Searching a MORE LIBERAL, HIP, ARTSY Dallas suburb (Austin, Plano: sale, apartments)

[The Texan]

Hm...that's a tough one. Dallas itself is actually a very liberal city and consistently votes Democrat. Actually, once in the Dallas Morning News I read that Dallas' response to Austin's "Keep Austin Weird" slogan is "Keep Dallas Liberal," coined by locals.

However, the suburbs and the surrounding area are overwhelmingly conservative. Nearby Fort Worth is the largest city in the nation that consistently votes Republican, and most suburbs are no less conservative, especially the prosperous northern suburbs in Collin County (albeit, the county seat of McKinney is ruled out in your search). The only exceptions are a few southern suburbs such as Wilmer and Hutchins, but I would definitely not recommend those areas as they are pretty run down and suffer from high crime rates.

I'd have to agree with Lakewooder on this one - East Dallas seems good. But in my opinion, even better would be living in downtown Dallas itself. It's hip and trendy, with plenty of culture and an up-and-coming Arts District. Museum Tower, a new skyscraper under construction in the Arts District, will be your dream come true. Union Station in downtown links you to downtown Fort Worth; although hugely conservative, the city's downtown has amazing arts and culture as well.

Good luck in your search!

[The Foot]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Uptown Dallas, or move to Austin.

Unfortunately, most of the burbs around DFW are quite conservative, especially in Tarrant County. As you said, "it's still Texas."

Fortunately the burbs are still conservative, our poor city is no longer.

[artsyguy]

Great post. Austin's liberal is completely different than the liberalism in Dallas. Austin is more about statism, hiding prejudiced beliefs behind a facade of PC behavior, and being weird. Dallas is more of a libertarian liberalism.

Originally Posted by The Texan

Hm...that's a tough one. Dallas itself is actually a very liberal city and consistently votes Democrat. Actually, once in the Dallas Morning News I read that Dallas' response to Austin's "Keep Austin Weird" slogan is "Keep Dallas Liberal," coined by locals.

However, the suburbs and the surrounding area are overwhelmingly conservative. Nearby Fort Worth is the largest city in the nation that consistently votes Republican, and most suburbs are no less conservative, especially the prosperous northern suburbs in Collin County (albeit, the county seat of McKinney is ruled out in your search). The only exceptions are a few southern suburbs such as Wilmer and Hutchins, but I would definitely not recommend those areas as they are pretty run down and suffer from high crime rates.

I'd have to agree with Lakewooder on this one - East Dallas seems good. But in my opinion, even better would be living in downtown Dallas itself. It's hip and trendy, with plenty of culture and an up-and-coming Arts District. Museum Tower, a new skyscraper under construction in the Arts District, will be your dream come true. Union Station in downtown links you to downtown Fort Worth; although hugely conservative, the city's downtown has amazing arts and culture as well.

Good luck in your search!

[artsyguy]

Where is the up and coming art district?? I thought Dallas had one already but I could be wrong.

Originally Posted by The Texan

I'd have to agree with Lakewooder on this one - East Dallas seems good. But in my opinion, even better would be living in downtown Dallas itself. It's hip and trendy, with plenty of culture and an up-and-coming Arts District. Museum Tower, a new skyscraper under construction in the Arts District, will be your dream come true. Union Station in downtown links you to downtown Fort Worth; although hugely conservative, the city's downtown has amazing arts and culture as well.

Good luck in your search!

[cityconvo]

Originally Posted by The Texan

I'd have to agree with Lakewooder on this one - East Dallas seems good. But in my opinion, even better would be living in downtown Dallas itself. It's hip and trendy, with plenty of culture and an up-and-coming Arts District. Museum Tower, a new skyscraper under construction in the Arts District, will be your dream come true. Union Station in downtown links you to downtown Fort Worth; although hugely conservative, the city's downtown has amazing arts and culture as well.

Good luck in your search!

Hold on. Museum Tower is not under construction and many believe it is nothing more than at least a decade long fantasy that will likely never see one piece of dirt fly. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing it go up, but we will have to wait and see.

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by Katenorthwest

I am from the Pacific Northwest and am desperately seeking a more liberal-minded town near Dallas. I realize it's still Texas- I'm not asking for San Fran liberal- just more liberal than usual. Something that has more than Pottery Barn and Applebees. A town with culture, art, music, parks, lakes, trees, recreation (other than huge sports events). Price doesn't matter.

I've heard Mckinney is cool-- thoughts?? suggestions???

Help!! Thank you!!!

I agree with all of the posts that suggest different neighborhoods within the city of Dallas as the best choice overall.

The suburbs of southwest Dallas County (such as Cedar Hill, southern parts of Grand Prairie, DeSoto, and Lancaster) might be an option as well. Cedar Hill has Joe Pool Lake, a State Park, and other recreational opportunities. There are also nature preserves as well as hike/bike trails throughout the region. The area tends to vote overwhelmingly Democratic in elections, and while I know that this doesn't necessarily translate into being liberal, it is a rarity among Dallas-Fort Worth area suburbs. These communities are mid-sized (35,000 to 50,000 people) and can't compete wide variety of cultural offerings in the city of Dallas, but it is an area that you may find suitable.

Hope this helps!

[LAnative10]

Originally Posted by The Texan

Hm...that's a tough one. Dallas itself is actually a very liberal city and consistently votes Democrat. Actually, once in the Dallas Morning News I read that Dallas' response to Austin's "Keep Austin Weird" slogan is "Keep Dallas Liberal," coined by locals.

However, the suburbs and the surrounding area are overwhelmingly conservative. Nearby Fort Worth is the largest city in the nation that consistently votes Republican, and most suburbs are no less conservative, especially the prosperous northern suburbs in Collin County (albeit, the county seat of McKinney is ruled out in your search).

Couldnt have said it better myself. Dallas has a liberal voting record, but the suburbs for the most part are very conservative (especially the ones to the north). The ones to the south are more in the middle of the spectrum politically.

[jimithing78]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

lmao where exactly in Austin was hip, liberal, and artsy. The homeless tranny doesn't count as hip and liberal either. That is just wrong and low-class.

Seriously? Your hate for Austin is pretty well documented. You're starting to sound like Lakewooder spamming crap about Lakewood (no offense). South Lamar and Guadalupe just to name a couple of places. Or there are places a little west of town towards the hill country like Beecaves (the city not the street.)

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Where is the up and coming art district?? I thought Dallas had one already but I could be wrong.

Bishop Arts District

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

And then the Earth cooled.

Ha! That's roughly what I said about my fifth grade English teacher, Jolly Blanche Robertson - always quoting Shakespeare and she appeared to be from that era!

However, I think a lot of the posters here were alive in 1970 when this map of Dallas and its satellite cities was drawn:


http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_cities/dallas2.jpg

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Ha! That's roughly what I said about my fifth grade English teacher, Jolly Blanche Robertson - always quoting Shakespeare and she appeared to be from that era!

However, I think a lot of the posters here were alive in 1970 when this map of Dallas and its satellite cities was drawn:


http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_cities/dallas2.jpg

Very cool map! I was 5 in 1970, but I remember taking Sunday drives with my family to the "country." We were at Forest and Inwood and it wasn't that far away! My mom used to tell me that when they first moved into the house, in 1965, she felt like they lived way too far out.