Help please-Best spot to move- stay north or be close to Dallas? What parts? (Austin: hair salon, to rent)

[cmlcmom]

Currently moving from Austin and know nothing about Dallas

Husband is a hairdresser and will need to find employment at a busy salon as he is our sole provider.

I stay home, we have two children and are looking for a great elementary school district.

We would like to walk to and from a few attractions (nightlife, corner store, grocery, etc.) if possible.

Family lives in McKinney. Should we go north? Or, stay in the greater Dallas area? What is affordable for housing in a safe area in Dallas? Price range- less than 200,000

Specific areas are very helpful. Along with areas to avoid.
Education, safety and of course affordabilty are priority.
Concerned from a few posters here that hair salons in the Collin county area aren't upscale or busy enough for a sole income provider.

Where should we start our search? Advice needed please

[hamiltonpl]

If you stay south of 635, you will find places were you can walk. Stonewall Jackson and Lakewood are two good in town elementary school zones. You'll probably have to buy a condo or duplex in the area for that price range. You could also move to Lake Highlands or Richardson where you may be able to buy a house.

South of 635 has the highest concentration of wealth in the area. Highland Park, University Park (together called the "Park Cities"), Uptown and Preston Hollow and Lakewood are the nicest areas of town, all close to downtown and would most likely have the salons where your husband would work. The farther north from downtown you go, the more sparse the population and the lower the property values and disposable income. Collin County likes to bill itself as "wealthy," but its really the absence of poverty that makes it "nice." Addition by subtraction, they call it.

In Collin County, nightlife is Bennigans -- in a strip mall. The corner store is behind the Wal-Mart -- in a strip mall. The grocery store is 20 minutes away -- in a strip mall.

In Dallas, south of I-30 is less desirable. But that is a broad brush. There are areas south of I-30 that are absolutely wonderful.

[codytravers]

Dallas is great, but it doesn't seem like a budget under $200K + wanting good schools fits the bill very well. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong.

[TurtleCreek80]

I would look in Lakewood Elementary or Stonewall Jackson Elementary school districts in East Dallas. Within 10 minutes drive of 20+ excellent salons in the Uptown/ Park Cities/ Preston Hollow areas. Check zip codes 75206, 75223, and 75214 for places zoned to those two Exemplary-rated schools.

If you find a home for $200k, jump on it because they are few and far between- although possible. If you were willing to rent, you can find a great little cottage for $1200-1500/mo in those areas.

Depending on exact home location, you could be walking distance from:
-Lakewood Village (brand new Whole Foods, great local restaurants like Matt's El Rancho, Times Ten Cellar wine bar, clothing & home shops, a branch of the public library, several bars, Lakewood Theatre for indie live music & other shows, Starbucks, banks, etc)
-White Rock Lake and it's 9 mile bike/jog loop, playgrounds, tennis courts, BBQ grills, fishing piers, etc.
-Lower Greenville Avenue, famous for the annual St Patty's Day Parade...also great live music at The Granada Theatre, indie records & live music at Good Records, tasty locally owned restaurants like The Grape (Texas Monthly's best burger in TX), Cafe Izmir for Mediteranean, Dodie's for Cajun, Corner Market and Society Bakery for sandwiched and awesome cupcakes, Snuffer's for greasy burgers and fries. Also lots of great bars like The Dubliner, The Libertine.
-Old Town (Lovers & Greenville area)- Central Market, tons of restaurants, World Market, Michael's, Petsmart, etc.
-Skillman & Live Oak area: best restaurant in East Dallas (York Street), laid back bars like The Wine Therapist and Cosmo's, a great consignment shop, etc.

If any of this sounds better than the Chili's/ Outback/ Red Lobster/ Wal Mart excitement that the ex-burbs have to offer....check out East Dallas!!

[1928]

If you like Austin you will like East Dallas. It's a gem

[dallas90210]

I would "stay North". There is a lot to offer in McKinney, Allen, Frisco and Plano - and you can find a house for $200k or less. Dallas has a lot more crime, and is not as desirable as the suburbs.

[HOAPRESIDENT]

Originally Posted by dallas90210

I would "stay North". There is a lot to offer in McKinney, Allen, Frisco and Plano - and you can find a house for $200k or less. Dallas has a lot more crime, and is not as desirable as the suburbs.

If it was more desirable than Dallas, the homes would be more expensive in Collin County -- instead of cheaper. The demand side (of supply and demand) clearly show that the more expensive homes in Dallas are more expensive because there is more demand, thus more desirable. Nothing in Plano, Allen or Frisco come within a ballpark of Lakewood, Park Cities or Preston Hollow. Not. Even. Close.

The complaint about crime is a big lie by the wussie suburb-lovers. You're perfectly safe (as safe as the suburbs) in most of Dallas. Suburbanites on this board appear to be afraid of their own shadow.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by dallas90210

I would "stay North". There is a lot to offer in McKinney, Allen, Frisco and Plano - and you can find a house for $200k or less. Dallas has a lot more crime, and is not as desirable as the suburbs.

"Desirability" is subjective - I don't desire a huge brand new cheaply built home in the ex-burbs where I'm surrounded by cows and strip malls and am 30 miles from the arts / pro sports/ great restaurants.... But clearly you do desire that.

As for crime, my old boss who lives in the gated Starwood in Frisco had his wallet and other things stolen from his car which was in the garage...that's the same "typical" crime in the areas of Dallas suggested in this thread. And hey, I'd rather live there than in the Richardson neighborhood full of $400k new homes where a man decapitated & bludgeoned a young woman to death, or in the Plano neighborhood full of $500-600k homes where neighbors learned last year that one of their own had murdered several women in the 1980's and was not caught for 20 years or in McKinney where the cheerleaders brutally haze and harass other girls in school or the other suburbs where soccer moms are so bored they drown their kids or push them off highway overpasses. Or lest we forget that bucolic beautiful Princeton,TX (east of McKinney) has the highest amount of sex offenders per capita than any other North Texas zip code. Most of the "spectacular" crimes over the past two decades have happened in the suburbs, not in the city of Dallas.

[pepper131]

You could find a house close to 200k around Junius Heights area. It will be small, though. Lipscomb Elem is the neighborhood school and is making great progress with many neighborhood families choosing their local elem school over private schools.

Junius Heights is in 75214 and will put you close to salons in Uptown where there is the largest concentration of people...and most likely the best area for a high volume salon.

[Lakewooder]

McKinney is as far from Dallas as Fort Worth. And if you want to get into it, there was a mass murder there not that long ago. And let's not forget they had their own version of Lizzie Borden.

I don't recall any ax-murders in Junius Heights in the last 50 years.