Lancaster?? (Dallas, Fort Worth, DeSoto: middle-class, violent crime, new home)

[krystalt]

Can anyone tell me if the area around N Elm Street in Lancaster is a decent part of town? I know nothing about Lancaster personally, but some of my husband's relatives have told us that Lancaster is not a good place to live because of crime. This will sound bad, but his family is a bit racist and would probably say Lancaster is not a good place to move based solely on the fact that we are white and the majority of the population there is not.

I thought it better to come here and ask someone who might actually know the area for what it is.
Thanks!

[Acntx]

I live in Lancaster and North Elm Street is located in an older part of the city near the Town Square. Like just about every other community in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Lancaster has areas that aren't as nice as others, but most areas in the city are decent and nice. The North Elm area and the older neighborhoods near downtown have very little crime or police activity. In my opinion, you would be fine there.

Sadly, a lot of the negative things that are said about the city do go back to its demographic makeup. It was one of the first suburbs in the area to change from majority White to majority African-American and with that comes a lot of stereotyping about crime, poverty, etc., many of which turn out to be overblown or completely false. The truth is that Lancaster is a diverse community. Yes, African-Americans (mostly middle-class) make up a majority of the population, but there is still a sizable White population living in the city as well as a growing number of Hispanic residents who have chosen to locate here. Other groups have a smaller presence. We are not accustomed to violent crime and have a reputable police force that makes itself visible throughout the community.

Lancaster is one of the fastest growing cities in Dallas County, adding approximately 10,000 new residents since 2000. It is also one of the least built-out, which means that there is plenty of untouched land left for future development.

I hope this helps and if you have any other questions about the city that you might have, just let me know and I will try to be of assistance.

P.S. Over the past few weeks, I have snapped several photographs of landmarks and neighborhoods in the city that might give you a better feel for the city. Here's the link: Lancaster Photos.

[itchin2move]

I went to high school in Red Oak and lived in DeSoto so I feel I know that whole area fairly well. Lancaster has a lot of very rundown neighborhoods but like the PP said, you can find good areas in almost any town. I do have to say though that there were quite a few people in my graduating class that moved from Lancaster into Red Oak to get away from the town and all of the unsavory parts of it.

[Acntx]

In recent years, there has been a lot of new home construction in the city and many of the newer subdivisions dwarf those that may be considered "not as nice." The area in the vicinity of North Elm Street is older and generally well-maintained.

[southern living]

there are more good neighborhoods than bad in lancaster. I have lived in the area for almost 10 years and even considered buying in lancaster.

[krystalt]

Based on what was said here, my husband and I decided to drive through that area of Lancaster yesterday. It is definitely an older part of town, but it seemed to be holding up pretty well. I want to thank you all for responding to my question. It is always nice to get answers from those who actually know the area.

[Grainraiser]

Have you considered Cedar Hill.

[theloneranger]

I wouldn't want to send my kids to Lancaster ISD schools if I were a parent, but there are definitely acceptable to nice areas of town there.

If I were to live in a southern urban suburb, I'd pick Cedar Hill, but in all honesty I don't see any real reason to move south of downtown unless it's because of your price range or family commitments.

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by krystalt

Based on what was said here, my husband and I decided to drive through that area of Lancaster yesterday. It is definitely an older part of town, but it seemed to be holding up pretty well. I want to thank you all for responding to my question. It is always nice to get answers from those who actually know the area.

I wanted to wish you all the best in your home search.

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

If I were to live in a southern urban suburb, I'd pick Cedar Hill, but in all honesty I don't see any real reason to move south of downtown unless it's because of your price range or family commitments.

I'm sure that the majority of southern suburban residents are living here by choice more than anything else.