Southlake to Legacy West (Dallas, Plano: how much, hotel, transfer)

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by ea0337

From what I've heard, access to 121 especially in Central/East Frisco is pretty crowded in the rush hours due to school zones on every major North-South road slowing traffic.

That’s why I said easy access was key.

[TheOverdog]

Simply by being a larger school, Plano West offers more AP courses than Southlake Carroll does. Of course, the basic course load is very similar so the different APs offered are relatively obscure, but they are available.



By virtue of being large, Plano ISD offers more AP courses than most of the high schools in the US.

[ea0337]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

That’s why I said easy access was key.

My wife always tells me I belabor a lot

[CMC_TX]

Originally Posted by hkgake

We are contemplating a job transfer from Westchester County, NY to Dallas area. Office location is in Legacy West part of Plano. Are we out of our minds to consider Southlake?



We come from a school district that is very strong (and very small by TX standards) and I'm trying to find places that appear comparable. I have read good thinks about West Plano and Frisco but I hesitate with I think about moving my kids to a school 3x the size. Home prices in Southlake are within out budget, so it's really a matter of schools and commute. We're looking for under an hour, but closer to 45 minutes or so.



Thank you!!

I commute to Legacy West area daily and live about a mile South of Southlake. Leaving at 7:15, I am in the office door at 8 AM, generally. I'd say timing is 40-50 minutes for me each way, on average.

For a while, it was terrible when 121 South was under construction. Now, the only real annoyance is merging on 114 to get to the 121 North exit, especially when you're driving into the sun. I've also noticed 121 North is starting to get more congested in the mornings heading toward Legacy, but it's never a complete bumper to bumper situation save a random wreck etc.

The people making comments on here don't make the drive daily like I have, so please take the comments with a grain of salt, especially considering Carroll is one of the top 3 districts in this metro. I recently had to drive to Love Field from Legacy on a normal evening after work, and it took me longer to get from Legacy to the Mockingbird exit than it does to get from Legacy area home AND traffic on the Tollway was crawling both ways. That's the commute I don't see how people tolerate every day. I'd take driving on 121 any day to Southlake area over north / south on the tollway during rush hour.

The one thing I'll say is try to stay on the EAST side of Southlake. A few exits do make a difference, e.g., exiting White Chapel vs. Kimball. Anywhere off Kimball or Carroll would be good as far North as just north of 114 to as far South as Continental.

[kyam11]

Originally Posted by CMC_TX

I commute to Legacy West area daily and live about a mile South of Southlake. Leaving at 7:15, I am in the office door at 8 AM, generally. I'd say timing is 40-50 minutes for me each way, on average.

For a while, it was terrible when 121 South was under construction. Now, the only real annoyance is merging on 114 to get to the 121 North exit, especially when you're driving into the sun. I've also noticed 121 North is starting to get more congested in the mornings heading toward Legacy, but it's never a complete bumper to bumper situation save a random wreck etc.

The people making comments on here don't make the drive daily like I have, so please take the comments with a grain of salt, especially considering Carroll is one of the top 3 districts in this metro. I recently had to drive to Love Field from Legacy on a normal evening after work, and it took me longer to get from Legacy to the Mockingbird exit than it does to get from Legacy area home AND traffic on the Tollway was crawling both ways. That's the commute I don't see how people tolerate every day. I'd take driving on 121 any day to Southlake area over north / south on the tollway during rush hour.

The one thing I'll say is try to stay on the EAST side of Southlake. A few exits do make a difference, e.g., exiting White Chapel vs. Kimball. Anywhere off Kimball or Carroll would be good as far North as just north of 114 to as far South as Continental.

I concur with this. I drive everyday from White Chapel in Southlake to Bush/Tollway and I leave slightly earlier than you and it take 30-35 minutes. I do 121 to 635 to Bush. Yesterday was my last day doing this as I am moving on to a newer opportunity but I never had issue. Most people from other metro areas consider anything under 45 minutes pretty normal.

[synchronicity]

As others have noted, *IF* you are willing to leave early, you COULD make that commute work. I wouldn't sign up for it, but obviously others do.

I used to work near Addison airport, and would take various routes depending on what looked the least congested on that day. It was ~40-45 minutes each way, leaving around 8AM (so a little later, during "normal rush hour"). This was before construction was finished on 635, but the counterpoint is that 114 has become more congested since then as well (I see that every morning around 7:45 taking my kid to school).

If you REALLY want to live in Southlake, AND you'll be leaving early (and don't mind a 40+ minute commute each way anyway, almost all of which will be on toll roads*), then go for it. Among DFW suburbs, Southlake certainly has a lot to offer. In that situation I'd prefer to take a shorter commute from, for example, western Plano, still get excellent schools and some upscale shopping if desired, and keep an hour-plus of my personal time (as well as quicker access to home if needed because of a kid issue or some other unforeseen event). But to each their own.

Last, as others have noted, I don't think any suburb in DFW is going to have a similar feel to Westchester.

*- I know, if you can afford Southlake you can afford toll roads. That doesn't mean that you couldn't use that money for other things.

[PrestonHollowDad]

If it was me, I would try to buy in the southwest part of Plano, apply to a few of the high end private schools in North Dallas, and choose between one of the privates (if accepted) and Plano West schools. If your child/children do not get into one of the privates, or if it is too expensive, send them to Plano West.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

As others have noted, *IF* you are willing to leave early, you COULD make that commute work. I wouldn't sign up for it, but obviously others do.

I used to work near Addison airport, and would take various routes depending on what looked the least congested on that day. It was ~40-45 minutes each way, leaving around 8AM (so a little later, during "normal rush hour"). This was before construction was finished on 635, but the counterpoint is that 114 has become more congested since then as well (I see that every morning around 7:45 taking my kid to school).

If you REALLY want to live in Southlake, AND you'll be leaving early (and don't mind a 40+ minute commute each way anyway, almost all of which will be on toll roads*), then go for it. Among DFW suburbs, Southlake certainly has a lot to offer. In that situation I'd prefer to take a shorter commute from, for example, western Plano, still get excellent schools and some upscale shopping if desired, and keep an hour-plus of my personal time (as well as quicker access to home if needed because of a kid issue or some other unforeseen event). But to each their own.

Last, as others have noted, I don't think any suburb in DFW is going to have a similar feel to Westchester.

*- I know, if you can afford Southlake you can afford toll roads. That doesn't mean that you couldn't use that money for other things.

How long ago did you make the Southlake to Addison drive every day?

[Peter5457]

JJ Pearce in Richardson probably a nice smaller school environment. Bagels and synagogues in the area too. Much smaller than Plano schools with slightly different demographics.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by EDS_

How long ago did you make the Southlake to Addison drive every day?

Finished mid-July, 2015. The construction on LBJ was finally wrapping up (they'd JUST opened one lane near the 35E interchange that made life easier). I know they're now doing EVEN MORE construction near the 114/121 interchange near the north end of the airport (that's like Round 3 in that area, right?)


Depending on traffic, going to work I'd go 635 to DNT North, or 635 to the Bush to the Trinity Mills exit and then sidestreets (or sometimes just to Belt Line or Sandy Lake if the Bush looked awful beyond 35E), or 121 to 35E to the Bush and then Trinity Mills.

I almost never took 121 all the way to DNT, because DNT south was always godawful through Addison.


Heading home, I almost always took LBJ, but occasionally went another route.



I did that for just over two years, and it was Not Fun.