Looking for General Comments about North Irving (Valley Ranch Community) (Dallas: fit in, apartments)

[kam08]

Hi - I would like to learn more about the Valley Ranch area of Irving,TX. If anyone has any general comments I would like to hear them. Thanks

[kam08]

Anyone have any general knowledge about the Valley Ranch area versus the Richardson area?

[momof2dfw]

What part of Richardson?

The major differences are that Valley Ranch is MUCH smaller and has a LOT of apartment communities. It is also more of a singles area whereas Richardson attracts more families. Valley Ranch is home to the Dallas Cowboys practice field and so it attracts more of the "seen and be seen" crowd. You have more clubs and such there too. There are some nice housing areas in the Valley Ranch area but watch what school district they fall into. Stay w/ Coppell ISD. Valley Ranch is right by the airport (D/FW Int'l) so you do have a lot of plane noise but if you have to travel a lot it is easy. Although getting to the airport from Richardson is not bad at all in non rush hour times. Richardson is a pretty good sized city and has it's own school district. There are some lovely older areas of Richardson (Heights, Canyon Creek, SpringPark- has some new areas) and some new areas out by Breckinridge Park. Both are convienent to 190 and LBJ but from different sides of town.

Me personally if I were single, Valley Ranch. Family, Richardson.

[alegna007]

Originally Posted by kam08

Hi - I would like to learn more about the Valley Ranch area of Irving,TX. If anyone has any general comments I would like to hear them. Thanks

A resident of The Valley for 10 years. I must say it is more family friendly now than before. Very, very few apt. complexes have playgrounds. The community was initially intended to reflect Silicone Valley California., very costly and tech-y. Back in the 80's the oil industry dried up and the savings and loans went belly up. That alter the Silicone Valley agenda, and thus we have what Valley Ranch is today. Yes, the Cowboys Headquarters is there, but Valley Ranch is home to some 30,000+ people (depending on whose reports you consider). It is more family friendly now than ever before. 15 years ago they had 1 elementary, 10 they had 2. Sense 1997 the community as build a Jr High & Sr. High School, but on the east side of MacArthur (Carrollton/FB ISD). Coppell only has the 1 elementary school. Their ISD do won land intend for future use of a Jr. High but I don’t know when it will build. Seeing that Valley Ranch is a community, not a city, we don’t have a lot of bars, or clubs, we do have a wide variety of restaurants though. We do have nice community parks and walking trails down by the canal. WE have 3 or 4 churches, a few banks, lots of cleaners, and 635/MacArthur has lots of stores and shops to replace our once wooded entry to the Valley. Crime, we have more cars burglarized than anything in our zip code, mostly because we had the largest beat in Irving and that included all of the industrials business off 635 and many off 161 & 114. But the numbers are not as high now as they were 10 years ago, because the beat has been divided. We are getting a new library and a light rail is coming to Las Colinas… if you want liquor just drive a block or so up the road, Coppell is now wet, and Tom Thumb is the closest place to buy wine. The ethnic make up is very diverse and mostly … anyway you are sure to fit in unless your not sure to living in a HOA community, and then we’ll try to make you blend in… Just keeping it real… Oh yea, we have several daycares. The homes are more expensive on the west side of Mac (Coppell ISD) and less expensive on the east side (C/FB ISD), yet you get more house for your dollar on the East Side.

[Lakewooder]

There is less silicone in other places!

[sonshinelife]

Valley Ranch has Carrollton schools too and they do quite well as far as state expectations. Freeman Elementary is an exceptional school. There are few clubs if any in the Valley Ranch area. It is close to the Las Colinas area and Coppell area. Valley Ranch has both homes and apartments, Cowboys practice fields, and very little else.