STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

MissMee · Kate Spade

Still need TX/DFW area help!

txgal · BCBG

Being young and unattached I love living in Dallas proper. But, I know that if I ever had kids I would either have to move or pay for private schools. If I had to choose a suburb though, it would either be Southlake or even Colleyville/Grapevine. Also, I'm not sure what your price range is for a house, but I would love to live in Highland Park/University Park. You get the best of living in the middle of Dallas, but the great school system that Highland Park has to offer. Just my 2 cents. Good luck in your search. I'm sure that it can't be easy trying to decide from so far away.

Hermione · Kate Spade

i'll second the highland/ university park area, but it is VERY pricey! not sure what your range is ... i am pretty sure highland park highschool is one of the best publics in the country though ...

i have heard nice things about southlake, as a developing area, but i think it is still fairly "new."

i really really hate lewisville ...

i'm surprised no one has mentioned plano to you yet - plano is sortof known as the "nouveau riche" area around here - it's all fairly well to do families, everything is huge and clean and beautiful, great schools, shopping, safe ...

i love it!

MissMee · Kate Spade

Hermione wrote:

i'm surprised no one has mentioned plano to you yet - plano is sortof known as the "nouveau riche" area around here - it's all fairly well to do families, everything is huge and clean and beautiful, great schools, shopping, safe ... i love it!

Meh. Plano is just so big, and there are parts that aren't so great. I think that's why it hasn't been on any short lists.

Hermione · Kate Spade

also check out las colinas, the nice part of irving

Jahni · Dooney & Bourke

I live near the TX\OK border and regularly go to DFW to shop and hangout. My cousin graduated from Colleyville Heritage and did not like it. In fact, it's getting so bad that her two younger sisters will most likely be going to private school when they reach high school age.

But on the other hand, she can't quit talking about South Lake. She calls it "Land of the Golden Child." She says that it's just something about the school, but every girl is beautiful and smart and every guy is hot and athletic.

I've heard a lot about South Lake, it seems like a really nice neighborhood, and the shopping is AMAZING!
I know this isn't very helpful but I'm a little bored and thought I'd put in my two cents!

MissMee · Kate Spade

I was just looking in to Las Colinas, thanx to jessallen! I'm not sure hubby would go for it since it's technically inside a larger city (same w/ Highland and University Parks, though he'd make an exception for those). Plus, I believe he's only allowing $500,000 to spend so HP wouldn't be in that range for the size we need. I wish I could go dollar-for-dollar what we could sell our house here for to buy one there! Hubba-hubba!

Here's our punch list (or his):

good schools

small(ish) town

cute downtown area

trees (doesn't like that west TX look)

non-cookie cutter neighborhoods

big neighborhoods

lots of retail/restaurants in or near

safe!!!!

MissMee · Kate Spade

Jahni wrote:

She calls it "Land of the Golden Child." She says that it's just something about the school, but every girl is beautiful and smart and every guy is hot and athletic.

Hmmm. Guess that's a great way to boost the kids' self-esteem! Or not. it does seem to be the least scary town. I don't think there are any apartments or rental properties at all in Southlake, but not sure why.

Kari · Dooney & Bourke

Have you checked any of these:

Wylie

Rockwall

Garland

I've never lived down there, so I don't know a lot...but I had in-laws that lived in Wylie...It was a cute little town close enough to Dallas. The hubby coaches in Rockwall and it seemed really nice too.

Hermione · Kate Spade

ok, let me just say that i HATE garland and i so does everyone else i know

it's not that safe, there's a TON of apt complexes with minimum wage-types living there (not that i'm above that, i'm poor myself, but just saying)

the town is depressing and the mall is very very ghetto

laken1 · Hermes

Hermoine & I are on the exact same page. Since you & i talked about this I've been out to Irving / Las Colinas - OMG - so nice. I had no clue. And that's what i was going to suggest as I read this. I still haven't been to Southlake but I haven't heard one bad thing about it. Garland is an armpit. Seriously, I hate even going over there & it just seems so far removed...they are building a pretty nice shopping area, but if you care you can visit. You don't need to live there. I am also in love with Richardson, but it's more "old settled" houses that you can redo, or have been redone, if that makes sense.

ETA: I do like Lewisville for whatever reason (close to DH work) & Carrollton, but in your price range I'd go with the above suggestions. And I know nothing about the school systems in any of my suggestions because I don't have kids & never cared. Sorry.

-- Edited by laken1 at 20:46, 2006-02-07

HeatherLynn · Gucci

I have posted before and my favs are South Lake and Las Colinas. My college roommate lives in Euless and it is really nice there. Not sure as far as schools, but you should check it out. I have a friend who lives in Highland Park, and while the area is very nice, it is very expensive and it is surrounds by not as nice areas. So if you are on the outside of Highland Park it is definitely not worth IMO.

txgal · BCBG

I have a friend who lives in one of the nicest parts of Las Colinas. She loves it, but she won't put her kids in school there when she has them. They'll either move or put them in private. The kids would go to Irving schools and they aren't that great. I don't know if you've looked at the part of Dallas called Lake Highlands. It is in Dallas city limits, but the schools are Richardson. The Lake Highlands schools are really great. You get the best of both worlds being in Dallas and having good schools. Plus the houses are really reasonable. Just a thought.

jessallen · Nine West

Hermione wrote:

ok, let me just say that i HATE garland and i so does everyone else i know
it's not that safe, there's a TON of apt complexes with minimum wage-types living there (not that i'm above that, i'm poor myself, but just saying)
the town is depressing and the mall is very very ghetto

Oh yeah, Garland is baaaad. I used to live right on the edge of Garland and Lakewood over near White Rock lake. On my side of the street it was great, but crossing the line after dark into Garland was a whole other world!

jessallen · Nine West

MissMee wrote:

I was just looking in to Las Colinas, thanx to jessallen! I'm not sure hubby would go for it since it's technically inside a larger city (same w/ Highland and University Parks, though he'd make an exception for those). Plus, I believe he's only allowing $500,000 to spend so HP wouldn't be in that range for the size we need. I wish I could go dollar-for-dollar what we could sell our house here for to buy one there! Hubba-hubba!
Here's our punch list (or his):

good schools
small(ish) town
cute downtown area
trees (doesn't like that west TX look)
non-cookie cutter neighborhoods
big neighborhoods
lots of retail/restaurants in or near
safe!!!!

Another place to maybe check out...It's in Dallas proper, but the area is called Lakewood. It's east Dallas, near White Rock lake, there are some beautiful houses/lots over there. Lots of trees too! I used to live in that area and I loved it. It doesn't seem like Dallas at all.

txgal · BCBG

jessallen wrote:

Another place to maybe check out...It's in Dallas proper, but the area is called Lakewood. It's east Dallas, near White Rock lake, there are some beautiful houses/lots over there. Lots of trees too! I used to live in that area and I loved it. It doesn't seem like Dallas at all.

I'll second Lakewood as a fabulous place. But, the only problem is it is Dallas school system. You would have to do private schools. It is a beautiful area though. I would love to live there. If you have any questions about specific areas feel free to PM me.

MissMee · Kate Spade

Thanks, girls. I'll check into some of those places and their school ratings. Sorry for the delayed reply, but I've been dog sick and so are my kids. Fun!

MissMee · Kate Spade

Darn it! I just looked up Lakewood, but all it shows is Lakewood Village. Is that the same? The houses were too small anyway, if that's the place. I need 5 bedrooms for all my kiddos.

eta: Lakewood........ Hmmmm. I may have used to live by there. I lived on Southwestern Blvd right near Northpark Center. Is that the area? I think there's a Bentley or Rolls dealership right there off of Northwest (?) that runs by the mall.

-- Edited by MissMee at 07:10, 2006-02-09

jessallen · Nine West

MissMee wrote:

Darn it! I just looked up Lakewood, but all it shows is Lakewood Village. Is that the same? The houses were too small anyway, if that's the place. I need 5 bedrooms for all my kiddos.

eta: Lakewood........ Hmmmm. I may have used to live by there. I lived on Southwestern Blvd right near Northpark Center. Is that the area? I think there's a Bentley or Rolls dealership right there off of Northwest (?) that runs by the mall.-- Edited by MissMee at 07:10, 2006-02-09

I think Lakewood Village is an actual town. The neighborhood Lakewood is in the vicinity of Abrams, south of Mockingbird, north of Gaston.

blink · Coach

Hermione wrote:

i'll second the highland/ university park area, but it is VERY pricey! not sure what your range is ... i am pretty sure highland park highschool is one of the best publics in the country though ... i have heard nice things about southlake, as a developing area, but i think it is still fairly "new." i really really hate lewisville ... i'm surprised no one has mentioned plano to you yet - plano is sortof known as the "nouveau riche" area around here - it's all fairly well to do families, everything is huge and clean and beautiful, great schools, shopping, safe ... i love it!

If you are concerned about prices in Southlake, you won't want to pay for Highland or University Park homes either. But if you like Dallas proper, consider Lake Highlands area, it's affordable for a younger family like yours, close to all the nice stuff in the city, and still good property investment.

Southlake and Grapevine, best school district, nationally recognized. Can't think of a community in the metroplex that will beat that, so if that is the big priority to you, decision is made. I like the area, just not the geographic location as I am more accustomed to Dallas city limits and most of the communities straight north: Richardson, Plano, Frisco, Carrollton, The Colony, McKinney, Allen... are all communities I would be happy to reside in.

As for suburbs, I personally like Plano, in the Preston and Park + or - 5 mile radius. It is newer and cleaner than Dallas, great shopping, good schools, pretty safe. I also like some parts of Frisco and McKinney A LOT. I don't consider them the boonies anymore at all, and you just have to find the right neighborhood to have more land between homes. There are also nice places within close distance to the N. Dallas Tollway that are within North Dallas city limits.

I don't like Lewisville or any communities along I-35, and I am not fond of Irving or Arlington either.

LAKEWOOD and LAKE HIGHLANDS are neighborhoods in Dallas, Lakewood Village is a community near Lewisville Lake and Little Elm. Do not confuse the "lakes," they are very different areas.