Would I like Frisco? (Dallas, Richardson: fit in, house, neighborhood)

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Just my 2 cents' worth: a FF area has a lot of playgrounds in the parks, people don't give you nasty looks for having children with you in restaurants/movies/stores, there are attractions the city has like Frisco Fire Safety Town, indoor recreation centers have kids' activities, civic activities that encourage kids, etc.

When I hear people say "family friendly", I'm picturing master-planned communities with new homes and "community" pools, parks, & playrooms. Picturing malls like Stonebriar with it's ice rink and carousel. Picturing restaurants crawling with strollers & screaming kids....like Cheesecake Factory is today at Stonebriar. It's an area where seemingly everyone has kids, like Plano in the 1980's and Richardson in the 1960's.

Certainly, in-town neighborhoods also offer "family-friendliness"....most of the elementary schools in Lakewood and Highland Park ISDs have fall carnivals, spring field days, and "bicycle rodeos" to teach safety. They also both have July 4th parades and fireworks celebrations, churches that sponsor summer VBS and youth groups, HP and UP have wildly popular town swimming pools, plentiful parks with <10 year old playground equipment, and friendly firemen who let kids drop by unannounced and see the firetrucks and poles. What you don't have a guarentee of in in-town neighborhoods is kids on every block as some blocks have tons and others are full of empty nesters.

[unexpected]

Well, let's see, Frisco is also the fastest growing city in the region - so it reasons to speculate that it would have the fastest growing white population.

Actually, if you take the 15,000 figure, and the article says black, hispanics, and asians, are all under 5,000 each - let's assume 2500 for each category. This means in addition to 15,000 white kids, there were 7500 minority kids. This is 1/3 and 2/3 - which is very inline with the demographics frisco has presented today.

In actuality, these numbers are probably higher. It's quite possible that these amounts of minorities may be increasing the diversity of Frisco - even though it has the highest white population growth in the region. This is all a consequence of having one of the fastest population growths in the country.

It's all a matter of how you present the statistics. This is a tiny little blurb written by a newspaper journalist. I'm sure if you delved deeper into the stats, the truth would illuminate itself.

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I'm glad there is some ethnic diversity. Is there also economic diversity? And how do you account for stories like this:

Frisco ISD shows largest white population growth in region | FRISCO Blog | dallasnews.com

[Big G]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I'm glad there is some ethnic diversity. Is there also economic diversity?

Keep moving the bar. Is it even possible for you to admit you're just flat-out wrong?

Frisco ISD had 11.5% economically disadvantaged kids in 2009.

Maybe you can assert that kids in Dallas are more physically fit than those in Frisco? Or perhaps CoCo people are less talented musically? Aren't as "cool"? I'm sure you'll be able to maintain your aura of superiority somehow.

[Lakewooder]

I'm just asking because that's what the OP wanted. You don't have to blow your top! I apologize for ruffling your feathers..

[Big G]

Originally Posted by vsmoove

Hey guys... I got contacted by a headhunter for a great-sounding job in Frisco, TX... I've only been to Houston and Austin in TX... loved Austin and thought Houston was blah... I'm mid-30's, Black, married w/ 3 young kids... left of center politically, value diversity, outdoor spaces and cool neighborhood hang-out spots for the occasional night out. What do you think? Is Frisco or a nearby community up my alley?

Trying to get this thread back on track...

To get a better answer, we'd need more info. Price range for housing, tolerance for commute, school preference - private/public/religious, previous places you've lived (and how much you enjoyed them), etc.

[vsmoove]

Thanks very much! This is a wealth of information... I don't mind a longer commute if I'm not simply sitting in traffic... I can drive for some time and catch up on my old music or listen to news... Lakewood and East Dallas sound like great areas to live although I'm a little surprised at the cost of homes in all areas... geez, how much did they cost before the downturn?

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Frisco is probably not a great match for you, but you might like:
-Richardson, suburb directly north of Dallas....great public schools, tons of diversity in people & restaurants (Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, etc), great public parks and rec center facilities including a bike/hike trail that runs north/south through the city near Coit Road. It's about a 20 minute commute to Frisco (121 & Tollroad area) and also a 15-20 minute drive into Dallas for museums, theatre, shopping, etc.
-Lakewood/East Dallas- the most "Austin-esque" neighborhood in Dallas with good schools (Lakewood & Jackson elementaries, Long Middle, & Wilson HS- all in Dallas ISD)...."live & let live" neighborhood full of young professionals and families, tree-huggers, Republicans, Democrats, gays, straights, artists and attorneys, etc. Lots of restaurants (narry a chain in sight), bars, live music....but also family friendly things like the Lakewood July 4th Parade, July 4th fireworks at the Lakewood Country Club, carnivals and other fun events at the elementary schools, etc. White Rock Lake is there with it's 9 mile bike/jog loop, tnnis courts, play grounds, etc. The Arboretum is nearby and downtown Dallas' arts district isn't too far away either. Biggest downside: 45-50 minute commute to Frisco.
-If you can afford private schools ($3-12k for Catholic, $8-25k for all others), I'd also add the neighborhoods of Devonshire, Bluffview, and Briarwood to your list. They offer easy access to the Tollroad and about a 25 minute straight-shot north to Frisco....beautiful area with winding country-in-the-city looking roads, full of young families and convenient to the 12-15 top private schools.

Forgot to mention budget:
Richardson $200-400k for a 1950's/1960's ranch style home along the Hillcrest Road corridor; some new construction $400-500k range is east of 75...further commute to Frisco by 10-15 minutes.
Lakewood/East Dallas: $250-600k for a 1920's Tudor or Spanish style home or a 1950's ranch...some 1940's Colonials too....there are a few gorgeous blocks with estates (acreage & mansions) in the $1-3M range too...along with new construction (on tear downs....no planned communities) for $650-900k or so.
Devonshire & Briarwood- mostly 1930's and 1940's cottages running $450-650k, with new construction (again, on tear down lots only) for $850-$1.2M....Bluffview- some $250k cottages, lots of estates with acreage (like some people have horses!) running $1-10M.

All three areas are a very safe real estate investment- desirable, land-locked communities that have been "built out" for 60+ years....vs a Frisco where people only want new homes (not "used") and only half the land has been developed.

[Rakin]

Originally Posted by vsmoove

Lakewood and East Dallas sound like great areas to live although I'm a little surprised at the cost of homes in all areas... geez, how much did they cost before the downturn?

There has not really been that much of a downturn in TX and especially the DFW market. Inner city, quality neighborhoods like Lakewood, North Dallas or even a Coppell has maintained their values well. There is still a decent demand by the many good folks like you guys moving here.

Keep in mind, in general the farther out from downtown (and maybe the Airport) the better the home prices.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by vsmoove

... Lakewood and East Dallas sound like great areas to live although I'm a little surprised at the cost of homes in all areas... geez, how much did they cost before the downturn?

Where are you coming from? We get a lot of ex-California people that are amazed by how cheap the houses are around here. As for Lakewood, etc. - it's a close-in, desirable neighborhood with a finite, fixed number of houses. Therefore, it will command a premium relative to an outer suburb like Frisco, with a less convenient location and lots of open land. Given that you'll be working in Frisco and not in DT Dallas (that makes Lakewood LESS convenient for you than Frisco - the opposite of most people), you may well find that premium not worth the cost.

[vsmoove]

Originally Posted by Big G

Trying to get this thread back on track...

To get a better answer, we'd need more info. Price range for housing, tolerance for commute, school preference - private/public/religious, previous places you've lived (and how much you enjoyed them), etc.

Thanks, Big G... price range is probably $500K max... live in a 5bd, 5bth house in the northern suburbs of ATL now but we probably don't use half the space... would be fine with a long(ish) commute if against traffic... absolutely hate sitting in traffic... I prefer public schools for my children so I'm willing to pay higher taxes if I don't have to pay for private school. As I said, I'm in the northern burbs of ATL... it's ok. there's enough diversity but a bit too cookie-cutter for me and for whatever reason, we don't find folks to be as friendly here as other places... and I don't think it's the people, I think it's just a more settled place and so folks have their cemented networks and are not looking to expand their circle. We lived in the Ft. Lauderdale suburbs before this and loved it... very, very diverse place, both ethnically and economically (we had professional neighbors, entrepreneurs, craftsmen, housewives... it was great) with a transient community that was very friendly and open... prior to that, we were in the greatest city in the world, NY, baby! NY has the friendliest people in the world and the best of everything. It also has the worst of everything so we decided to move and try something new.

One of my friends from undergrad (Black female) currently lives in Dallas and when I inquired about Frisco, she said it was a great place that has become a magnet for a lot of young professional Black families... so it's been interesting to read the comments here on the diversity of Frisco.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by vsmoove

I think it's just a more settled place and so folks have their cemented networks and are not looking to expand their circle. ... We lived in the Ft. Lauderdale suburbs before this and loved it... ...a transient community that was very friendly and open...

Frisco is the place for you, my friend. All the other places mentioned on here are going to have the "cemented network" problem to some extent. Frisco has been built up largely by transplants, most from out-of-state. Your neighbors will have been there themselves for only a year or 2 (or maybe 5). To get an idea of how "new" the Frisco population is, the Frisco ISD currently has something like 5 or 6 high schools. 10 years ago, they had ONE.

Plus, you should be able to get a screaming deal on a house that meets your needs for way less than $500K.

One of my friends from undergrad (Black female) currently lives in Dallas and when I inquired about Frisco, she said it was a great place that has become a magnet for a lot of young professional Black families... so it's been interesting to read the comments here on the diversity of Frisco.

Honestly, I think it's incredibly unfortunate that Lakewooder chose to poison your perspective with her completely uninformed and inaccuate viewpoint on Frisco. Simply put, your friend is right and Lakewooder is wrong. (I think I'm the 3rd or 4th poster to note that. )