Single Female Moving From NYC to Dallas (Plano, Irving: apartments, leasing)

[NYDowntownGirl]

Hi Everyone,

I am moving from NYC to the Dallas area in a couple of weeks and will be in town looking for places to live. This will be my first recon and visit to Dallas.

Looking for advice on neighborhoods that are safe and offer maybe loft style living and great dining and shopping areas that I can possibly walk to.

My pending salary is $60-$65k. I'll need to buy a car and need to factor insurance and gas in my budget.

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

[Squirl]

Major cross streets of your job is very important before we can give advice. We have horrendous traffic so commute is everything......

[NYDowntownGirl]

Squirl: It's Pearl Street and Woodall Rodgers FWy

[Pooua]

The only places I know that even have loft-style living around here (not that I've looked very hard for it) is Deep Ellum and Frisco. Coincidentally, Deep Ellum is fairly close to where you would be working. It's also an artsy sort of place, with clubs. I don't know how difficult it is to get a loft there, but my Photography professor just got one. He says he's old enough to know better, but he is doing it, anyway. I'm not sure how safe the neighborhood is. It looks a little rough to me, but I've read that it has been rehabilitated.

I'm sure you will be told about Uptown. I don't know much about it.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by NYDowntownGirl

Hi Everyone,

I am moving from NYC to the Dallas area in a couple of weeks and will be in town looking for places to live. This will be my first recon and visit to Dallas.

Looking for advice on neighborhoods that are safe and offer maybe loft style living and great dining and shopping areas that I can possibly walk to.

My pending salary is $60-$65k. I'll need to buy a car and need to factor insurance and gas in my budget.

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Deep Ellum & Exposition Park are the neighborhoods immediately west of downtown. It is an old warehouse district with a lot of restaurants, bars/clubs, and loft style apartments. Just google Deep Ellum lofts and you'll come up with a long list to check into. Deep Ellum is a little more indie/ hipster/ artist than Dallas as a whole. Kinda like Williamsburg but not quite.

Uptown is the most walkable, shoppable, dine-able neighborhood for a young single girl in Dallas- it's immediately north of downtown. If you like being able to walk to art galleries, small theatres, boutiques, brunch, bars, movie theatre, this is your spot. There is also a free trolley that runs up & down McKinney Ave connecting Uptown with the downtown Arts District (DMA, Winspear Opera House, Wyly Theatre, Nasher Sculpture Garden, etc). This is basically the neighborhood your office is in. Lofts are few & far between although the 1900 McKinney & 2011 Cedar Springs buildings have some and so does the 588 Lofts building on Thomas & Hall in the State-Thomas part of Uptown. These are all "buy" buildings so you'd have to find an owner leasing out their unit- shouldn't be too difficult!

[Squirl]

Best locations for you that have loft-style apartments areDeep Ellum, Mockingbird Station (isn't too far from uptown and is near shops, etc.) and Las Colinas (which is more suburban but close to the city, all new and clean). Deep Ellum is much closer but I find it a bit seedy. You can take the rail from Mockingbird Station or Las Colinas into downtown, there's a rail stop right near your work location.

Canal Side Lofts on Las Colinas in Irving, Texas urban apartment loft community: one bedroom apartments, one bedroom lofts, two bedroom apartments, two bedroom lofts with canal views, near Las Colinas Golf and Country Club, University of Dallas, and

Mockingbird Station :: 5307 E Mockingbird Lane Suite 130, Dallas, TX. ::

[CGGirl]

I've been in Dallas for about 5 years or so and am originally from NYC. If you like being able to walk to things and not having to drive, then I would say that Uptown would be the place for you. I often walked or took the McKinney Ave. trolley all over the place, including to downtown. When I moved out of Uptown, I looked at some loft style apts in downtown Dallas but there really isn't much in downtown Dallas. Not sure how much it has changed in the last 3 years but as far as I know, hasn't changed too much. Not even a grocery store anywhere downtown.

[elan]

There's a grocery store downtown, The Urban Market is on Jackson Street.

[Pooua]

Originally Posted by hplindley

This guy just told you that White Plains has the best style lofts in New York City and that Tribeca is close to your job, but a little scary. He is sure you will hear about Midtown, but he doesn't know much about it. Listen to his advice at your own peril.

I wouldn't say it was advice; I'm just stating what's available. If she wants lofts, that's what's available. I live in East Plano because that's where I think it's best, but I'm not looking for loft living or some place with a social scene.

[Macbeth2003]

Have a look in Expo Park. I've had friends who have lived in a loft there, and they loved it. On the street are some bars, and some restaurants, and the Ochre House Theatre. You can catch the Green Line train in to Downtown, or Deep Ellum and get to work pretty easily from there if you want, or it is about 10 minutes by car. You can also take the green line, transfer at Pearl to the red line, and get to Mockingbird Station with a huge grocery store, an Art House Theatre, and some fun shopping, or hop off a little earlier at the Cityplace station and start at the North end of Uptown for shopping.
Also in Expo Park you can walk to Fair Park, look at the beautiful buildings, see a show at the Magnolia Lounge, or the Music Hall. While in Expo park make sure to try a Surfing Hog pizza at The Pizza Lounge MMMMMMM!

I love Deep Ellum, I mean passionatly! I have spent a lot of time there doing theatre, and it is on the way back, but there is still a lot of empty space. Not so in Expo Park.