Dallas, TX
A 27-year-old who was disappointed with her move from the Midwest to Dallas explains how she got excited about her new city
- Griffin Kibens moved to Texas in 2022, and it took a while to feel at home in Dallas.
- Her colleagues, the Katy Trail, and moving to a new place helped her feel better about Dallas.
- Kibens liked the variety of restaurants but has found traffic to be a downside.
Griffin Kibens, 27, said she doesn’t regret moving to Texas, but it took her a while to settle in and feel at home.
Kibens moved from Missouri to Texas in August 2022, and the weather that time of year was one of the first downsides. She also moved into an apartment she hadn’t seen in person. It was on the first floor, which contributed to her feeling nervous about her safety.
She was “disappointed in Dallas.” However, Kibens eventually moved to a different area within Dallas and lived on her own. Living alone helped change her perspective — it forced her to go out on her own and try new things.
“It took me a year to 15 months to be like, OK, I feel at home here, and I want to stay,” she told Business Insider.
She has now fallen in love with Dallas and has no plans to leave. Kibens said she would have loved it quicker if she moved to the “right place.”
According to Census Bureau data, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the highest total numeric growth among metro areas each year from 2021 to 2023 and similarly from 2016 to 2019 (because of changes in the methodology, comparisons crossing decades can’t be accurately measured).
Arielle Francois is another Gen Zer who moved to Dallas. She told BI she found “Dallas is up and coming.” She was nervous about moving from Florida to Texas for a job opportunity. However, Francois has found there are positives to living in Dallas, including the changes in the weather and affordability as a young adult.
Kibens recommended other young people try out Dallas, and said it is “a good in-between” city.
“If you want to leave your hometown, but you don’t know where you want to go, I feel like it’s a good place to go to figure out if you even want to be in a bigger city or not,” she said.
Falling in love with Dallas
Kibens said her colleagues played a large role in beginning to love Dallas.
“We spend the most time with our coworkers, so being around them, some born and raised in Dallas and some relocated from other cities, makes me feel like I am really a part of Dallas,” she said. “And having an office that I am expected to be in four days a week made me feel like I really live and work here.”
Sports also helped her feel excited about being in Dallas. Along with missing her family, Kibens said she misses St. Louis sports teams. Now that she lives in Dallas, she has gone to basketball games to see the Dallas Mavericks and loves seeing people be excited about the city’s team.
Kibens also loves that she can often take walks on the Katy Trail, a former railroad bed that runs through the Uptown and Oak Lawn areas. It’s another way she feels connected to the Dallas community.
“The Katy Trail really changed my life,” she said. “I love walking on that trail and just getting girlfriends together and being like, ‘Anyone want to go for a walk?’ And you always run into people you know, and then you end up being like, ‘Hey, let’s go grab a beer at Ice House or Lucky Dog.’”
Kibens has found there’s a lot happening in Dallas. She likes that the winters don’t have “brutal” weather and that there are lots of different restaurants. She said she’s “rarely disappointed in trying a new place.” She also has found airline prices for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport can be good and offers a lot of destinations.
She has found another pro is the job market. She recalled talking to a relative who was potentially looking for work opportunities.
“If you’re really picky, it could take you a while to find something, but it’s not hard to be employed, I feel like, because there’s just so many opportunities everywhere,” Kibens said.
The unemployment rate in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has fluctuated. August’s non-seasonally adjusted rate of 4.1% was lower than the unadjusted national rate of 4.4% in the same month.
Kibens said traffic is a downside of living in Dallas and thinks people need a car to get around. She said rent can be a con but that the cost of groceries is similar to Missouri.
In her first Dallas apartment, she split her rent of around $2,400 a month. She said that excludes electric and internet costs. Now, she lives alone and pays just over $2,100 before factoring in utilities.
She said the amount of rent she pays seems “wild” to her but said other people would say her rent is not too bad.
Zillow showed that apartment rent in Dallas is slightly cheaper than the median national rent when looking at the rent regardless of the number of bedrooms — $1,477 compared to $1,497.
Home prices in Dallas have generally remained stable over the past few years. Redfin data showed that the median single-family home sold for around $460,000 in September 2024, and monthly median sales prices have broadly hovered between the mid $300K and mid $500K range since 2021.
Overall, Kibens is happy she ended up in Dallas.
“I think it just takes time; anytime you move, it takes time to feel acclimated to where you’re at,” she said.
What was your moving experience like? Email this reporter at mhoff@businessinsider.com.
Louisville Kings coach Chris Redman on finding success in Derby City
Louisville Kings head coach Chris Redman discusses what the UFL franchise must do to succeed in the Derby City after its debut at Lynn Family Stadium.
The Louisville Kings notched their third consecutive win Sunday, 37-23 over the Dallas Renegades in front of an announced crowd of 10,378 at Lynn Family Stadium.
Louisville improved to 5-4 and moved a full game in front of the Birmingham Stallions in the race for the fourth and final spot in the United Football League playoffs. Chris Redman’s team needs only to win next week’s regular-season finale against the Columbus Aviators at Historic Crew Stadium to earn a trip to the postseason. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. May 31.
“Starting 0-3 this season, to be able to rally back and give ourselves a chance to (reach the postseason) is amazing,” Redman said. “I’m just really excited about this team and the opportunity that’s presenting itself.”
Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s win:
Trailing 17-16 around the 12-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Kings quarterback Chandler Rogers connected with Isaiah Winstead for a 40-yard touchdown that gave Louisville the lead for good.
That was one of Rogers’ seven completions of 20-plus yards. The former backup finished the evening 16 for 21, with a season-high 266 yards (16.6 per completion) and two touchdowns.
“We knew that their corners could not hang with our receivers,” Rogers said. “We took advantage of that, especially when they were playing in (a) two-high shell.”
Rogers spread the wealth Sunday. Five Kings players had receptions of 20-plus yards. Tarik Black led the way with three.
Black posted a game-high 82 receiving yards (20.5 per catch). He and Rogers linked up for a 22-yard touchdown that pushed the Kings’ lead to 37-17 with 3:28 remaining in regulation.
“Coach Redman gave me the keys to the franchise, and we’ve been on a roll ever since,” Rogers said.
When the Kings beat the Renegades in April, running backs Ian Wheeler and James Robinson combined for a season-high 147 rushing yards.
Round 2 on Sunday felt like a full-circle moment for a team that struggled to move the ball on the ground during the first four weeks of the season. Behind 93 yards on 13 carries from Wheeler and 88 on 22 carries from Robinson, Louisville set a new season high with 205 rushing yards.
“Once we get going — once that hole is open — me or Ian can pop off,” Robinson said.
To his point: Both RBs gashed Dallas for gains of 20-plus yards. And both came up big in the fourth quarter.
Robinson willed his way into the end zone for a two-point conversion after Rogers and Winstead’s 40-yard touchdown around the 12-minute mark. Wheeler delivered a 1-yard score with 7:47 remaining in regulation.
Behind Wheeler and Robinson’s big day, the Kings dominated time of possession — 34:15 vs. 25:45.
The Kings made some costly first-half mistakes — and committed a lot of penalties
The Kings took a 13-10 lead into the locker room. They should have had a lot more breathing room, considering they had 250 yards of total offense to Dallas’ 81.
The following “what if?” moments loomed large:
- What if the Kings’ defense came up with a stop on fourth-and-2 instead of allowing a 36-yard touchdown pass on the Renegades’ opening drive?
- What if Robinson didn’t fumble 3 yards shy of the end zone on Louisville’s first drive of the game?
- What if a Dallas super challenge of Lucky Jackson’s 63-yard punt return for a touchdown didn’t reveal an illegal block above the waist?
- What if free safety Keaton Ellis didn’t gift the Renegades 44 yards on a pass interference penalty, leading to a field goal?
The flag on Ellis was one of 13 (for a whopping 156 yards) that went against the Kings. That can’t happen if Louisville wants to make a deep playoff run.
“That’s the beauty (of) football: You can have a win, but there are always things to get better at,” Redman said.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
It’s been a month of extremes for Poorvesh Thakkar.
The India-born, Dallas-based developer was slapped with a lawsuit trying to eject him from a Midtown Manhattan office building he bought in 2024.
The legal challenge comes amid unseasonably sunny days for Thakkar, who recently reached a milestone in his Mustang Square development. That’s notable, because, despite launching his real estate development company in 2016, his development chops are still largely untested, as his pitched projects have mostly been delayed or aborted.
Thakkar recently sold a 3.5-acre slice of the mixed-use project in Plano to an entity tied to Carrollton-based Madewell Spaces. The buyer said its plans to build 13 “standalone luxury office condominiums. D.R. Horton bought a swath of homesites at the project.
Thakkar claims the project is “almost fully sold out and developed.”
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the project, because Thakkar’s legal trouble in New York seems more indicative of his success as a developer than this Plano project.
The saga of the Midtown Manhattan office tower starts with an almost incomprehensible bet on the part of Thakkar:The largely untested developer struggling to get projects off the ground in his hometown of Dallas bought an office building in New York City with plans to turn it into a residential property, a tricky maneuver even for a seasoned developer.
The only thing that can explain the move is the price tag. Thakkar bought the 23-story building at 135 West 50th Street on auction site Ten-X for $8.5 million, a 97 percent discount to its 2006 sale price.
Safehold, which owns the land beneath the building, claims Thakkar’s firm failed to pay $9 million in property taxes that were due Jan. 1, 2025, and has since racked up almost $28 million in unpaid taxes, interest and other penalties.
After Thakkar failed to meet repeated extension deadlines and forbearance agreements, Safehold notified the firm that it was terminating the ground lease and demanded it surrender the building, according to the lawsuit. Thakkar refused to vacate the property, and the land owner is now seeking their immediate ejection, according to the complaint. He dug his heels in further with a countersuit in which he claims the ground landlord iced him out of his planned conversion project.
Thakkar could win his case in New York and completely sell out Mustang Square and he’ll still face question marks as a developer, thanks to the litany of lawsuits he’s faced, with allegations ranging from loan defaults to EB-5 fraud. The legal trouble appears to have peaked with real estate offering fraud charges filed by the SEC in February.
Austin’s Ayn Rand Museum
In case you missed Elon Musk’s recent embrace of Austin, the summer isn’t the only thing that’s hot in Austin. So is libertarianism. As war-tech startups set up camp in nearby Proto-Town, libertarian icon Ayn Rand is getting a museum built in her honor. The foundation dedicated to preserving the manuscripts of the Russia-born philosopher famous for her “Objectivism” theory is building a $30 million monument to Rand in the form of a library, exhibition room, office and “higher education classroom spaces.”
Fifth Third ditches Downtown Dallas
Dallas’ beleaguered downtown is still smarting from the news that anchor tenant AT&T is moving to Plano. To add insult to injury, Fifth Third Bank is ditching downtown, too, after its merger with Comerica Bank. Fifth Third is leaving a 200,000-square-foot vacancy in Comerica Tower. While the Ohio-based bank won’t settle into the still-under-construction site at 8300 Douglas Avenue until late 2028, it will leave its 200,000-square-foot lease at the 60-story Comerica Bank Tower at 1717 Main Street before the end of the summer.
Meet Poorvesh Thakkar, the Dallas owner Safehold is trying to eject from a Manhattan tower
It’s official: Fifth Third Bank will exit Downtown Dallas Comerica Tower after Comerica merger
Austin in line for $30M of libertarian development devoted to Ayn Rand
Read more
FC Dallas wraps up the first portion of the regular season tonight when they take on the Colorado Rapids.
Lineups are in from both sides. Let’s dive into what Eric Quill’s starting group looks like, who is on the bench, and who we believe will see minutes later on in this one.
What Changed From Last Match
With no Petar Musa (and Deedson), who is away preparing for next month’s World Cup, we get to see Logan Farrington return to the lineup. He’ll have Santiago Moreno and Joaquin Valiente with him in the attack.
Ran Binyamin also returns to the lineup after being on the bench last weekend in San Jose.
The defense sees the biggest shift, with Osaze Urhoghide out with an injury this weekend (more of a precaution than anything else I’m told). The defense will be lead by veterans Shaq Moore, Sebastien Ibeagha and Herman Johansson.
FC Dallas Lineup Notes:
Formation: 3-4-3
FC Dallas vs Colorado Rapids
Starting XI
Bench
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Who should come off the bench?
Given the way Quill has rotated players in and out lately, it is fair to say we’ll see Cappis and Sarver off the bench. Outside of those two, we could get either Louis or Simmonds if there is another attacking need late in the match. But if he needs to go defense, don’t sleep on either Nolan Norris or Lalas Abubakar get some minutes here.
Key Question Heading Into Kickoff
Can FC Dallas wrap up this portion of the schedule on a positive note?
Dallas has been very good in their last two road games, winning in places that they hadn’t won at in over a decade or two. Colorado is no different, as they’ve struggled to pick up results here over the years. With nearly two months off coming up after this one, getting this portion of the season under their belts with a positive result is a must. Dallas needs to come out with energy early, and work those transition moments late in the match when the Rapids have tired legs to finish this one out.
Suspended: none
International duty: Petar Musa, Deedson
Season-ending injury list: Kaka Scabin (knee)
Out: Anderson Julio (Lower leg), Bernard Kamungo (lower leg)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Enes Sali (Al-Riyadh), Malachi Molina (Nashville SC), Geovane Jesus (North Texas SC), Enzo Newman (North Texas SC)
Unavailable (off-roster): Daniel Baran, Jaidyn Contreras
Colorado Lineup:
Formation: 4-3-3
Starting XI
How to watch
📅 Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
⚽️ Kickoff: 8:30 PM
🏟 Venue: Dicks Sporting Goods Park
📺 Streaming: MLS Season Pass
💬 Gameday Social: #FCDvCOL
☀️ Weather: 67, sunny
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