Most violent areas in Dallas (Houston, San Antonio: apartment complex, crimes, homes)

[Grainraiser]

Yep I drove by the old Timber Creek apartment location a couple of days ago and wow it's just a big hole now. That's were I rented my very first apartment back in the mid 80's. That area is prime real estate and all those old complexes will be wiped out within the next couple of years.

[Lakewooder]

It's a shame about the 'timber' and the 'creek', though!

[benebsm]

I want to say thanks for everyone who contributed to this thread. The map is invaluable to someone like me who is moving in from way out of town. Thanks

[FarNorthDallas]

So many of those areas are just where there are too many lower income apartments - a sea of complexes, not just one, in each area. Apartments that were nice when they were first built, but have deteriorated over time.

Great map, thanks!

[artsyguy]

What areas of North Dallas are safe??? Is there any place where you aren't going to get murdered or beaten up?

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by MSPMom

This map is very helpful for those of us who are new to Dallas. But it leaves me puzzled. I kept hearing that Oak Cliff and most areas south of downtown were supposedly horrible...or at least much worse than North Dallas, etc. It doesn't seem like these numbers reflect that. And, I was at a somewhat fancy dinner party over the weekend where some local folks kept saying how wonderful Oak Cliff is, despite the shady parts that should be avoided. And someone recommended we strongly consider Kessler Park. So what gives with the Oak Cliff bashing?

The following link to the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League might be useful to you. Although most of the neighborhoods on the map are outside of the original boundaries of what was the city of Oak Cliff, they are collectively referred to by many as "North Oak Cliff".

Some of the neighborhoods are not so nice, some are quickly gentrifying, some are very nice and some are spectacular. The character can change quickly as you drive from neighborhood to neighborhood, but that's the case in a lot of cities.

The Neighborhoods of Oak Cliff

[littlewmn]

Dallas native- thanks for the Oak Cliff map! Those neighborhoods listed on the map, how would you charecterize them? I would like to check out the area- but I don't want to end up in the wrong one while driving around!
Could you give me one of those brief, overly-generalized neighborhood summaries? Where is Kessler Park on the map? Where does "North Oak Cliff" generally start?
Thanks!

[Acntx]

littlewmn,

I was doing a little searching and came across this website that I thought you might want to check out. It is well designed and has a lot of information on the Kessler Park area.

Kessler Neighbors United

[littlewmn]

Cool - thx! Kessler Square/Highlands looks great! I am a sucker for smaller Tudors and bungalows.

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by littlewmn

Dallas native- thanks for the Oak Cliff map! Those neighborhoods listed on the map, how would you charecterize them? I would like to check out the area- but I don't want to end up in the wrong one while driving around!
Could you give me one of those brief, overly-generalized neighborhood summaries? Where is Kessler Park on the map? Where does "North Oak Cliff" generally start?
Thanks!

Well, I hate to contribute to the misinformation by perpetuating the idea that "North Oak Cliff" is really a designated section of Dallas. Attaching N, S, E or W to to the words "Oak Cliff" is what led to all the confusion in the first place. Technically, North Oak Cliff would be the northern part of the former city of Oak Cliff. That's not much area since the city of Oak Cliff was so small. But since I can't beat them, I'll have to join them. Most people who use the term North Oak Cliff are speaking rather broadly of everything south of I-30, west of I-35, east of Westmoreland and north of Illinois. The Westmoreland and Illinois "boundaries" are rather subjectiive but I think most would agree about I-30 & I-35.

Within the above area are all but one or two of the neighborhoods on the map that I attached previously. They vary a great deal in price and vibe. But, even the least attractive of those neighborhoods would be safe for you to drive through just to get a feel for the area. The ritziest 'hoods are going to be Stevens Park Estates and almost any of the 'hoods with "Kessler" attached to the name (there's a Kessler Park, East Kessler, West Kessler, Kessler Square, Kessler Highlands, Kessler Woods and a few more...). Stevens Park and most of the Kesslers are going to be located furthest north within the "North Oak Cliff" area. The most expensive 'hoods will be within I-30 on the north, W. Davis on the south, Beckley on the east and Hampton on the west. Colorado Blvd. between Beckley and Hampton goes right through all of it. I recommend just driving down Colorado Blvd. between Hampton Rd. and I-35. Many of the 'hoods will be on one side or another of Colorado Blvd. I also recommend checking out Winnetka Heights if you are into a very well preserved, early 20th century neighborhood full of prairie style homes (it's bounded by Davis, 12th St., Tyler & Rosemont and bisected by W. Jefferson Blvd).

I don't know what price range you are considering, but a small home in Stevens Park or most of the Kesslers is generally going to start at $250k or so. That would probably be a fixer-upper. Prices go up as high as about $2m and there will be lots of nice homes in the $400k - $1m range. If you look in other parts of "North Oak Cliff", like Wynnewood North for example, you could get a very nice '50's ranch style home in the $200k - $400k range. In other neighborhoods you could get a nice smallish Tudor house for $150k - $200k.

Sometime during your tour, be sure to check out the Bishop Arts District (www.bishopartsdistrict.com) for unique quality dining and shopping.