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Currently interviewing for a positions in various cities, one very good prospect in Lewisville, TX and wondering where would be good areas to live. Salary will be 60-70k. Looking to spend between $700-$1,000 max rent. I know Dallas is fairly inexpensive so happy about that.
A bit about me, currently live in Denver, CO. Love the city but looking for a change, plus I prefer warmer climate and Denver has become a bit too bland for my taste. I am young, single female professional in my mid twenties, looking for a urban environment with some density. I'd rather not stay in the burbs, but if I have to, I'd prefer a bustling burb. I just want to be able to meet other young professional, date and meet my lifelong partner.
I despise traffic and long commutes. My current situation, I live about 2 minutes away from work, so I am spoilt in that regard.
I enjoy outdoor activities as much as I love going to lounges, bars, theaters, concerts and festivals. I am craving an area with lots of diversity, shopping, nice sceneries, not too far from a lake and some walkability.
I might be asking for too much, but hey I might as well put it out there.
Thank you in advance for your help
Last edited by bintaasun; 05-28-2014 at 11:51 AM..
So currently interviewing for a positions in various cities, one very good prospect in Lewisville, TX and wondering where would be good areas to live. Salary will be 60-70k. Looking to spend between $700-$1,000 max rent. I know Dallas is fairly inexpensive so happy about that.
A bit about me, currently live in Denver, CO. Love the city but looking for a change, plus I prefer warmer climate and Denver has become a bit too bland for my taste. I am young, single female professional in my mid twenties so I am looking for a urban environment with some density. I'd rather not stay in the burbs, but if I have to, I'd prefer a bustling burb. I just want to be able to meet other young professional, date and meet my lifelong partner.
I despise traffic and long commutes. My current situation, I live about 2 minutes away from work and I am spoilt in that regard.
I enjoy outdoor activities as much as I love going to lounges, bars, theaters, concerts and festivals. I am craving an area with lots of diversity, shopping, nice sceneries, not too far from a lake and some walkability.
I might be asking for too much, but hey I might as well put it out there.
Thank you in advance for your help
Your salary is definitely doable, I make on the higher end of that range, and I do just fine in my modern apt that runs just under $1100/month. DFW is not as inexpensive as you think though..... but for me, it is dirt cheap since I relocated from the East Coast This is also the main reason I hate traffic as well... so I chose to live close to work, the trade off is just worth it for me. I'd rather not live in Uptown and commute North for work 5 days a week.... I'd rather go to Uptown at my leisure on weekends.
Uptown, and Knox/Henderson will likely give you the atmosphere you are looking for, but I'm not sure you will enjoy the commute to Lewisville. You will also probably not find something in your budget. $700-$1000 range is ok, but the low end of that will leave with something sketchy, the higher end would be a better price to start looking at. Others here in the forum who are very familiar with Uptown areas will chime in on that with their opinion.
There aren't really "bustling burbs" outside of Addison.. which isn't quite bustling.. but has quite a few restaurants, bars etc that you can frequent, some nice festivals actually. There is a good population of young professionals.. I'd say the age range varies. I've met 20's, 30's and 40's.. all different types of likes and interests. I work in Addison, and live 2 miles down the street.. I love it here. Close enough to get me to Uptown when I want to be there, but close enough to work that I enjoy a 6 minute ride inbound and outbound. Your commute to work wouldn't be bad either. There aren't many great places that I've seen in Lewisville, I could be wrong but.. I personally wouldn't want to live there.
Currently interviewing for a positions in various cities, one very good prospect in Lewisville, TX and wondering where would be good areas to live. Salary will be 60-70k. Looking to spend between $700-$1,000 max rent. I know Dallas is fairly inexpensive so happy about that.
A bit about me, currently live in Denver, CO. Love the city but looking for a change, plus I prefer warmer climate and Denver has become a bit too bland for my taste. I am young, single female professional in my mid twenties, looking for a urban environment with some density. I'd rather not stay in the burbs, but if I have to, I'd prefer a bustling burb. I just want to be able to meet other young professional, date and meet my lifelong partner.
I despise traffic and long commutes. My current situation, I live about 2 minutes away from work, so I am spoilt in that regard.
I enjoy outdoor activities as much as I love going to lounges, bars, theaters, concerts and festivals. I am craving an area with lots of diversity, shopping, nice sceneries, not too far from a lake and some walkability.
I might be asking for too much, but hey I might as well put it out there.
Thank you in advance for your help
You can live like a queen in DFW, but if outdoor activities are big on your list you're probably not going to enjoy the metroplex. Compared to Denver, there simply isn't much in the way of outdoorsy stuff to do in Dallas. The heat and humidity of summer is great for allergen-producing plants and bugs, but not so much for hanging around outside all day.
I suggest checking out DFW in late July/early August when temps are likely to be 100 or above. Spend an hour outside at 3pm when the temps peak, then go out again at 10 or 11pm and enjoy the cooldown to 90 degrees or so.
DFW is a great place to work, but a pretty mediocre place to enjoy life IMNSHO.
If you like the outdoors but want it warmer, have you considered someplace like Albuquerque or even Southern California?
Currently interviewing for a positions in various cities, one very good prospect in Lewisville, TX and wondering where would be good areas to live. Salary will be 60-70k. Looking to spend between $700-$1,000 max rent. I know Dallas is fairly inexpensive so happy about that.
A bit about me, currently live in Denver, CO. Love the city but looking for a change, plus I prefer warmer climate and Denver has become a bit too bland for my taste. I am young, single female professional in my mid twenties, looking for a urban environment with some density. I'd rather not stay in the burbs, but if I have to, I'd prefer a bustling burb. I just want to be able to meet other young professional, date and meet my lifelong partner.
I despise traffic and long commutes. My current situation, I live about 2 minutes away from work, so I am spoilt in that regard.
I enjoy outdoor activities as much as I love going to lounges, bars, theaters, concerts and festivals. I am craving an area with lots of diversity, shopping, nice sceneries, not too far from a lake and some walkability.
I might be asking for too much, but hey I might as well put it out there.
Thank you in advance for your help
Based on the info you provided, I don't think you'll really like Dallas. Sorry to be blunt.
1. Lewisville is a bland burb that is one of the most difficult commutes from the neighborhoods you would enjoy (Old East Dallas and North Oak Cliff) because it's NW and the areas you would like are SE and due south (via I-35 which is one of the worst freeways in DFW). Like you're probably looking at a 45-75 minute drive, each direction. You could also choose to live in Uptown / Oak Lawn which provides better access to I-35 but your commute would still be 30-35 min AM / 50-60 PM.
2. $700 won't go very far in rent unless you're out in the sticks. Plan on being towards the upper end of your budget, and way more than that should you choose to live in Uptown or Oak Lawn to split the commute up.
3. East Dallas is on the banks of White Rock "Lake". White Rock is shallow and man-made (no swimming) and has a 9-mile bike/run path going around it, along with many parks (2 for dogs!), tennis courts, piers (non motor boat), etc. It's a collection of old established neighborhoods like the beautiful and expensive Lakewood, the funky arts neighborhood called Little Forrest Hills, and some great transitioning areas on the east side of the lake. Neighborhoods range from white liberal yuppies driving BMW's to working class Hispanics to hipsters to working artists to young professionals & grad students to homeless bums. Something for everyone!! Lots of great restaurants & live music spots mostly clustered on Lower Greenville, Henderson Avenue, and Lakewood. Village.
North Oak Cliff is another historic area made up of several neighborhoods, each with their own flavor. Some are full of 1920's mansions and others are full of tacquerias. It's a very hilly and beautiful area that is popular with cyclists. Two lakes - Eagle Mountain and Joe Pool- are within 20 minutes for mountain biking and other outdoor sports. Some of the city's top restaurants for creative food are in the area. Check out the Bishop Arts District, Belmont Hotel (kind of the public "living room" for the area with its awesome patio view of downtown, great restaurant & bar, outdoor concert series in the summer, free pool access for Sunday Funday's , etc). Mix of young professionals, hip gays, about to be displaced Hispanics, young families, original owners, etc.
They are the two most vibrant city neighborhoods in Dallas but nothing around here is "Colorado pretty" or is as outdoorsy/ sporty.
You could live in Grapevine and work in Lewisville--depending on both ends of the commute
Grapevine is developing into more of a recreation town w/historic mainstreet w/restaurants there and in the immediate area--
newer apartments downtown and around Grapevine Mills mall area but probably at high point of your rent
but agree--this area is not great for being outdoors in all seasons--
winter can be pretty wet and last couple have had icy weather that wasn't enjoyable for anyone...summers are brutal and if you are outside you need to use caution with activities...
Why not just look for the obvious. There's a bunch of apt around vista ridge Lewisville with a wide price range. There's enough bars, restaurants and shopping to go out to a different place every night for couple months. You can go to uptown on the weekend. Unless you are the type who needs to go out every night...you will regret the long commute
I'd consider Grapevine. It's not city life, really, but the historic downtown has a number of bars and restaurants that get crowded on weekends. Grapevine Mills Mall has a dine-in movie theatre with a bar inside. There are several "wineries" in Grapevine, and some have weekend entertainment. They have two festivals a year - one that is a wine festival, and the other, Main Street Days, has a beer tasting event. Lake Grapevine has swimming and fishing and boating and a beach area. The rush-hour commute to Lewisville is about 30 minutes. Youcan get a decent one-bedroom in the upper end of your price range and go to Dallas on the weekends in about 30 minutes.
Hi everyone, thank you so much for your responses, I found them all to be very helpful.
From the sound of it, it might make sense to live close to work and commute during the weekends. I'll have to visit Lewisville to see how doable it is for me. I'm planning on a making a trip down to Dallas in the coming weeks to tour the areas once again. I am not the kind to go out every night (aint nobody got time for that lol) but I truly value density and a vibrant neighborhood. I am willing to compromise on the scenery and outdoor activities. Besides I can always visit Colorado for that. I am also willing to up my budget for the apartment.
I do have to say though, the more I research Dallas, the more concerned I become. One of the biggest reasons for relocating is culture and diversity. Denver is a great city, and while I love its natural beauty, it is lacking a bit in that arena. I am a foreign born black resident and I am looking for a cosmopolitan with a stronger international presence, stronger arts scene and nightlife. Honestly if it wasn't for the cold and cost of living, I would love to be in the East Coast. Have considered DC & NYC.
From all the threads I have come across on here regarding Dallas in general it appears as though Houston might be a better option. Overall there seems to be a negative perception of Dallas on some of these threads, I don't know why. Or maybe I'm reading the wrong ones. Will Dallas a good fit for me? Please advise.
You can live like a queen in DFW, but if outdoor activities are big on your list you're probably not going to enjoy the metroplex. Compared to Denver, there simply isn't much in the way of outdoorsy stuff to do in Dallas. The heat and humidity of summer is great for allergen-producing plants and bugs, but not so much for hanging around outside all day.
I suggest checking out DFW in late July/early August when temps are likely to be 100 or above. Spend an hour outside at 3pm when the temps peak, then go out again at 10 or 11pm and enjoy the cooldown to 90 degrees or so.
DFW is a great place to work, but a pretty mediocre place to enjoy life IMNSHO.
If you like the outdoors but want it warmer, have you considered someplace like Albuquerque or even Southern California?
Hi, thank you for your comment. Can you explain more on why you classify DFW as a pretty mediocre place to enjoy life?
I have not considered Albuquerque, but California yes, and my biggest concerns were economy and cost of living.
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