Possibly moving to Denison. What are the people and town like? (Dallas: city hall, motel)

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by GayleTX

If the B&B you're looking at is the one I think, it's in a rough part of town and I don't know anyone who would stay there if they knew where they were going.

I thought about the same thing. If it's the old Victorian mansion on Morton St, I wouldn't recommend staying in that neighborhood overnight to anyone. I suppose it would be alright if you didn't get out and walk around after dark.

[lallen2004]

The property we're looking at is not currently a B&B, its a wedding chapel that has acreage and a seemingly beautiful home with great potential. We'd like to continue the wedding biz and open the home for lodging as well. I believe Sheryl Lane is the location. Is that a bad neighborhood too? Trust me, we want good/bad/whatever advice you have to give. We'll obviously be visiting the area before choosing to move forward with anything, but if everything offered up is negative, we may not even want to waste time and money flying out. The chapel currently seems to have a good wedding business going, so I'm not sure where the clients are coming from, but from the pictures, the buildings and acreage is breathtaking (and yes, I know pictures can be deceiving!). Let me know if you know the area....

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by lallen2004

The property we're looking at is not currently a B&B, its a wedding chapel that has acreage and a seemingly beautiful home with great potential. We'd like to continue the wedding biz and open the home for lodging as well. I believe Sheryl Lane is the location. Is that a bad neighborhood too? Trust me, we want good/bad/whatever advice you have to give. We'll obviously be visiting the area before choosing to move forward with anything, but if everything offered up is negative, we may not even want to waste time and money flying out. The chapel currently seems to have a good wedding business going, so I'm not sure where the clients are coming from, but from the pictures, the buildings and acreage is breathtaking (and yes, I know pictures can be deceiving!). Let me know if you know the area....

Oh, I know that place. The chapel itself was an old, closed Methodist church they moved onto the property from out on E. Main St. Rd about 10 or 15 years ago.

The neighborhood itself is rural and may not even be in the city limits. Sherly Lane goes off Fannin St. road south of old Hwy-75 and there isn't much on it. It used to have a giant "haunted house," an old Victorian home which had been abandoned for several years, and was a favorite hangout for teenagers at night. I think that old house is gone now, so I don't know if teens still go out there to neck and drink. (Ummmm....it's been awhile since I was a teenager, so I'm not up to speed on that. )

The road runs behind a small, 60's era housing development, but it's screened by trees. Just around the bend from where that chapel is, there's a small factory, Champion Steel, which is a metal fabricating facility. It's not loud nor does it belch clouds of smoke into the air. It makes parts for Champion Cooler, it's parent company here in town, and they produce those old "swamp cooler" air conditioners. I doubt you'll even know it's there.

So far as I know, it's quite out there and as safe as anywhere else. It's on the south side of town, which has historically been the slowest growing side and still is. There isn't much development as the town has grown west since it's inception. You don't really reach a "bad" neighborhood until you cross over old Hwy-75 (Austin Ave.) and enter what used to be the cotton mill district. It's still pretty run down, in spots. But, that's half a mile away from you.

Overall, it's not a bad location at all. Of course, all rural areas are subject to periodic break-ins and prowlers because of the lack of police patrols. IF it's not in the city limits, your police protection would come from the County Sheriff's Department and I'm not sure they do regular patrolling at all.

If the price is right, it may be worth a look.

[lallen2004]

OK, well, that's a slight ray of hope! It seems that we find property we like but the location is bad, then find the location we like and no properties we want - argh! I'm still wondering, since Denison sounds like a sleepy pass through town, where are all the current clients coming from that are keeping the wedding chapel business going?!!!!

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by lallen2004

OK, well, that's a slight ray of hope! It seems that we find property we like but the location is bad, then find the location we like and no properties we want - argh! I'm still wondering, since Denison sounds like a sleepy pass through town, where are all the current clients coming from that are keeping the wedding chapel business going?!!!!

That's a good question for which I don't have an answer. There are a few others around here and I suppose they are busy enough to stay in business, so they are probably locals. After all, the county population is about 100,000 (with half of that in Denison/Sherman) and people do still get married. Heck, some could be repeat customers!

[lallen2004]

TOO FUNNY! Maybe we could throw that into our advertising

[TriumphOfTheSprint]

As long as it's not this property (An old, abandoned - I think - hotel off Main just outside of downtown):



Denison is trying to establish itself as an Arts destination. There are several galleries along Main St. (some quite good - this is probably the best one: The Pat Waymon Gallery featuring southwestern Art by Dalhart Windberg prints, Xiang Xhang western paintings, orginal oil still life and landscapes by Pat Waymon and Betty Nash,and water color by Hubert Lloyd, - Denison Texas), and I know they sponsor an arts festival annually (although I've never been).

[lallen2004]

No, that's not the property we're looking at - although this one does have potential!!!!!!!!

[TriumphOfTheSprint]

Here are a few more photos I took of the downtown area on a couple of "treasure hunting" trips :

Up and down Main St:





Before and after:









Other buildings:







An old hotel that is being renovated:





Little restaurant in a converted gas station:

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by TriumphOfTheSprint

As long as it's not this property (An old, abandoned - I think - hotel off Main just outside of downtown):



Denison is trying to establish itself as an Arts destination. There are several galleries along Main St. (some quite good - this is probably the best one: The Pat Waymon Gallery featuring southwestern Art by Dalhart Windberg prints, Xiang Xhang western paintings, orginal oil still life and landscapes by Pat Waymon and Betty Nash,and water color by Hubert Lloyd, - Denison Texas), and I know they sponsor an arts festival annually (although I've never been).

That building was originally a private residence, built by an old river boat Captain, and it had an ornate "pilot house" right on the very top which was torn off back in the 70's or 80's. It looked just like a river boat pilot house and, it's reported, the old man would sit up there and relive his days on the Mississippi.

Since he died about the turn of the century, or so, it's been variously a hotel, more than one restaurant, abandoned and, now again, a private residence.

It sits at the corner of Crockett and Main, just across the tracks.