well some of the nicer areas to live in are in the far north... plano, little elm, mckinney, frisco, allen.... living in any of those places you'll likely have to drive a decent ways for any job. I believe there are nice areas on the ft worth side of things, but i dont venture out that way much so i wouldnt know.

weather... it's hot. ac 24/7 in the summer and no you don't get used to 100deg days i don't care what people say you just dont get used to that.

I've only moved here about 3 years ago after college and so far have lived in Dallas/Richardson (I was right on the line so I claim both of them), Euless, and Grapevine.  So far I have like Grapevine by far the most.  Euless lives up to it's nickname "Useless," about the only good thing about being there was it's almost halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth (I work in Dallas but go out in Arlington or Fort Worth).  Dallas was too big for me.  

I'll agree w/ rentz, I've lived in Texas my whole life and I dread every summer.  Even years like this one where it isn't god awful hot, there are mosquitos everywhere b/c of all the rain.  Weather has to be the worst part of Texas, except of course for the Rangers.  

Well, usually summer lasts 4-5 months, as does winter, which only leaves about 4 weeks of spring and 4 weeks of fall.  The heat is only oppressive for about 5 weeks from mid July to August, but there are many things to do other than sit next to your AC Unit to beat the heat.  There are 5 legitimate lakes for fishing, skiing, swimming, etc.  Many homes and communities have pools.  If you are looking for a somewhat established community that has good schools and is centrally located, you should check out Southlake, Valley Ranch, and Coppell in addition to the suggestion of Richardson above.

Dallas is a great place to live...there are plenty of nice places to reside, I completely agree with Rentz on his.  I personally live really close to the Galleria, and love the proximity to all the highways/tollroads.  The Prestonwood neighborhood in far North Dallas is where I grew up, that's a great neighborhood.  Frisco's nice, but the further away you get from Dallas the more of a pain it can be getting into the city.

as for the heat here, it's unbearable when you're in work clothes, and yes the A/C is running constantly.  a pool is a necessity, so if you move into a house, get one with a pool or near a community pool.  If you move into an apartment or condo, you should be set.  but other than June - August, I think Dallas has some of the better weather around

There are a lot of nice areas in the suburbs and if you're coming from Orange County, you could probably even afford some nice areas in Dallas. Which basically means, if living near work is a consideration, then find the job and then you can find a nice area near it.

Personally, I live in Flower Mound, which is pretty centrally located. I work in North Dallas now (30 min commute), but also can make to my seat at the Ranger game from home in about 40 min most days (depending on parking). We have good schools (if that is a consideration). We are close enough to Dallas and Fort Worth that getting to and from either place is not an all day effort. I'm also 5 min from a lake and 10 min north of DFW airport.

If I had it to do over, I might choose Frisco, but that would take a bite into my Ranger game attendance (since it is a good hour to the game from Frisco). I'd have to survive on Roughrider games I guess.

You don't get used to 100+ degree high humidity weather.  I lived in TX for 28 years, and whenever I do go back during the summer, I quickly remember one reason why I left.  And I'm not sure north Dallas is any less of a rat race than southern california. I lived in east Dallas Lakewood area for 4 years, and it was okay. More diverse, close to lower Greenville and downtown. Not the cookie cutter mcmansions with no trees in site that a lot of the burbs have (though I have heard about people tearing down the old homes and building huge out of place houses in these old neighborhoods. Shame) Schools will be an issue in a few years for you though, so you'd have to look into that.

My advice - stay in CA, just move north.

at the end of July.  Born and raised in north Ft. Worth and that's probably where we will end up again.  Keller/Watauga/N. Richland Hills/etc is very middle-to-upper-middle class (especially NRH) and does not compare in any way to the rat-race that is Dallas.  

Believe it or not, there is a lot of cultural difference b/w Dallas and Ft. Worth.  Dallas is oil money and Ft. Worth is cattle money.

If my wife wasn't taking a job with Keller schools, I'd rather live in Arlington again.  That's where I went to junior high and high school.

Well, if you want to avoid some of the materialsim I would stay away from Plano and Frisco.  I grew up there and it was pretty bad.  I would like to think that I turned out alright, but that has more to do with my parents than my environment.

...then by all means, welcome.

as someone who's lived here their entire life (26 years)... i can proudly say that there's a lot to like about this area.  the cost of living is a lot cheaper, no doubt... several communities are growing at unbelievable rates... there's a lot of cultural diversity...

if you enjoy a swanky lifestyle, then uptown Dallas is where you want to be.  there's fine dining and shopping... the arts district... it's all centrally located.  that area has been booming the last few years, thanks in part to the American Airlines Center...

but, if you're more of a suburbanite, then you can't go wrong with Frisco.  it's one of the fastest growing cities in America.  personally i think it's being over-developed... it's gone from farmland to concrete, practically overnight... but, there's a lot to like about it too.  RoughRiders baseball, FC Dallas soccer... many companies (JCPenneys, Frito-Lay, EDS) have based their headquarters up that way too... in Frisco, north Plano... so, depending on what your business is, you might not have to drive far to work... just another attractive aspect of that community...

Frisco isn't the only place though.  Grapevine is a fantastic town.  it's not as big as Frisco... it's close to DFW airport... it's right in the heart of the metroplex... so you're not too far from Dallas or Fort Worth.  the downtown district is very old fashioned, and very well kept...

speaking of downtowns... Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth is a hot-spot for nightlife.  it's one of the cleanest downtowns you're likely to visit... and then right down the street, you have the Stockyards, which has it's roots in the Old West, but is still fun to check out every now and then for a little culture.  lots of restaurants and bars to choose from... you'd do well to check it out if you haven't already... but, beware of the TCU college crowd.  man, those kids are douche-bags...

other communities south of fort worth are expanding likewise... Burleson, the Mansfield area... most of these places are becoming more eclectic, and aren't as rural or rustic as they used to be.

and then you have Arlington... which you would think had already grown itself out... but, the entire city is getting a "facelift", so to speak, thanks in part to the Cowboys new stadium, and the Super Bowl... but Arlington has been, and always will be, entertainment central... Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers...

damn, i should sell real estate...

but, you'd be well-advised to know that it does get very hot here in the summer, late summer especially... you're pretty much screwed in august and september... there's no rain... not very many clouds... you literally break a sweat your first minute outside...

if you can put up with that, you'll do fine here.

first round's on me.

I work in an industry where I have to convince people to relocate to different parts of the country.  My job would be much easier if I had to convince people to move here, rather than North Dakota.  
From reading your post, it sounds like a different lifestyle for your little one is the primary motivating factor.  That's why we chose Arlington.  The neighborhood we live in is very well established, and has the best combination of schools anywhere in the city.  It's quite, has lots of trees, and a very reasonable $/sq. ft. equation.  The only real drawback for us is that there aren't as many young families as you see in Frisco, southeast Arlington, Keller, etc.  
The final decision would depend on your priorities and lifestyle.  I can be at TBIA or Bass Hall in about 15 minutes.  Same for the FT. Worth Zoo.  I bought 2300 ft. with a pool in a great neighborhood for about $175, and it's appreciated to about $215 in 5 years.  Can't beat that.

Bottom line is that there are a number of nice options in the metroplex and, depending on what you want / need on a daily basis, you should have no trouble finding an area and neighborhood that would suit your needs....without going bankrupt.  Now the electric bills from running your pool pump and A/C, that's another story...