Maybe moving to Denton.. (Dallas, Austin: appointed, apartments, lease)

[newindenton]

Hi everyone!
I am currently out of USA and have never been there. I may join the US Flight Academy in Denton to learn how to fly.
I just thought I'd ask how Denton is in terms of safety, cost of living, expenses, things to do (I heard its good for music, thats all so far lol) etc.
Accomodation is provided by the academy, for USD 500/- per month. I don't yet know what exactly this is (ie - a room, or a shared room) or whether bills are included. Is it better for me to find my own place on craigslist or something once I'm there?
Can someone tell me names of places to lookout for that will be close to the airport?

Any other information / tips / advice you can give would be great. And I apologize if this is posted in the wrong place!
If anyone has any info. or reviews on the school, knowing that would be great too!

thanks!

[nmnita]

Denton is NOWest of Dallas and a growing community but with a lot of college life. Both the university of No Texas and Texas Women's college are located there.

As for night life etc because it is a college town there should be quite a bit, but I have passed that stage of life so others will be better at advising about that.

As for safety and the cost of living. Denton is certainly not filled with crime like some inter-city areas or some of the other towns surrounding Dallas. As for cost of living, again, because it is pretty far north, almost not a suburb the cost of living will be less than living in say,Dallas. Again, what appears to be a low cost of living to one person, may not be to someone else. It depends on where you are living now and what prices you are used to paying for things.

Enjoy your time in Texas, it can be a great experience.

Nita

[newindenton]

thanks nmnita for the response. from 1 or 2 people who answered my question on twitter, they said its a great place for music and drinking. lol; i was wondering what other things there are to do!
by any chance do you have any feedback on the US Flight Academy flight school? Even if you just know whether its popular, a lotta people go there etc.

thanks!

[loves2read]

Denton is home of University of North TX--a very large public university--and there is Texas Women's University as well--which is not just for female students any more--so there are large numbers of young adults (I use that word advisedly however)...
it is probably possible to find someone to share a house with--my son did that for part of his time at UNT--and there are apts...
some of the housing is pretty rank because frankly landlords don't want to put money into places where students are going to live because they usually abuse the premises...

did not even know there was a flight academy in Denton

there is a fairly decent bus system in town for students to use from their apts w/o having to use cars to park on campus because there are more students than parking spots
but you have to show student ID to use it so probably won't do you any good...
Denton is growing and getting newer retail/commercial but the traffic is the pits--roads under construction too late to do any good...
has some nice older areas with trees

find the airport on Google maps -- then search for apts
most hits come with links to sites where people have left comments but comments could be just slamming apt complex for no legitimate reason just as positive comments could be rigged--but you can see what is out there
has a decent hospital if you need med care and drs/dentists
has some big box stores like Target, WalMart, Barnes and Nobles but also still has some independent stores as well
lots of quirky people whether they are goths, deadheads, or country jocks...

I just find Denton to be very dirty--does not seem like lot of people care if they throw discards where they finish them--lots of the retail is older and not being refurbished because (I guess) people expect someone to buy it and tear it down to build something new...
shabby--some people like it but there are older towns in better shape--

[jabbit]

not just "good for music" how bout "best music scene".

Signs of Life 2008: Best Music Scene - Denton, Texas :: Features Music :: Articles :: Paste


remember there is another city/town in texas that has already been known for having a good music scene-austin.

And thats not the only thing going for austin. Even though denton is a lot smaller you shouldnt expect that its music scene is all there is too it.

What kind of things are you expecting? Its the ONLY (and one of the few in U.S.) town in texas with a "small town feel" (which austin USED to have) and a growing and vital music scene which conversely affects its arts.

Denton is a rare breed. What other towns in texas have more going for it then Denton? and how do you quantify that?

I guarantee you that whatever town in texas you answer will have another town/s in texas sharing the same qualities or ammenities to an extent... meaning its a saturated point that doesn't make that town all that UNIQUE.... for the most part.

So Denton has what it has at the moment and no other town in texas has that. If you come to denton and dont like a vital unique local music scene then you will be disappointed. Denton is great for what Austin used to be good for (and people still long for that day)... small town college vibe with a music scene.

To say that that doesn't matter and reduce it to thats all it is good for as if thats something bad is to be rather ignorant about the affects of a vital music scene on the rest of the community.

Ive heard Denton referred to as a is kind of "folksy-berkeley" and we all know that music isn't the only component to berkeley. However it does affect the way of life there.


now im sure i didn't help you out with many of your concerns/questions... im sure others here have more expeirence to do that... but i thought i would clear the air.

Hope it all works out for you and good luck!

[newindenton]

hey
thanks for your post. i'm not too concerned about the place, but was just interested since i MAY be coming there for 6-12 months.
my main query was about the US Flight Academy but unfortunately nobody knows about that. Denton does sound like a nice place to be, i'm not looking for something outrageous and lively and stuff. And I guess its cheaper to live there too!

[loves2read]

think that having Denton becoming "developed" has had effect on rents--know that housing prices have been going up mainly because there is new construction in the area...

[TXreInvestor]

Hey new,

US Aviation Group is a client of mine in Denton. They lease apartments at a property that I own up there for their students. They have been pretty easy to work with on my end and have had good relations with the employees and owner that I have had dealings with during the last several months.

They lease 2BR units from me to house their foreign students in. They put four students in each unit in this particular program but that might be different from the one that you might be talking about. I am assuming that you are talking about US Aviation Group and not another flight school in Denton if there is another one. If you like your privacy the four people to a 2BR unit might be an issue for you but your program might not be the same program as these students are in. I think they might be sponsored by their government.

The units are big at 1,140 square feet and fully remodeled over the last year- had to get a plug in for me if anyone is looking for an apartment in Denton!

They have a big van that picks up and drops off the students every day to go to their classes so they don't have to worry about transportation which is pretty convenient for the students. I am pretty sure that their housing fees pay for utilities too but that might not be the case in your program and you should verify that.

My experience with them has been friendly and professional but I don't have any knowledge of actually going to school there and learning to fly. I think that they have an owner that is smart and a savvy business person but that still doesn't give you much info about the school but it is usually a good indication. Sorry I could not provide more info on the school itself but maybe you should ask them for references from students that have been through their course.

Anyway, enjoy Denton if you come, it is a smaller town feel to it even though it is pretty much connected to Dallas at this point.

[newindenton]

hey
thanks for the information! am still looking at different schools, but will keep it in mind. i think the program is probably the same - a full pilot training course.
are the people staying at your property chinese? i know that the chinese govt. sent a whole bunch of them for training to US Aviation.

Take care!