Too many people concerned with the burbs (Dallas, Plano: to rent, crime rates)

[ClarenceBodiker]

Originally Posted by cmacemm

I just feel like our city is over looked for people looking for new, bigger houses in the suburbs with the smaller price tags. I see where people like that are coming from, but there is stuff in the city that is affordable as well. I just hate looking at all these threads on here that say "Moving to Dallas" only to find people looking for the suburbs. I just feel so many people are missing out on what Dallas really has because they refuse to look here.

There are trade-offs. You act surprised that people want a bigger house for less money? Really?

Again, you act like this is a unique problem only Dallas has. My aunt will tell me and anybody she knows that she lives in Boston. Funny because when we send her Christmas cards every year, we address them to Lexington, Ma. This is a normal thing.

People are always going to put their children and families first. Better schools and lower crime is going to always win over culture and proximity to bars. If you can't understand that, I have to assume you're 22 years old and aren't in a place in your life where you're thinking about kids and family. Jumping up and down and pointing at Highland Park and Lakewood as examples where you can have it all isn't a realistic choice for 98% of the people who move to Dallas. Dallas, like just about ANY city in this country, is mostly reserved for the very wealthy and the poor. The few and far between middle-class Dallas neighborhoods are typically riddled with terrible schools and seediness. And the bottom line is, you can always drive into Dallas when you want to go to that museum exhibit or to go to that unique restaurant you've always loved.


The one problem that Dallas has that many other big cities don't is losing big time employers to its suburbs. This is the area where Dallas should easily win, but doesn't. This is a legitimate area of concern for Dallas, not where people actually move to. And as long as big companies set up shop in places like Plano, people will have less of an excuse to ever come into Dallas and can afford to move even further away making more sprawl.

[ClarenceBodiker]

The census map shows the two areas that cover Lakewood as being 92% and 81% white. That's pretty white. Not that it matters though, Lakewood is unaffordable to the vast majority of people moving into Dallas. The parts of east Dallas most can afford is riddled with poor schools and seediness.

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Hold it! Lakewood "lily white" ? -

Lakewood Elementary is:

White, not Hispanic 71%
Hispanic 23%
Asian/Pacific Islander 3%
Black, not Hispanic 3%

Stonewall Jackson is:

White, not Hispanic 58%
Hispanic 24%
Black, not Hispanic 12%
Asian/Pacific Islander 6%

These are the two 'whitest' schools in the area. The figures are a couple of years old, so I do think they are a bit 'whiter' than that..Lee, Mata, Mount Auburn and Lipscomb elementaries are 'majority minority'.

73% of the kids from Lakewood go on to J. L. Long Middle School after 5th grade, where whites are definitely in the minority...

[DaveG99]

Originally Posted by ClarenceBodiker

There are trade-offs. You act surprised that people want a bigger house for less money? Really?

Again, you act like this is a unique problem only Dallas has. My aunt will tell me and anybody she knows that she lives in Boston. Funny because when we send her Christmas cards every year, we address them to Lexington, Ma. This is a normal thing.

People are always going to put their children and families first. Better schools and lower crime is going to always win over culture and proximity to bars. If you can't understand that, I have to assume you're 22 years old and aren't in a place in your life where you're thinking about kids and family. Jumping up and down and pointing at Highland Park and Lakewood as examples where you can have it all isn't a realistic choice for 98% of the people who move to Dallas. Dallas, like just about ANY city in this country, is mostly reserved for the very wealthy and the poor. The few and far between middle-class Dallas neighborhoods are typically riddled with terrible schools and seediness. And the bottom line is, you can always drive into Dallas when you want to go to that museum exhibit or to go to that unique restaurant you've always loved.


The one problem that Dallas has that many other big cities don't is losing big time employers to its suburbs. This is the area where Dallas should easily win, but doesn't. This is a legitimate area of concern for Dallas, not where people actually move to. And as long as big companies set up shop in places like Plano, people will have less of an excuse to ever come into Dallas and can afford to move even further away making more sprawl.

Well said. I agree.

I loved living in Deep Ellum in my loft. But once I had a child I got the heck out of there and moved to Plano.

[Lakewooder]

CB I don't agree with that - the only area I would really call seedy might be parts of Mount Auburn. And if you look at that closely it, it really isn't that bad. It's just that it's old and mostly unrenovated and crowded with too many cars and people living in 2-3 bedroom homes. When I was in school there were a lot of elderly folks living there and the Craftsman Bungalows were usually unaltered. I think it could have been a great restoration area but now most of the homes have been changed so much that it would be difficult to do..if it becomes popular again, it will probably be a tear-down area - it's right next to coveted Hollywood Heights, which is not THAT expensive (and feeds into Lakewood Elementary).

However, Mount Auburn Elementary has been ranked exemplary in most years.

Now there are areas around Zaragosa Elementary that are kind of seedy, but it feeds into the North Dallas High School cluster.

Most of the Lee Elementary area is very nice and includes parts of the M-Streets and Lakewood Heights - where there are a lot of new homes (personally I'd rather have an old one). Maybe you are also classifying that as 'unaffordable'.

Similarly, Cochran Heights and Vickery Place are served by Bonham Elementary, which is Blue-Ribbon, exemplary and has won many awards. However, it's mosty hispanic and feeds into NDHS so some discount it...

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by DaveG99

Well said. I agree.

I loved living in Deep Ellum in my loft. But once I had a child I got the heck out of there and moved to Plano.

So how do you feel about people on here calling Plano "ghetto"?

[DaveG99]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

So how do you feel about people on here calling Plano "ghetto"?

I dont care. Some parts of it are ghetto.

[DaveG99]

Originally Posted by DaveG99

I dont care. Some parts of it are ghetto.

If I didnt work in downtown Dallas I would live farther north in McKinney or Frisco. But since I have to drive my 13mpg truck to work I have to stay relatively close. I plan on moving to Allen soon though.

[mikestrong]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

So how do you feel about people on here calling Plano "ghetto"?

East Plano is not as nice, but its a heck of alot nicer then alot of Dallas to live in, minus the rich areas like yours. Seems you are out of touch. You talk about tear downs. FYI. Those are rich people doing it. Its much more affordable for the average person to live in the suburbs. What of that can't you get?

[Dr. Jake Oil]

My question is when the houses in Plano, Carrollton, Lewisville, Richardson, Allen, McKinney, etc are all "too old", where are you going to build then? I realize it is cheaper for developers to just flatten land, build streets, and build new homes than it is to tear down and rebuild or renovate (which is why that happens), but are people just going to move further north ad infinitum? In my mind the commutes from the first-ring suburbs to downtown/uptown are already much too far, considering the traffic. Are houses in McKinney still going to sell when gas is $4.50 again?

[mikestrong]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jake Oil

My question is when the houses in Plano, Carrollton, Lewisville, Richardson, Allen, McKinney, etc are all "too old", where are you going to build then? I realize it is cheaper for developers to just flatten land, build streets, and build new homes than it is to tear down and rebuild or renovate (which is why that happens), but are people just going to move further north ad infinitum? In my mind the commutes from the first-ring suburbs to downtown/uptown are already much too far, considering the traffic. Are houses in McKinney still going to sell when gas is $4.50 again?

If gas gets to 4.50 we are all screwed, our econmy will be going down the drain and the housing industry will die(new and pre existing). Our country, right now, cannot exist with out fairly cheap energy cost. It sucks but its true. Also, alot of people don't work in Dallas. There are plenty of jobs surrounding DFW.

So the choice for the average person would be to live in an old run down home in Dallas in a higher crime area, or drive from the suburbs and spend more gas. Well, I will take gas over crime any time.