Current Frisco'ite' looking to escape to Lakewood (Dallas, McKinney: home, good schools)

[debtex]

Originally Posted by HockeyDadof2

Is San Leandro Dr (Forest Hills subdivision) considered part of Lakewood?

Nope, it's part of Forest Hills. FH is gorgeous, but the public schools aren't all that good and it's a little harder to get places because you have to circumnavigate the lake. Still and all, we really wanted to live over there, it's stunning.

[jennifw]

Originally Posted by HockeyDadof2

Is San Leandro Dr (Forest Hills subdivision) considered part of Lakewood?

No. Forest Hills is its own community, but I think has a similar "feel" to Lakewood. Not sure, but think Forest Hills attends a different elementary school, too.

[pepper131]

Welcome down to East Dallas - where ever you end up, you'll be happy...I can hear it in your voice...

Within East Dallas - there are lots of little neighborhoods and many like to lump it all together as Lakewood. But there are also M-Streets, Munger Place, Junius Heights, Vickery Place, Swiss Ave Historic District (which includes my fave street, Bryan Place), Cloisters.
Then you move over to the other side of the lake - Forest Hills, Little Forest Hills, Casa Linda, Casa Linda Forest, Peninsula, Old Lake Highlands, Lochwood.

You'll find differing views on the elem schools. We're at one of them; one most would balk at, but my 8 yr old is doing great and we are happy with our decision.

For families - there is a lot to do. You won't feel like it's a daytrip. First Tues of the month at DMA is free and loaded with kid activites. Plus we like to go for Late Night (every 3rd Friday). Nasher has special things for kids.

Outdoor movies - Half Price Books, Central 214, Nasher, Whole Foods at Park Lane, etc.

Enrichment lessons - The Lab at Lakewood, Studio B, Studio Arts, Zound Sounds, School of Rock, Super Yoga Palace (has kid stuff sometimes), Children's Theater. There ares so many varying things to do...try hard not to overload your schedule!!

[OpenBook777]

Well, we are relocating from Lakewood to Frisco, so if you are open to renting your home, let me know. Thanks! Oh, and not because we don't love the area, we are conservative, church going Republicans that enjoy echo chambers .

[Lakewooder]

Dang you should hang out at the Republican watch parties with some of the other Lakewood people, there's a good group every year - OTOH one of my 'other mothers' is an infamous liberal who had a drag show fundraiser back in the 1970s when she was elected to school board.

[JenG1974]

one of my 'other mothers' is an infamous liberal who had a drag show fundraiser back in the 1970s when she was elected to school board.

Ok that just sounds like too much fun. =)

Well, we are relocating from Lakewood to Frisco, so if you are open to renting your home, let me know. Thanks! Oh, and not because we don't love the area, we are conservative, church going Republicans that enjoy echo chambers .

LOL- I'll let ya know if we go the renting route!

There ares so many varying things to do...try hard not to overload your schedule!!

I actually think it WILL be hard!

[ILoveDallasTx]

Originally Posted by JenG1974

Nothing too specific about Lakewood per se - but more of the mindset that if it wasn't HP or UP it wasn't safe and that there were NO good schools in Dallas. That Dallas deplorable schools, Dallas taxes, Dallas Crime, etc, etc were what 'poor' and crazy people put up with.

A lot of Frisco people believe that anything south of 635 is full of 'hood kids and gangsters. Really.

I have to say that I was surprised when we drove around down there to see happy, healthy people walking around with their families and doing 'normal' things like going to the parks and stuff. I know it is silly - but people in Frisco and the areas up here tend to FREAK out about even the whiff of mass transit, section-8, etc bringing the 'bad' element into their neighborhoods.

Now I know this will all seem like I am hatin' on the burbs and Frisco - but I am just stating what I 'see' up here. I am probably hanging around ALL of the wrong people up here. *smiles* - BUT I do know some people who have talked about moving even FURTHER north to get away from the 'crime' element that is moving into Frisco. LOL

I feel bad because I don't want to offend people from other cities but...I completely understand what you're saying! I grew up in Richardson and being young didn't know any better so I was always told that Dallas was "ghetto" and unsafe. Then I moved to Frisco with my husband and lived there for several years. I just became disgusted with the majority of the people's stuck up behaviors and attitudes there. I stayed in that bubble over there and almost went insane! We moved to North Irving a couple of years ago (which most Frisco people also think is "ghetto") for my hubby's job and have since ventured out a lot and think that most Dallas people are MUCH more friendly. I tell my husband that I feel like many Frisconians are in a constant competition with each other and try to keep up with the Jones'. Annoying... My experiences have been that people in Dallas seem to mind their own business a little more. I own a couple of houses in Frisco and hate having to go there to check up on them. People are so rude and it stresses me out. It sounds like Lakewood will be a great place for you!!

[racehorse]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

No, people CAN afford the nice suburban neighborhoods. You can easily find a 3 or 4 bedroom home in the Lake Highlands, Lakewood, Stonewall Jackson, or WT White HS neighborhoods for $200-300k.......pretty much the "sweet spot" of prices in Castle Hills, Frisco, McKinney, Allen (a bit low for Allen actually), Central/ East Plano, etc.

It's just that those 1950's homes in the central Dallas neighborhoods don't have 4,000sf, a 5 car garage, a pool, a club house/ community features, media rooms, game rooms, bonus rooms, etc.....and most people choose the comforts of suburbia over the smaller house in the better location. No harm- to each his own, but to say that they can't afford to live in these neighborhoos (with the exception of UP/HP) is false.

You also have to factor in commuting and desired lifestyle. I could probably live pretty much anywhere, but I'm primarily a creature of the suburbs and work in the suburbs. I wouldn't want to commute from the city to the suburbs and I am commuting to an inner-ring suburb. I imagine many people are less interested in commuting if their jobs are even further out.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by racehorse

You also have to factor in commuting and desired lifestyle. I could probably live pretty much anywhere, but I'm primarily a creature of the suburbs and work in the suburbs. I wouldn't want to commute from the city to the suburbs and I am commuting to an inner-ring suburb. I imagine many people are less interested in commuting if their jobs are even further out.

Absolutely agree, and although there are a lot of jobs in Richardson / Plano/ etc, it seems a majority of people are commuting into the city - if not all the way to downtown/uptown, then to the Galleria area or Preston Center.

It's those people I was referring to that **could** afford to live in a 1920-1960's 2,200sf 3-4 bed/ 2 bath/ 2 car detached garage home in Lake Highlands or Hollywood Heights or Sparkman Club Estates for $200-250k but choose to commute 2 hours a day to a 2005 4,000sf 6 bedroom/ 5 bath/ 4 car garage home in McKinney, Frisco, etc because they can't imaging "squeezing" a family of 4 into a home that small. Not saying that people who live and work in Frisco should move to Lake Highlands. Not saying that all.

[JenG1974]

I feel bad because I don't want to offend people from other cities but...I completely understand what you're saying! I grew up in Richardson and being young didn't know any better so I was always told that Dallas was "ghetto" and unsafe. Then I moved to Frisco with my husband and lived there for several years. I just became disgusted with the majority of the people's stuck up behaviors and attitudes there. I stayed in that bubble over there and almost went insane! We moved to North Irving a couple of years ago (which most Frisco people also think is "ghetto") for my hubby's job and have since ventured out a lot and think that most Dallas people are MUCH more friendly. I tell my husband that I feel like many Frisconians are in a constant competition with each other and try to keep up with the Jones'. Annoying... My experiences have been that people in Dallas seem to mind their own business a little more. I own a couple of houses in Frisco and hate having to go there to check up on them. People are so rude and it stresses me out. It sounds like Lakewood will be a great place for you!!

You SO hit it on the head!! I feel that constant competition thing every time I go to the grocery store sans makeup or in workout clothes - when I take the little to dance or swimming or the fact that I am a working mom vs a stay-at-home mom!

I have a neighbor that snips and snarks whenever he happens to see us purchase something new or something is delivered. 'Oh - aren't you living fancy?'. OMG - really? Gah. Sorry - sideway rant on that one. LOL - I just get irritated as you can tell and you totally hit it on the head for me!