Coming Down To Dallas (Plano, Frisco: transplants, to rent, daycares)

[coffey1027]

Coming down to Dallas with the wife minsus the 2 kids.We are relocating and I have been looking to rent for atleast a 1 year.I have been down before but only was shown in Plano,nothing against it just not for us.I have narrowed it down to the M streets or Elm street living.We have two small kids( 2 1/2 yr old and month old daughters) so school not an issue.We live in Brooklyn right now and it is different to Dallas but in some good and bad ways.Not looking for a place to spend the rest of my life in but make sure my family enoys Dallas however the length of stay we are there for(Job relocates sometimes).Wife wants a place to walk around without having to always get in the car.Guess the real questions is how is living in Downtown Dallas with a family,who I guess is used to city living?Sorry so long just wanted a daily living desription about what we are used to.

[nsumner]

Lakewood is certainly a nice area. There are a lot of families with youngsters there. It is also a great area to start living at since schools are not too important to you yet. A lot of open minded people and lots of transplants there. I know that there are not many good daycares there, so you may have to work harder at finding a place if u needed to. I also know that the waiting list can be pretty long. A lot of people have nannies or a sitter. Your wife may find this site of interest. http://www.lecpta.org

I have a couple of friends with kids in Lakewood and they stay home with their kids, most of the time when they go out, they have to drive a short distance then can go to walking areas such as the west village, White Rock Lake, northpark mall, walk on Mockingbird.

[Lakewooder]

Also Lakewood has many fine public schools recently listed in Newsweek, D Magazine and Texas Monthly 'best' lists..

[FortGreener]

I'm from Brooklyn too and live in Lakewood.

I also moved down here with my job and boy am I ready to leave again. I can't wait and am counting down the days.

I hope you and your wife meet some New Yorkers when you get down here because it really helps...

This is the weirdest place I've ever lived. The obesity, too much make-up, tunnel vision, bible thumping, anti-Mexican sentiment and nutcase driving have been enough to last three lifetimes.

My advice? Get in, fly back to NY frequently, drink heavily while you're here and get out never to return.

[MurphyPl1]

Fort Greener,

If you need us narrow minded Dallasites to call your boss and get you transferred out faster, I'm sure we could arrange that.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by FortGreener

I'm from Brooklyn too and live in Lakewood.

I also moved down here with my job and boy am I ready to leave again. I can't wait and am counting down the days.

I hope you and your wife meet some New Yorkers when you get down here because it really helps...

This is the weirdest place I've ever lived. The obesity, too much make-up, tunnel vision, bible thumping, anti-Mexican sentiment and nutcase driving have been enough to last three lifetimes.

My advice? Get in, fly back to NY frequently, drink heavily while you're here and get out never to return.

Tell me where you live and I'll come and help you pack your bags. We certainly don't want haters down here. Go back to New York.

[pepper131]

Downtown Dallas is not the best place to live if your wife wants to get out and about on foot with the kids - it's still mostly a business district.

The Skillman/Live Oak area is more down to earth than Lakewood which seems to be getting the folks from the Park Cities lately.

Also look into the area around Bishop Arts in Oak Cliff.

M Streets is good too - Corner Mkt is a nice place to hang out at. Also Izmir Deli and Big D Hot Dogs.

Also a cute area on Junius near Munger - Garden Cafe and a park across the street.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by FortGreener

I'm from Brooklyn too and live in Lakewood.

I also moved down here with my job and boy am I ready to leave again. I can't wait and am counting down the days.

I hope you and your wife meet some New Yorkers when you get down here because it really helps...

This is the weirdest place I've ever lived. The obesity, too much make-up, tunnel vision, bible thumping, anti-Mexican sentiment and nutcase driving have been enough to last three lifetimes.

My advice? Get in, fly back to NY frequently, drink heavily while you're here and get out never to return.

This is pretty funny. My wife grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens and lived in Brooklyn for a number of years (Flatbush). Brooklyn is one of the most racist, segregated places I've ever been. The Italians hate everyone who isn't Italian (except the Jews). The Jews hate everyone who isn't Jewish (except Italians). The Irish hate everyone who isn't white. The Russians, well, I think everyone hates them. The blacks hate the jews (see:Crown Heights) and everyone pretty much hates the blacks universally and bashes them with baseball bats if they walk through the wrong neighborhood.

Nutcase driving? Are you serious? In various neighborhoods in Brooklyn I have been to (Boro Park for example) they TRIPLE PARK on a city street. Yes, that's right, people park their cars three cars out in to the street and leave them. If you are on the inside you are screwed. Or how about the time I was making a left onto the onramp to the Bronx Expressway in Washington Heights (ok that's Manhattan) and some jerk decides I did not get off the line quick enough when the light turned green and cut around me and then cut me off nearly running me off of a rather tall embankement. But I digress.....

And dare I speak about the Brooklyn girls who make New Jersey girls seem classy and sophisticated? That's hilarious. Brooklyn girls had big hair, too much make up and a wad of chewing gum in their mouths long before it occured to Dallas ladies to do the same. Love that sexy Brooklyn accent too, no guy can resist the sweet lilting voice of a maiden from Bensonhurst.

Fat people in Brooklyn? Please, there are as many lardballs in that place as anywhere else.

Listen, if Dallas is not your cup of tea I can understand that. But you aren't fooling anyone by making the case that Brooklyn of all places is some sort of cultural oasis...

[coffey1027]

Thank you to all who posted where we could look for living in Dallas.We don't reaaly care what anyone looks like, how they drive, just good looking for a neighborhood with some good people.

[helpRhome]

REALTORS Practical advice?
Read the online newspaper to get a feel for the city. It is a big city but, It's not quite like your city! Look at ways to meet people! This is a list of groups that you can connect with and even find people who have the same hobbies or same age groups of children! I studied Dallas for over a year before I agreed to move back. I was born here but, hadn't lived here as an adult and wanted to know exactly what I was getting into! Plano is a great place to live as your family grows and you want more activities. Frisco is also a great place to look at for the physical side of life as in great places for entertainment and exercise. Both places have lots of parks and walking/biking trails. Frisco brags about the ice skating rink (Stars) a Biking rink(velodrome), professional soccer fields, baseball stadium (Roughriders)and there is a rumor that we will have our own Theater venue soon. Four cities were asked to contribute to the project several years ago and we got buyin from 3 of the four so it is on the table to be built. Travel is easy from either city thanks to the tollway and I75. You seem to be city people though so I would follow your heart for now and see if the Southern air converts you to a different lifestyle down the road!