Young Blk Professional moving to DALLAS...in need of advice (Plano: salons, daycare)

[Lakewooder]

Plano was the epitome of 'suburb' around here for 30 years. Now it is more diverse. If you can stay there, Richardson or south of 635 (LBJ freeway) you won't have too many problems with rednecks. Frisco is the current epitome of suburb and but you probably won't find too many rednecks there as they are just corporate transferees passing through.

If you asked anyone what the most redneck area is around here most people would have said Mesquite (eastern suburb) in the past. Now some of the suburbs around there have that reputation, although not as much. The only northern suburb I could see as redneck might be Allen (I may take some heat for that!).

I don't think you are going to have to worry about driving around. In the City of Dallas we have had a black mayor, police chief, DA and school superintendent.

[austinnetx]

Originally Posted by mdattaray

Can anyone on this board recommend apartments buildings, areas, zip codes of where to live in Dallas? We are looking for racially mixed neighborhoods, safe/clean/decent, livable, affordable. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

PS. I've searched on apartments.com and rent.com and can only find limited listings for certain desirable areas and the others we can't tell if they meet our simple criteria.

Check out Austin Ranch in The Colony as a place to start then drive East to look around. Anything along the Tollway over to Preston Road north of George Bush to Stonebriar Centre ( mall ) is going to meet your needs. There are lot of mixed race couples in Plano, Frisco, and McKinney and the clientele at the gyms (24 hour fitness and LA Fitness ) are very diverse.

Zip codes - 75056, 75093, 75034

[Grainraiser]

The DFW area is diverse enough that you will fit in 99% of the neighborhoods. The only places you may feel kind of lost is where the home prices would start at 1 million and above. Mesquite was once known as the "redneck" part of town but no more. Thats where I live and its more diverse then any other place I can think of. You will not feel like a outkast in Plano, Frisco, Allen or McKinney. You would would have to pretty much move to a rural part of the state to get that feeling. This information is coming from a AA male.

[grindin]

Originally Posted by cancelthat

I am a 35 year old African American married female with a 4 year old son.I am a nurse that is relocating to Plano,Texas from Long Island,New York. When I told my co-workers and family about the move, the overwhelming response was"With all the rednecks?" I have never been to Texas and my only exposure to the culture there has been what I've seen on TV and in movies.What exacttly is a "redneck" and should we expect to encounter many of them in Plano? Is this area racially and culturally diverse? We have lived in and around NewYork City our entire lives and like the diversity that exists here. We have to drive to Texas and have been warned by many that driving through the south is dangerous for African Americans, is this also true. All responses are welcomed!!!

Coming from an African-American male living in Atlanta, and having visited D/FW many times in the past, I can certainly tell you that you really don't have much to worry about. D/FW is hardly what I describe as "redneck", and believe me, I lived in Mississippi for 9 long years, so I know country when I see it. You aren't going to see people commuting by horse to work (yeah, people actually believe that stupidity) or wearing 10-gallon hats all the time. I have quite a few friends who relocated to the D/FW area (many of the African-American persuasion, surprise surprise), and are thriving and doing quite well for themselves, personally and professionally. Same here in ATL too.

It's amazing the misconceptions people have about the south. I remember taking my aunt who left Mississippi over 50 years ago and has been living in California for a 25 cent tour around Atlanta, and when I was driving past a mall, she said that she heard that "black people still weren't allowed in there". This was in 2007, BTW. I told her that she really needed to get out more.

A question for you: Those people who were telling you about Texas, had they ever been there?

And if the south is so horrid for blacks, why are there so many black people living here and relocating here from up north in droves?


Let's face it, racism is everywhere and is not something exclusive to the South. And of course, you can find it here if you look hard enough, but that's applicable anywhere you go. Now there may be rural parts you may need to avoid, because from what I've heard, Vidor is a town that a black person needs to avoid, but that's way down near Beaumont.

As for driving through the south, I have driven several times to Mississippi and to Washington, DC through some of the most country-fried areas of the country, slept in Rest stops deep in the heart of Alabama, ate at Waffle Houses and Burger Kings and still managed to live to tell about it.

[cityconvo]

That is funny about the 10 gallon hats. The interesting thing is the most frequent sightings I have of people wearing that style of hats are in airports. Don't know where they are from or where they are headed but that seems to be place I see them the most. Not just DFW or Love either.

[Lakewooder]

The only place I see them are country western dance halls.

BTW be sure to get some of those grits at the Waffle House on your way. 'Cause you ain't gonna find grits here very often.

[UrbaneAspects]

Originally Posted by grindin

Let's face it, racism is everywhere and is not something exclusive to the South. And of course, you can find it here if you look hard enough, but that's applicable anywhere you go. Now there may be rural parts you may need to avoid, because from what I've heard, Vidor is a town that a black person needs to avoid, but that's way down near Beaumont.

As for driving through the south, I have driven several times to Mississippi and to Washington, DC through some of the most country-fried areas of the country, slept in Rest stops deep in the heart of Alabama, ate at Waffle Houses and Burger Kings and still managed to live to tell about it.

Yes when you all mention Tampa area, that is defienently a boring place...thats why we all moved. Dallas sounds like an urban (country) though

[grindin]

Originally Posted by cityconvo

That is funny about the 10 gallon hats. The interesting thing is the most frequent sightings I have of people wearing that style of hats are in airports. Don't know where they are from or where they are headed but that seems to be place I see them the most. Not just DFW or Love either.

I've only seen folks wearing them in DFW airport too. But that was way back in the 80's when I was little kid, when the show "Dallas" was uber-popular. More than likely people changing airplanes I guess.

I remember watching old episodes of "Cops" and they ALWAYS seemed to be in Ft. Worth or Houston. I remember when the cops in Houston wore those bowties and hats. LOL.


FWIW, I lived in Tampa/St. Petersburg from 2004-2006, expecting "California Lite". Wrong! It was way more "countrified" than Dallas ever has been.

[mdattaray]

Hey does anyone know about Addison, TX? I got a tip from a former Dallas resident (now in CA), that that is a pretty nice and affordable area and not too far from Downtown Dallas.

Any feedback?

[hicksfs]

Check out Meetup.com, it has everything you could imagine about places to go, and it'll be based on your interest, rather it's music, sports, etc.