Young couple looking to buy our first home in M Streets/Lakewood or Preston Hollow (Dallas: house, neighborhoods)

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by Texas214

The education and social experience I received there was outstanding and incomparable to any DISD school and many, if not all private schools in the area. A lot of my classes at HP were more difficult than those at the challenging university I attended. I truly believe the work ethic and desire to succeed I developed from attending HP schools has given me a great advantage.

I can say exactly the same thing about the schools I attended in Lakewood.

[Lakewooder]

Ha, ha..yes well I did do concurrent degrees...and placed out of several classes because of Woodrow. Breezed through some other classes because of my teachers at WW. BTW, the heads of the SMU history, French and Russian departments sent their kids to Woodrow as did a few other profs. Several others lived in the area but did not have children. So maybe I got special treatment?

And didn't you go to Baylor?

[TurtleCreek80]

I also don't know anyone who graduated from HP, went to college, and didn't graduate. I am one of only 3 of my HPHS friends who doesn't have a MA or PhD. Just in my circle of friends there are 4 attorneys, 1 doctor, 1 investment banking SVP, an engineer/entrepreneur, a professor, etc. Only 1 girl - who has a MA- doesn't work and lives off family money. She did work until they had kids. None of my friends got jobs through their parents. Not a one. We are hardly the only "successful" group from my class. Yes, there are some slackers in my class who never amounted to much professionally, but they are the minority at this
part (early 30's). I can't think of any slackers who are currently living in HPISD. There are definitely some girls who married less well-off than their parents are and whose parents are supplementing living in HPISD to put grandkids through the schools, but that has been going on for the past 50 years.

Yes- there are drugs at HPHS and ever single other high school in the US; public and private. That hasn't changed in the past 30 years.

I'm skeptical of hplindley's firearms claim.

[Lakewooder]

Well we did have a rifle range in the basement as we used to have the nation's largest ROTC.

I know most will not believe this but I was never offered drugs at Lakewood, Long or Woodrow. I never even saw any until I got to SMU. Well, there was one time when I was at a well-known suburban school and a kid rolled a joint across the table from me - inside a classroom with the teacher present! I know there were some people smoking pot back in my high school, but everyone knew who they were. We called them the 'hippies' in sort of an ironic way since a few of them were rebels against their straight-laced parents, many of whom had gone to Woodrow together back in the dark ages.

[lakehighlands]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

And didn't you go to Baylor?

Sic 'Em!

[Texas214]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I'm skeptical of hplindley's firearms claim.

To say the least! What a horrible and obviously false accusation to make. There is no way anyone, definitely not 5 people, would bring a gun to HPHS. What could they possibly be scared of besides themselves? The only way I can see this "confidential information" existing is if someone accidentally left a shotgun/riffle in their truck from a weekend at the ranch and the drug dogs who patrol the parking garage sniffed it out.

HPLindley, I'm very sorry for your family's struggles. I don't mean to sound insensitive, but if the HP culture was truly so vapid, your story would be the rule, not the exception. If you dislike the HP culture so much and make a point to say you grew up outside of HP, why did you make your log in HP? Perhaps those are your initials? I just don't understand the need to make negative comments when an opinion on HPISD wasn't even asked for, someone just stated their 5 year plan. If it's not yours, no need to criticize someone seeking advice on neighborhoods for the meantime. Just like most Lakewood lifers wouldn't want to live in HP, some people would like to live the Lakewood lifestyle while they can but want to send their kids to another school in the future.

Lakewooder, that is great news to hear about the Lakewood schools. Although like you said HPISD is more our cup of tea, I'm glad to know there is another good option in a good neighborhood. The IB program is also encouraging. What elementary school do you suggest in the area? We have heard mixed things about Lee. Even if our plan remains the same, it would be helpful knowledge for resale purposes.

[Dr. Jake Oil]

Originally Posted by hplindley

You can be skeptical all you want. That falls into line with the "that doesn't happen HERE" way of thinking.

The things that happen at HPHS aren't unique to Highland Park. They are only unique in the way that they are handled by parents, teachers and police.

Let me tell you a non-confidential personal story about Park Cities culture. I went to pick up my (now deceased) little brother from a house party on Princeton during his high school days. I was in law school at the time. He said it was going to be "safe because the parents were there." The Dad who answered the door, who was an anesthesiologist, was high as a kite. I walked through the house with plenty of my little brother's fellow sophomores smoking joints. My brother, who would later die from drug addiction at 26, had been "smoking out" as well. On my way out, the Dad could sense my displeasure. He said "it's better for them to do this here than on the streets." All I said was "They're in high school." I would have called the police, but I had already learned that it would not have mattered. The doctor's daughter later committed suicide and he moved to Plano.

So it is with that backdrop that I tell you that I don't like the Highland Park culture. In Highland Park, he "was a doctor." In Dallas, he would have been a drug dealer.

You can be skeptical all you want. But I know where the bodies are buried. And that isn't just a cute figure of speech.

So what you're saying is, Park Cities culture is all about parental-sponsored drug use leading to suicide and moving to Plano?

Interesting.

[GreyDay]

Originally Posted by hplindley

You can be skeptical all you want. That falls into line with the "that doesn't happen HERE" way of thinking.

The things that happen at HPHS aren't unique to Highland Park. They are only unique in the way that they are handled by parents, teachers and police.

Let me tell you a non-confidential personal story about Park Cities culture. I went to pick up my (now deceased) little brother from a house party on Princeton during his high school days. I was in law school at the time. He said it was going to be "safe because the parents were there." The Dad who answered the door, who was an anesthesiologist, was high as a kite. I walked through the house with plenty of my little brother's fellow sophomores smoking joints. My brother, who would later die from drug addiction at 26, had been "smoking out" as well. On my way out, the Dad could sense my displeasure. He said "it's better for them to do this here than on the streets." All I said was "They're in high school." I would have called the police, but I had already learned that it would not have mattered. The doctor's daughter later committed suicide and he moved to Plano.

So it is with that backdrop that I tell you that I don't like the Highland Park culture. In Highland Park, he "was a doctor." In Dallas, he would have been a drug dealer.

You can be skeptical all you want. But I know where the bodies are buried. And that isn't just a cute figure of speech.

No offense but HPHS is nothing special in terms of avarice. Any upper level prep school has the same issues of access and ability to cover up wrongs of their children. Kids in Southlake or even a kid at DISD with well to do parents could just as easily get into trouble.

Park Cities are definitely not the end all be all- but there is definite bashing on this board, that said, there's also a 'Bubble or bust' mentality.

But as an outsider to HP, it's a different kind of place. What I see studying at the Starbucks on a normal day in Highland Park Village is different. Conspicuous consumption, multiple bags from the shops there and no one (I guess me included) seems to actually have a job there. But that's the adults. The kids roll in wearing tshirts, on bikes get their drinks and leave.

[ClarenceBodiker]

Meh, I've only ever known two people from Highland Park, a guy and a girl. One's rich and one married rich, so I guess the system works. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the kids were doing drugs because kids do drugs in EVERY town.

I'd say the only flaw I've seen in the culture is a bit of snobbery and entitlement that comes along with being from Park Cities. The girl I'm still friends with (the one who married rich) is not very grounded in reality to say the least. She lives in the Southlake area now and is pretty convinced anywhere in DFW that isn't Park Cities, West Plano, or Southlake is a certified ghetto. Funny enough, we were driving through Lakewood of all places and I was mentining how beautiful the houses were off of Gaston and she made a remark about how Lakewood was "dangerous" and she wouldn't live there. I just rolled my eyes and laughed.

[GreyDay]

I've honestly never encountered the 'snobbery' that people like to talk about. Maybe I don't normally dress well enough that I'm worth being snobby to however. But most of the folks I've met are pretty down to Earth. Now I have overheard guys at HPV talking about an 'exposed $25 million dollar margin risk' (or something like that) but it's not everyone.