Slightly OT: Moving to Dallas area

[lunalibre]

I agree totally with jackskellingtongirl that Governor Hair seems to hate public education, but if you get a good school in a good school district, the parents WILL find ways to keep the quality up. I can't wait to vote ALL the blasted incumbents out in 2 years.

At any rate, I think you'll find that Dallas is a really nice place to live. There's tons of stuff to do for families around here. I've lived here over 20 years and it's a great place to raise a family.

OP, you said you had a 5th grader. 5th grade is typically the last year of elementary school here, but some districts run elementary as K-6. Be sure to check the quality of the middle and high school as well as the elementary school. Talk to everyone you can (work colleages, realtors, etc.) before making a choice.

Good luck, and welcome to Dallas!

 

[JeffPort]

If your husband wants to avoid a long commute with rush hour traffic issues, and you have school-age children which you plan to enroll in public schools ... Then ...

I think your best bet would be to look to what is called "Far North Dallas." It is the finger of Dallas proper that extends above the LBJ Freeway. Even though you will be in the city limits, the school district lines for nearly all of that area fall in Richardson or Plano schools -- both well-respected public school districts.

From a traffic-flow perspective, "Hillcrest Road" is a bit of an overlooked secret for getting North-South within the city of Dallas. For whatever reason, most people don't use that road for commutes, making it an efficient route when other streets and highways are clogged. There are some very nice, reasonably-priced, neighborhoods off of Hillcrest. The nicest is called Northwood Hills Estates.

Good luck with your move!

 

[piperdown]

My take...it really depends on what you're looking for in a community. I grew up in Waxahachie, which a few people have mentioned, and my mother currently lives in Plano.

If you're looking for high-end shopping, lots of entertainment options, and new home construction, then North Dallas (ex: Plano/Frisco area) is a great area. I never attended the schools there, but my younger brother did. I've heard good things. The only downside with the schools, which unfortunately my brother got caught up with, are kids with too much money and not enough supervision. DB was there in the late 90s/early 00s, so things may have changed. Also, with regards to DB, who has severe ADHD and various learning disabilities, the Plano schools provided excellent services when he was in elementary and middle school.

Waxahachie is a growing community, but with a small town feel. The schools aren't the very best, but are very good. The town has a rich history and some beautiful historic homes. However, there are not nearly the shopping/retail outlets, but those can be reached with a 30-40 min drive.

Basically, if you want clean and new, look at Plano/Frisco. If you want historic and close-knit, look at Waxahachie.

 

[piperdown]

Ellis county here!!! We are 30 mins south of Dallas in Waxahachie, and it is a whole 'nother world here.
If you want a small town with great schools, look in our area- Waxahachie, Red Oak, Ovilla, Palmer, or Maypearl. Waxahachie is the county seat of Ellis county, so it is the largest city and has everything a suburban town needs. Some of the smaller towns have one school and a traffic light.

North Dallas has TOO much congestion and traffic. If your hubby is concerned about the drive into Dallas, he can get on the DART bus in Glenn Heights, which is just right outside of Red Oak.

Go Hatchie! Class of '90

 

[piperdown]

I sooo totally get your frustration...and it made me just madder whenever i'd see legions of illegal aliens sitting in the county hospital or at the other social service agencies or the schools full of children that don't speak the language and the answer is to get spanish-speaking teachers. That is sort of my pet peeve. And it's prolly best if I shut up now about all this. It makes my blood boil, too.

Yes, I, too, would have happily paid IF the government would have done something useful but we know how that would go.

Thank goodness my kids are grown and I'm retired. I hope the gubmint never utters my name again.

I understand your frustration, and agree that illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be addressed. However, please do not assume that every person you see that predominantly speaks Spanish is an illegal alien. My co-worker, who has had a VISA to work in the US for several years, was only recently able to obtain VISAs for his wife and daughter, and they have now moved to be with him. They, the wife and daughter, speak very little English. They are learning quickly, but if you saw them on the street, they would most likely be speaking Spanish. Why? Because it more comfortable for them, and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

If your husband wants to avoid a long commute with rush hour traffic issues, and you have school-age children which you plan to enroll in public schools ... Then ...

I think your best bet would be to look to what is called "Far North Dallas." It is the finger of Dallas proper that extends above the LBJ Freeway. Even though you will be in the city limits, the school district lines for nearly all of that area fall in Richardson or Plano schools -- both well-respected public school districts.

From a traffic-flow perspective, "Hillcrest Road" is a bit of an overlooked secret for getting North-South within the city of Dallas. For whatever reason, most people don't use that road for commutes, making it an efficient route when other streets and highways are clogged. There are some very nice, reasonably-priced, neighborhoods off of Hillcrest. The nicest is called Northwood Hills Estates.

Good luck with your move!

Depending on which stretch of Hillcrest and what time you are driving, there are a TON of school zones. There are also train tracks. We live in Preston Hollow and I interviewed for a job in Plano. Hillcrest would have been the most direct route, so I paid really close attention to what sort of things I would encounter on that commute. I ended up taking a job in another area so I don't actually know how long it takes to get there from here on a regular basis.

 

[sahmoftwo]

You might also consider the Sachse/Wylie area....it's near Murphy, Garland, Plano, Richardson with very close access to George Bush and the DART rails. My next door neighbor works in downtown Dallas and takes the Dart rail and loves it.

 

[JeffPort]

Depending on which stretch of Hillcrest and what time you are driving, there are a TON of school zones. There are also train tracks. We live in Preston Hollow and I interviewed for a job in Plano. Hillcrest would have been the most direct route, so I paid really close attention to what sort of things I would encounter on that commute. I ended up taking a job in another area so I don't actually know how long it takes to get there from here on a regular basis.

While not wanting to get into a debate, I'll just point out that we lived off of Hillcrest in Far North Dallas for over 15 years, moving just a few years ago. There are no active train track crossings in Dallas. The one track that is active is up north, in Plano. The OP has already stated that her husband has a job in downtown Dallas, so Plano would be a non-issue for her. Hillcrest is not a good commute through Plano, but it is through Dallas. As for the school zones ... Yep, there are some. If traveling at those times of the day, a slow-down is required -- but that is much preferable to the alternative grid-lock through several red-light cycles in rush-hour intersections on the other roads, and the stop-n-go traffic on Hwy 75 and the Tollway.

I'm not saying that it makes sense to take Hillcrest all the way to downtown. The road doesn't even make it that far (ending just south of SMU). But it does give persons from Far North Dallas a viable route south of LBJ Freeway, where Hwy 75 and the Tollway typically loosen up for those who need to proceed further south. It also works in reverse. Countless times, I jumped off the north-bound freeways when there was heavy evening traffic and trek'ed up Hillcrest without much difficulty.

 

[momof2intx]

What is your housing budget like? That will make a difference in the cities that might work for you. Also, what are the ages of your kiddos?

I'm in the Flower Mound / Lewisville area and our district (LISD) is really good. Low crime, close to Dallas and many up and coming suburban areas...lots of families, kids, etc....

The only thing about Frisco is that toll roads surround it and you will be paying a lot for tolls even if you get a toll tag. My husband works in Plano and to drive there every day and back costs us upwards of over $150 a month in tolls.

 

[It'sOffToDisneyWeGo]

We live in Allen(between Plano and McKinney) and love it. My only complaint would be the size of the high school. There is only one high school and it is huge. It makes it difficult when your child is trying to make a sports team. If they play an instrument in the band you have it made. I think it is the largest band in the state of Texas.

I also agree with another poster. It all depends what you are looking for. Allen has great shopping, dining, schools and a wonderful park and rec. I think you might have to figure out your priorities and list them.

 

[Planogirl]

We live in Frisco and so far Frisco is resisting laying off any teachers but looking for other ways to deal with the budget issue. The schools are relatively small and the facilities are good.

We like Frisco but it's growing like mad and traffic is an issue. Our esteemed governor is also mostly responsible for the tollroads that almost surround us now. Toll roads do tend to have lighter traffic though.

We used to live in Plano and it's nice too but the schools are big and they have their issues. You will find traffic there too and actually all over the metroplex even to the south of Dallas.

Good luck and welcome!

 

[EMom]

My son goes to private school in Rockwall. We live in a small community 20 miles East of downtown Dallas. (Forney)

PM me when you get moved. I would love to meet a fellow DIS member. What ages are your children?

Ahhhhh....Forney. Every time we drove through there, we'd jokingly call their football team the Forney Cators. I have no idea what they really were, but the Forney Cators had a ring to it.

 

[Belle5]

Ahhhhh....Forney. Every time we drove through there, we'd jokingly call their football team the Forney Cators. I have no idea what they really were, but the Forney Cators had a ring to it.

Wait! You stole (what I thought was) our private joke! We say the same thing!

 

[EMom]

Wait! You stole (what I thought was) our private joke! We say the same thing!

Great minds think alike! When you come from a town named Forney, it simply MUST be followed by a mascot named "Cators." I think we played them in the playoffs once and we were dying to get fake ribbons (remember ribbons for football games?) with Forney Cators on them. Didn't happen.

I don't know where you're from, but I grew up a couple of hours from Dallas, and we lived to drive through Forney, just for the chance to make jokes about the Forney Cators.

 

[beansmom]

I understand your frustration, and agree that illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be addressed. However, please do not assume that every person you see that predominantly speaks Spanish is an illegal alien. My co-worker, who has had a VISA to work in the US for several years, was only recently able to obtain VISAs for his wife and daughter, and they have now moved to be with him. They, the wife and daughter, speak very little English. They are learning quickly, but if you saw them on the street, they would most likely be speaking Spanish. Why? Because it more comfortable for them, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I am not assuming anything. I lived in Texas for 30 years. And, frankly, if you immigrate to a country, then you should learn to speak its language.

Illegal immigration is a HUGE drain on the resources in Texas. The keyword here is 'ILLEGAL'. If you don't have permission to live and work here, then you should not be given services. And I don't really care HOW politically incorrect that makes me. We have plenty of Americans who need assistance...we don't have to import them in.

 

[EMom]

I am not assuming anything. I lived in Texas for 30 years. And, frankly, if you immigrate to a country, then you should learn to speak its language.

Illegal immigration is a HUGE drain on the resources in Texas. The keyword here is 'ILLEGAL'. If you don't have permission to live and work here, then you should not be given services. And I don't really care HOW politically incorrect that makes me. We have plenty of Americans who need assistance...we don't have to import them in.

Amen to that! I am beyond sick of going to the mall or a restaurant and being the only English speaking family in earshot. It's as if we're not even in the US any longer. And forget getting a teaching position if you don't speak Spanish. We are constantly complaining that our English speaking children are getting the short end of the stick because they are not taught Spanish, even though Spanish speakers are taught English. Considering our kids will need to be bilingual to get a job, it is that group that is getting an inferior education. We are setting them up to be at a disadvantage to the Spanish speakers who are getting free bilingual education. Ridiculous.

 

[beansmom]

Amen to that! I am beyond sick of going to the mall or a restaurant and being the only English speaking family in earshot. It's as if we're not even in the US any longer. And forget getting a teaching position if you don't speak Spanish. We are constantly complaining that our English speaking children are getting the short end of the stick because they are not taught Spanish, even though Spanish speakers are taught English. Considering our kids will need to be bilingual to get a job, it is that group that is getting an inferior education. We are setting them up to be at a disadvantage to the Spanish speakers who are getting free bilingual education. Ridiculous.

yanno, i went to Italy earlier this year (not Italy, TX altho they don't really speak English there, either, ) and altho I was happy that a lot of the people did speak some English, I didn't expect it. I quickly learned how to say small numbers, 'how much does that cost' and 'excuse me'.

I knew a lady once who was from the Sudan...she never worked outside, depended on her husband for everything including translation....what do you thnk happened when he died and she had to fend for herself?

 

[pooh98378]

I would look into Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake, Flower Mound, and Frisco.