I live in Kentucky, hate it, but love Texas & want to move there! Should I, and why? Where are the best areas?

I've been to Dallas, Ft. Worth, Arlington, Mesquite, Crawford, Belton, Austin, San Antonio, New Braunfels, Houston, Galveston...yall probably don't want to know all the places. At any rate, I've been all over Texas, and loved it all (except Dallas). Many people I met were VERY friendly, and at the least polite and courteous. It is a very clean & scenic state, and each major city has a unique social and cultural element to it. (For instance, Ft. Worth is more western and midwestern, Austin is more funky and eclectic, and San Antonio is more western and Tex-Mex.) I've done some research. The crime rate is not lower there than it is in KY. But, there is no state income tax in TX, and housing costs, utilities, and property taxes are for the most part cheaper in TX. Also in TX, schools and colleges have a pretty good rap, and the climate is warm or hot year-round. Where in Texas should I move to or avoid? Why? Thanks! I live b/t Louisville & Lexington (both very unfriendly!) Top 5 list of things I'm looking for: 1. Friendliness 2. Job market 3. Cost of living 4. Cleanliness 5. Natural beauty and attractions

Public Comments

1. Move to Fort Worth. It has some good museums, and there are no hurricanes.
2. I've been to Houston, Bay City, Madagorda (sp?) Bay on the coast, Blessing. Seemed to be a pretty decent area with friendly people. Houston must have big-hearted people. Look at all they did for the people from Hurricane Katrina.
3. Forget Texas; move to California.
4. u should move 2 miami it has great beaches + it hot there if u get cold just 1 prob ...its called traffic!
5. Probably depends on why you are moving to Texas. My partner and I moved from California to Dallas for 6 years in the 1990's (work-related). I was pleasantly surprised by how nice and friendly people were - even the 7/11 store guy said hello. The bigger cities are probably your best best to start since they will offer more jobs, openness, options, social, culture etc. Traffic can be a real pain in the xxx, though, and Austin is pretty expensive. In terms of weather, Houston and Dallas are about equal in "feels like" temperatures - Houston has more humidity but a bit lower temperature, while Dallas has higher temperature, and bit lower temparature. How about making a list of the top 5 things that are most important to you, then adding on to your question? You can also google each city for jobs, special interest groups, temperatures, crime rates, schools etc, and see what is available.
6. I notice that you have not been to "deep East Texas." It is a region of heavy forests of pine and mixed hardwoods. The college town of Nacogdoches might be just the place for you.
7. Sounds like your match could be Amarillo. 1. Friendliness: You really can't beat Amarillo when it comes to polite and courteous people. The pace is much slower than the bigger cities, and the whole vibe is just relaxed and easy going. I never really noticed it until I moved away. I was shocked to learn that people don't automatically smile, greet you, hold open the door, say please and thank you, etc, because that's what I was raised with. I can't WAIT to go back. 2. Job market: Amarillo is growing at a pretty impressive rate. I can't state numbers off the top of my head, but I have seen websites that go into how the industry is and the unemployment rate. If I happen across them again, I'll post them. 3. Cost of living: SO much cheaper than anywhere else in Texas! Again, there is a page that has the ratios; I'll see if I can find it. 4. Cleanliness: Very nice community. Crime is pretty low per capita compared to other places. Can't think of a thing that would make it "unclean or dirty..." 5. Natural beauty and attractions: PALO DURO CANYON is the nation's 2nd largest canyon. It is a state park, and a wonderful place to picnic, camp, horseback ride, etc. The great thing about Amarillo is that everything is a short road trip away. Go skiing in New Mexico, go gambling in Oklahoma and visit Oklahoma City, and Dallas is only about 4 hours away. We always would take a weekend and go to a ball game or go to Six Flags whenever we wanted, all without having to live in such a huge, impersonal city. Wow, I went a bit longer than I meant to. LOL I'll just add some links for you to look at when I get a chance. ;)
8. Move to Ft. Worth, Austin, or San Antonio