walkable older neighborhoods in the Plano/Frisco area? (Dallas, San Antonio: townhomes, transfer)

[curtpdx]

Will be moving from Portland, OR to a new job in Frisco, and my wife will possibly be working in the Addison area.

I like the look of the old central McKinney with apparently walkable shops, restaurants etc, but don't really see neighborhoods like that in Frisco or Plano. We won't be buying -- it'll probably be a 1-2 year posting in the area. Are there any comparable neighborhoods in Plano or Frisco?

I may need to be in Dallas proper for true urban hip, but is there a reasonable facsimile in the north 'burbs? I'd like to avoid the cookie-cutter complexes I see on craigslist, with the useless (for me) clubhouse, pool, gym etc.

Thanks,

Curt

[aceplace]

What about downtown Plano? Frisco has a small downtown with a few shops... not many. It also has a New Urbanism downtown, but it's not very developed yet. Also, look at Legacy Town Center in Plano for the ultimate walkable New Urbanism townscape. It's not old, however, but is very compact and walkable.

Your requirement of "old" is going to be a deal-killer. I'd suggest you broaden your search to include new as well as old. It doesn't really matter, because nothing in Texas is old except for the Caddo Indian ruins and a few San Antonio neighborhoods. Are you sure you want Texas instead of New England?

But if you still can't live without the patina of age, perhaps there is a development that can at least try to fake it for you. There is something called Adriatica in the Plano-Frisco-McKinney area which is attempting to create a facsimile of a Croatian harbor town. Try http://www.adriaticamckinney.com/harbor%20district.htm

[portorro]

OMG that complex is repulsive. A croatian inspired subdivision using italian names in the middle of nowhere in TX. I bet that is appealing to a person seeking authentic urban multi-use efficiency. Curtpdx steer away from that thing. It has wrong written all over.

[MaryS80]

Frisco was a rural farming town 10 years ago. You probably wont find much old there. Plano has a few small pockets of older areas. Plano started to really boom in the late 80's early 90's.

For the most part Plano and Frisco are the epitome of cookie cutter suburbia.

[rosscountry]

look at the willowbend area in Plano

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by portorro

OMG that complex is repulsive. A croatian inspired subdivision using italian names in the middle of nowhere in TX. I bet that is appealing to a person seeking authentic urban multi-use efficiency. Curtpdx steer away from that thing. It has wrong written all over.

It's a bit foolish to think that everyone else will agree to your personal taste. Others are supposed to avoid something not because it is harmful to them, but because you personally don't like it?

As for me, I like what the developer is doing. He's spending a fortune on the sort of detail and artwork that others would not find cost-effective. The development is taking a much longer time to build than usual because the developer is using traditional materials and authentic building methods. Introducing the scale and environment of a European village may be a catalyst that improves urban planning in North Texas. We need more places like Adriatica and more developers willing to go out of their way to build them.

[curtpdx]

Well, the Crotian-inspired subdivision might be a tough one. Among my travels over the years was a college summer internship in Yugoslavia (in Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina, actually -- post Tito, pre breakup, which dates me...), and I spent a decent amount of time along the glorious Adriatic coast. Recreations are tough when you've sipped slivovitz in the real thing...

In any case I've made the relocation decision, and I'm sure it'll work out fine. I've been mostly living in India for the past four years, and only spent a couple of recent months in my 1920s-1930s Portland neighborhood before signing up for the Dallas gig. My wife, who's never been to the US, is the one who'll be making the big adjustments.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by curtpdx

Well, the Crotian-inspired subdivision might be a tough one. Among my travels over the years was a college summer internship in Yugoslavia (in Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina, actually -- post Tito, pre breakup, which dates me...), and I spent a decent amount of time along the glorious Adriatic coast. Recreations are tough when you've sipped slivovitz in the real thing...

In any case I've made the relocation decision, and I'm sure it'll work out fine. I've been mostly living in India for the past four years, and only spent a couple of recent months in my 1920s-1930s Portland neighborhood before signing up for the Dallas gig. My wife, who's never been to the US, is the one who'll be making the big adjustments.

Well, it may be a bit incongruous to drink coffee in a Starbucks in the Croatian village, but maybe you should pay the place a visit and tell us later how good or not good it may be. Albeit a small lake in McKinney may not approximate the actual Adriatic. Actually, whether it simulates Croatia is not as important as how it feels to be there at all, how well it provides what a village neighborhood should provide.

My advice to you is to get a flat in downtown Plano. It's not as full of shops as DTN McKinney, but it has some... plus it has DART rail to central Dallas in walking distance, and a DART bus connection to Addison for your wife. An alternate suggestion is to look at the Addison Circle area in Addison. It's a dense, walkable area with shops on the sidewalk, residential above, and has a DART bus transfer center next to it, with express bus service to DTN Dallas, and much local service. It would be a straight shot up the Tollway to Frisco. And you will be driving to Frisco, there's no public transit there. At any rate, if you're not on the DART system, you're gunna need 2 cars.

BTW, where were you in PDX? The 21st-23rd street area in Northwest?

[needsomeinfo]

the shops at legacy area (legacy/tollway) is also walkable, but you would have to drive to your jobs. but lots of townhomes/apts/shops/restaurants and a art house type movie theature. nice area. if you would like mass transit, downtown plano would be a better bet. or addison circle, as mentioned.

you could also go to uptown/knox-henderson/west village in Dallas- more of a drive to work, but it would be against traffic, so probably 30 minutes or so. very popular area with lots of shops/restaurants, very close to the arts, and even has a trolley. probably the most expensive option.

I would recommend visiting them all- they all have a different vibe and sizes/offerings.

[MaryS80]

Truth be told, Dallas in and of itself is still a pretty new area compared to some cities. Even in Dallas proper there's not a whole lot predating the second world war. Where is your wife from? Maybe look into an area where she can have a taste of home. The Dallas metro is very diverse with many shops and restaurants catering to different cultures.