Need Suggestions on where to live--Please give me your thoughts (Dallas: big house, buy)

[MEHK1998]

My family and I have never lived in Dallas. We will be moving there soon, and I will be working in downtown. I asked about Rockwall the other day, but I will be more general in hopes you all can help guide our search.

Priorities: (1) good schools; (2) commute (hopefully no longer than 45 minutes); (3) we want a yard (seems like most new communities have depressingly small yards); (4) price range = 350,000-500,000.

Lakewood/M Streets look nice, and we have info on that community. Some people tell us the high school is bad and that we can't buy a decent home in our range.

So, what other communities out there should we look at?

Thank you for your insights and kind TX hospitality

[Lakewooder]

The high school is wonderful - especially if you can get your kids into the AP classes. The school was rated highest by D Magazine last year and made Newsweek's Top High Schools in the Nation list. The top two grads are headed for Yale and Princeton. If you are into Theater Arts and Music, the school swept the 'Cappies' (or local 'Tony' awards) and beat the most prestitigious private schools in DFW. The sports program tied for 6th in the Metroplex, a score higher than 95 other schools.

I think you can find a home in that price range in either Lakewood or the M-Streets - it's not going to be a big house, but you should make about $50,000 per year in appreciation if rates from the last 5 years are any indication.

[FarNorthDallas]

Check the JJ Pearce High School attendance zone in Far North Dallas. Exemplary elementary schools are Brentfield, Bowie, Mohawk, Canyon Creek and Prairie Creek. Pearce is one of the few Recognized high schools in the area. These are Richardson ISD which is the largest school district in the state to have the Recognized status.

Commute to downtown isn't bad at all. Boundaries are roughly Central to the east, Collin County to the north, Preston to the west and Arapaho to the south.

[MEHK1998]

Thanks for the suggestions, we will keep looking, and we plan to look at the M streets/Lakewood as well.

[DentonPirate]

Honestly, if I had school-aged children, I would not buy in Dallas ISD. It is an absolute disaster. Yes, a couple of schools are good, but they are the exception. Take a longer commute and buy based on the schools. The Dallas Morning News just had a release of the school ratings. Search their website and it should show up.

Good luck.

[lpepping]

So you would exclude all areas of Dallas, even the areas that have good schools, because of DISD?

[Lakewooder]

I'm sure he would - that's the opinion of the uneducated masses up on the northern tundra who have never crossed the threshold of a school around here...

[tchrmom]

Wow. I can't believe someone would totally disregard the wonderful city of Dallas just because of *bad* schools! Do you have children enrolled in those schools? Have you worked for those schools? There are actually a lot of wonderful schools in Dallas ISD....and this comes from someone who actually walks into them every day.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by tchrmom

Wow. I can't believe someone would totally disregard the wonderful city of Dallas just because of *bad* schools! Do you have children enrolled in those schools? Have you worked for those schools? There are actually a lot of wonderful schools in Dallas ISD....and this comes from someone who actually walks into them every day.

I'm not a teacher in any district, don't live in the DISD nor do my kiddo's go to a DISD school BUT I know MANY that do. I know of MANY people that live in the suburbs w/ the so-called "good schools" that send their kids to a DISD school. The high school magnet programs are some of the VERY BEST in the nation if not THE BEST (#1 is a DISD school ). One of my good friends teaches at that very high school and LOVES it and has taught in many other schools and districts and won't leave where she is. She has been trying to persuade me to let our oldest g&t child go there when she starts high school. Probably won't only because of the long distance from home but it would be a GREAT opportunity. I do agree w/ you though that the DISD just like every other school district in this country has some very good schools and some that may not be. Then again it is all up to us parents to make sure our kids are ready to learn when we send them off to school for the teachers to do their job which is teaching.

[tchrmom]

The #2 HS in the nation is also in DISD