Considering a move to Dallas, please help (Arlington, Garland: fit in, crime)

[GABMER]

We are considering a move to Dallas from Orlando, we were there last April and loved it people were very friendly and helpful (we dont have that in Orlando) , so far my research has been positive. We dont have familiy or friends there so we dont have anybody to ask. I will love to hear from residents there about Dallas. I have two boys one will start college and the other one Middle School. We love sports, we are familiy oriented. How is College education and overall education, job oportunities etc.
Thank you!

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by GABMER

We are considering a move to Dallas from Orlando, we were there last April and loved it people were very friendly and helpful (we dont have that in Orlando) , so far my research has been positive. We dont have familiy or friends there so we dont have anybody to ask. I will love to hear from residents there about Dallas. I have two boys one will start college and the other one Middle School. We love sports, we are familiy oriented. How is College education and overall education, job oportunities etc.
Thank you!

What do you mean by "how is college education?" There are quite a few schools in the Metroplex, from the community college to Division I universities like Southern Methodist and Texas Christian. There are even more colleges within a close radius. What academic level are you looking for, what price range, etc.

Education is going to vary quite a bit--Dallas is a very big area, the fourth largest in the country. It will depend on what neighborhood you live in.

Job opportunities are better than most places in the country, but aren't great with the economy the way it is--again, it depends on what profession you're looking for. Some are better than others. With the economy the way it is, I wouldn't recommend giving up a job to move to Dallas and look for work--I wouldn't move unless I had a job lined up.

[GABMER]

theloneranger, thank you for your response and I apologize for being so vague. I totally agree with you, we will not make a move unless we can find a comparable job, I am in Property Management and my husband owns a small construction business. I have a son that will start College next year and another one in Middle School. They go to private schools because education here is not good, that is why I was wondering about Colleges and public education in Dallas. We were in Dallas last April and loved it, it was clean and orderly and people went out of their way to help. Crime is also very important, Orlando is the #7 in the nation. So as you can see our hot bottoms are Education, Crime, Job opportunities and a place where you can find the nice calm areas but have a little of everything at your fingertips. I appreciate any information.

[mhanigan]

Originally Posted by GABMER

We are considering a move to Dallas from Orlando, we were there last April and loved it people were very friendly and helpful (we dont have that in Orlando) , so far my research has been positive. We dont have familiy or friends there so we dont have anybody to ask. I will love to hear from residents there about Dallas. I have two boys one will start college and the other one Middle School. We love sports, we are familiy oriented. How is College education and overall education, job oportunities etc.
Thank you!

Hello. If you know of the area you are moving to, I'd be happy to send you a few links that are quite helpful.

[TXLara]

Collin County Community College is actually a pretty good school, and they are working on getting a 4-year accreditation. As for the public schools, that really depends on the school district. There will be a lot of conflicting opinions on here, but the only ones I really know anything about are Frisco ISD (lots of good things) and Garland ISD (not so many good things).

Crime seems to lesson the farther north you go, and those crimes are mainly property crimes. If you're interested in private K-8 schools here, I know more about those than public. Sports are big here in the schools- soccer, basketball, football, etc.

[momof2dfw]

[quote=TXLara;9347793Frisco ISD (lots of good things) and Garland ISD (not so many good things).

.[/QUOTE]



Um, actually the Garland ISD has a LOT of good things going for it. They have one of THE BEST magnet programs around and offer more magnet programs and schools than any other district around. I'm not talking just a single class per grade stuck in a school but entire schools that are made up of students in those programs with entire staffs trained in those areas. There are 3 elementary schools for the Gifted & Talented, 1 elem. school for the Fine Arts, another for Science & Technology. Same for middle schools. The high schools even have magnet programs w/ Garland HS having a GREAT IB program. I have children in the district and after comparing the area districts when we thought of moving we came to realize that the GISD has a leg up on many in the area. Especially if you have a child that does not fit into a one size fits all pigeon hole.

I have good friends and family that teach in many of the so-called "better" districts and I can honestly tell you they DO have their fair share of problems. Just because they have newer school buildings does not translate into a better education.

[GABMER]

Thank you for the information, we are considering the Frisco and Mckinnley area. As stated, we spent some time in those areas and liked it very much.

[Lakewooder]

Just be aware that those areas are very far north - if you should get jobs in a more central location you will be spending a lot of time and money commuting.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by GABMER

We are considering a move to Dallas.

Originally Posted by GABMER

we are considering the Frisco and Mckinnley area.

which one again?

these areas are 30 miles apart.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by GABMER

I have two boys one will start college and the other one Middle School. We love sports, we are familiy oriented. How is College education and overall education, job oportunities etc.
Thank you!

Area full 4 year universities are:
Southern Methodist University in Dallas (Park Cities) aka SMU
The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson aka UTD
The University of North Texas in Denton aka UTD
Texas Woman's University in Denton (yes, males can attend TWU)
The University of Texas in Arlington aka UTA

Originally Posted by GABMER

Thank you for the information, we are considering the Frisco and Mckinnley area. As stated, we spent some time in those areas and liked it very much.

If your college aged son lives at home your going to severly limit which colleges he could commute to with these choices without wearing himself and a car out. Something more centrally located would give him more options ESPECIALLY when it comes time for jobs and internships. You could literally live a few blocks away from UTD in Richardson and be a LOT better centrally located for everyone when it comes to jobs they would be commuting to. Only looking in Frisco or McKinney pretty much limits him to UNT or TWU and maybe UTD. Kids in McKinney that pick SMU even live on campus or closer in.

Another thing to consider is that SMU and Collin County Community College have joined up with a program where a person can do their first 2 years at CCCC and then transfer straight over to SMU. This must be arranged prior to just enrolling so that all of their credits will transfer. There are several CCCC campuses throughout the area.

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Just be aware that those areas are very far north - if you should get jobs in a more central location you will be spending a lot of time and money commuting.

Especially for anyone commuting to college. YIKES! I thought commuting from Carrollton to Denton in the 80's was bad.......

Originally Posted by jobert

which one again?

these areas are 30 miles apart.

LOL!!!