Moving to DFW area from Chicago and need some help please (El Paso: apartment, homes)

[vinmar4]

Hello all,
In the past we had planned on moving to the DFW area but never happended for some reason or another. We ended up staying and opended a restaurant from the local chain close to Midway airport in Chicago. Now we just got the ok to open one in Tx so we are really looking into it. We are going to go and look at some possible places for the rest. and we are thinking around the Keller, Grapevine, Colleyvile, Addison areas as we need to be central to different ethinc groups if possible with different income, but we noticied that maybe there is not going to be a big difference in those areas unless we go more west. We need something with easy access and where construction is not going to be an issue. Now, my husband will be the one running the rest. We area a couple in our mid forties and have 2 children at home 15 and 9. The 15 y/o may have to finish HS over there. Currently the kids go to catholic schools which are almost 3 times the cost in those areas. with my job, I will be driving all over the place to medical districts and other hosp and clinics but for the most part, I schedule the visits after rush hour and try to get back before the evening rush hour starts. We are also going to need to find a home in a good, safe area with great schools, trees, larger lots and our budget is up to 500,000. We like to go out with friends and to dine and my kids are really into soccer. We would like an area where they have festivals and celebrations for the Holidays. I know that we first need to get the rest site but if my husband has to do a little driving to get there it will be ok. Don't get me wrong, closer will be better but maybe I'm asking for too much. I like the Grapevine area and Keller and I was doing some reading regarding Colleyville but I'm concerned regading the tainted water history there.
Maybe we can look at FLower Mound also. My older daugther lives in Addison and works for the DISD but I wil probably only see her during the weekends.
I lived in El Paso TX before when I was younger so half of my heart is from Chicago and half from Tx, so I'm excited about the move!
Any assistance and opinions are welcomed and thanks in advanced!
Sorry for the long message!

[RockyJoe817]

There is an assortment of restaurants at 114/1709 (the the corner of Southlake and Grapevine)
and all the way down 1709 to Keller.
Even with the road construction what matters most is LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!

[vinmar4]

Here in Chi-town we knew the areas and because of my job, I drive all over the city and suburbs, so it was easier to get a good location.
In the area close to the airport there is a lot of residential areas and also come big companies, and the airlines andd staff from teh airport order from us also.But its hard doing this from far away!

[javak]

Keller, Grapevine, and Colleyvile are all suburbs . I'm in Southlake and it's basically the same area.

Addison is more of a yuppie urban place . No trees or larger lots .

If your budget is 500,000 and you want a larger lot , I would go for Colleyville , Keller or Southlake .

" Central to different ethnic groups if possible with different income " I doubt if you will find any ethnic groups other than a few . If you want an area where the income varies , I would chose Grapevine or possibly Keller . It's not going to happen in those other cities . Maybe you should expand your search close to downtown Fort worth .

[vinmar4]

thanks, that's a good idea,we are going to start looking in FW also. my daughter told me that in Keller that's a place where people from Chicago meet to watch games,but I figure that they are all over the place and they will come to the rest once it is a reality and not only people from Chicago but from all over the place and hopefully it will get a good response and people will like it.

[javak]

My next door neighbor is from Chicago . Her husband is a native Texan . The next home has a couple from Michigan . Keller and Southlake is a melting pot of people from other states . We moved here from California 7 years ago .

[vinmar4]

I read that before and that's a good thing for the business and us. I tried about 7 years ago t move to TX and I was transferred with my job for 6 months, maybe it was that my husband was left behind in Chicago or that I did not like the "feeling at Mansfield" which is where I rented and apartment because my brother lives there, but I ended up coming back home. There is such a thing as the difference in "feelings" for each suburb. We live only a few minutes from the Indiana border and you know that something is different when you cross.
We love our neighboors and would like to just find the perfect home for us in a place with great schools and a feeling of comunity. We love to get together with our neighboors and have cookouts and have fun. We dont want to live in a community where you feel that you have to keep up with the Jones either and we live in the cheapest side of the town because the other homes are 1 million homes.

[expatChicagoan]

Originally Posted by vinmar4

my daughter told me that in Keller that's a place where people from Chicago meet to watch games,

This may be because the company I work for is Chicago based, but has a location in on 377 (across the railway line from Keller) - a lot of the employees relocated from Chicago to the Keller area.

What kind of food does your restaurant serve? I miss Portillos!

[sywi]

I hope Chicago-style pizza... mmmmm.

I was born in Hyde Park and grew up in Oak Park and miss that yummy yummy crust.