Relocation Info

[Guest marc]

I have lived in California all of my 42 years. The company that I have worked for the past decade is closing the Los Angeles office March 29th. There are several of us who have been given the opportunity to relocate to one of the other two offices. Those being the corporate office in Dallas and the regional Office in New Orleans.

 

At this point in my life it will be hard to find a position that will pay what I currently earn. And I do enjoy the Company I'm working for. They are basically stable, the closure in Los Angeles has to do with the cost of business in California.

 

I signed up tonight and am posting to this board to get the suggestions from others who like some of the things that are important to me in my social life, hiring escorts.

 

Therefore, if you would take a few minutes and give me your ideas of which of the two cities you feel might be best I will appreciate it. The Company pays relocation and I can move to either location.

 

To answer a few question you all might have is, I am gay yet do not need to live in a gay area. In fact if you know Los Angeles I live in Redondo Beach, hardly a gay mecca. I do want to be in a friendly town, a place accepting of my age, and at times I enjoy being around fellow gays who will not freak that I need to lose 50 pounds.

I enjoy music, movies, hanging out at home, some pretty boring stuff.

 

When I hire escorts I go more toward the twink type yet that isn't a must. In looking at the review on this site I see both cities offer their share of working your men.

 

I am hoping to find a city with a lower crime rate, and a place that I can be myself, neither in or out of the closet. Where the cost of living is reasonable and the fast food returants stay open past 10:pm If you have suggestions or thoughts about either city please add any areas that might be nice to live. Currently I rent a 2 bedroom apartment for 1,600. per month.

 

Thank U Guys!

[Will]

Although I've never lived in either Dallas or New Orleans, I am a Southerner, born and bred, and until about six months ago my sister had lived in N.O. for over twenty years. I can't comment on Dallas, but I can tell you a little bit about New Orleans.

 

First, New Orleans is a genuinely Creole city, as is the whole Gulf Coast from Mobile and Biloxi over to New Orleans. That is to say that it is extremely heterogeneous, culturally diverse, a city in which the races have been mixing for three hundred years, sometimes amicably, sometimes not. It is also a Catholic city. In the South that means something entirely different to what it means in the North. In the South, it's the Southern Baptists who are the self-appointed Moral Police of the Entire Universe. The kind of Catholicism that prevails in N.O. is the nineteenth-century Caribbean variety, which means that, like everything else in New Orleans, it's very laissez-faire. All of the cultural variety, as well as the climate, will send some echoes, however distant, from Los Angeles.

 

Life in the South is cheap by comparison with other places I have lived. For one thing, you don't have any heating bills, although air-conditioning in New Orleans is an absolute necessity. Property varies in cost, depending on the area. Since you don't seem to care whether you live Where the Boys Are, you won't need to find a place in the Garden District, which is very expensive and in any case sparsely populated by comparison with parts of N.O. that have smaller houses and apartment buildings.

 

Cultural life in New Orleans tends strongly to cluster around Carnival, which many, many New Orleanians avoid unless they are members of one of the krewes. It's horrible. Apart from that, there is a good art museum, and a major university (Tulane) right in the heart of the city. There's also Loyola University, which offers its own cultural resources.

 

Finally, New Orleans is the most gay-friendly city I know of in the Deep South. The recent prominence of Atlanta is the consequence of a lot of people moving there from other places and as it were imposing a new culture onto an old one. But New Orleans is exactly the same now as it was when I was a young and callow fellow myself, and that was a generation ago. I think that most gay men would find themselves being very comfortable in New Orleans, although I don't know anything about the escort scene. At the level of M4M, for instance, it's my sense that the pickings are slim by comparison with Dallas. But Texas is another country. And, regardless of what people may say, it is NOT a Southern state!

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

I have to second Will's POV and recommend NO based mostly on local culture -- a rich heritage. (I have never lived in either.)

 

Both cities provide plenty of heat, NO will add humidity but Dallas often experiences days in excess of 100 degrees for endless periods (months) it seems.

 

As for the boys, don't know much about Dallas but NO seems thin. However, being one for quality and not quantity, I think that Jacob would provide a nice regular experience with some other occasional exploratory dalliances. :-)

 

I would not categorize Dallas or any of Texas as gay friendly. :-(

[Guest Ivanhoe]

>Currently I rent a 2 bedroom apartment for 1,600. per month.

>

 

A friend of mine was renting a 2 bedroom apt. in the Bay Area for more than $2,000.00 a month. He never could afford to buy his own house here so he relocated to Dallas. I spoke to him recently. He said the cost of living in much more affordable there. He was able to buy a 3 bd. home with very little down and is paying only less than half of his rent here. Don't know what the housing market is in New Orleans. With that kind of savings, you'll be able to afford a couple more HOT guys a month.

[jacobno]

Rent prices throughout NEw Orleans are very checkboard. Best advice is to come down for a week and just walk through the area you would like to live in. Part of the charm of living in this city is to know that the building you live in has been standing for 200+ years. They recently built a 700+ unit apartment complex on the far side of the Central Business District, but I really wouldn't recommend them. I live in the heart of the French Quarter in a recently renovated apartment with central heat/air (a VERY rare thing in this area since bulidings are so old), with a view of St. Louis Cathedral from my back window, and only pay 650$ a month. THere are many places for rent through out the city at any given time, its just a matter of finding it.

 

New Orleans has a vibe to it that I don't think you can find in many other american cities. Culturally diverse, with just a few of the southern quips runnig through it, it exudes charm. Holidays can be a bit of a chore if you live in the quarter, but once you give in to it you can ride through until the end. I think I could do much better in my business if I were to move to a more affluent metropolis, but the beat of this city has lulled me into a comfortable existence.

 

LEt me know if there's anything I can add, and I'm sure that I'll add more about the city, maybe even somethign well written.

[jacobno]

>I am hoping to find a city with a lower crime rate, and a place that >I can be myself, neither in or out of the closet. Where the cost of >living is reasonable and the fast food returants stay open past >10:pm If you have suggestions or thoughts about either city please >add any areas that might be nice to live. Currently I rent a 2 >bedroom apartment for 1,600. per month.

 

THe cost of living here is cheap. Most people that move to NEw Orleans from elsewhere start off in the French Quarter. Because of it small size and densely (for NEw Orleans) populated area it tends to be a great place to start establishing friendships. CLose knit with eccentrics and professionals introductions are made as fast as you can stick out a hand or sit at a bar. After a year or two many guys move either toward the Marigny, an area bordering the French Quarter, or Uptown. The marigny has more of a quiet neighboorhood feel and has been the scene of a vigorous neighboorhood revival project. Uptown is the area along St. Charles Ave. where New Orlean's older money and upwardly mobiel group lives. Rents in either area rarely go above 1K, but I'm sure we could find something for you. :7 Of course, that saings of 600$ a month, well, escort fares are cheaper here too. heh.

 

}>

[Guest 7Zach]

I've always considered New Orleans one of the 3 best cities to live in. but I have to say it is limited in many ways.

The pluses: great restaurants, both high end and neighborhood. An incredibly easy view on life in some circles. After Tksgiving, then Christmas, and then into Mardi Gras. Still remember in court there once when opposing counsel showed up in a face mask and wig the friday before mardi gras and kept it on during his motions. Lots of music, quarter is just so pretty, good airline connections.

Downside - parochial, people who grew up there are incredibly narrow. Too much golf, krewes, old metarie, uptown. It's like they are still in college or high school. Culture definitely limited. Restaurants great, but again, more or less in one vein. And the music is not really broad.

When I first lived there, it was the largest city I'd ever lived in. Spent a couple of years there later after having lived in NY, and thought it was boring. Sure, some fun, but it always was about drinking or something crazy. There are some serious artists there, lots of people who travel, etc., but all in all, just too insular. Great for a month, or a certain time in your life, but I think 20 years would be hard to take. And i have lived in that city for a total of 8.

Don't know Dallas well, my impression a lot more there than my New Orleans impression of Dallas - flash and cash.

Lots of gays in New Orleans, but it is not that gay friendly in my opinion. People as a whole don't like them, don't like the quarter. They take a drink and have affairs, but for the rest, just really conservative. As far as escorts, never have seen Jason, but I have gone there on and off for years, kept an apt there, and lived there as I have said, and there were never very many, I mean 3 or 4. And never of the sort that you find in other cities.

Finally, there's a charm there and tempo you don't find in other cities. And the color of the light is just stunning, but that's often true of cities and places near water.

[Guest WestTxGuy]

I feel like I need to come to the defense of Dallas. As a long-time Texan, I know I'm biased, but I have to say that Dallas is a great place to live. I've lived in several big cities--NYC, Boston and Atlanta--but Dallas is hands down my favorite. It has great restaurants, shopping and surprisingly good culture. The symphony, theatre and opera are excellent (ok, ok, maybe not excellent by NY standards, but definitely top notch for the fly-over heartland of America).

 

Dallas is definitely a corporate, upscale kind of place. I think it's surprisingly cosmopolitan (yes, I can hear you Northeastern snobs groaning ;-) ), but I've lived both here and there, and Dallas is definitely not a backwater. The are a ton of vibrant, young professionals and the men (and women) are hot. If you're interested in professional sports at all (I'm a big fan), the venues here are awesome for baseball, hockey, football and basketball. The whole city has a clean, shiny "new" feel to it. Sure there's not a lot of history--but I find that seeing historical sites is more important for tourists than natives.

 

I'm a married guy, so I'm not immersed in the gay community here, but it seems to be thriving to me. And contrary to popular belief, I would not categorize Dallas as anti-gay. Although it's no New York, I see Dallas as more gay-friendly than Boston. Maybe it was just where I was in Boston, but I saw and heard more gay bashing there than I have here. People think redneck when they think of Texas, but there are just as many in South Boston as there are in parts of Dallas. Dallas is racially mixed, and tends to be less focused on race than some other places. There's probably more economic bigotry than racial and yes, its a flashy place. But that's not all bad. There are many, many hot guys, and no shortage of escorts. I tend to go more top than twink, but I've seen quite a few that would probably make you very happy.

 

There are a lot of great places to live near downtown Dallas. The focal point of the gay community is Oak Lawn, and there are also the Turtle Creek and Uptown areas nearby which have wonderful, but surprisingly affordable upscale housing available.

 

What it comes down to is what you're looking for and want. Is the opportunity in your office better in New Orleans or Dallas? And how well can you put up with humidity? It's hot in both Dallas and New Orleans, but that humidity in New Orleans (or Houston for that matter) really makes me wilt. I don't mean to dis New Orleans--I've only been there a couple of times, and was shitfaced most of the time I was there--but I personally find Dallas to be more liveable.

 

Bottomline is you probably won't go wrong either way. For me, I've been all over and Big D is definitely where I'm staying. Feel free to email me if you have more questions. Good Luck :-)

[Guest]

I'm not from either area (so you may consider me unbiased), but I have visited both. I think both cities have nice gay neighborhoods which are fun. I'm not really sure about New Orleans's opera and symphony, so if that sort of thing is important to you, it may be a factor to consider. Nevertheless, my sense is that I would tire of Dallas quite quickly, and New Orleans much less so. The city of Dallas itself isn't what I would consider aesthetically stimulating. What's worse is that the area around Dallas seems flat and boring as all get-out to me. You're also very far from the Gulf of Mexico. When you're in NO, you can at least go out and visit gorgeous antebellum plantation houses along the Mississippi, interesting bayou scenery, the Gulf of Mexico, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, the Natchez Trail, and so on. In Dallas, you can see where JFK was shot, the TV set for Dallas, and then there's just flat farmland for hundreds of miles. Just my 2 cents...

[Guest WestTxGuy]

Marc,

Sorry to add-on to an already longwinded post, but I just re-read your message and thought I should address a couple of your priorities:

 

Movies--I have two words: Stadium Seating. Dallas has awesome movie theatres, to the point of being overbuilt. Within 10 minutes of my house there are FIVE separate megaplexes with more than 60 wide-screen stadium seating theatres. Its unbelievable. And with the addition of two new state-of-the-art artsy movie theatres (the Angelika and the Magnolia) even the offbeat trendy and foreign films are easy to see.

 

Fast-food--say no more, Dallas is fast food heaven. More restaurants per capita than San Francisco and almost every fast food spot is open 24 hours.

 

Easy shopping--Like it or not, Dallas is similar to Los Angeles when it comes to commercial shopping areas. More Gaps, Old Navy's, Eddie Bauers and Banana Republics than you can shake a stick at. Some people think it's gross, but I'm a convenience minded guy, so I kind of like it.

 

Finally, the 50 extra pounds--don't worry about it. Although there are many buff studs walking around, Dallas was recently named the 5th fattest city in the U.S. (now THERE's something to brag about!) so obviously you'll fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. Having spent some time in SoCal, people here in general seem to be less body-perfection conscious

[Guest marc]

Thank you WestTXGuy for the information on Dallas. I was last there a year ago for a weekend to visit a friend, who has since moved back to L.A.

 

It is a large city, and the humidity was really bad when I was there, and the traffic was a mess, kind of like Los Angeles :-) I did find the people kind of distant even friends of my friend.

 

Position wise it would be the same at either location. My pay will remain at its current level. Therefore, I know my money will go further in New Orleans yet I don't want that to be the deciding factor.

 

I do not like to move and I amtrying to find a place I can call home for the next 10 to 20 years.

 

I do like music and found the Deep Ellum part of Dallas to be loaded with clubs when I visited. Then the one night in the French Quarter I found many clubs as well.

 

I am a sports fan, especially pro football. Both cities are covered there. Hey, we don't even have a team in Los Angeles! Though we do have those Lakers :-)

 

I like cultural events,like art exhibits, then I like going to a rock concert as well. I feel both cities offer this opportunity.

 

To me it comes down to the people, the vibe of the city, how friendly is it, are the people accepting of others, putting aside I am gay, just do they tend to be warm people.

 

As I did mention I do not need to live in the gay area of town. I do not currently live in our gay area yet I am only a short drive from there, well short in L.A. speak.

 

---------------------------

Also, I want to thank the other guys who have been kind enough to share their thoughts.

 

The first week of March I will visit each city. Then I guess I will have to decide.

----------------------------

To be fully honest even at my eage it is scary to think about leaving an area that I have called home all these years. I know every faultline in Southern California, the idea of "starting over" is creating a lot of anxiety to say the least. But I am trying to look at it as a adventure.

[Guest marc]

>I've always considered New Orleans one of the 3 best cities

>to live in.

 

Thank you 7Zach for your comments. I am interested in knowing the other two cities you would include with New Orleans.

 

Living in Los Angeles area my entire life my only experience with New Orleans was years ago and it was for the Super Bowl. I really did not have a chance to experience the city.

[Guest tmbg]

I have not lived in either place yet have been to both often. I find Dallas, hot, humid, flat, land locked and boring (ok I won't hold anything back :-) I have to add that the people in Dallas are friendly and somewhat flashy.

 

New Orleans is more interesting, hot and humid. The people in New Orleans also seem friendly. My preference would be not to live in the French Quarter area or the Uptown area. These two places are very crowded and one the former has a bit too much sleaze for me while the latter is very stuffy. New Orleans is a very old town so if you lean more toward the modern stick with Dallas.

 

Perosnally, since I have been in SoCal for about 2 months I have found it really a nice place to live. Too bad you feel that it might be too hard to find another job in your area.

 

Yes, I can imagine it must be scary moving from a city you have lived in for over 40 years. I relocate often for work and somehow seem to adjust quickly. I think you have the right attitude when you mentioned you need to look at it as an adventure.

 

Good Luck!

 

Cheers! Ritchie

[HooBoy]

>>To be fully honest even at my eage it is scary to think about leaving an area that I have called home all these years. I know every faultline in Southern California, the idea of "starting over" is creating a lot of anxiety to say the least. But I am trying to look at it as a adventure.<<<

 

I think this is the key to the thread.

 

Dallas and New Orleans are both fabulous cities... ( Houston is better than both, but that wasn't an option and IMHO. :-) )

 

Bottom line as I see it, land a gig in your neighborhood. It's really hard to new make friends in the gay world anywhere if you aren't young, dumb, full of cum or fabulously wealthy.

 

I said FRIENDS.

[vers7]

Which city offers you better career enhancement? I've lived in Texas and visited NO. NO, in many ways, is a small city. In fact, in recent years it has become increasingly smaller in population and economy. However, it has a great tourist economy niche and it's certainly fun to visit. I personally, don't care for Texas, but Dallas/FW is larger (than NO) and has more cultural considerations which would be similar (but not entirely equal) to what you are used to in So.Cal. It also has a larger, more identifiably active gay culture. I have a close friend (who I originally met as an escort) who is liberal and was raised in Portland and SF who now lives in Dallas and who absolutely loves the cultural and gay life there. All things considered, I suspect you might fit in a little better in Dallas coming from your SoCal perspective. (But expect a culture shock.)

However, because both cities have unique positives and negatives, if I were you, I would base my decision on which city/job would be better for me professionally.

[jacobno]

New Orlean's opera association has been established for 205 years ; I belive that is the oldest in the nation. This season's productions have included Faust, Die Walküre, and coming in MArch will be Turandot. Celebrating their 205th anniversary they're obviously thinking big.

[+ Axiom2001]

>Which city offers you better career enhancement? I've lived

>in Texas and visited NO. NO, in many ways, is a small city.

> In fact, in recent years it has become increasingly smaller

>in population and economy. However, it has a great tourist

>economy niche and it's certainly fun to visit. I

>personally, don't care for Texas, but Dallas/FW is larger

>(than NO) and has more cultural considerations which would

>be similar (but not entirely equal) to what you are used to

>in So.Cal. It also has a larger, more identifiably active

>gay culture. I have a close friend (who I originally met as

>an escort) who is liberal and was raised in Portland and SF

>who now lives in Dallas and who absolutely loves the

>cultural and gay life there. All things considered, I

>suspect you might fit in a little better in Dallas coming

>from your SoCal perspective. (But expect a culture shock.)

>However, because both cities have unique positives and

>negatives, if I were you, I would base my decision on which

>city/job would be better for me professionally.

 

 

Marc,

 

The respondents have been very helpful to you. I have lived in neither place, and am loath to advise you, but I do have my preference--NO. I don't like cities that are sprawling and rife with freeways.

 

Presently I live in Monterey, CA; ...have lived here for some thirty-two years and do plan to move within a year or so. Friends have advised me to visit and live in a place for six months plus before making the "big" move. Weigh the pros and cons of both places. (I believe your fellow respondents did this rather well and objectively.)

Read gay and nongay magazines about both cities; contact realestate agents in both areas for help; surf the web.

 

But, in the long run, I think the best thing to do is to visit--live--then make the move.

 

 

I wish you the best in having to make this difficult decision, for I too will face this dilemma in 2003 or 2004. AX2001

[Guest marc]

You all have been very kind to offer your thoughts on the two cities I had to select from. After talking with two very close friends, reading your remarks and even what I wrote, I have decided that I need to believe more in myself and use this situation to make a few changes instead of taking the "safe way" out. The safe way being to relocate, even though it gives me chills thinking about doing so. I have a decent job and make better than average money. But as one guy, I think the owner of this site, put it unless you are young and full of cum it is hard to start over. I slowly realised I had to agree with him.

 

I will take the severance package and use the money with ome of my savings to begin my own venture. Something I have wanted to do for years but always a little to timid to try something on my own.

 

Since making this decision I have felt 1000 times better. The thought of leaving Los Angeles, other than for vacation, was really laying heavy on me. It is my home with all its faults, I still find a lot of good here. And those surfer boys, YUM :-)

 

I'm sure I will be back in a few days to ask again for your knowledge about this business. Out of all the people here there will probably be a few that have insight.

 

Till then thanks again and if I can be of like help just let me know guys.

[Will]

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In the gift shop of a museum I recently visited, I saw an aluminum paperweight, about the size and shape of a Hershey bar. On it were written these astonishing words, which I pass on to you:

 

WHAT WOULD YOU RISK DOING IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD NOT FAIL?

[Houston Bonfires]

Marc;

 

Congratulations, perhaps through this search process you have found I suspect that you live not in some physical locale but a place in the heart. That life will be meaningful.....anywhere.

 

Be blessed and be happy,

 

H B

[jacobno]

Big cheers for taking a chance. Can't say I wouldn't have liked a new local regular. ;-)