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That is also exactly what can facilitate disposable suburbs.Once school quality implodes and crime rises in a suburb,people with the means to do so usually high-tail it out.
I want to think we are not headed down a path here in America of no place can be that much safer or more desirable than anyplace else because that is unfair.Once that happens,mediocracy will start to be normalized and celebrated.
I do not care what your race or religion is.If you are a productive,responsible person who not only values education,but actually makes life choices that enable you to implement that value of education in your household,I want to be your neighbor.If you are none of those things,I do not want to be your neighbor.It is that simple.
I hear people say what you just said, but I really don’t think they mean it, not saying that this is you, but I think it’s become the pc thing to avoid the racist tag.
I say this because I hear more and more people quietly grumble about the massive increase in south Asians buying homes in the top suburbs, especially Plano, Frisco, Allen, Valley Ranch, Coppell etc
In some cases, it’s not uncommon for a street to be 80 percent Indian, and a lot of non Indians living in these suburbs don’t like it. I think they feel like they can express this to me since I’m not Indian, but the resentment is real. It’s one unspoken reason why Prosper is growing; non Indians trying to get away from Indians.
I have to say the economic power of Indians is amazing and terrifying at the same time. Quick story: an Indian coworker was telling me he was born and raised in NYC. Lived there his whole life. His entire extended family was also in NY as well, mother father in-laws siblings, everyone.
One of his sisters moved down here to take a job, loved the low COL and convinced the family to move down. So they bought 15 new homes on one street in Plano, so my coworker has his entire extended family on one street at the same time. Great for him, don’t know how the neighbors on that street feel to be surrounded by one family. I would have mixed feelings to be honest. But amazing financial firepower.
Neither here nor there in the big scheme of things.
LOL. If you believe this, I have some desert real estate that I know you'll be interested in.
While Plano is not Garland or Arlington, it definitely is in decline. Frisco has pretty much supplanted Plano as relo central for out of towners, indeed if I recall Frisco is projected to eventually be bigger than Plano. The housing stock is definitely aging too. The saving grace (and incredible foresight by city leadership) was growing the employment base, as this has kept the city relevant far longer than it would have been had it been just a bedroom community.
Not sure if the mass apartments building is the way to go but time will tell
What’s up with all this overexageration about the state of Arlington? Arlington has its shortcomings but it’s definitely not on its death bed. Dallas after 2010 had to reinvent itself because it was barely growing. I am sure Arlington will do the same.
While Plano is not Garland or Arlington, it definitely is in decline.
LOL
It'll be in decline when prices start falling en masse... and by any measure, that's not happening any time soon.
I'd like to hear why you think Plano is in decline though, especially since you're completely ignoring the growth along the Tollway, East Plano, revitalization of the Collin Creek mall area, rising home prices, etc.
One of the things DFW as a whole has going for it is the multiple employment bases throughout the metroplex. When Toyota left SoCal they went to Plano where there is still lots of room to grow. Out here they were in the middle of a sleepy suburban area (Torrance) which is single family homes, old run-down apartments and then the ocean (can't build on water) so employees were driving hour plus commutes and never able to afford a single family home to raise their families.
LA has a lot of that where employment is located in super expensive areas near the coast and affordable housing is over an hour or more away. That led to huge swaths of inland areas where there is just housing and retail without much white-collar (or even skilled labor) jobs. DFW is much better situated in that regard. You have corporations all over the metroplex.
Arlington has never been upper tier suburbia. My family comes from all corners of the metroplex from Cleburne to Denton, Mesquite & Rockwall, out to Fort Worth. 70 years ago they were all around white rock lake (well before I was born), but with jobs and other life factors they spread out just like DFW itself. Many of them live, work, attend church and other functions without ever needing to leave their little suburb.
DFW can get as big as it wants, as long as it keeps jobs moving outwards then the people can spread as well. LA should have done that but it never will. Corporations like being close to the coastal elite.
The far-flung exurbs of LA are pretty much gross. Antelope Valley has a half million people, High Desert the same, & there are other similar areas in the eastern inland stretches. They have poor economies, bad air, heavy poverty, and run down 10 yr old houses that people from urban LA bought because they could afford. DFW is not in a comparable situation.
After years in DFW and having moved to Houston I suppose one thing Ive grown to appreciate here is that there is a much bigger drive for new and current residents to infill the center of the city. In the Metroplex, it almost seems like a race to the Oklahoma border. There is this mindset that suburbs are exciting at first, but then they get old and people move to other places that are newer. I was speaking with a friend the other day that owns a home and Carrollton and wants to move because its "gone downhill". That seems crazy to me. Its not as new as a place like Frisco but there isnt anything wrong with it either. In the Metroplex it almost seems that when a person says a place is deteriorating, what they really mean is that its not new anymore.
I echo one of the sentiments above that the growth of South Asians in the suburbs north of Dallas is insane! When I moved into Plano, my street was very diverse. There were white, African, Indian, Asian, and Hispanic residents and everyone got along great. When I left, I was the only non-Indian household on the street. The people that bought our house were Indians from the Bay Area.
Im not trying to say that no one wants to move back into the center of Dallas either, but that isnt the mindset for the Metroplex as a whole. People up there, regardless or race of ethnicity, simply prefer suburbs and the newer the better. People in Houston have a much greater interest in living in the city and suburbs are more of an afterthought. Im not at all trying to make this a DFW vs. Houston thing at all either. There is plenty I preferred about the Metroplex and I loved living in Plano and Dallas. Ive found I didnt appreciate Fort Worth enough for starters! But this is one area where I think the mindset in Houston is better.
After years in DFW and having moved to Houston I suppose one thing Ive grown to appreciate here is that there is a much bigger drive for new and current residents to infill the center of the city. In the Metroplex, it almost seems like a race to the Oklahoma border. There is this mindset that suburbs are exciting at first, but then they get old and people move to other places that are newer. I was speaking with a friend the other day that owns a home and Carrollton and wants to move because its "gone downhill". That seems crazy to me. Its not as new as a place like Frisco but there isnt anything wrong with it either. In the Metroplex it almost seems that when a person says a place is deteriorating, what they really mean is that its not new anymore.
I echo one of the sentiments above that the growth of South Asians in the suburbs north of Dallas is insane! When I moved into Plano, my street was very diverse. There were white, African, Indian, Asian, and Hispanic residents and everyone got along great. When I left, I was the only non-Indian household on the street. The people that bought our house were Indians from the Bay Area.
Im not trying to say that no one wants to move back into the center of Dallas either, but that isnt the mindset for the Metroplex as a whole. People up there, regardless or race of ethnicity, simply prefer suburbs and the newer the better. People in Houston have a much greater interest in living in the city and suburbs are more of an afterthought. Im not at all trying to make this a DFW vs. Houston thing at all either. There is plenty I preferred about the Metroplex and I loved living in Plano and Dallas. Ive found I didnt appreciate Fort Worth enough for starters! But this is one area where I think the mindset in Houston is better.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by city center but more people live in DTD than Downtown Houston.
This area has doubled in population over the last several decades - given that the footprint had to grow.
One of the things DFW as a whole has going for it is the multiple employment bases throughout the metroplex. When Toyota left SoCal they went to Plano where there is still lots of room to grow. Out here they were in the middle of a sleepy suburban area (Torrance) which is single family homes, old run-down apartments and then the ocean (can't build on water) so employees were driving hour plus commutes and never able to afford a single family home to raise their families.
LA has a lot of that where employment is located in super expensive areas near the coast and affordable housing is over an hour or more away. That led to huge swaths of inland areas where there is just housing and retail without much white-collar (or even skilled labor) jobs. DFW is much better situated in that regard. You have corporations all over the metroplex.
Arlington has never been upper tier suburbia. My family comes from all corners of the metroplex from Cleburne to Denton, Mesquite & Rockwall, out to Fort Worth. 70 years ago they were all around white rock lake (well before I was born), but with jobs and other life factors they spread out just like DFW itself. Many of them live, work, attend church and other functions without ever needing to leave their little suburb.
DFW can get as big as it wants, as long as it keeps jobs moving outwards then the people can spread as well. LA should have done that but it never will. Corporations like being close to the coastal elite.
The far-flung exurbs of LA are pretty much gross. Antelope Valley has a half million people, High Desert the same, & there are other similar areas in the eastern inland stretches. They have poor economies, bad air, heavy poverty, and run down 10 yr old houses that people from urban LA bought because they could afford. DFW is not in a comparable situation.
That's is an outstanding set of points.
Several of the 'burbs here are much more like smaller cities than most across the country. That factor is a huge plus for the area overall.
Good article, but I wonder how long it has been since the author has been back to Arlington. I live here, so I speak from first-hand knowledge.
West/Southwest Arlington is doing very well - perhaps not "booming" due to a lack of wide-open land, but many new, high-quality homes are being constructed in the area. Shopping centers are being re-purposed and remodeled. Parks and roads are being rebuilt.
Many historic structures in Downtown Arlington have been restored and given a new life in an area now teeming with brew pubs, restaurants, a music hall, and an amphitheater. Is it Uptown? No, but single folks can actually afford to live in an apartment in the area without three roommates.
The area surrounding the UT Arlington campus is seeing a renaissance in redevelopment. The Viridian development in North Arlington is giving that entire area a breath of fresh air.
Could Arlington have been planned better? Absolutely. When we bought our first home here fifteen years ago, I saw frightening signs of decline only a few years later, which only seemed to reverse course about five years ago. It has been very heartening to see the positive changes that have been made and continue to be made.
I know a lot about Arlington. I worked there right out of college, and at my last job, I was there once or twice a week.
-West/Southwest Arlington is doing well because it is all still new.
-Downtown Arlington is a Joke. It is probably the worst downtown in the entire world for a municipality of 400k people.
-I do love several of the Dives in Arlington. Caves is a great time. There are some great places in the area "Around Downtown" but still, very, very underwhelming, even for a car-centric suburb.
-UTArlington has seen some good growth, but it is still mostly a commuter campus. You would expect more from a school of that size. Your expectations need to be very low to be impressed.
I hope the town is on the up and up, but I haven't seen it. Most of the "revival" seems to be centred around opening a few college-centric pubs/bars/ amenities close to the university, greenfield development and the stupid "Texas Live"
The most impressive thing about Arlinton is how long they have had the Rangers and yet totally failed to create a ballpark atmosphere around it for people to get drinks or food before and after the game.
The very moment the rangers hint they might move they hand over a billion dollars. Why didn't you spend some of that building cool things around the park before?
It's a total misunderstanding of what people like about going to baseball games....it treats it like a football game "An Event" and doesn't weave it into the daily life of the area, except for bad traffic.
Now they have the Texas Live bit, which is ugly, chainy, and fake and not a destination at all. I mean the website literally says "Free Parking" at the top like it is 1972 which is roughly the year the Arlington leadership is living in.
I will say this:
Arlington's failures as a city has resulted in a ton of inexpensive mom and pops places to be able to afford to be there. The area is very diverse because it is affordable for immigrants. I've known tons of first gen Americans who have lived there.
Now if only the older white residents understood this and didn't fight public transit and improvements to their city. No, the "Sketchy Element" won't come to your town via Dart, they already live in Arlington. Besides the supposed "Sketchy Element" is probably the citie's best hope at saving the place.
One of the things DFW as a whole has going for it is the multiple employment bases throughout the metroplex. When Toyota left SoCal they went to Plano where there is still lots of room to grow. Out here they were in the middle of a sleepy suburban area (Torrance) which is single family homes, old run-down apartments and then the ocean (can't build on water) so employees were driving hour plus commutes and never able to afford a single family home to raise their families.
LA has a lot of that where employment is located in super expensive areas near the coast and affordable housing is over an hour or more away. That led to huge swaths of inland areas where there is just housing and retail without much white-collar (or even skilled labor) jobs. DFW is much better situated in that regard. You have corporations all over the metroplex.
Arlington has never been upper tier suburbia. My family comes from all corners of the metroplex from Cleburne to Denton, Mesquite & Rockwall, out to Fort Worth. 70 years ago they were all around white rock lake (well before I was born), but with jobs and other life factors they spread out just like DFW itself. Many of them live, work, attend church and other functions without ever needing to leave their little suburb.
DFW can get as big as it wants, as long as it keeps jobs moving outwards then the people can spread as well. LA should have done that but it never will. Corporations like being close to the coastal elite.
The far-flung exurbs of LA are pretty much gross. Antelope Valley has a half million people, High Desert the same, & there are other similar areas in the eastern inland stretches. They have poor economies, bad air, heavy poverty, and run down 10 yr old houses that people from urban LA bought because they could afford. DFW is not in a comparable situation.
?
There is a large number of major employers all over the South Bay
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