Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 12-16-2009, 12:14 AM
 
Location: San Diego
31 posts, read 138,336 times
Reputation: 23

Advertisements

So, I've been offered jobs in both Nashville/Franklin TN and Denton TX and I'm trying to figure out which city is going to be a good fit for me and the family. Before I get too far into planning a possible move, I'd like to hear a little bit more about Denton. Is it a separate town or is it considered a suburb of Dallas and/or Fort Worth? I'm not really terribly interested in suburbs per say, much more interested in independent towns with their own sense of community and the like. How is it in terms of schools? I have a little one who'll be in school very soon and I'd like for her (and myself) to have some decent options in terms of schools (and good public schools are just fine with me, I in no way, shape or form need private schools). And what about activities for families? Does it offer a fair bit to do? I'm not looking for a song and dance, but rather good eating options (not necessarily fast food/chain restaurants), a nice little downtown area and a bit of culture. And is Denton a safe place? I'm a single mom and wherever we end up MUST be safe.

And how's the real estate down there? I'm not looking for anything big or fancy. I'm also not looking to spend more than $450,000 (absolute max) for a 3 bedroom-ish, 2 bath-ish. Is that possible? Probable? Neither?

I'm also posting this on the Tennessee board to get some opinions on Franklin, so please don't feel pressured to respond on Tennessee, after all this is all about Texas here. Really I'd just like to know about life in Denton and if it's a family friendly place with some interesting and unique qualities...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 12-16-2009, 07:24 AM
 
737 posts, read 1,171,832 times
Reputation: 192
Even though Denton is considered by some to be a suburb of Dallas/Fort Worth I think of Denton as more of a separate town since it is a 40 mile commute to either Dallas or Fort Worth. It does have a college town vibe to it because it is home to the largest University in DFW, University of North Texas (UNT) which has 34,000+ students and Texas Woman's University (TWU) which is the largest public womens University in the U.S.

There are a few nice local sushi, chinese, and tex-mex places, nothing really to write home about though. In the square where the old court house is there are some local antique shops, a pretty cool used book store called "Recycled" and "Jupiter Coffee House" which occasionally has local musicians play, it does have a lot of late-teen/early-twenties in it because of all the university students.

From my time in Denton I recall it being safe, however given the proximity some areas have to the big Univserities it could be noisy, Fouts Field, where the UNT football team plays, has a pretty loud speaker where you can hear the game updates if you live close enough but I think that mostly affects students near the campus since the field is right off the highway. However there are very nice quiet neighborhoods away from the University. Unfortunately I don't know much about real estate so I couldn't comment on home sizes and cost. This place reports crime statistics Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed I think that any statistics which look a bit high may be again because of the Univserities nearby where there are a lot of young people away from home for the first time, simple math. I recall it being very safe.

Denton County is planing a rail line which connects with DART which serves a lot of Dallas County with light rail so you'd had non-vehicular access to the city of Dallas. Plus there's a lot to do in Fort Worth so as your daughter grows up she'll have nearby access to a lot museums in DFW.

I know I haven't been able to answer most of your questions. Just wanted to let you know about Universities in the city because that could alter your decision, after all both Universities have a combined student population of 45,000+ students.

Last edited by Yac; 12-21-2009 at 07:54 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-16-2009, 08:31 PM
 
Location: East Texas
146 posts, read 507,242 times
Reputation: 76
We go to Denton twice a year. Denton is a nice little city with very little crime.
for $450,000 you can get a 8 bedroom mansion with 4 bedrooms, large lawn & lots of room LOL. Really you can get a 3 bedroom, 2 bath for $200,000 or under.
You are close to lots of shopping, very nice museums & theaters. Denton has Art Galleries, museums, old victorian homes & lots of restaurants & shopping areas. I think you would like it.

Hope I helped
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-17-2009, 03:10 PM
 
16 posts, read 59,077 times
Reputation: 17
I spent 7 years in Denton before moving to Nashville for a few years. You will definitely get more house for the money in Denton. It is close enough to Dallas to benefit from the big city amenities but is not a suburb. Generally, it has pretty good schools. There are a few you'd probably want to stay clear of, but do a little research on great schools and you can pick out the better ones.
Franklin has a cute downtown, but it is a little snobbish. Real estate is expensive and taxes are higher than Denton.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-17-2009, 08:26 PM
 
Location: San Diego
31 posts, read 138,336 times
Reputation: 23
Thank you for all the posts so far! I'm really grateful to get first-hand information on these places, it's so much more useful than internet searches in my opinion. And thank you for the tax situation shout-out, I was under the impression that taxes in Tennessee would be 'less' (a loose term, I know) than Texas because I know Tennessee does not have a state income tax, but I was previously unaware of any specific tax break-downs based on county, which is why I'm assuming that living in Franklin would be more expensive than living in Denton...higher county/property taxes. Is this correct? Does Texas not have a state income tax either? Or are property taxes just more moderate in Denton?

Anyway thank you again and keep the advice/opinions coming!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-17-2009, 09:01 PM
 
Location: San Diego, Ca
749 posts, read 1,783,208 times
Reputation: 632
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppie View Post
I spent 7 years in Denton before moving to Nashville for a few years. You will definitely get more house for the money in Denton. It is close enough to Dallas to benefit from the big city amenities but is not a suburb. Generally, it has pretty good schools. There are a few you'd probably want to stay clear of, but do a little research on great schools and you can pick out the better ones.
Franklin has a cute downtown, but it is a little snobbish. Real estate is expensive and taxes are higher than Denton.

Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-18-2009, 05:08 PM
 
216 posts, read 930,619 times
Reputation: 91
I've visited family in Franklin 3 times in the last 6 months. I am very impressed with the community and the opportunities for activities for children. Franklin schools are said to be very good.

The downtown area is great. Lots of local activities, festivals, special events, & Puckett's Grocery.

Beautiful scenery, beautiful homes, & lots to do in the Nashville area.

I've lived in Texas for 40 years and love it, but if I had to make this choice ... it would easily be Franklin.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-18-2009, 07:43 PM
 
737 posts, read 1,171,832 times
Reputation: 192
Quote:
Originally Posted by topaz3335 View Post
Thank you for all the posts so far! I'm really grateful to get first-hand information on these places, it's so much more useful than internet searches in my opinion. And thank you for the tax situation shout-out, I was under the impression that taxes in Tennessee would be 'less' (a loose term, I know) than Texas because I know Tennessee does not have a state income tax, but I was previously unaware of any specific tax break-downs based on county, which is why I'm assuming that living in Franklin would be more expensive than living in Denton...higher county/property taxes. Is this correct? Does Texas not have a state income tax either? Or are property taxes just more moderate in Denton?

Anyway thank you again and keep the advice/opinions coming!
Texas also has no state income tax.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-19-2009, 08:24 AM
Status: "Back home again." (set 3 days ago)
 
Location: Suburban Dallas
52,568 posts, read 47,690,485 times
Reputation: 33644
Quote:
Originally Posted by topaz3335 View Post
So, I've been offered jobs in both Nashville/Franklin TN and Denton TX and I'm trying to figure out which city is going to be a good fit for me and the family. Before I get too far into planning a possible move, I'd like to hear a little bit more about Denton. Is it a separate town or is it considered a suburb of Dallas and/or Fort Worth? I'm not really terribly interested in suburbs per say, much more interested in independent towns with their own sense of community and the like. How is it in terms of schools? I have a little one who'll be in school very soon and I'd like for her (and myself) to have some decent options in terms of schools (and good public schools are just fine with me, I in no way, shape or form need private schools). And what about activities for families? Does it offer a fair bit to do? I'm not looking for a song and dance, but rather good eating options (not necessarily fast food/chain restaurants), a nice little downtown area and a bit of culture. And is Denton a safe place? I'm a single mom and wherever we end up MUST be safe.

And how's the real estate down there? I'm not looking for anything big or fancy. I'm also not looking to spend more than $450,000 (absolute max) for a 3 bedroom-ish, 2 bath-ish. Is that possible? Probable? Neither?

I'm also posting this on the Tennessee board to get some opinions on Franklin, so please don't feel pressured to respond on Tennessee, after all this is all about Texas here. Really I'd just like to know about life in Denton and if it's a family friendly place with some interesting and unique qualities...

Just come to Texas. You won't be sorry.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-19-2009, 02:52 PM
 
722 posts, read 2,093,468 times
Reputation: 539
Its apples and oranges. I would consider Franklin the Plano of Nashville. It is the new money area. that being said, the schools are probably the best in the Nashville area. Both Texas and Tennessee do not have an income tax. Texas has a higher property tax but the cost of housing in Franklin will be much higher than Denton so that will even it out or make Denton cheaper. I live in Dallas now and lived in Nashville for 6 years. I consider Nashville a small version of Dallas.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top