Tell me about Highland Park and compare it to Coppell? (school, gated)

[Grainraiser]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

The only commonality betwen the two is both have excellent, small (one high school) school systems.

There are no apartment "complexes" in the Park Cities (University Park and Highland Park, both of whom share the HPISD). Rental property will be single family homes (starting around $3500 per month), duplexes (starting at $2200-2500/ mo for a 3/2 and shared yard), and townhomes (roughly same price range $2500-3500 on the low end).

None of those will have a pool, clubhouse or other "apartment" amenities. Both towns have their own pools that residents (including renters) are able to pay a small annual fee to use. Both towns have numerous parks and tennis courts for resident use.

The biggest pro's for the Park Cities are location (4 miles north of Downtown Dallas) and excellent school district (best in area, along with Southlake Carroll, and one of the top high schools in the US). It is also very pretty.

Biggest cons are (and I grew up there) is it is incredibly wealthy. Average home price is $800k- $1M and many families are the "movers and shakers" in Dallas - CEO of Neiman Marcus, CEO of Omni Hotels, owners of Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, etc all live there. If you are not accustomed to being around wealth of that nature (whether you do or do not have money yourself), it can be quite a shock and hard to fit in. It is not uncommon for 7th graders to have Louis Vuitton handbags and go to the family's Aspen or Santa Fe home for holidays. There are tons of nice, down to earth people there, too, but you will see the scenario I just described, too.

The Park Cities are also not very diverse. About 90% white and 0% of kids qualify for free lunch programs.

This about the best description I have ever read about HP.

[frogandtoad]

Turtlecreek,
I keep trying to rep you but it tells me to spread it around. I love your input!

[Rakin]

There have been quite a few million dollar homes built in Coppell the last few years. I tell my clients if they could bulldoze Coppell and start over it would be higher end then Southlake.

[triwing]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

ee today's gem of an article in the Wall Street Journal discussing the white residents in East Plano who are upset their kids will not go to the new "neighborhood" (white) school and are instead being forced to attend another 9-10 school in the name of "evening out" the student population and TAKS scores. The "bad" school is full of Hispanics and Somali refugees. Makes Plano look oh-so-welcoming, right?!

I fail to see a problem with that. I grew up around mostly Hispanics (I was pretty much the only white kid in the group) and there's good and bad Hispanics like anyone else. Maybe they're afraid that there's more bad Hispanics than good at that particular location. Just like I'd be concerned that I'd be around too much white trash at a little school out in no where.

As far as being around Somali refugees, I'd be uncomfortable being in a school setting around them, too! That entire country is a warzone where murder, robbing, and piracy are social norms. I'd be very concerned if my kids would be around refugees who have not entirely adjusted to the non-violent ways of life here.

I don't see this as racism just to be racist... it seems like they have some valid concerned about the behavior they will be subjecting their kids to.

New articles like that fail to see the real issue behind everything and rather use sensationalism to sell papers, whether intentional or not.

[getmeoutofhere]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

FYI for you- Plano has it's own problems to regarding racial tension. See today's gem of an article in the Wall Street Journal discussing the white residents in East Plano who are upset their kids will not go to the new "neighborhood" (white) school and are instead being forced to attend another 9-10 school in the name of "evening out" the student population and TAKS scores. The "bad" school is full of Hispanics and Somali refugees. Makes Plano look oh-so-welcoming, right?

You know, I'd be pissed too, if I moved to a neighborhood with kids and expected to go to the school in that neighborhood, and was told that they have to go elsewhere for some BS reason.

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by triwing

I fail to see a problem with that. I grew up around mostly Hispanics (I was pretty much the only white kid in the group) and there's good and bad Hispanics like anyone else. Maybe they're afraid that there's more bad Hispanics than good at that particular location. Just like I'd be concerned that I'd be around too much white trash at a little school out in no where.

As far as being around Somali refugees, I'd be uncomfortable being in a school setting around them, too! That entire country is a warzone where murder, robbing, and piracy are social norms. I'd be very concerned if my kids would be around refugees who have not entirely adjusted to the non-violent ways of life here.

I don't see this as racism just to be racist... it seems like they have some valid concerned about the behavior they will be subjecting their kids to.

New articles like that fail to see the real issue behind everything and rather use sensationalism to sell papers, whether intentional or not.

Egads! That's the reason why they're HERE instead of THERE! To get away from that. Years ago, my daughter's school had refugees from Somalia and several other African countries. They were precious kids, not a problem at all.

[Big G]

Most Somali young people I've interacted with are just as polite and well-mannered as the average Plano teenager, maybe even more so. Again, they left Somalia to get away from warfare, not to bring it here.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by getmeoutofhere

You know, I'd be pissed too, if I moved to a neighborhood with kids and expected to go to the school in that neighborhood, and was told that they have to go elsewhere for some BS reason.

Warning: Threadjack!

Those protester ladies are way off-base. Did they mention that Williams HS (the "bad" school) is located IN their middle school's attendance area??? That *IS* their neighborhood school. They just wanted the new high school, even though it makes no logical sense.

I guess they want PISD to bus some other kids to the high school in their zone, and to bus them out to a nicer school in another zone.

Never mind that PISD just built a brand-new middle school for that neighborhood, opening this fall. Some people are never satisfied.

[Big G]

And to get this back on track:

I am quite sure the Somali population in Highland Park is zero.

[Spree]

Originally Posted by Big G

And to get this back on track:

I am quite sure the Somali population in Highland Park is zero.

There is an All Nations worship at Highland Park Presbyterian Church

All Nations gathers African immigrants of many countries to worship and become disciples of Jesus Christ.
All Nations Ministry (http://www.hppc.org/pages/all-nations - broken link)