Working at DFW and living in Arlington 76001 (Grand Prairie, Bedford: foreclosures, rentals)

[jenalicious08]

Hi-
My hubby just got a job at DFW starting in July. Now before everyone goes on their tirade... "why?", "what are you thinking", "don't move here!"-- nothing you say is changing the fact that we are moving. And don't worry about our commute times. My hubby works midnights and travels off peak traffic times and I will be going to school nearby. I've read alot of info about north Arlington (apparantly it's the new "Oakland, CA" of Texas)... and I've heard alot about west Arlington (it's where are the tree lined streets with sidewalks and good schools are). We have no kids. That being said, we have the opportunity to rent a home in Southeast Arlington, zip code 76001 near Joe Pool Lake. While we explored the surrounding areas we never went that far south. I looked on google map and the neighborhood looks new. It looks like there is typical chain stores, which I like. What other information can you give me about the area?

[ChristieP]

Arlington is ok, but the communities nearer to DFW are nicer and his commute would be a lot shorter. Look at Bedford, Euless and Grapevine. All of these communities are just west of DFW and he can get to work without getting on a highway!

[Squirl]

Where will you be going to school? I am very familiar with Arlington and I would steer you to Northwest or Southwest. Southeast Arlington west of Matlock is OK, I think generally homes are in good shape. Between Matlock and Collins, not terrible but not the best. Southeast Arlington east of Collins is a sea of tract houses....many in awful disrepair because they were cheaply built & that you likely may not see on a google earth view. Lots of rentals and foreclosures. The schools are not the best of Arlington in that area, either.

There are some nice middle class neighborhoods, too, in Grand Prairie in Mira Vista, on the SE edge north of I-20 around Olympia & Forum, and also in North GP near Hwy 161 there's a cute tree shaded area of older homes with streets like Egyptian, Danish, Greenland, Finland, etc.