What Do You Thing of North Oak Cliff (Dallas, Spring: apartment complex, how much)

[clif73]

What are your thoughts of North Oak Cliff. I'm thinking about buying a house in that area. I did a drive through last week and loved it. Your thoughts...

[lpepping]

Just curious but what kind of house are you looking at? Price, size, age? Most of what I saw in that area was new and expensive stuff that was out of my range. Just curious to see what you have found.

[tchrmom]

I teach in Oak Cliff, and have looked to buy down there as well. North Oak Cliff is a beautiful area, with lovely homes. From what i understand about the area--people stay to their neighborhoods for the most part. There are some very rough areas of OC, but those are obvious places (they look the part). OC doesn't have the shopping that you will find in N.Dallas (if that interests you), but the charm is so endearing. I also love the historical aspects of the place--OC has been around forever and has produced some fantastic people. The homes around the country club and golf course are particularly nice...i hope you find something you will enjoy.

[kt2le]

Oak Cliff has suffered through the years but North Oak Cliff has always been very stable. The areas along Colorado Blvd. are just gorgeous and getting pricier by the day. Kessler Park, Winnetka Heights, Stevens Park, etc. are great. Another good area is Wynnewood. It's farther east, full of 1950's homes and has an active homeowner's association with a good website. DISD schools are spotty in Oak Cliff but that may not be an issue for you. Like many parts of Dallas, you'll need to do your research. There are a few good private schools in the area, too, I believe. Good luck!

[Lakewooder]

North Oak Cliff is really a beautiful place and there is a great sense of neighborhood. There are lots of things to do around there but if it's not there, it's close to everything else. You can be downtown in 5 minutes if you go the back way.

I took a Preservation Dallas tour of Charles Dilbeck homes over there a couple of years ago and it was one of the best tours they ever staged.

[SingleAgain]

I grew up in Oak Cliff. Kessler is still very nice. There are a few other pockets that are nice. The nearby shopping is limited although Pinnacle Park (Cockrell Hill and I-30) has improved that greatly. Stay out of the run down parts at night...to many kiddie gangs per square inch, especially stear clear of Hampton and Clarendon later in the night. You probably won't be bothered nine times out of ten...but why try the odds. You are indeed close to downtown and from there anywhere in the city. There is a golf course in Kessler if you like golf. There are some other pockets of nice neighborhoods and not all of Oak Cliff is run down. A large part of the population is latino so there are some very good places to eat there and shopping at Fiesta can save some dollars and introduce you to some new things to eat. The Bishop Arts District has some good places to eat. I can't vouch for the schools as I graduated 37 years ago.

[TrueDat]

North Oak Cliff is great. If Kessler Park or Winnetka Heights are too expensive for you, try neighboring areas such as Kidd Springs, Ravinia Heights or Stevens Park Village. The houses/lots are smaller and not as grand but you can still find some bargains there. People who say Dallas has no personality probably have not been in Oak Cliff as its architecturally distinctive, has old-growth trees and rolling hills.

The one drawback to the Cliff, as has been pointed out, is the lack of major retail wihch means you have to drive north to Uptown, downtown, Knox-Henderson, North Dallas or south to Cedar Hill and Duncanville. But, with the Shops at Le Reunion -- which is supposed to break ground in the spring after the Colorado Place Apartment complex is torn down -- coming on line in the next year or two, things should start to change.

Also, the lack of major retail has meant some unique mom-and-pop offerings have popped up. One of my favorites is this place: Fair Trade Gift Shop and Home Decor - Dallas, Texas

Welcome to the real O.C.!

[nativeDallasite]

I think North Oak Cliff is mostly zoned to Sunset High School which has a rating of "Academically Acceptable" and appears to be almost 100% Hispanic. Not judging the school at all; the HS I went to in a wealthy part of Dallas has the same TEA rating.

2007 Campus Accountability Data Table

[alastrian2]

I love North Oak Cliff and probably won't leave unless my company relocates me against my will! It has a small town feel in the middle of a big city- diversity, history, fine dining, art- I could go on for hours about how much I love living here.

TruDat mentioned alternatives to the higher priced Kessler/Stevens/Winnetka areas and I thought I would offer a couple more options: Kings Highway, LO Daniel

All of the NOC neighborhoods are well outlined at http://www.ooccl.com/

[fratermus]

There are lovely homes in NOC.

When I was scouting the area my wife heard the words "oak cliff" and said "not just no but *#%& no".

Too bad. I really like some of the houses and neighborhoods. We are now quite happy in our little beaver cleaver 60s suburb in richardson.