24 yr old Female moving from Michigan? Is the city safe? or would the suburbs be better for me? (Dallas: appointed, apartment)

[codytravers]

Set to move in 2 weeks and thought I'd share my experiences for those who need advice

[Sweetkisses4511]

Haha I wish I was from the west side of Michigan but I am from Saginaw. I am not very picky. I just want outta here and to live in a safe area where I can meet other younger people.

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by Sweetkisses4511

Haha I wish I was from the west side of Michigan but I am from Saginaw. I am not very picky. I just want outta here and to live in a safe area where I can meet other younger people.

Yeah just go to Uptown. Spend a few extra bucks the first year to have all the best, then after you learn more about Dallas you can relocate to another neighborhood if you so choose.

[Sweetkisses4511]

What about the village apartments... would anyone suggest there ?

[Grainraiser]

Your job location will help narrow your choices but Uptown, The Village and Addison would be great starting places. Much will depend on your job location. In most cases you will be working Downtown, North Dallas or the Northern burbs. Frisco is a great city but if I was in my 20's and wanted a social life it would be the last place I would choose to live. The Village has apartment complexes that cover all price ranges. It's a natural landing spot for young people. Heck i'm 47 and lived in the Village at one time during my youth. It would put you close to everything the city has to offer.

[lizziebeth]

I agree with pretty much everything Turtle Creek said.

I've lived in the Village for many years. Probably should buy something but keep thinking I'll move to Chicago so didn't want to invest and then move. There are 13-14 complexes within the Village. The older ones (including the one I'm in - The Hill) are larger and cheaper but don't have the nice counters, fancier moldings like the new complexes like Dakota. I like it here. It's close to everything and they take good care of the place. Many of my friends have lived here at one point or another.

Uptown is nice too and I wouldn't mind living there. And while I can walk to a lot of things from the Village, Uptown is set up more like a city neighborhood you might think of for a place like Chicago.

Don't know where you went to school but there are oodles of Big Ten grads in town. I did my Masters at Michigan State and we have new grads come to town all the time.

Yeah, wish we had a beach. I go to the Traverse City area for my water/beach/dunes fix. Far from Dallas but worth it!

Good luck!

[Sweetkisses4511]

Well Chicago was originally my first choice. I had a couple interviews there this week and I dunno. I willing to relocate anywhere, but I think I would be happier in a warmer place. Why is it that you want to move to Chicago? Now the older Village apartments, do they have younger people too or are they older? I am graduating from Northwood

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Sweetkisses4511

Well Chicago was originally my first choice. I had a couple interviews there this week and I dunno. I willing to relocate anywhere, but I think I would be happier in a warmer place. Why is it that you want to move to Chicago? Now the older Village apartments, do they have younger people too or are they older? I am graduating from Northwood

There are young people in all the Village complexes. Those who chose the older complexes are doing so for budget reasons- they're a good bit cheaper than the new buildings but still in the same good location.

[pepper131]

Originally Posted by Sweetkisses4511

I am graduating from Northwood

Hey! I grew up in Midland! I could not live up there in the winters any more....the grey skies for weeks and below freezing temps are awful. I love our sunny winter skies and decent temps in Dallas. Although it can get cold in Dallas, it is not 8 degrees like last week around Midland. My cousins are in Saginaw; I can understand why you'd like to get out.

The Village is a good place to live - they have many social activities to participate in so you can meet your neighbors. There are great inexpensive places to eat all around - Freebirds, BB Bop (just opened), Royal Thai...there's a huge variety. Two big grocery stores - Tom Thumb and Central Market.

[lh_newbie]

I'll second all three suggestions: Uptown, Knox/Henderson and The Villages. I lived in one of the least expensive units in the Villages after I sold my home in Allen (up in suburbia near Frisco) and was looking for a home in Dallas proper before I got married. Even though I was in one of the least expensive places, it was well maintained and I learned how very social the entire complex is - there are always get togethers at the different club houses, there are lots of parties at the main club house and the fitness facilities are well utilized and have pretty darn good equipment - way better than any apartment I've lived in. Each neighborhood has it's own character:

Uptown is a bit more flashy and new - with West Village being the main focus. It has a light rail (DART.org - Dallas Area Rapid Transit) stop as well as a neat, historic street car system that gets you around.

Knox/Henderson is a little more relaxed, with many places that are a little older, but again well maintained and has excellent access to the Katy Trail (nice hike & bike trail that is heavily utilized). I personally like the restaurants in Knox/Henderson more - while a good portion of them are a little more expensive, they are mainly locally owned and have incredible menus (Taverna, Sangria, Chuy's [ok, this is a regional chain but still great], Momo's, Toulouse) and not to mention the awesome Wild About Harry's - which is an awesome hotdog and frozen custard shop (if they have cinnamon custard on the daily menu, it's to die for - especially if you get one scoop of it with one scoop of chocolate... YUMMY!). I personally really enjoy the building's character in this area, as it was an old neighborhood that has maintained the original charm and has built on it - where as Uptown has West Village, which is 100% new construction - so you have to decide which style is yours. Uptown is a much larger neighborhood, but I feel Knox/Henderson feels more like a real neighborhood.

Then there's the Villages. Again, they have a light rail station (like Uptown/West Village). It's a little further North, which may be better for your commute if you don't work in downtown Dallas and instead work in the Plano or Richardson areas. Since the interior is all apartments, it is a bit quieter as it is not a mixed use area like Uptown. On the other side of the coin, that means no walking to where you want to go unless it's along Greenville, near Lovers Lane. Of all the places, this is the closest to White Rock Lake, which is a true asset to Dallas and the Villages. Depending on which complex you live in, it would be 1-1.5 miles to White Rock. If you're into cycling at all, this is probably the most utilized area for that - as well as for runners. WRL is 9.3 miles around with wonderful scenery. It's hard to imagine having such a great asset so close to downtown.

Hope this helps get a glimpse of each area. Best of luck.

Brian