Help us find the right place :) (Dallas, Plano: transplants, houses, theater)

[hml1976]

Hi all,
So it looks like we may be heading to Dallas sometime in the next few months. My husband has another interview so its time for us to figure out where we would look if this job pans out. I apologize if this gets long.

We've been in the Portland, Oregon area for almost 3yrs and love it here, this new job is a great opportunity though. Before Portland we lived in NYC and Nashville. I was actually born in Dallas but only lived there until kindergarten.

So we're looking for an area (suburb or city) to scout for a house. About us: We can spend up to 500-550K but would be thrilled to spend less. We are fiscally (and usually politically) conservative but socially pretty liberal, we go to church...sometimes, our kids were adopted and are Asian, we are white. My husband is an advertising creative type and I'm a at-home mom as well as a freelance writer. Our kids are currently in a great Montessori school, but we would be happy to find a small public school or we can afford a private school.

We want to be part of a community that probably has some other transplants. While we would consider somewhere like University Park (yes I know we'd be pushing it with our budget but we could spend more if we skip private school), I'm concerned about living somewhere where all the kids get BMWs on their 16th birthday, of course this may be a total misconception. Most important is living somewhere where our kids won't be discriminated against, not that I believe they will be, but I'm a Mom and have to say it

Anyway, open to any and all suggestions. Thanks for your help!

[xray365]

You have many great suburbs in Dallas. Key factor will be commute time for your husband as he drives to work.

University Park is a great choice. Also consider Coppell - a great city to live in, centrally located, cosmopolitan, excellent public schools, middle to upper middle class (without BMWs-at-16) and many houses within your planned budget.

[hml1976]

Thanks xray, my husband would be working in Dallas itself, right near Highland Park.

[Squirl]

I'd recommend Coppell. Coppell serves itself and also Valley Ranch (a northern section of Irving that is very diverse with many Asians & India nationals). Very highly rated schools. Super cool community. You actually see kids riding their bikes to the local aquatic center.

[pappy97]

Northern suburbs have lots of transplants, and have many asians. The three cities/areas that come to mind for what you are asking are:

1.) Allen

2.) Plano

3.) Firewheel area of Garland

All three are within your price range (unless you want to go crazy), and in fact in all three you could get away with spending much less (like in the 300k range, or even less)

The Park Cities (UP/HP) is GREAT if you can afford it, and I don't think there is much racism there BUT if you think your kids might feel awkward because they are the only asians/people of color there then I would skip it. I go to a gym (Gold's Gym Preston Center) that draws exclusively from the Park Cities and many times I am the only person of color there even during peak times. Nobody's racist but I personally notice the lack of diversity.

When my wife and I go to Gold's Gym Plano it tends to be more diverse. Just my 2 cents, good luck!!

P.S. Yes many Park Cities kids get nice cars for their 16th birthday and all that.

[hml1976]

What do you all think of the Canyon Creek or Richardson Heights area of Richardson? Seems to be a little more down-to-earth than the Park Cities. Would we want to consider private school in that area?

[pappy97]

Originally Posted by hml1976

What do you all think of the Canyon Creek or Richardson Heights area of Richardson? Seems to be a little more down-to-earth than the Park Cities. Would we want to consider private school in that area?

Both are very good ideas, for me personally I would prefer Canyon Creek. Richardson is more down to earth than Park Cities, and of course more affordable. Richardson also has the diversity you are looking for. Hell Richardson has a multi-screen theater dedicated to Bollywood movies (Funasia Richardson 6).

More scientifically, Richardson is almost 12% Asian which is very high for a DFW metro city.

Richardson, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Irving for example is only at 8% and Dallas proper is at 2.5%. Plano comes close at 10%.

From what I hear and research, Richardson mostly has good schools, but I'll let others who know more chime in.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

You can also check schools o n www.GreatSchools.net (http://www.GreatSchools.net - broken link) for ratings around the country. It only compares schools within a state to each other, not across states. It has ethnic %s, % on free lunch, % passed state tests, etc.

[Lakewooder]

If you want a UP-like atmosphere without the spoiled brats and peer pressure consider Lakewood/East Dallas - 75214, 75206 and 75223. - borders Park Cities to the southeast. We actually have a few blocks of UP in our attendance zone. Search here for threads on Lakewood Elementary, Stonewall Jackson, J.L. Long Middle School and Woodrow Wilson High School. Not a large Asian population but very diverse (one of the top ten grads this year is asian and we have the top girls golfer in Texas who is asian, Grace Choi Golf prodigy Grace Choi hopes to earn a rare berth at state for Woodrow Wilson | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News ) - every part of the political spectrum is here but most conservatives who use the public schools here are fairly socially liberal.
There are a lot of longtimers (Lakewood Lifers) but there are also a lot of newcomers and transplants. Many people get directed to the northern 'burbs and then find out about our area later and are thrilled.


Many SMU faculty and staff live in our area because it is adjacent and more affordable - with good schools.

[FarNorthDallas]

Originally Posted by hml1976

What do you all think of the Canyon Creek or Richardson Heights area of Richardson? Seems to be a little more down-to-earth than the Park Cities. Would we want to consider private school in that area?

Canyon Creek Elementary and Prairie Creek Elementary are great schools - very small, just 200 or so kids in grades K-6th in each one. Then they go to North Jr High for 7-8th and the JJ Pearce for high school. Pearce is one of the few exemplary high schools in the Dallas area.