RECrerar

Hi Everyone,

I've just been asked by my boss if I would like to take an opportunity in Richardson, TX. It seems a good role but I am unsure if I would fit in in Texas and was wondering if anyone with experience of the place could tell me if it does live up to the overly republican and religious steriotypes.

I find in generally easy to get on with most people and am happy to try and leave religion and politics out of most conversations, but I'm worried that my views are too much of a juxtoposition to standard Texas views for me to really settle there. Below is a summary focused on me views that I think could be a problem. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what normal people are like there and basically whether you woudl recommend it as a place to live?

I am not religious and do not have much time for God, I do not mind if other people are as long as they do not try and push my views on me. When it comes to politics, I would class myself as fiscal conservative social very liberal. I am pro abortion, anti the death penalty and whilst not gay myself have a lot of gay friends here in the UK, I also like rock and alternative music and have a thing for dying my hair crazy colours (although that is somewhat toned down these days for work purposes).

I hope that is clear and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanks
Robyn

steve100100

Where do you live now?

Richardson is suburban Dallas but I assume you know this.

I live in Mansfield and working in Plano.

What do you want to know? I can tell you that in five years of living here, not once have I been asked about religion. There are also lots of gays in Dallas.

And people with strange hair.

Oh, and I like it but I am moving to Houston in the summer. I like it there too. It's not shit but maybe I am weird.

Manc

you mean america then.......

Leslie

Richardson is considered to be far North Dallas. It's busy and congested and ethnically diverse. Nobody will care about what you believe because nobody will even notice you. You have to get further into the the white-flight suburbs before you really get into that religious meddling stuff.

Richardson is comprised of a mix of Asian, Indian (dot not feather), Middle Eastern, North African, and Hispanic immigrants as well as a bunch of run-of-the-mill home grown black, Mexican, and white folks. That makes for a good variety of restaurants but not a particularly cohesive neighborhood vibe. If you want that neighborhood vibe there are several areas in Dallas proper that you might like but they will be more expensive than living in Richardson. If you live in the city you will also have to deal with more of the urban issues like crime, crowding, pollution etc.

Dallas proper is like most big cities (and by big I mean HUGE) where you have areas of extreme poverty, extreme wealth, and few pockets of eclectic more funky neighborhoods. Dallas is also ethnically diverse and inside the city limits you will find that the primary population is a mix of hispanic, black, and white. Politically Dallas has a democratic (non-conservative) majority. There are some conservative wealthy (white) people in Dallas proper but they live in exclusive areas that you (1) will not be able to afford and (2) would not be welcome and (3) wouldn't want to live even if 1&2 were not true. Dallas politics is run by a bunch of drama queens and retards and is generally considered high entertainment by people from all walks of life.

My gay sister has lived in Dallas most of her adult life (she's now in DC at graduate school but that is a recent development) and I can testify, from having hung around with her and her friends, there is a healthy and thriving gay community. Of the two other large US cities she's lived in, Denver and Washington DC, she thinks Dallas is absolutely the most progressive and accepting of alternate lifestyles. She lived in Dallas proper.

I hope this helps.

Leslie

Also, the farther north you go into Richardson, the more suburban it becomes ... what I said above is really more focused on the lower half of Richardson which sits on top of Dallas proper. I hope this makes sense.

Leslie

For clarification:

The gay sister who is at grad school is NOT the peeing on the sofa sister.

Ray

translation ... Its a shite hole

Leslie

No, it's really not. The poor black/Mexican neighborhoods are depressed but most of the other immigrants are in IT and are perfectly nice people. I don't know of any cities that don't have poor neighborhoods. A lot of the Mexicans are middle class as well.