the South to anywhere where they could get jobs, escape some amount of Jim Crow and take care of their families. Blacks moved north, west and east during the Great Migration.

News alert: Blacks are STILL moving north, west and east from the South. :) Take, for example, in this thread. Pennsylvania, DC and Cali are discussed, among other states like Illinois. Not only that. Blacks, in general, are moving west, north and east. There are many, many permutations of movement if we take north, south and west and east. From my old engineering days, I would break it down for you but I don't want to get into factorials on Greekchat. LOL.

Now, on to your other assertion: most of the overt racism goes on down south. Actually, even if that was even true (which some would argue is not), some people prefer to know who cares for them and who does not as opposed to people pretending and then you get a nice surprise.

Now on to your third point: you were raised in Oklahoma. Um, when did Oklahoma become part of the south? I admit that it is rural (as are some parts of many northern states - take Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, NY, NJ) but it's not in the south is it? :) I'm sorry. Is this just one of those troll postings? LOL.

SC

Ode to the Southern Gentleman...
 

I am in the Souf right now...

There is just something to be said about Southern Gentlemen and the comfort they bring... :rolleyes:

We ladies like to be hooped and hollared as the Southern gentlemen drive passed us and they purchase us $1000 dollar flambe martini's without hesitation...

We love it when doors get opened for us and they won't allow us to lift overly heavy items.

Yes, there are thugs out here. But most of them have nothing to compare to these high twanged corn-fed muscular men that love to assist us damsels...

Flashiness and industrialism is wonderful and have its place, but there is no loving compared to the loving a woman gets from a true Southern Gentleman...

That word in bold completely nullifies your question. Blacks don't always want to move South. Check out some census and demographic info. You'll see that there are several states above the Mason Dixon line that have considerable Black populations.

Anyway, Edukator was asking about Detroit. There are new restaurants and clubs popping up downtown. Seldom Blues, Sweet Georgia Brown and Fishbones are good places to eat in the downtown area. Expect to spend about $30 at any of these. If you'll be there on the weekend, there is always a festival at Hart Plaza that features vendors and entertainment. They run Friday to Sunday every weekend in the summer. There are 3 casinos that feature good places to eat also. Expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $50 at to eat at the casinos. You definitely need a car to get around. Let me know if you have any specific ?s.

...this is good to know. I'm thinking of taking a weekend in the near future and coming to help support yall's local economy. :)

Anytime...depending on which weekend you are in Detroit, there are some great concerts you can catch too. Erykah Badu, Morris Day and the Time, Musiq, Raheem Devaughn, and Chaka Khan are just a few of the shows coming this summer. The prices range from $17 - $45 each concert.

There's also a couple of museums you could check out if you've never been to the city before. I'm not sure when the annual step show is. It's usually toward the end of summer though. Hope I've helped!

Is the underlined a soul food place? We have that here (in Dallas). Good ol' fashioned soul food, complete with the greasy bag and all!

I would call it upscale soul food. They enforce a dress code and have tablecloths. The menu is downhome with a twist, not 100% ol' fashioned.