Lake Highlands (Dallas, Garland, Alto: real estate, condo, crime)

[member007]

Hi-

I'm considering buying a townhome in the Lake Highlands area (near Forest & Abrams). Does anyone have any insight on this area?

I've heard differing opinions, but it seems like most lean towards it having a lot of crime and just a shady area in general (Forest & Abrams, not necessarily LH). Although I haven't heard from anyone that lives near there...so let's hear it. Good or bad!

Thanks!

[fratermus]

I had not thought of that area as being LH before. Perhaps it is.

I took the wife to a store at Forest/Abrams last week and her "sketch factor" antennae were fully out and extended: people wandering around without apparent purpose at mid-day, pants hanging down, cars with giant wheels, that kind of thing.

It did not appear imminently dangerous in the "I'm going to step out of the car and get robbed in the parking lot" sense, but the wife and I like to walk at night and we would not do it there.

Hey, at least it's not a street over at Audelia. So it's got that going for it.

[whatdoiknw]

If you're checking out LH, then this is a good place to see what's going on.

Lake Highlands Area improvement association.
Lake Highlands Area Improvement Association

I've lived in LH and forest + Abrams is not where I would choose (for that matter, nowhere north of 635 as far as LH is concerned). I'd probably go with somewhere in this box surrounded by skillman, royal, plano rd, northwest highway

dallas,tx - Google Maps

[Smito]

I would not buy a townhome at Forest and Abrams. Instead, you might look at one of these near Skillman and Royal. 8315 Coppertowne Court, Dallas, TX, 75243 - MLS ID#11207975 - Condo/Townhome/Row Home/Co-Op real estate - REALTOR.com®

[ETex2]

Forest and Abrams is definitely not Lake Highlands by any stretch. Bad area.

[TurtleCreek80]

Steer clear. It is technically in LH, as the middle school near there (Forest Meadow) feeds into LHHS.....however, my college friends from LH always called that area "Forest Ghetto."

[ETex2]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Steer clear. It is technically in LH, as the middle school near there (Forest Meadow) feeds into LHHS.....however, my college friends from LH always called that area "Forest Ghetto."

I guess if you were to go by school district boundaries. "Lake Highlands" originally covered the areas around White Rock Lake generally bounded by Loop 12 (Northwest Highway) to the north, Garland Road to the south, and Lake Highlands Dr. to the east. It was expanded further to include areas north of Loop 12 all the way to Royal Lane, bounded by Abrams on the west. More or less. I've never heard of the Forest Lane and Abrams area being referred to as a part of "Lake Highlands", but to each his own, I guess.

[nimbusdog]

Originally Posted by ETex2

I guess if you were to go by school district boundaries. "Lake Highlands" originally covered the areas around White Rock Lake generally bounded by Loop 12 (Northwest Highway) to the north, Garland Road to the south, and Lake Highlands Dr. to the east. It was expanded further to include areas north of Loop 12 all the way to Royal Lane, bounded by Abrams on the west. More or less. I've never heard of the Forest Lane and Abrams area being referred to as a part of "Lake Highlands", but to each his own, I guess.

If you look at the map on the Lake Highlands Area Improvement Association web site (http://lhaia.org/images/map_large.gif) then Forest & Abrams falls within Lake Highlands. I think this map does correspond, more or less, to the school district boundaries.

[billdfw]

I would avoid that area. As nimbusdog posted, Lake Highlands is a big place. Most of it is nice, but there still are a lot of bad areas.

[member007]

Thanks for all the responses! I looked on the Lake Highlands Area Improvement website, and it mentions some townhomes being developed on Timberleaf that are supposed to be pretty nice. And judging by the Google Maps street pictures, there appear to be some decent homes on Timberleaf. Would this still be too close to the Forest Ghetto?