Couple moving to Dallas, need home help! (Plano, Garland: apartment, to rent)

[tonyman]

Hello,
My wife and I are moving from CA to Dallas area next August. Now we have a lot of time on our hands between then, but want to get the home thing done ASAP. My wife will be working in Downtown Dallas and I am now looking for a job transfer or a new job. We are going to rent our first year or two there to get settled and on our feet. We are looking for a new/newer home with 2 bed 2 bath with a yard and a garage. We DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN DALLAS. We want to live in an area that is quiet, safe, nice, somewhere away from the hustle and bustle but close enough to shopping, eating, stores, etc. We wouldn't mind living in the city of Dallas, just somewhere not near downtown or where a ton of ppl are always. We would be fine living in a nearby city, maybe 15 miles maximum out of the city limits. Does anywhere come to mind?
P.S. We are both 24 and have no kids and don't plan on having any soon. We like to go out for drinks, but are not hardcore partiers. We have a $1200 month limit.

[RockyJoe817]

What your describing is any suburb city outside of the 635 loop.
Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Garland, Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, Irving/Las Colinas.
The same basic questions will be asked of you as to what your budget and type
of commute will you be willing to accept to get to your job and home.

[TurtleCreek80]

Find out where your job will be and get the name of the neighborhood in Dallas where your wife will work. Then come back and post what your desired commute times and budget are.

It's pointless to suggest neighborhoods or suburbs if your job could end up being in downtown Dallas, north Plano, Greenville, Denton, Las Colinas, etc. DFW is larger than some small northeastern states so knowing both job locations and commute times is key to giving you good advice.

[tonyman]

Originally Posted by RockyJoe817

What your describing is any suburb city outside of the 635 loop.
Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Garland, Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, Irving/Las Colinas.
The same basic questions will be asked of you as to what your budget and type
of commute will you be willing to accept to get to your job and home.

she'll work in downtown

[dfwcre8tive]

You could also look into North Oak Cliff, which is becoming popular with the young professional crowd (good local restaurants, neighborhood bars) but feels miles away from downtown (not as crowded as Uptown/Knox-Henderson, etc). But if your job location is uncertain you could end up with a bad commute.

[Ryan Kirkpatrick]

You might be best served renting an apartment first vs. a home~you'll get more for your money with what an A1 apartment would have to offer in comparison.

Once settled, Richardson would be the 1st place I'd tell you to look in general North of 635 (outside the loop). There are some great areas inside the loop, but it is going to really depend on how far your budget will stretch. The area West of 75 outside the loop in Richardson has some really funky areas. Then, you're not too far from anything if you want to go socialize with the wife from time to time closer to downtown.

There is a ton of charm in an older home that you won't necessarily find in an outer suburb. If new/newer ends up being a non-negotiable, check out East Allen for a reasonable price range, but the commute will be a bear for your wife. There is a wreck on 75 just about every day. :0)

Good luck.

[hamiltonpl]

Ninety percent of the City of Dallas is suburban, single family homes with yards and grass. In fact, when I go up to the far flung suburbs, it actually feels more congested -- because you have to get on the highways. If you live in town, all you need to do is to travel on surface streets.

You can find a two-bedroom house in a lot of Dallas neighborhoods for $1,200 per month. That will keep you closer to the action in Dallas. Look in Dallas areas like Lake Highlands. Also, there are north Dallas areas around Merrill Road.

For example, both of these are in Dallas, just a few miles north of downtown:

White Rock Lake:


Dallas Street:


Not exactly the hustle and bustle of the "big city." Dallas is incredibly clean compared to any comparably sized city in California.

[tallscot]

Apartment in Downtown Plano allows your wife to get on a DART train to go downtown. The main street has pubs and restaurants, but it's not like California with homeless and crazy people pissing on your doorstep.

Eastside Village I

[Lakewooder]

Hamilton is right - there is actually more traffic, crowded conditions and chaos outside the LBJ/635 loop. You will see people on here complaining about that all the time - those of us who live in the city don't.

The only part of Dallas which could be considered crowded is Uptown.

[tallscot]

Originally Posted by hamiltonpl

Ninety percent of the City of Dallas is suburban, single family homes with yards and grass. In fact, when I go up to the far flung suburbs, it actually feels more congested -- because you have to get on the highways. If you live in town, all you need to do is to travel on surface streets.

You can find a two-bedroom house in a lot of Dallas neighborhoods for $1,200 per month. That will keep you closer to the action in Dallas. Look in east Dallas areas like Lake Highlands.

For example, both of these are in Dallas, just a few miles north of downtown:
White Rock Lake:


Dallas Street:


Not exactly a hustle and bustle.

Yeah, that area of town might be best for them. If you don't have kids, you don't care about the quality of the schools. What's the crime rate there, though? I don't know. There are lots of great places to get a drink, restaurants, college pubs near SMU, North Park Mall isn't far...Uptown is close.