Quote:
Originally Posted by LB Life07
Hello all, I'm new to posting anything on the Dallas thread, I'm from Cali, I live in the Los Angeles\ Long Beach metro area in the city of Long Beach, I'm planning on making the move to the Dallas \ Ft. Worth area by the end of the year. It's been a hard decision for me to leave Cali, I'm born and raised in the Los Angeles area my whole life. I've been a lot of places in my life and I haven't been to a place that I can say has better weather, a better natural setting and that's really as culturally diverse. However, quality of life is declining, our state tax is 10%, the cost of living is extremely high, commute times are ridiculous and as a family man with 2 young children I'm really beginning to feel the effects of living in a 17 million person metro region. Crowding, weakening education systems, median home prices of 350,000 to 450,000 just to get a small two or 3 bedroom home in a not so decent area with no yard because of no room to put a patch of green space between houses. So you see how my reasons for leaving out weigh my reasons for staying. I've been to dallas a few times before and even spent 6 weeks in the area on job related business so I know what to expect as far as the differences between the two cities, my question for forumers is, what are some of the nicer areas to live? Keeping in account that I work for Department of Homeland Security, my work would be in the city of dallas, I don't mind a commute of 30 minutes or so. I'm looking to spend between 150,000 to 200,000 on a home but will probably rent for the first year I'm there so I can have a complete feel of things. I'm 29 going on 30, my wife is 27 and we have 2 kids, age 7 and a little one who turns 3 on Halloween. I've heard Fortworth is nice as well as Arlington and Plano but how far of a commute to my work location would those places be? Also any other suggestions are appreciated and thank you in advance
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If you want to live in Dallas proper to be closer to your work, one of the best neighborhoods in the City of Dallas to consider would be the "M" Streets area. I think another poster mentioned this as well.
The "M" Streets are roughly bounded by Mockingbird Lane to the North, North Central Expressway to the West, Abrams Road to the East, and Vanderbilt to the South. The area is called "M" Streets because so many of the streets in the neighborhood begin with "M" - Mockingbird, Monticello, McCommas, Merrimac, Martel, Matalee, Morningside, Mercedes, Marquita, and Malcolm. There are other street names, too, but you get the picture of how the moniker "M" Streets was derived.
Beautiful original brick Tudor and Traditional style bungalows can be purchased in the price range you are looking for. They would usually be a 2 bedroom 1 bath, maybe 3 bedroom 1 bath and possibly 2 baths just depending. The neighborhood is among the most desirable in Dallas and has seen an enormous amount of gentrification and re-development over the years to the point that it is highly sought after, with half million to million dollar residences heavily interspersed among the original 20's, 30's and 40's era homes. The neighborhood has manicured lawns with beautiful large mature trees throughout, and has parks, golf courses, and libraries located within it with beautiful White Rock Lake nearby.
The neighborhood is literally just across Central Expressway from Highland Park, which is equivalent to Beverly Hills in LA. It is extremely centrally in-town located, being just minutes away from world class shopping (Northpark Center, Highland Park Village, Snider Plaza, Preston Center), Downtown Dallas and all that it has to offer, entertainment venues, cultural amenities, incredible restaurants, etc. It has easy access to anywhere in metro Dallas either by car via Central Expressway or by DART Rail via Mockingbird Station.
If you lease or purchase in the "M" Streets, make sure you are in the area for your 7 year old to attend Stonewall Jackson Elementary School. Stonewall Jackson is among the highest rated schools in the entire State of Texas. Even though it is part of the DISD, it has an incredibly strong parent involvement that has consistently produced some of the highest academic excellence ratings for its student body in the City or the State.
"M" Streets in the Stonewall Jackson school district is the best of all worlds, really. Lots of young families and professionals call the "M" Streets home. Compared to LA, the neighborhood is an absolute steal for what you get! I have lived there for 15 years in my own home and also own a rental property and I highly recommend it. It has basically held steady in home values even during the worst of the downturn and has nowhere to go but up; it is an excellent investment right now as the neighborhood traditionally has seen strong upward appreciation over the years.
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