Race as a factor in moving to Highland Park vs. Oak Cliff vs. University Park (Dallas: transplants, homes)

[TeamLynn]

You didn't say if you have kids in school or not.
A lot of this somewhat depends on what makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable.
I could be wrong, but remember a newspaper article a couple of years ago about the one black
family in HP...mortgage broker if I remember.
I live in Coppell, but I would think places like Coppell, Flower Mound, Southlake, might be better options
than Oak Cliff.
You will be in the minority, but not the lone ranger.
I cannot put myself in your shoes, but in my opinion you would be welcome by most people.
Sure there is the occasional person stuck in the 50s and 60s, but hopefully things are changing some here.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by TeamLynn

You didn't say if you have kids in school or not.
A lot of this somewhat depends on what makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable.
I could be wrong, but remember a newspaper article a couple of years ago about the one black
family in HP...mortgage broker if I remember.
I live in Coppell, but I would think places like Coppell, Flower Mound, Southlake, might be better options
than Oak Cliff.
You will be in the minority, but not the lone ranger.
I cannot put myself in your shoes, but in my opinion you would be welcome by most people.
Sure there is the occasional person stuck in the 50s and 60s, but hopefully things are changing some here.

Yes, the local media publishes a "sensational" news story about a token black family moving into the Park Cities every few years. The mortage broker you reference was interviewed as being the "only black homeowner on Beverly Drive, one of the wealthies streets in America."

News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Local Columnists (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/localnews/columnists/all/stories/DN-ragland_31met.ART0.North.Edition1.24e1931.html - broken link)

American Postcard: At Last - Newsweek#

Here's an article from Texas Monthly in 1980 (!!!!) stating that the first black student graduated from HPHS in 1974.

Texas Monthly - Google Books


Demographic data clearly states there is more than 1 black family living in the Park Cities.....me-thinks the rest are not so gauche as to want to be "front page" news for being both black and wealthy (gasp!)-->

University Park = 220 (.9% of population) / 8.9% of total town population is non-white

Highland Park = 34 (.4% of population) / 4.5% of total town population is non-white

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by TeamLynn

You didn't say if you have kids in school or not.
A lot of this somewhat depends on what makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable.
I could be wrong, but remember a newspaper article a couple of years ago about the one black
family in HP...mortgage broker if I remember.
I live in Coppell, but I would think places like Coppell, Flower Mound, Southlake, might be better options
than Oak Cliff.
You will be in the minority, but not the lone ranger.
I cannot put myself in your shoes, but in my opinion you would be welcome by most people.
Sure there is the occasional person stuck in the 50s and 60s, but hopefully things are changing some here.

The OP previously stated a distaste for suburbs. You clearly don't know much about Oak Cliff real estate as was pointed out upstream by Turtle Creek 80. Oak Cliff is not for everyone and neither are the suburbs. Someone who has an aversion to suburbs and also has 1-1.5 million to plop down on a house would have numerous choices in Kessler Park and be much more at home there than in any suburb.

[Spree]

N...... K...... reacts to being named prom queen of the Highland Park High School Prom at the Belo Mansion.

Park Cities Neighborhood Pictures 4/27/07 | Slide Show Titles/Pages | Park Cities (http://www.peoplenewspapers.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=SlideShow&mod=Design%3A%3 ASlide+Show+Titles&mid=C2C52131592148DFADC1450BF8A 03C9A&id=8BAE00ABCCA3417AAF4FEEEA5EB4257C&AudID=DA 7D68F24889442D98449D08560D8327&tier=3&p=7 - broken link)

[GreyDay]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Yes, the local media publishes a "sensational" news story about a token black family moving into the Park Cities every few years. The mortage broker you reference was interviewed as being the "only black homeowner on Beverly Drive, one of the wealthies streets in America."

News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Local Columnists (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/localnews/columnists/all/stories/DN-ragland_31met.ART0.North.Edition1.24e1931.html - broken link)

American Postcard: At Last - Newsweek#

Here's an article from Texas Monthly in 1980 (!!!!) stating that the first black student graduated from HPHS in 1974.

Texas Monthly - Google Books


Demographic data clearly states there is more than 1 black family living in the Park Cities.....me-thinks the rest are not so gauche as to want to be "front page" news for being both black and wealthy (gasp!)-->

University Park = 220 (.9% of population) / 8.9% of total town population is non-white

Highland Park = 34 (.4% of population) / 4.5% of total town population is non-white

We'd certainly hope to not be called tokens to our faces. Token has connotations that something was easy or given freely. If you're footing the bill to live in HP you're talking way beyond tokens.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by ganongrey

We'd certainly hope to not be called tokens to our faces. Token has connotations that something was easy or given freely. If you're footing the bill to live in HP you're talking way beyond tokens.

"Token" was not my personal word.....it is the attitude conveyed in these articles that seem to pop up every few years (basically every time the Park Cities People, D Magazine, or DMN can talk a minority homeowner into being a "newsworthy" subject).

[GreyDay]

Blaming the media, are articles like that huge attractions? it's got a side-show-esque feel to it.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by ganongrey

Blaming the media, are articles like that huge attractions? it's got a side-show-esque feel to it.

No- they are certainly not the articles that "everyone" whispers about....that is reserved for the REAL scandals like the (white) woman running a "massage parlor" out of her Park Cities home or the (white) man who was convicted of a sex offender crime 30 years ago and never registered as one when he moved to HP 25+ years ago or the (white) woman who stole so much from Neiman Marcus that she is now banned from all of their stores. Now that's good juicy Park Cities gossip!!

I think the media is conflicted. I think the Park Cities papers would like to present the community as being open and welcome to all races / religions/ sexual orientations, but everytime they write an article like that, it smacks of ignorance and promotes the idea that "our token blacks just adore living here!!" I had a Civil War history professor in college who formerly taught at SMU and lived in Highland Park who was approached by the media to write a story about his black family's Park Cities experience. He declined. Saw no reason.

I think the larger Dallas media promotes stories like that because they like to think there is still a 1950's mentality ruling over the Park Cities and they want to continue to harp on it. It's ironic in a way because when my grandparents bought their 1930's home in UP in the 50's, their part of the Park Cities was known for having lots of Jewish families. So the Park Cities wasn't racist before it became racist and now it's post-racist except for a few really old-timers.

[GreyDay]

It seems there is a ton of hatred (jealousy) directed at HP/UP from all sides; From the wealth point of view, from the lack of diversity, to questions of racism. Grosse Pointe, Michigan is a similarly wealthy enclave but wasn't under the spotlight nearly as much. There's a love it (likely if you live there) or hate it attitude pervasive.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by Overcooked_Oatmeal

Many parts of the the Metroplex are pretty segregated, and the locals prefer to keep it that way. One of the reasons why the DFW Metroplex has been pretty popular with white conservatives moving down from the Northeast and the Midwest is because the segregated nature of the DFW area reminds them of the segregated nature of the cities they're fleeing from. The other Sunbelt megacities of Atlanta and Houston are a bit too integrated for their tastes, and the local blacks seem to know their "place" a lot more in Dallas. I'm not here to say whether this is "right" or "wrong," or this is one of the motivators for why everyone is flocking to the area (cheap houses and low taxes are an attraction after all). People do have the right to live where they want and there is still freedom of association in this country, and people are going to be comfortable more amongst those who look like them. I'm just telling people to take these factors into consideration when having to settle for Texas.

There are several things wrong with your post. The first is that if you think Atlanta is more integrated than Dallas, you're nuts. The second is that DFW is not that popular at all for north easterners. It mostly popular with west coasters and people from Latin America. Its also no more popular for whites than Atlanta. DFWs growth is overwhelmingly Hispanic, not white. To deny that is just lying to yourself.

OO, you have simply become to emotionally invested in your opinion of Dallas.