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I've read several of the threads on the Dallas forum and wanted to get some additional input from folks who know about the Dallas areas. Sorry for the long post and I greatly appreciate all of your input.
About me:
- I'm 26 years old, am college-educated, and work in an office for a large company, which I guess makes me a "young professional"
- I've found a job opportunity near the intersection of Commerce St. and N Griffin St.
- If you are familiar with Atlanta, I currently live in the Buckhead area (somewhat of a business district with a lot of young professionals just north of midtown) and I'm looking for something similar
- Looking to rent/lease an apartment for now as my location doesn't yet seem stable. I'm hoping to set a monthly budget around $1100/month for rent (not counting utilities) but am not sure if this is realistic.
- In terms of lifestyle, I'm looking to find a place where I can go to the pool or out to bars and restaurants easily and join organizations like kickball or do community service (I think these will be the easiest way to meet folks initially); although, I wouldn't say I'm really that much into the hardcore bar scene anymore. I also run regularly but don't require trails or a park.
- Fast/easy transportation to DFW Int'l Airport is not a priority for me
- I am likely going to apply to MBA school in the next two years and living within 30-45 minutes of a "very good" university would be a plus (perhaps SMU is one but I haven't done that research yet.)
Questions for all of you experts:
1) Would my work location above be considered "downtown"?
2) I've heard that areas south of a horizontal line drawn through the center of Dallas are undesirable (same as Atlanta) -- is my potential work location in a bad area?
3) If you are familiar with Atlanta: Is Uptown Dallas similar to Buckhead Atlanta? Or is it more like Midtown Atlanta?
4) If you are familiar with Atlanta: Is Downtown Dallas similar to Midtown Atlanta? Or is it more like Downtown Atlanta?
4) I understand the boundaries of Uptown from other threads. What are the boundaries of Downtown?
5) What are the major differences between Uptown and Downtown in terms of demographics (especially in terms of meeting other young professionals)?
6) Given what you know about me, would living near my potential work location be worse or better than living in Uptown Dallas?
7) Is there somewhere I can look to understand where all of the districts of Dallas are located? For example, I see a lot of folks on the forums mention places like State Thomas, the West Village, Knox-Henderson, Turtle Creek, Oak Lawn, Lake Highlands, Lakewood, M-Streets, etc. and I have no idea where these places are!
Again, sorry for all the questions. Thanks in advance. You da man (all of you, collectively).
Yes, your work location is in the heart of Downtown. Based on what you're looking for, though, Uptown may be a better fit for you. Downtown is trying to revitalize itself, but it's not there yet. Uptown (for the most part) IS there.
Questions for all of you experts:
1) Would my work location above be considered "downtown"?
Yes, your office is downtown. Downtown is roughly the area between the following highways: 75/45, 30, 35, and Woodall Rogers (which connects 35 to 75/45). Woodall Rogers is the dividing line between Downtown and Uptown. It is not a major freeway like in Atlanta or Los Angeles- you can easily drive from Uptown into Dowtown during 1 light change (maybe 5 minutes to get from one to the other, if that).
2) I've heard that areas south of a horizontal line drawn through the center of Dallas are undesirable (same as Atlanta) -- is my potential work location in a bad area?
No, the "bad" line in Dallas is I-30. The neighborhoods south of I-30 have historically been lower income and less developed than those north of Downtown. Your office is in the heart of the dowtown business district. Commerce, Elm, and Main are the three original "main" streets that cut east-west through downtown. Your office is 1 block from two of the most expensive and nicest hotels in Dallas (The Adolphus and The Joule) and 2 blocks from the flagship original Neiman Marcus store.
3) If you are familiar with Atlanta: Is Uptown Dallas similar to Buckhead Atlanta? Or is it more like Midtown Atlanta?
The neighborhoods of Highland Park & University Park (which are immediately north of Uptown Dallas) are more similar to Buckhead, where there are estates and very nice homes ($1.0M as entry price point), as well as upscale shopping (Lenox Square is equivalent to our NorthPark Mall, and we have Highland Park Village which has Chanel, Hermes, Harry Winston, Jimmy Choo, Polo RL, as well as Anthropologie and Tory Burch for more "everyday" shopping).
4) If you are familiar with Atlanta: Is Downtown Dallas similar to Midtown Atlanta? Or is it more like Downtown Atlanta?
Neither. It is primarily a business district with skyscrapers filled with offices. There are also a few hotels, about three-block stretch of "trendy" clubs (I say sketchy clubs), the city's government buildings. The Arts District is on the northern border of Uptown (just south of Woodall Rogers) and houses the museums, the Opera, Symphony, and Theatre. Although some people do live downtown, the resident population is extremely small comapred to Uptown or other downtown cities.
4) I understand the boundaries of Uptown from other threads. What are the boundaries of Downtown?
I adressed in #1 above.
5) What are the major differences between Uptown and Downtown in terms of demographics (especially in terms of meeting other young professionals)?
Lots of young people work downtown. There are many law firms, government jobs, consulting firms, and other misc gas/energy/arts etc jobs downtown. The finance jobs (hedge funds, banks, private equity) and some law firms are now located in Uptown. The difference is really that most young people WORK downtown but LIVE & PLAY in Uptown.
6) Given what you know about me, would living near my potential work location be worse or better than living in Uptown Dallas?
There's no reason to live downtown (unless you just really want to). You'll be able to drive from any location in Uptown to your office downtown in 10 minutes or less (no highway driving involved). Other young people on the forum who ahve relocated to Dallas have ALL said how surprised they were that everything (downtown, Uptown, Oak Lawn, Highland Park, M Streets/ Lakewood) are SO CLOSE to one another compared to other cities.
I would live in Uptown- more walkable area (in that there's actually something- movie theatre, restaurants, pro games, bars, book stores, clothing stores, etc- to walk to), easy access to the Katy Trail for running/biking, way more young professionals as your neighbors, and more apartments to choose from.
7) Is there somewhere I can look to understand where all of the districts of Dallas are located? For example, I see a lot of folks on the forums mention places like State Thomas, the West Village, Knox-Henderson, Turtle Creek, Oak Lawn, Lake Highlands, Lakewood, M-Streets, etc. and I have no idea where these places are!
"Uptown" Dallas is made up of many smaller neighborhoods. Most people would say that "Uptown" is within the following borders: Woodall Rogers to the South, Victory Park (American Airlines Center)/Cedar Springs to the West, Highland Park's border (roughly Fitzhugh) to the North, and 75/Central Expressway to the East. Within that area are the nighborhoods of State Thomas (southeastern part of Uptown, situated around the intersection of State & Thomas), the West Village (which is an urban mixed-use development between Lemmon/ 75/ Cole/ Blackburn), and other neighborhoods.
Knox-Henderson is just north of Uptown's northern border. Knox Street neighborhood runs west of 75/Central to the Katy Trail and has tons of restaurants, a few wine bars, and many shops for the Home (Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Weir's, etc), along with apartments & condos/ townhomes. The "main" entrance to the Katy Trail is at Knox Street although you can hop on at many other points along the trail. Knox Street's name changes to Henderson on the east side of 75/Central. It is the hottest bar/restaurant district in Dallas currently. It is trendy but with a laid-back vibe. This stretch runs east to Ross Avenue. There are apartments and single-family homes in the areas north and south of Henderson.
Turtle Creek and Oak Lawn are northwest of Uptown. Oak Lawn is the "gayborhood", although there are many other people who live there too. It is a slightly older crowd than Uptown. Turtle Creek is a beautiful boulevard that cuts through the area, dividing the Uptown and Oak Lawn neighborhoods. It is lined with high rises (all are condo buildings, although you can rent in them if one is available). It is a mixed crowd- old, young, and gay.
"M Streets" are a bit north of Henderson on the east side of 75/Central. This is a young professional neighborhood of cute 1920s-1940s Tudor and Craftsman homes on streets that begin with "M"- Monticello, McCommas, Morningside, etc. Some rental homes available. Homes are in the high $200 to $500k range.
Lakewood is farther east and is bordered by Mockingbird Lane, White Rock Lake, Abrams, and Gaston. It is a very residential, family centered neighborhood. Known for good public schools. Fairly expensive. $400k-$2.0M range). Old homes and new ones.
Lake Highlands is a neighborhood north of White Rock Lake that is zoned to Richardson ISD's expemplary schools. Again, very family centered. Homes are newer than Lakewood (1950s-1970s) and less expensive. $200-$400k range.
Again, sorry for all the questions. Thanks in advance. You da man (all of you, collectively).
Your office is probably in the Government/Convention district right in the heart of the CBD (which is contained within the freeway loop). "Downtown" can include the CBD and adjacent neighborhoods (Uptown, Baylor/Meadows, Deep Ellum, Cedars, Southside, Design District).
Uptown, which is located just north of the CBD across Woodall Rodgers Freeway, contains around 9,000 residents in various condos, townhomes and apartments situated along McKinney Avenue. There are lots of restaurant, shops, and bars and it's a pretty upscale area. Most residential buildings are less than 20 years old. The M-Line Streetcar and Cityplace Station connect the area to the CBD.
The CBD until recently was mostly an office park and cultural center... most downtown workers lived in Uptown or surrounding neighborhoods. Over the past decade the CBD has seen rebirth into a mixed-use district, but because of the recent changes it still has work ahead of it. There are now over 5,000 residents in the CBD, mostly situated in the Main Street District. Prices are a little lower than Uptown and you can find new luxury apartments/condos or lofts in historic buildings. There has recently been a huge expansion of the Arts District, and several new downtown parks are under construction or have recently opened (Belo Garden at Griffin/Commerce just started construction last week).
I've lived in the Main Street District for 4 years and I've seen a ton of changes in the neighborhood/CBD. Main Street Garden opened in 2009, resulting in several new retail/restaurant openings in the area. The district houses a lot of night clubs in the basements of historic buildings, so on weekends it gets pretty active. The Dallas Farmers Market and the Arts District are short walks. Because it's a smaller neighborhood it's easy to meet people being involved in the residents council, participating in sports leagues (kickball & volleyball are about to start up at Main Street Garden), etc. While there are definitely sections of the CBD that are pretty quiet and "dead" at night, I've never felt unsafe.
As far as demographics go, I'm not an expert on Uptown, but CBD residents include everything from students to retired couples and families of all ethnic backgrounds. This was taken from the DowntownDallas Inc website:
Quote:
Residential Profile of Downtown
Just like the differences in Downtown's cosmopolitan condos, luxurious lofts and restored warehouse residences, so are our urban dwellers. Downtown living paints a diverse and exciting demographic and psychographic portrait. The Downtown Dallas resident:
Is predominantly between the ages of 24 – 36, with a growing base of "Empty Nesters" (average age, 55)
Median household size = 1.5
58% female; 43% male
Mostly single, or married with no children
Enjoys unique and diverse experiences
Values authenticity
You can find a listing of all properties in the downtown area (Uptown and the CBD included) here: Residences | Downtown Dallas
If you have any questions specific to the CBD or apartments in the area feel free to send me a message.
Last edited by dfwcre8tive; 07-28-2010 at 05:28 PM..
You definitely want to live in Uptown. It'll fit your lifestyle WAY more. Downtown has some interesting spots, but simple things like a grocery store are a pain. Also, Downtown Dallas isn't that walkable at night.
I've read several of the threads on the Dallas forum and wanted to get some additional input from folks who know about the Dallas areas. Sorry for the long post and I greatly appreciate all of your input.
About me:
- I'm 26 years old, am college-educated, and work in an office for a large company, which I guess makes me a "young professional"
- I've found a job opportunity near the intersection of Commerce St. and N Griffin St.
- If you are familiar with Atlanta, I currently live in the Buckhead area (somewhat of a business district with a lot of young professionals just north of midtown) and I'm looking for something similar
- Looking to rent/lease an apartment for now as my location doesn't yet seem stable. I'm hoping to set a monthly budget around $1100/month for rent (not counting utilities) but am not sure if this is realistic..
Also, Downtown Dallas isn't that walkable at night.
I don't know what you mean by that, but my first year living downtown I did not have a car and walked everywhere or rode DART. I didn't have any problems walking during the day or night.
Last edited by dfwcre8tive; 07-29-2010 at 12:31 PM..
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