Moving to Dallas Area Rockwall/Garland (Houston, Irving: for sale, waterpark, crime)

[Gordynk]

Hello all.....

So imagine this, my wife and I are relocating to Texas from California...we are probably the first people to do this. Just Kidding.

What can anyone tell me about the Rockwall or Garland Areas? We are probably looking to move around the 1st of July, and from what I have been told Rockwall is nicer than Garland. We are just looking for a nice house, in a nice community...with schools and shopping that I would feel comfortable with my wife and daughter going to. My wife is scared about the humidity, but she is willing to deal with anything if it means staying home to raise our daughter, who just turned 3 months old. Any input would be great....thank you in advance for your time.

Gordy

[Texan#1]

Rocwall is nice.. just a typical new suburb of Dallas. Schools are good, crime is low and there's lots of new construction. Garland is older, has more established neighborhoods and has really good magnet schools.

[NW transplant]

Know what you want AFTER you move here. When you have your things unpacked. what do you want to do then? Go to museums? Go hiking? Go fishing? Walk to the neighborhood pool? Remember that this place is very, very spread out. If you don't like driving, look up a zip code in yahoo maps and have it highlight community services like libraries, or malls, or whatever. there is a big difference.
We are out towards where you are talking about. Property taxes can eat you up no matter where you are in DFW, but be wary. It is a $3K/yr difference between our place and my bro in law's and we are 3 min driving distance apart. Water usage is a big deal in SOME areas more than others right now. There is country outside Rockwall. There is no country in Garland. Most of Rockwall along I30 is 2-3 years old. Because it is growing, you have to be ready for main roads to be getting widened, open fields to be getting built up, that sort of thing. there are plenty of SAHMs in both places.
And let your wife know that this isn't Houston. Humidity is only bad maybe a week out ot the year, two tops. It isn't ANYTHING like the South, Hawaii, Florida, etc. no matter how the natives complain.

[stargazer]

Rockwall is the better community out that way towards Garland, the big minus though for me is driving over Lake Ray Hubbard. That's the only draw back. Maybe look too over near Rowlett and Sachse. Those are not over the lake. I guess I should not put my feelings here but I want too, 17 years ago I was crossing the lake going to a wedding and I saw a truck in the water with the bed just bopping up and down next to the road. I saw a diver in a wet suit going in trying to get the person out. That night I saw on the news that a lady had died in the truck. It has stayed with me all these years....

Garland has some older established neighborhoods but it is more industrial and if raising a child, I would look more out towards Rowlett.

[Gordynk]

Stargazer it is great that you mentioned that about the drive over Lake Hubbard, we have family that have actually mentioned that to us recently as well, especially since I will probably be driving to either Dallas or Garland for my job. Said that a 25 minute drive with traffic can and will probably take 1 hr. So now we are looking into Rowlett and maybe Sachse....does anyone know anything about these areas?????? Thanks again

Gordy

[Jigger]

Rockwall was recently known as the fastest growing county in America. I-30 runs through Rockwall and there is north of I-30 and there is south of I-30. The residents of either side are very territorial. North is old money, south is new and includes the community of Heath which has a Rockwall mailing address and is in the Rockwall School District (good schools). Another new high school has been built. Rockwall has not been competitive in football for some time. They have been very successful in boys and girls basketball and swimming. For the most part the folks in Rockwall are really nice. Some teens on the south side seemed to have too much attitude and too much money to blow and multi-million dollar homes are almost common. A huge new complex is being built out into the lake (Lake Ray Hubbard) and it will include and amphi-theatre a real lighthouse and bunch of other really cool stuff. If you golf Buffalo Creek is on the south side and The Shores is on the north side. The Shores seems to have more of a Country Club atmosphere, but the new money prefers Buffalo Creek.

Garland is worth considering. I would suggest North Garland. Garland High is the oldest of the schools while Naman Forest is the newest High School. I would suggest you consider Wylie and Sachse north and east of Rockwall. Both are growing robustly with Wylie being the High School that's the most competitive in football. Oh. By the way ... in Texas, football is king. Murphy is a new community a little further north that looks different every time I drive through there.

Hope this is helpful and welcome to Texas!

[momof2dfw]

Gordy,

I would stick w/ Garland or Rockwall (The Shores to be specific for Rockwall). I would avoid Rowlett, Sachse and Wylie. If you want the HIGHEST water rates around then go to Rowlett or Sachse. Wylie has HORRIBLE traffic (as does Sacshe) on Hwy 78 to get out of the town. Rowlett already had the highest water rates around and just raised them again. Right now the Dallas area is in a severe drought and water is WAY low on the lakes. Plus, I've lived in both Garland and Rowlett (Garland then Rowlett then back to Garland). To me Rowlett is just getting rundown. Sachse and Wylie are attracting the lower end cookie cutter tract homes so they are growing but the infrastructure is not there yet to keep up.

Rowlett shares schools w/ Garland and Rockwall. The Dallas County side of Rowlett goes to the Garland ISD while those that reside on the Rockwall County side go to Rockwall ISD of which there is only 1 elementary school IN Rowlett for them. For jr & sr high you must go over the bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard on Hwy 66 for school. Sacshe is the same except Dallas County side goes to Garland ISD and the Collin County side goes to Wylie ISD.

I LOVE the Garland ISD. They really do have a lot to offer. They have wonderful magnet programs (gifted and talented, math, science, arts, etc). Even in the elementary levels. There are 7 high schools w/ one more on the books. All 7 have different specialties they offer even vocational programs. Garland High School has the only IB (Internation Baccaluarate program) around. We have open choice so you can pick any of the schools to go to. For elementary you must test to get into the magnets otherwise you usually go to your neighborhood school. I have one child in the G&T program and one in the neighborhood school. I could not be happier. The neighborhood school is like a scene from "Leave It To Beaver" with kids walking to school and parents w/ them (moms AND dads). We have a LOT of stay at home moms around and our neighborhood even has a moms club. Garland also has the new Special Events Center located next to Naaman Forest High School. Sachse High School is actually the newest high school for the GISD. I know lots of people that work at all of the high schools in Garland and would trust my kids at any of them.

Garland still has some "country". We have the Spring Creek Preserve w/ great hiking trails and bird tours. We also have the Holford Farm which must stay a farm per the deed. We also have a fairly new waterpark (Hawaiian Falls) located near Hwy 190 (George Bush Turnpike). And the new mall, Firewheel Town Center. It is an open air concept mall and is really nice (and I'm a native Dallasite). You can get anywhere in the Dallas area pretty easy from Garland and if you are going to be working in the Dallas area I would stick to Garland. Garland has DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) w/ 2 rail stations, one being in downtown Garland. There is soon to be a Dallas County Community College campus in downtown Garland across from the rail station. Rockwall does not participate in DART and neither do Sachse or Wylie. Rowlett has a park & ride and the rail line is to start construction soon. That is if it does not get blocked by the citizens of that town like Hwy 190 has. Hwy 190 has been on the books for Texas since the 60's and will go from Hwy 183 in Irving (which it already does) all the way to I-30 in Garland. It will go thru Garland (which it does now) and then thru Rowlett then cross the lake and meet up w/ I-30 in Garland. Right now it is up in arms because the citizens of Rowlett are upset over the costs for them to have access to 190. So it is anyones guess. Politics...

For housing in Garland it depends on what you are looking for. If you want "newer" or new and around all the "new" action like the mall and near 190 then the Firewheel or Northeast Garland is the place. If you like older nice ranch style homes on huge lots w/ lots of trees then there are plenty of areas in Garland to choose from. Try along Kingsbridge, Buckingham, N. Garland Ave. Or look in South Garland. Be wary of any homes that back up to Duck Creek in S. Garland. When we get heavy rains they have been known to flood.

Good luck

[Chunk]

Is Garland really like King of the Hill?

[momof2dfw]

LOL!!!!!!! NO!!!!
Garland is really nice. I live in the N.E. part in Firewheel. Most of the people in this area are professionals and actually grew up here. They like the schools and other conveniences and the atmosphere. It may be the 10th largest city in the state of Texas but still has a small town atmosphere where people get to know each other. Garland has done a great job of providing the people that grew up here or moved here as a young couple a place to stay w/in the city/community and "move up". There are a lot of businesses in Garland that are family or independently owned and the business owners live in Garland. That says a lot right there. Check out link removed and see how many houses in Garland are for sale over $250K. You would be surprised. Houses over $350-400K don't stay on the market long around here.

[Chunk]

Haha I was just curious. Thats where they got the city of Arlen from. The creator was raised in Garland.