Buying a house in Bishop Arts District (Dallas, Spring: apartment complex, high crime)

[cgonz]

Like most people in Dallas, I've heard many bad things about Oak Cliff. It's not the most desirable place to hang out let alone live in. Even though I know a couple of people who have grown up there and I know there are expensive parts of Oak Cliff, I'm still wary about living there myself. BUT I found a house I really like for the price I can afford in B.A.D. I just want to hear people's take on the area. Is it really safe? Do I need to sleep with a weapon in hand, ready to attack? And, is buying a property in Oak Cliff a bad investment?

Thanks in advance for you opinion!

[nsumner]

Check the crime map.

http://maps.dallascityhall.com/index...=21&Update.y=8

Naima

[billdfw]

You should do a search, this has been discussed ad nauseum. If you are a single male with nothing to steal in your house, then you will probably be ok.

Oak Cliff is a high crime area, the further north you go, the better, with Kessler Park being the best, which is just South of I30.

It's a bad investment, especially in today's market, because people can investment in good areas of Dallas cheapley now.

I wouldn't do it. Good luck.

[pepper131]

I love hanging out in Bishop Arts - it's one of the very few non-commercial, non-chain, unique and interesting places in Dallas.

Have you been out to dinner on a Sat night at Tillman's - go. It's mostly locals. Talk to people, go into galleries, the small shops, Make Studio. Have a burger at Hunky's - all locals hanging out.

[Grainraiser]

Originally Posted by cgonz

Like most people in Dallas, I've heard many bad things about Oak Cliff. It's not the most desirable place to hang out let alone live in. Even though I know a couple of people who have grown up there and I know there are expensive parts of Oak Cliff, I'm still wary about living there myself. BUT I found a house I really like for the price I can afford in B.A.D. I just want to hear people's take on the area. Is it really safe? Do I need to sleep with a weapon in hand, ready to attack? And, is buying a property in Oak Cliff a bad investment?

Thanks in advance for you opinion!

Oak Cliff is like a city within a city. There are there are great parts and horrible parts. North Oak Cliff is the place you would want to live for sure. Many of the neighborhoods are in transition. Things have greatly improved in the northern section of Oak Cliff. I personally would hangout in the Arts District and chat with the locals. This is truly the best way to get a feel for the area. I grew up in Oak Cliff and never thought I would want to move back. Hanging out in the Bishop Arts district has changed my mind. It would be at the top of list If I ever decide to move.

[cgonz]

I will make a trip out this wkend. Crime map doesn't tell me much since when I moved it to Uptown, where I live now, it has the same number of dots or whatever.

[TrueDat]

I bought in North Oak Cliff and love it and have never had a problem with crime -- in contrast with my Uptown apartment complex where someone was shot and there were always notices about car and/or apartment break-ins. Anecdotal evidence, sure, but it's as valid as those here who often trash the O.C. but never set foot in it.

You say you're place is near the Bishop Arts District but there are a variety of neighborhoods near the B.A.D. including Kessler Park and Winnetka Heights that can be very pricey and others (Kings Highway, Kidd Springs) that are less so. Which area are you looking in?

Oh, and if you have any more specific questions about Oak Cliff, feel free to PM me.

[Dallas native]

The link below addresses some of the potential changes coming to N. Oak Cliff, particularly along Davis St. where the Bishop Arts District is located. It proposes higher density zoning around much of the area as a way of stimulating development. Given its close-in location, the existence of very stable and affluent neighborhoods such as Kessler Park, Stevens Park & Winnetka Hts. and the future development of the Trinity River Corridor(www.trinityrivercorridor.org), I think N. Oak Cliff is going to see lots of redevelopment in the next several years. The success of the Bishop Arts District is undisputed and it has spawned other new restaurants and retail further west along Davis St. If you are looking at a house adjacent to the Bishop Arts District, I think you will be making a very good investment.

Davis Street Land Use Study Moves Forward

[Lakewooder]

Oak Cliff is great - I'm a Lakewood/East Dallas guy so I won't move over there, but it is beautiful and there are really friendly - COOL people there.

Check out bolsa | oak cliff , Dallas Boutique Hotels, Dallas Texas Historic Hotels | Belmont Hotel Dallas and the Winnetka Home Tour is Saturday: Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association

[ParkRowPioneer]

Hi Cgonz,

I looked in Oak Cliff and the Bishop Arts District when I was moving back to Dallas after a 20-year hiatus. I chose a house in an historic district near Fair Park instead in order to be closer to my daughter, who lived in a townhome in Uptown at the time. Bishop Arts and several other Oak Cliff neighborhoods are great little places to live. Particularly if you like a sense of community, which so many of those neighborhoods retain. Like so much of Dallas, though, the restaurants do not stay open between lunch and dinner. Bummer.