Is there a neiborhood in/near Richardson that is nearly as safe as Frisco? (Houston: apartments, rent)

[Big G]

For the most part, the private schools in Dallas enroll kids living in the DISD. You will find the occasional kid from Richardson, Plano, and the like, especially at the high-test schools like St. Mark's. But there would be no compelling reason for a family in RISD to send their kid to Parish Episcopal, for example.

And, just to chime in with the factoid one more time - parts of Far North Dallas (and Richardson) feed into the Plano ISD - anything in Collin County.

[pepper131]

BigDGeek - you are leaving out the most important aspect of your neighborhood - the proximity to Thai Soon!!!!!

[dweej]

Thai Soooooooooooon!!!!!

(every time someone mentions it, I can't resist!)

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by pepper131

BigDGeek - you are leaving out the most important aspect of your neighborhood - the proximity to Thai Soon!!!!!

I went there with my mom recently and it was PACKED! Even when we left at 1:30 more people kept coming in. We had 4 appetizers and no entrees. Everything was really yummy! Especially the fresh spring rolls & peanut sauce.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by pepper131

BigDGeek - you are leaving out the most important aspect of your neighborhood - the proximity to Thai Soon!!!!!

How could I forget that? The fried rice is so good!

[FarNorthDallas]

Originally Posted by MSPMom

Hey FarNorthDallas,
While renting in Uptown we're still actively looking at potential neighborhoods to buy a home. Since we want our next move to be fairly permanent, we're taking our time. It looks like Brentfield and Bowie are some of the best public elementaries in your area so we're strongly considering that district and other parts of Richardson that feed into Pearce. I'm just wondering if all of these school are still highly regarded and if parents see them as strong alternatives to private school. We like the idea of pursuing private school while living in a district where it also makes sense to choose public. I appreciate your thoughts.

Yes, these schools are still highly regarded.

Brentfield attracts people who grew up in Highland Park, but can't afford to live there themselves. There are also a lot of Jewish families in this area. Some say Brentfield is almost like a private school. It feeds into Parkhill and Pearce. Brentfield has won all kinds of awards. A couple of blocks over is the city of Dallas Campbell Green rec center, the splash playground, playground and playing fields.
RISD Schools : Brentfield Elementary

The big advantage with Bowie is school choice for junior high and high school. Parents get to choose between Parkhill Jr High/Pearce and Westwood Jr High/Richardson. Some parents discover while at Bowie their kids would do better in the more diverse environments that Westwood and Richardson High provide. (More diversity usually means more in-school supports, less academic pressure.) Bowie is very much the "center" of the neighborhood. In the past about 15% of the kids were from Israel - their parents here to work at some company and they specifically targeted Bowie attendance zone. I don't think those families are still coming. They used to stay for 3 years and then return. I haven't heard much about it in awhile, so I don't know if that still is true. One mom told me it was a way for her kids to learn English.
James Bowie Elementary

The power lines along Meandering Way have never impacted me. They have been there since 1967 when we bought new here, so I don't notice them. The city of Dallas built the Preston Ridge hike and bike trail in the easment below the power lines. The city and the voluntary homeowner's associations put in the landscaping. It's all new and should grow in and look better. The trail goes into Plano to the north and goes further into Dallas to the south and over to Campbell Green park to the west. It's usually a part of the Breast Cancer 3 day walk every year. I don't think I would buy a house right next to the lines, but most houses are not near the lines. Friends of the Preston Ridge Trail

One thing that happened over here that made some parents mad, is RISD starting busing some of the Spring Valley and Coit kids to Parkhill and Pearce. Before this time, these kids all went to Westwood Jr, West Jr and Richardson High School which left Parkhill and Pearce almost exclusively upper middle class and middle class whites. So now, Parkhill and Pearce are more diverse with a larger free lunch crowd than they ever had. These schools still do very well, so I think that says something about the teaching going on.

Even though the public schools are good, there are plenty of neighborhood kids in private school. We were in private 3rd-8th grade in search of proper dyslexia instruction. (RISD has since implemented a dyslexia program for its students - but in the past they pretended like it didn't exist). Some kids go back and forth between public and private and it's a good thing the public schools are acceptable. Some of my child's friends in Dallas ISD who never thought they would have kids in public school are greatly concerned about their limited options as the economy and their incomes crash.

Looking at our old private school directory the vast majority come from the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Bluffview and West Plano. There are kids from all over the place - Fairview, Corsicana, Lancaster, Southlake, Colleyville, Flower Mound, Allen, Frisco, Waxahachie, Irving, Richardson, Garland...literally everywhere.

Canyon Creek, Prairie Creek and Mohawk elemetary schools all feed into Pearce and are all very good - and much smaller than Bowie and Brentfield. Their junior high is called North and I don't know a lot about that school. The city of Richardson has a public swimming pool on the Canyon Creek property as well as some playing fields and playground.

Anyway, the short answer is the supposed ideal feeder pattern is Brentfield/Parkhill/Pearce although there are other good schools in the Pearce attendance zone.

[MSPMom]

This is all really helpful. We've put our dreams of living in a charming home on a rolling estate in Kessler Park or Bluffview aside due to DISD issues (not that we could necessarily afford those houses ).

Although we're fairly certain we'll go the private school route, we want to be in an area where public schools are a viable option. The economy being what it is, you just never know. I like Lakewood schools but the middle school concerns me and I don't want to be planning yet another move in a few years. So RISD in Far North Dallas sounds good and I might just have to visit Brentfield and see what it's like.

As far as homes in the Brentfield district...is it just me or are there VERY few homes for sale? I guess this can be viewed as a good thing...

[FarNorthDallas]

Yeah, the homes in these parts don't turn over very much. You have to be careful though because the elementary schools will fill up and you will get bumped to another school. It's best to register during the spring for the next school year. Don't rule out Bowie, though. There isn't that big a difference between Bowie and Brentfield.

The best thing to do is hook up with a realtor so you can learn of new homes on the market before everyone else finds out about them. My favorite neighborhood is Highlands North (but don't get too close to the apartments on McCallum). It's Bowie attendance zone near Coit and Campbell. HNHA Website

[FarNorthDallas]

Oh, there is another good neighborhood in Richardson, called the JJ Pearce Addition.

[wheregirl]

Thank you all.

Of the three, Pearce, JJ Pearce Addition, and Canyon Creek, which is the safest area?

Do you know any good apartment complexes in these areas?

Is it generally safer to live in an apartment complex than a single house, because of the presence of some onsite manager or doormen?

In these areas, would you feel safe to walk on the streets or in parks alone as a woman in early mornings or in the evenings?

Thanks.