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Tell me about Dallas or Houston
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Sun, Feb 26 2017, 12:18 am
This is VERY theoretical now but I want to hear everything there is to know about both general life and Jewish life in both of these cities. Thanks.
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Sun, Feb 26 2017, 10:33 pm
bump
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amother
Mauve


 

Post Mon, Feb 27 2017, 9:44 am
https://www.ou.org/communities.....ates/

https://www.ou.org/news/ou_des.....nity/

Good luck!
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Mon, Feb 27 2017, 3:08 pm
I am aware of the OU site but I would also like to hear other perspectives.
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shanie5




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 28 2017, 10:11 pm
Dallas:
There are 3 frum areas, each with an eruv. Theres the north eruv, the south eruv and the plano eruv. (which is north of the north eruv0. Im told the south is very expensive to live in. The other 2 more affordable.
There are a bunch of kosher restaurants. Lots of kosher items in a few of the main supermarkets.
I met some really nice families there.
What else would you like to know?
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amother
Scarlet


 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 12:46 am
I'm not the OP, but we are also looking into a move to TX. For a job in Ft. Worth, are we basically stuck living in Dallas and commuting or is there a nice community in Ft. Worth as well? How cohesive is the Dallas community (I.e. do different shuls cooperate and do joint things or do they operate more independently)? If we don't fit cleanly into particular label of orthodoxy, are people pretty open minded or is the community more uniform within each shul?

Thanks!
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 12:52 am
Thanks.
Would love to hear more about the community itself. Similar questions to amother right before me - is the community cohesive, or if there are more smaller communities what are they like, what's the demographic of observance and to what extent do you need to fit in to be comfortable... things like that. What's a typical lifestyle/standard of living. What kind of community organizations/structures are there - like what kind of shiurim, social events, etc. I also want to hear about the schools. Schools are a big concern for me, I understand both Houston and Dallas have a few choices and I want to know more about them from people who are not officially representing them.
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amother
Mistyrose


 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 7:38 am
Shuls: the communities are pretty separate, as they are pretty distant, but not in a snobby way at all. Each of the Shuls are accepting of everyone, though I think the down South community is very Kiruv oriented and has a lot of kollel couples. But the warmth in Dallas is not just physical! The people are so friendly and nice and unjudgemental. And many are simple (if they have money, they don't waste it on bazillion dollar outfits and cars like is common in ny).
The schools in Dallas are great. I'm not so familiar with the elementary school but the girls high school is awesome. The boys high school (chofetz Chaim) is also great, with boys from all over.
The teachers and rebbeim are wholesome, genuine, devoted people.
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Pita




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 9:43 am
For the amother who is considering a move to Fort Worth: we live there. I hate long commutes, so would always recommend living close to work, but you should know:

Fort Worth has 3 synagogues. An extremely Reform one, a Conservative one which has a kosher kitchen but a nominally Conservative membership (people openly texting in the hallways even on Shabbat) but a very kind and warm community, and a Chabad. The Chabad is very small; they don't always make minyan, and the rabbi has a strong personality. If you are considering a move to Fort Worth you should come to services first. The Chabad is only 2.6 miles from the Conservative and Reform synagogues, which are across the street from each other.

The Trader Joe's which is really, really close has kosher meat and cheeses with hechshers, and the Tom Thumb accross from TJ's has lots of Kosher cheeses and a small kosher section.

Housing near Chabad is pretty inexpensive. By the other shuls (different school) it is about double. There are no Jewish day schools. The only Jewish day care is at the Conservative synagogue, and it is not strictly kosher (but it is "kosher style, no meat allowed").

Those active in the Jewish community know each other no matter which shul they attend, and the various synagogues join in Federation events fairly often.

I hope to have you join us, but if you don't I wish you well!
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 9:26 pm
You mention a Chofetz Chaim yeshiva in Dallas - are the school associated with CC, or are a lot of the kids in the schools from yeshivish or kollel families? Is there more than one Orthodox elementary school? I have a negative experience with feeling like the not yeshivish are second class in schools run by yeshivish people. That's one of the reasons I want to live in an out of town place where they might be more neutral.

What about Houston, is there a kollel there?
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amother
Mistyrose


 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 10:33 pm
amother wrote:
You mention a Chofetz Chaim yeshiva in Dallas - are the school associated with CC, or are a lot of the kids in the schools from yeshivish or kollel families? Is there more than one Orthodox elementary school? I have a negative experience with feeling like the not yeshivish are second class in schools run by yeshivish people. That's one of the reasons I want to live in an out of town place where they might be more neutral.

What about Houston, is there a kollel there?


The elementary and girls high schools have absolutely nothing to do with chofetz Chaim. I would call them just plain frum.
There is also a modern orthodox elementary and high school, yavneh. (Very modern orthodox.)

The boys high school is the chofetz Chaim and it's not yeshivish at all. The rebbeim are but that's it.

The student body in the elementary and girls high school is a mix of children of kollel families, just plain frum Dallas families, and baalei teshuva. I had a lovely experience there.
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 10:37 pm
Thanks Smile

Nobody here seen Houston?? I hear it's nice, bit less urban than Dallas, Dallas sounds nice too but after too long in NY I wouldn't mind more earth and less pollution.
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amother
Mint


 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 11:44 pm
I'm from Houston, what else would you like to know?
I've never been to Dallas, but Houston is quite urban - I would have guessed more than Dallas.
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Wed, Mar 01 2017, 11:48 pm
amother wrote:
I'm from Houston, what else would you like to know?
I've never been to Dallas, but Houston is quite urban - I would have guessed more than Dallas.

Oh well. Can you tell us how it compares in terms of the other things discussed above?
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amother
Mint


 

Post Thu, Mar 02 2017, 8:05 am
There are two main areas of the city where the frum people live
One is very left wing MO, more expensive neighborhood because it is closer to downtown
The other neighborhood is further from the center of the city, that is where most of the young new people are moving. There are 2 shuls - a Young Israel (not what you think of as YI) and a sephardi shul. There is an elementary school in that neighborhood where almost everyone from those 2 shuls send their kids (there is also a chabad school and a day school).
The school has no affiliation with any specific yeshiva. Most of the rebbeim are from CC or Ner Ysiroel, but their is no specific hashkafa they follow.
There is also a small girls HS (20 girls) which is going through a lot of transition right now (a large 9th grade and a new principal). The girls coming out are good solid girls and they all go to top seminaries. There is no boys high school - most people send their boys either to CC in Dallas or to Ner Yisroel (although some have gone to more yeshievish places)
The people are a huge mix - from lakewood kollel type (there is a lakewood kollel) to YU MO. For the most part everyone gets along well - very little politics. It's actually one of the beautiful things about the community, something not found many places. That being said, as the community has grown it definitely doesn't have that small community town that it used to have.

What else?
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Thu, Mar 02 2017, 9:24 am
Thank you so much, I'm starting to really get a picture.
Do you have kids in the elementary school? If so, how is it?
What does that mean they have lost the small town feel? Is it still warm and easy to make friends?
How's the kosher shopping?

Both Dallas and Houston people - what are housing and tuition costs like? Is there any separate gym and pool for frum women and girls? What about extracurriculars for kids and teens?
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amother
Navy


 

Post Thu, Mar 02 2017, 9:51 am
amother wrote:
Thank you so much, I'm starting to really get a picture.
Do you have kids in the elementary school? If so, how is it?
What does that mean they have lost the small town feel? Is it still warm and easy to make friends?
How's the kosher shopping?

Both Dallas and Houston people - what are housing and tuition costs like? Is there any separate gym and pool for frum women and girls? What about extracurriculars for kids and teens?


My sister lives in Dallas, so I've been there numerous times.

I think it's a gorgeous community. It's not for me because I need to live where I live for job and family reasons, but if I was looking to move out of town I would move there in a heartbeat.

The homes are well priced and spacious, the people are so friendly and welcoming, plus physically it's just a beautiful city.

It is a big mix, there are a lot of yeshivish families with yeshivish values, but definitely with an 'out of town' flavor. There is also A LOT of baalei teshuva, as well as more modern families. I don't know about the tuition costs, but you can call the school and I'm sure they'll tell you.

There is definitely an all women's gym- I know there's a curves there, which is all women. As for swimming, lots of houses there have pools because it's warm so much of the year.

Extracurriculars- my sister has boys so I don't know about girl's activities but I know her sons are involved in lots of different sports and things, so they definitely have that.

There is kosher grocery shopping, but my sister definitely stocks up when she comes into NY on some things, because the prices are higher over there. But that's going to be the case anywhere outside of the tri-state area.

There are several restaurants, which I haven't been to all but I've been to most, and they're all nice.

It's not really a small town exactly anymore- there are k'ah so many families but my sister does tell me they are looking for more young families to come down. The shul is large enough that you don't feel secluded, but it is definitely still easy to make friends and find a place for yourself.

Hope that was helpful, let me know if you have any other questions!
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amother
Goldenrod


 

Post Thu, Mar 02 2017, 9:59 am
Thank you for that!

In terms of the modern/yeshivish demographic, can you describe a little more - this is important to me. I'm looking for a place with a strong RWMO presence. Meaning that if you're distinctly not yeshivish but also far from what they call LWMO, you have people that you fit right in with. I'm happy being friends with both yeshivish and LWMO people but I also want to be in a place where there are others who are similar to me just for the sake of not being in a category by myself, know what I mean? Like where I live right now there is basically a clear split, your choice is to be totally MO or totally yeshivish and if you're somewhere in middle everyone is happy to be your friend but you don't actually have that feeling of fitting in anywhere and I feel awkward like that. To the MO people I'm the frummy, and to the yeshivish people I'm the modern one, and I can't figure out where to place my kids in school!

The pool - may seem like a silly detail to nitpick on and it probably won't be a deciding factor but I like to know - when I've been in places where people have pools in their house, they're little, for hanging around and having fun. I want a serious olympic or half-size pool where I can drill laps. It feels silly asking about this at this stage of looking for a community but I have a hard time staying in shape and swimming is the only exercise I don't hate and can do without feeling like I'm killing myself. Also in NY I do a ton of walking because that's how congested cities work, but my understanding is that out of town you need to drive to get anywhere. Here if I need more exercise I can just get off the subway at an earlier stop and walk more, and if I'm tired on the way back I just hop onto the subway sooner.
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amother
Chartreuse


 

Post Thu, Mar 02 2017, 10:21 am
Not at all trying to be negative but I notice that no one has mentioned the weather. Summer is very very hot. Also I find Dallas's freeways to be terrifying. Just wanted you to be aware. I have never been to Houston but I have heard from friends that the weather is worse than in Dallas. People seem to love the orthodox communities in both cities.
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amother
Navy


 

Post Thu, Mar 02 2017, 10:32 am
amother wrote:
Not at all trying to be negative but I notice that no one has mentioned the weather. Summer is very very hot. Also I find Dallas's freeways to be terrifying. Just wanted you to be aware. I have never been to Houston but I have heard from friends that the weather is worse than in Dallas. People seem to love the orthodox communities in both cities.


This is definitely true. The summers are brutal, and many families go to NY for part of it if they can.

However, one could say the same about the winters in Toronto. It's a consideration, but usually not a deal breaker if the community is really for you.

The freeways have a very high speed limit because Texas is a huge state! If the limit was 60 mph, you'd never get anywhere!
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