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Old 10-10-2007, 02:42 PM
 
45 posts, read 186,818 times
Reputation: 20

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Hi y'all!

Just thought I would throw this out there. A lot of threads talk about how people move to Dallas for the cheap housing, but I am want to know if you think Dallas and the surrounding area is a good place to raise children. For all you parents out there, what do you think the city offers that others don't?

Have a great day!
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Old 10-10-2007, 02:48 PM
 
Location: Dallas, Texas
3,589 posts, read 4,146,787 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trifan76 View Post
Hi y'all!

Just thought I would throw this out there. A lot of threads talk about how people move to Dallas for the cheap housing, but I am want to know if you think Dallas and the surrounding area is a good place to raise children. For all you parents out there, what do you think the city offers that others don't?

Have a great day!
I grew up in Dallas proper...NOT the suburbs...and Dallas was a kicka$$ place to grow up in the 1980s, even with all of its economic problems. It's even better now...it's very family-friendly with tons of things for children to do.

Dallas schools are another issue.
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Old 10-10-2007, 02:53 PM
 
1,271 posts, read 4,022,795 times
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For the most part Dallas cares about it's youth. What I mean by that is that there is not one tax that doesn't somehow go to youth programs. Don't get me wrong you have certain areas that , imo, aren't the best places to live but from what I can tell, you have to go out of your way to get in trouble here because there is too much for a child to do.


Quote:
Originally Posted by trifan76 View Post
Hi y'all!

Just thought I would throw this out there. A lot of threads talk about how people move to Dallas for the cheap housing, but I am want to know if you think Dallas and the surrounding area is a good place to raise children. For all you parents out there, what do you think the city offers that others don't?

Have a great day!
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Old 10-10-2007, 02:55 PM
 
45 posts, read 186,818 times
Reputation: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by nativeDallasite View Post
I grew up in Dallas proper...NOT the suburbs...and Dallas was a kicka$$ place to grow up in the 1980s, even with all of its economic problems. It's even better now...it's very family-friendly with tons of things for children to do.

Dallas schools are another issue.
I live in Tucson Arizona now and Arizona is ranked 49th in the nation for schools.(The rankings were based on spending per pupil, class sizes, and student achievement on standardized tests)Texas ranked 24th. Your lower ranked schools are probably better than our higher ranked ones!

We live in a neighborhood that has no street lights, no sidewalks, and no children. (We are near the University) For about 5 months out of the year, the slides at the parks are too hot by 630am. We frequently reach temps over 100 and we get afternoon humidity from the monsoons. Most of the yards here are "decorative rocks" and my kids think grass is weird! You could see why I might want to move somewhere more family friendly. :-)
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Old 10-10-2007, 02:59 PM
 
Location: Dallas, Texas
3,589 posts, read 4,146,787 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trifan76 View Post
I live in Tucson Arizona now and Arizona is ranked 49th in the nation for schools.(The rankings were based on spending per pupil, class sizes, and student achievement on standardized tests)Texas ranked 24th. Your lower ranked schools are probably better than our higher ranked ones!
Eh...I wouldn't assume that.

If I were you I'd live in the burbs and visit Dallas. Overall the DISD is a joke; there's a handful of schools in Dallas worth a squirt of pi$$, but the rest of them are a lost cause.
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Old 10-10-2007, 03:02 PM
 
45 posts, read 186,818 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nativeDallasite View Post
Eh...I wouldn't assume that.

If I were you I'd live in the burbs and visit Dallas. Overall the DISD is a joke; there's a handful of schools in Dallas worth a squirt of pi$$, but the rest of them are a lost cause.
We wouldn't move into Dallas proper. My hubby's job is in farmers branch so we would live somewhere near enough for a reasonable commute. I plan to visit the area several times before we make any decisions about moving there and where to live.
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Old 10-10-2007, 03:07 PM
 
Location: Texas
8,672 posts, read 22,265,341 times
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Many areas of very family-friendly, safe, with many amenities, sports and fun activities for kids. (Some areas, of course, are not.)
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Old 10-10-2007, 03:14 PM
 
16,087 posts, read 41,152,085 times
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Fair Park, White Rock Lake, great YMCAs, lots of youth/recreation programs, Dallas Arboretum, Farmer's Market, the Zoo (Oak Cliff), pre-school PTA outings, World Aquarium, DMA/Nasher programs, lots of great bicycling areas/woods/creeks, Flag Pole Hill, Children's Hospital/Scottish Rite, Turtle Creek - Easter Parade/Azaleas - Lakeside Park, Six Flags, Vacation Bible School...
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Old 10-11-2007, 04:01 AM
 
Location: Dallas, Texas
3,589 posts, read 4,146,787 times
Reputation: 533
Quote:
Originally Posted by trifan76 View Post
We wouldn't move into Dallas proper. My hubby's job is in farmers branch so we would live somewhere near enough for a reasonable commute. I plan to visit the area several times before we make any decisions about moving there and where to live.
Sounds good; I hope you enjoy the area.
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Old 10-11-2007, 06:37 AM
 
Location: Allen, Texas
670 posts, read 2,998,497 times
Reputation: 203
I don't know necessarily if it offers me any more opportunities than a lot of other places BUT it affords us the opportunity TO actually do more things because housing and other costs are less. There was NO WAY when I was a single mom in SoCal I could afford to have my then 4-year-old in preschool AND sports AND live in more than a small apartment. I moved back to Louisiana (mom's from there) for that and then when I later married again, my husband was offered a position in Plano and we researched. It did have more activities at that time for children than where we lived (between Baton Rouge and New Orleans), housing was a little less per square foot (i.e., you could get a 3 bed/2 bath in that area for the same price as Texas but about 500 square feet smaller), and it was clean...although some will argue with that but drive through the Deep South and you'll see why I believe "Don't Mess With Texas" works to a larger degree than those just pay a fine signs.

ETA: Also another thing I notice is Texans take PRIDE in their state and what they do. Of the places I've lived as an adult in the South people are just VERY apathetic sometimes to the point where you really want to smack them and other times where you wonder if they think complaining is better than DOING something or at least trying to put a plan in action. I did not and do not want my children raised with a "aim low!" attitude so as not to be disappointed or just because they don't "feel" like trying because "no one gets out" attitude. It's really sad and I feel for people like this, unfortunately that seems to be my experience in both Georgia and Louisiana from a small degree to a huge degree like I said above.

Now in Cali people were more concerned with (but I was younger and I think this is normal when you're young) having enough to cover bills from one month to the next.

Last edited by USA_Mom; 10-11-2007 at 06:39 AM.. Reason: Self explanatory
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