Which area is better?Relocation help (Dallas, Austin: apartment complexes, rental, condos)

[cowgirl2b]

My hubby and I are moving from Seattle, he is working in Carrolton. We are looking in Plano,Frisco,Mckinney, and possibly Carrolton.

I have done all the crime serches etc, what are your opinons. We are looking for a nice upper class neighborhood, or posh loft. We dont have and will not have children, so schools dont matter. I simply dont want a crappy,old area. I fly in Friday to look at houses, but would love to narrow the areas down.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[FarNorthDallas]

Instead of driving away from the city, you might look towards the city.

ETA - I don't think that made sense. I meant look for places to live in Dallas proper and not the child filled suburbs.

[lainieramsey]

I live in McKinney and we absolutely love it... I think Allen & Frisco are nice too...but McKinney is our favorite with Allen coming in as a close second. Frisco has alot of traffic, but does have Stonebriar mall which is a huge plus in my book. For us McKinney is convenient for both of us...and we live in the Stonebridge area and I think the drive through Stonebridge is gorgeous, not to mention that it has alot of cool amenities...the beach club, the aquatic center, golf courses, private lakes, biking/walking trails. Allen is nice because of all the new development...

[lainieramsey]

By the way, I don't have children either, but I really like that everything here is so well kept and I don't have to see anything run down...

[cowgirl2b]

Thanks guys! Mckinney is looking better and better!

[TurtleCreek80]

What is your budget and are you looking to buy or rent?

You may be happier in Dallas proper if you are looking for a "posh" upper class neighborhood. Some areas with easy access to I-35 (20-30 min drive to Carrollton) are:

The Park Cities (Highland Park & University Park, zip codes 75205 & 75225). Two independent towns completely surrounded by the city of Dallas- like a suburb in the city. Limited rental properties (mostly duplexes and some new high end apartments), but homes start at $500k+ single family attached new construction and go up to $10-15M estates with acreage and gorgeous old 1920s mansions. Young families, professionals, & empty nesters. Well known for high profile residents & proximity to downtown Dallas, as well as top notch schools and very, very low crime rate. Hermes, Chanel, Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch, etc have stores at Highland Park Village and NorthPark Mall (Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom with couture department, Barneys, Louis Vuitton, etc) is a 5 min drive.

Turtle Creek and Uptown (75219, 75204) offer urban living in high rises, condos, and big and small apartment complexes. I just looked at The House at Victory Park (a Phillip Starke building), with floor to ceiling glass windows offering sweeping views of the downtown skyline and arts district, Uptown, and west towards the design district. Infinity pool on the 5th floor, gorgeous sleek kitchens- a very hip building. 1600sf 1 bedroom/ 1.5 bath units are listed around $400k. Lots of walkable areas in Uptown, with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, art galleries, museums, and jogging trails nearby. Majority of residents are single professionals or young couples.

Whereas the Park Cities are more traditional & conservative, Uptown is more diverse, more liberal leaning. Oak Lawn (the "gay-borhood") is adjacent to Oak Lawn.

The northern suburbs you listed (Frisco, McKinney, etc) are great if you want a cheap new house (much lower $ per sf than Dallas due to lower land values) in an extremely family-centric area. If you are a dynamic young couple seeking more than a McMansion, it may not be the best fit for you.

But come this weekend and look both in-town and in the suburbs & then let us know what other questions you have.

[Grainraiser]

What portion of Carrollton will your husband be working in and what is the housing budget. This will help zero in on the right spot.

[SlowwHand]

Frisco. It's newer than Carrollton, not as far away as McKinney and not yet really as crowded as Plano.

[pepper131]

You might the area around the Shops at Legacy.
The Shops at Legacy
But it really depends on what you describe as a posh loft....that's mostly going to be toward the city of Dallas.

[panacea82]

Did you look at the area called Austin Waters in Carrollton? It's a new built community close to Castle Hills and those mansions in Plano. It will be an upscale sub-division when it's finished.