Moving to Garland, need advice! (Dallas, Rowlett: for sale, apartment complexes, crime rates)

[knowledgeispower]

Hi everyone!
My wife and I are both teachers and we got a job in Garland, we are making plans to move from South Carolina. We'd like to know about good, safe areas since we are planning to buy a house, an affordable one. Any other info about crime rates, schools and things to do is highly appreciated. Thanks!

[socketz]

Momof2DFW lives there and has posted a ton about this area. If you try the search feature and look for her post, you will find more info on Garland than you can shake stick at...

[momof2dfw]

Welcome to town.

I'm in Garland and have been since 92. Dallas native though . Garland is pretty neat actually being that it is such a large city it still has a great small town feel. There are so many people here that grew up here, went off to college, came back here to raise their families. There are many teachers that went thru the GISD (be careful who ya talk about as it cracks me up how you can practically meet ANYONE in G-town and they know someone you do ). Friday night high school football games are a family affair around here w/ some great friendly rivalries as even members of one family could hail from different schools. My kids are in the GISD and I've been very impressed as has my sister that teaches in another area suburb. One of my kids is in the g&t program which I LOVE not just for the program itself and what these kids get to do but also for the diversity. We have many friends that teach in the GISD so if you have any questions there feel free to pm me. The GISD is also one school district that will allow your children to attend the school you teach at if you want them to.

There are many good areas of town to live in. I do not know your price range so I'll give a short rundown.
1. Firewheel - it is in northeast Garland and is the "last frontier" of G-town to be developed. There are a few areas of new construction but most of it is existing. The price ranges are from the low 200's all the way to over $1MIL in some areas. This is the most sought after area of the city. Homes here that go up for sale that are in good condition sale fast and the only ones that linger on the market are the ones that need work and are not priced accordingly. There are many different subdivisions in this area w/ the main one being between N. Garland Ave and Brand Rd w/ Muirfield running thru the middle of it (home of Abbett Elem). The Provence does have new construction going on by Dress Homes and New Castle (? I think that is the other builder).
2. The rest of northeast Garland - still many other areas near Firewheel that are good w/ the Valley Creek area being one. Here you can find some of the older smaller homes around the mid 100's and on up to the newer ones in the low 200's. Home of Lister Elem. Then off of Brand on the other side of Hwy 190 aka George Bush Turnpike there is a development being built by Paul Taylor.
3. There is another area off of Centerville but north of Hwy 66 that is pretty nice and I can not think of the name of it.
4. If you want older ranch homes w/ large lots and mature trees there are several options depending on what side of town you want in. Towards the north end around Copper Elem is a nice area of homes in this catagory that attracts a lot of young families and the area has been well kept. It goes from North of Buckingham, South of Belt Line, East of Shiloh, West of Glenbrook.
5. South Garland also has some good areas that are like hidden treasures that fit the above descriptions. Back off of Miller just west of Garland Ave there are some that start from South of Forest Ln behind Kraft Foods. On the other side of Garland Ave in this area but north of Miller there are a few areas that are tucked in back there that are AWESOME! I've been to a few and the yards and houses look like they stepped out of Better Homes and Gardens.
6. Downtown Garland. There are some houses in the downtown area that are awesome. You can find arts and crafts, victorian, etc. I've posted some pics before of a few houses in this area so you might try using the search feature on the Dallas page and asking for "pics of my area" and see if it comes up. I'll try and find it myself and post the link on here for you.

Off hand these are a few areas that are good for young families and near schools. Good luck and welcome to G-town.

[momof2dfw]

Here is the link w/ the pictures from the Garland area:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/dalla...ics+of+my+area



OH!! Also, avoid Rowlett. OMY! Even though it is part of the GISD their property tax rate is one of the highest in the county as is their water rates. And that is just the tip of the iceberg of why I would not live there or recommend it to anyone else.

[GoPadge]

Originally Posted by knowledgeispower

Hi everyone!
My wife and I are both teachers and we got a job in Garland, we are making plans to move from South Carolina. We'd like to know about good, safe areas since we are planning to buy a house, an affordable one. Any other info about crime rates, schools and things to do is highly appreciated. Thanks!

Where in South Carolina are you? I've lived in Rock Hill, Florence, Columbia, Lexington, Clemson and Central, plus in a previous job I was a field service tech covering NC, SC and GA.

[Lakewooder]

Unlike many of the Dallas suburbs, Garland has a storied and long history. Garland High School has the International Baccalaureate program and a traditionally successful football team, which is important in Texas.

However, I'd like to try to get you to look at Lakewood and East Dallas!

[rowlett mom]

Just wondering where you settled in Garland.
I saw Rowlett was bashed again by same person, very sad.
I hope you checked us out, we are a wonderful town on Lake Ray Hubbard.
If you like any type of water activities, boating, sailing, water sking or even just fishing with your kids, this is a great place to live.
We have a geat community center with a hiking trail and lots of open space.
This is a family oriented town and you will never feel unsafe living here.
I'm sure if you compared us to most of Garland you saw the difference for yourself. There is some new development in Garland, the part that is easy to access from rowlett. The new firewheel mall is actually closer to most of Rowlett than most of Garland. There is a great new store geared towards outdoor activities that sits on the lake off of I30. Bass Pro Shop is a fun place to go with a pretty good resturant inside. It's a little like a chilis but with a really neat fish tank. Kids love it. It is technically in Garland, but once again closer to Rowlett.
if you take I30 and exit at Dalrock you will see the huge marina off to your right. There are several restaurants there as well. And if you like a little nightlife, there is some of that too. They have live music in there on the weekends.
If you come into Rowlett over the bridge on Rowlett rd., not only is it a wonderful way to enter into your hometown, but you will see a smaller Marina on the left. This one is a nice place to launch a boat from or just take your kids fishing.
Check out the neighborhoods, most of them are well kept and have great people living there. No matter your price range you will find something good, safe and will only go up in value if you stay put more than a couple of years.
If you drive down Lakeview Pkwy. (old hwy66) you will see new retail going up. Starting at the west side of town, we have a newly remodeled Wal Mart if you like shopping there, I'm no snob, I shop there. Keep moving and you will see our new starbucks, and other fast food choices. As you keep traveling you will see a brand new Super Target to your left. This is great! check out the japanesse steak house on the lake and a pretty good Italian restaraunt.
Farther down accross the lake you will find a great Tom Thumb with a geat wine selection and a new Starbucks inside as well. I do love this Tom Thumb.
So if you haven't been to Rowlett in awhile, check us out. Please leave all negative comments elsewhere though, we dont' need your bad Karma.
I have been in Rowlett since 93 and have yet to find another place I'd want to live.

[HockeyDadof2]

Rowlett mom - How are the water rates there? The tax difference is really insignificant in my opinion, on a $500,000 home you are talking about a difference of about $350 a year.

[rowlett mom]

water rates are higher here than most surrounding suburbs.
To me it's worth it to live out here by the lake, close to everything, but a comfortable distance from Dallas proper.
Our water bill is usually $125 a month. I know thats very high.

[MaryS80]

Do you guys know what school/s you will be teaching at. A friend of mine is speech pathologist for GISD. She works at several schools, but mainly Sellers, and Webb. If you don't buy a home right away most apartment complexes in the area offer a small discount to GISD employees. Since you two are already hired I'm sure you are aware of the once a month pay, its a bit of a bummer but you just gotta be careful.

Oakridge is nice neighborhood in Garland, its located on a golf course, but there are many surprisingly affordable homes there. They also have a small restaurant/bar on the property. Oakridge is pretty close to where momof2 mentioned. It is north of Buckingham, south of Beltline, between Shiloh and Jupiter.