My daughter is facing an escape from LA moment.
She moved from Chicago to LA about 4 years ago to take a job. She went to Santa Monica all expenses paid to manage a restaurant for a large Chicago area up scale chain. She discovered that rent was excessive. Her apartment was about the size of a garage and cost about $1800 a month. She then changed jobs to manage a restaurant in Beverly Hills, found a Apartment for less money in Hollywood Hills but its still too much.
She has finally, after a couple years of my reminding her that she will NEVER make enough money to ever own a home or ever do anything other than get by if she continues to live in that area she has admitted this fact.

She was offered a relocation to manage a restaurant for the Company she works for in Dallas. The restaurant will open soon. She wants to go and check out Dallas for a few days to see if She could be happy there. I want her to like it!
Any suggestions for a place to stay, and an area to stay in, that would leave a GREAT impression. I will foot the bill for my wife to go with her, I REALLY want her to like it, so money is no object, I want her out of the LA area and California!
For your Texas citizens, she was born and breed a Republican!

Suggestions for a hotel and Dallas area stay.

Where in Dallas is the restaurant that she will work at? I lived in Dallas for about five years. It’s a big city and traffic can be a PITA, but it’s a lot less than LA. I don’t want to suggest a place, if she’s going to be working/living on the other side if the city.
If her work will be in the West End or Deep Ellum, it’ll be a commute. Living in the downtown areas is not very affordable, and not as nice as if you were to live in the burbs.
There are some really nice areas. I lived in Garland, Rowlett, and Rockwall. All three were nice areas to live.
As a whole, the northern part of the city is nicer than the southern part. I never cared for much of the cities between Dallas and Fort Worth. I preferred the east side of the city, or north east, Richardson, Plano, Addison (north). South of I-30 was never a really great area, and south of I-20 was not a place I would want to spend any time.

There is an incredible amount of awesomeness in Dallas. It’s the best place I have ever lived. The people are friendly, traffic isn’t bad compared to LA or Seattle, cost of living is acceptable. There are quite a few lakes that you can go out on and enjoy.

That’s my two cents. Please bear in mind that it’s been a few years since I have been there.

I can recommend the only hotel I've ever stayed in, in Dallas. The Omni was nice. While you are visiting, go to reunion tower, cool to have a drink and watch the city from a rotating restaurant.

As has been it mentioned depends where she’ll be when she gets down here. Realize that Dallas is where the job may be, but depending on her personality don’t rule out the Fort Worth side of the metroplex. I live west of Fort Worth yet work in Dallas, I do so because I want to raise my family in a smaller community. Lots of options around here just need some more info to help you pinpoint a good location for her visit.

Magnolia Hotel, Dallas Park Cities. Nicely redone corporate level hotel in good area. Relatively easy access to North Dallas, Park Cities & Downtown. Great rates thru Hotels.com. I'm originally from Dallas & travel back every couple of months....this hotel has been my go-to for the past couple of years.

If she is going to be on the North side, I can recommend the Renaissance in Richardson. I was there 2 weeks ago for the S&W Collectors meeting and it was very nice.

So Dallas is huge, mostly due to the fact a lot of the smaller cities can be referred to. Dallas proper has a lot to offer and some of the areas up North can be very upscale.

Can you give us an idea on what side of the city the job would be on?

She would probably like to stay close to the restaurant? So if you can mention the general area I can be more specific.

Uptown is a great place to visit while here, it’s “hip” and Has some great restaurants. Good luck on the relocation. If I can be any more of a help let me know. I work for the city and live to the north.

I have also lived in Dallas and my sister currently lives and works there.What everyone has said is true.

Dallas kicks LA in the nuts.

I live in OKC and go to Dallas often. The Omni is usually where I stay and it's very nice.

I feel for your daughter. From Chicago to Cal. Out of the frying pan into the fire!

The Omni is nice and central enough to allow her some exploring options.

I live west of Fort Worth and the travel time to Dallas is not so bad. I work in Fort Worth but sometimes have a work commute near Allen. My son has lived in Dallas uptown for about four years. It has everything for that age group but the rent is expensive. My son is now saying he is looking for a house near the Addison area.

I used to live in Wylie and I spend a lot of time in SoCal. I'm not sure someone used to SoCal weather is going to fall in love with Dallas in July.

Housing and rent used to be relatively inexpensive but both have been on the up tick the past few years. However I think it's still attractive as compared to LA, Chicago, NY et al. Our neighbor across the street from us recently sold their house that they had been in for 8 years and it sold for double the price they paid.

There are many great hotels and picking one depends on what part of town she wants to be in while checking things out. Downtown, near north (LBJ freeway) far north (plano Frisco) between Dallas and Ft Worth (Southlake) or even downtown Fort Worth which is where we hang out a lot.

Stayed at the Fairmont during the NRA show a couple of years ago.
It was fine.
Nice central location.
Not a lot of good close walking distance restaurants (but some).
Nice room and restaurant.
Looking back now I would rather been at the Omni or Magnolia but couldn't get in back then.
YMMV

Glad to read she is a Republican, you done good, entrance granted!!

I’m from Houston, but the Plano area is nice or anything by the Park Cities area should be nice to stay in. Bush 43 lives in that general area if that tells you anything. The Beretta gallery is nearby if you should visit. Jackson Armory by SMU is worth a visit.

Tell her to get here before the next election and to join TSRA!


HK Ag

You guys are missing the point.

It does not matter where she is going to work.

The OP wants her to like the city on a *visit*. She can figure out where to live at a later date.

He wants you to recommend the nicest, funnest, best part of town, where she can envision herself spending her free time.

My wife and I do real estate. Relocation is an emotional decision. It's the reason why people don't literally all live right on top of their place of work, and is also the reason the OP's daughter moved to LA in the first place. She envisioned herself doing awesome things in a city that can be appealing if you just focus on the availability of things to do.

Show her a lifestyle that she can envision herself being a part of. She can sort out the realities later.

(Aside from that, I have no suggestions because I've only ever been there for business. I did have dinner and go bar hopping on a really busy street with restaurants and bars, had a pork chop that was 5 fingers tall, and generally enjoyed myself but I don't recall the name of the area.)

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
I did have dinner and go bar hopping on a really busy street with restaurants and bars, had a pork chop that was 5 fingers tall, and generally enjoyed myself but I don't recall the name of the area.)

Sounds like either Deep Elm or Greenville Ave. Both hip fun areas.

Anywhere in uptown off McKinney Ave. Hotel Zaza is pretty popular.

I've lived in Dallas for 30 years (far North, near Addison). I remember when the West Village was built off of Knox/Henderson. That trendy urban atmosphere has been recreated about a dozen times around the Metroplex. Uptown is currently the trendy place to live and apartment buildings are going up everywhere. Should probably see the Katy trail and the business along that, as well as the south end of the Hunt Hill bridge where all the new restaurants are.

Dallas is not the Bible Belt city it was 30 years ago, far from it. The police are understaffed and overwhelmed, so chosing a safe area with good neighbors is a must.

Longtime Dallas-area resident. E-mail me and we can chat about her specific requirements (what area she’s going to work in, need for access to public transportation, work schedule, etc.). My e-mail is in my profile.