Relocating to Dallas and need advices (Plano, Richardson: for rent, house, neighborhoods) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

saudi mother · 07-09-2011, 03:11 PM

I'm an international student and will start my PhD program at UTD next month. I want to live in Plano or reachardson to be near from the university and good schools. I have 3 children and I need 3 bed rooms house. My rental-budget for the house is 1500$ Can I find a good house with a nice backyard?
Are schools in Plano better than reachardson? How can I find a map shows the borders between the cities in Dallas?

Macbeth2003 · 07-09-2011, 05:18 PM

$1500 a month will get you a very nice 3-4 bedroom in lovely areas of Richardson, with excellent schools from Elementary all the way up to either Richardson or Pearce High school, which will be a 2-5 minute drive from UTD. I have lived there in the past, grew up near there, and although I prefer city to suburbs, it is a very nice area. I wouldn't look at Plano. Nothing against Plano, but you would end up further away, not really gain anything schoolwise (not loose anything either), and to be in parts of Plano as nice as the parts of Richardson UTD is already in you would pay more.

UTD could not be more ideally situated for someone needing a home like you describe. You need not be more than a mile away from campus to be in a family neighborhood with great schools, realtor.com lists several properties from 1,200-1,500 that fit your needs, and I'm sure driving the area would yield many more.

Welcome to The Dallas area, and good luck with your studies, and your move.

saudi mother · 07-09-2011, 06:05 PM

Thank you so much. This is very good news. Do you think driving the area is better than searching the web.

Macbeth2003 · 07-09-2011, 06:13 PM

I think both are good. When I lived in that area - admittedly that was a decade ago - I found lots of places online, but ultimately the one I rented I found by driving the neighborhoods.
It also helps to give you the feel of the different areas.

I have found that landlords dealing for themselves rather than with realtors are often more willing to:
A: Negotiate case by case on certain points. Pets, Aquariums.
B: Sometimes deal a little on price. Not always, but my place in richardson had been for rent for a while, and when I expressed interest, but told him I was leaning to another that was $100 less a month, suddenly he was willing to deal.

Either way that part of Richardson is great. Make sure to check out Cottonwood park if you get here this summer. Great city swimming pool there for the kids. Corner of Belt Line and Coit so really close to UTD and in the area of Richardson you would be looking at. Also the Richardson Library on Arapaho near US75. One of the best collections for a mid size library I have ever seen. It is the one thing I truly miss from that area.

saudi mother · 07-09-2011, 08:46 PM

Thank you so much for the information. The problem is that I don't know where cottonwood is and I can't find even a map to know the area borders. Can you help me with zip codes for good areas for families.
I really appreciate your help.

Macbeth2003 · 07-09-2011, 09:09 PM

Go to this site (http://www.cor.net/welcome.aspx?id=830 - broken link) Which has maps showing the boundries of the city. The area I would look at, were I you, is bounded by Campbell on the North, Belt Line on the South, Coit on the West, and US75 on the east. This is in Zip 75080. See this Map and put that zip in the zip code box too see the boundaries of the zip code.
The North-easternmost part of this code - immediatly east of UTD, is very nice, but would probably be over the budget you gave. The southernmost part, south of Belt Line, has some nice areas, but borders some not as nice, and if you fall in love with a place there I souldn't be concerned about renting it, I just wouldn't start looking there.
Given your user name, it might interest you to know there is a strip mall @ 75 and Spring Valley with middle eastern owned and supplied shops. There is also a grocery store that sells Halal meats, and other middle eastern foods, between Arapaho and Beltline on Coit road. The Richardson area has a fairly sizable Middle Eastern, as well as East Asian, population, and therefore many stores supplying products difficult to get in mass market chains.

Obviously not trying to draw generalizations or assumptions, but we have Bangladeshi friends for whom it was a factor in deciding to live there, as they could get Halal meats locally.

BigDGeek · 07-09-2011, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saudi mother

Thank you so much for the information. The problem is that I don't know where cottonwood is and I can't find even a map to know the area borders. Can you help me with zip codes for good areas for families.
I really appreciate your help.

Try 75080.

FarNorthDallas · 07-10-2011, 09:36 AM

The boundaries of the cities are not the same as the boundaries of the school districts.

Macbeth2003 · 07-10-2011, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas

The boundaries of the cities are not the same as the boundaries of the school districts.

Very true, and often confusing; however, the are I mentioned is all in RISD. In fact it is all Pearce or Richardson High school.

saudi mother · 07-10-2011, 12:33 PM

Thank you so much for you all. I really appreciate your help. That means I have to find the school district map. To be able to drive the area that is coverd by Richardson schools.
I tried yesterday to search in craigslist but I found just one house. I hope I can find more by driving the area. I decided to come next week to rent before the moving. Is that too late?
Again thanks for your help.