2434 Finley Road/4220 Esters Rd /3801 N Belt Line Rd in Irving??????

[honestdollar]

The Esters Rd address is near the Islamic National Center.

[CallMeLaura]

.. Which is near a Catholic church. And a fire station.

[senorita]

Do you know the area well? What is your opinion if a single female wants to move in..

[CallMeLaura]

I lived in the Lion's Head Apartments at Esters and Rainier for 6 years, leaving 2 years ago. I was a single female (still am, for that matter ) and didn't have any problems related to that. Someone did try to break into my car, but they actually stole the bike of my male neighbor, so just being a guy doesn't protect you from crime.

If I were looking there again, I stick with north of 183 and west of Beltline, which it looks like you're already doing.

Lion's Head were former townhomes, converted into apartments, so the floorplans are a little bit different than 'normal' apartments. All of the entrances are on the ground level and some of them have 'yards'. Prior to my moving in, there were a lot of DEA raids, but it tapered off dramatically. You're pretty close to 183, so yes, there is some negative traffic in the area, but get a car alarm and lock your doors and you'd be fine.

The apartments directly south I would avoid, though. Poor management. One unit burned down and they left the charred hull for over a year.

Heading north, you'll find a mix of new and older complexes. Some of the older ones are fine, but may not have some of the new 'requirements' like 2" blinds and white appliances. But then, they may have recently done renovations, too, giving you the best of both worlds (larger floorplans, lower rent, nicer stuff). Lion's Head was in that process when I moved in, so I got a new dishwasher, water heater, sound insulation, windows, and doors.)

One thing I always check out is the parking lot. What people drive will tell you tons about who lives there. You want modest cars that are taken care of. Old, beat up junkers mean that people don't care. New and shiny in a modest complex means they've overextended themselves. Bling means drug deals and loud music. (Disclaimer: in general. Don't get your panties in a wad.)

If you take some basic precautions, learn a little self-defense (attitude goes a long way), and listen to your instincts, you can live just about anywhere. That said, I would avoid any area with a high concentration of cheap apartments.

[senorita]

Originally Posted by CallMeLaura

I lived in the Lion's Head Apartments at Esters and Rainier for 6 years, leaving 2 years ago. I was a single female (still am, for that matter ) and didn't have any problems related to that. Someone did try to break into my car, but they actually stole the bike of my male neighbor, so just being a guy doesn't protect you from crime.

If I were looking there again, I stick with north of 183 and west of Beltline, which it looks like you're already doing.

Lion's Head were former townhomes, converted into apartments, so the floorplans are a little bit different than 'normal' apartments. All of the entrances are on the ground level and some of them have 'yards'. Prior to my moving in, there were a lot of DEA raids, but it tapered off dramatically. You're pretty close to 183, so yes, there is some negative traffic in the area, but get a car alarm and lock your doors and you'd be fine.

The apartments directly south I would avoid, though. Poor management. One unit burned down and they left the charred hull for over a year.

Heading north, you'll find a mix of new and older complexes. Some of the older ones are fine, but may not have some of the new 'requirements' like 2" blinds and white appliances. But then, they may have recently done renovations, too, giving you the best of both worlds (larger floorplans, lower rent, nicer stuff). Lion's Head was in that process when I moved in, so I got a new dishwasher, water heater, sound insulation, windows, and doors.)

One thing I always check out is the parking lot. What people drive will tell you tons about who lives there. You want modest cars that are taken care of. Old, beat up junkers mean that people don't care. New and shiny in a modest complex means they've overextended themselves. Bling means drug deals and loud music. (Disclaimer: in general. Don't get your panties in a wad.)

If you take some basic precautions, learn a little self-defense (attitude goes a long way), and listen to your instincts, you can live just about anywhere. That said, I would avoid any area with a high concentration of cheap apartments.

Hi
Thanks for writing. I come from a small city in the mid-west and car break ins are unheard of here. What is their objective...do they steal the car or do they break in for car accessories like stereo etc? I have an 10 year old Honda Civic with nothing fancy inside...not even a CD player. Do you think I need to get a car alarm?
If you can suggest some nice neighbourhoods/even apartment complexes... close to Southwestern Medical Center I will highly appreciate.

[Philip T]

Originally Posted by senorita

Hi
Thanks for writing. I come from a small city in the mid-west and car break ins are unheard of here. What is their objective...do they steal the car or do they break in for car accessories like stereo etc? I have an 10 year old Honda Civic with nothing fancy inside...not even a CD player. Do you think I need to get a car alarm?

Just looking to steal something to get $10 for meth or crack. For old cars with nothing worth stealinig the easiest fix is not lock it. Most of the time that saves your winidow from being busted. That is the real loss -- about $100 for the winidow replacement. The car alarm will only tell you that your window was just busted.

I suppose we could just go to the old New York City model -- back when they would not enforce law -- of putting a cardboard sign in the window "no radio or anything to steal in this car."

If you can suggest some nice neighbourhoods/even apartment complexes... close to Southwestern Medical Center I will highly appreciate.

I would be tempted to look towards Dallas -- Oak lawn area for example. It has some spots that are REAL nice (and pricey), and some hoody areas, as well. Otherwise, maybe look straight north towards Farmer's Branch / Carrollton, as well.

[CallMeLaura]

Originally Posted by senorita

Hi
Thanks for writing. I come from a small city in the mid-west and car break ins are unheard of here. What is their objective...do they steal the car or do they break in for car accessories like stereo etc? I have an 10 year old Honda Civic with nothing fancy inside...not even a CD player. Do you think I need to get a car alarm?
If you can suggest some nice neighbourhoods/even apartment complexes... close to Southwestern Medical Center I will highly appreciate.

Yeah, I had a 10 year old Civic when I left. I wouldn't leave it unlocked. Civics (and other Hondas) are very popular to steal because many of the parts are interchangeable. They're used in street racing, so they strip your car down to fix up the one they busted...

It's bad enough to walk out and see your car gone, but imagine if someone killed someone joyriding in it because you left it open for them.

Honestly, it's not that bad. I wasn't afraid, just being cautious. It's like insurance - you don't get it because you want to use it, you get it to protect you from catastrophic financial failure. You don't lock your doors because someone tries to break in every night, you do it so that if someone does try to break in, it's harder (and they move on to easier targets, say, people who leave their cars unlocked.)

I have never been accosted once in the more than 10 years I lived in Dallas. Never had anything stolen (although someone did try to break into my car). I'm not paranoid, but I'm not oblivious to my surroundings, either.

You'll be fine and I think you'll enjoy the things a big city has to offer.

[senorita]

Originally Posted by CallMeLaura

Yeah, I had a 10 year old Civic when I left. I wouldn't leave it unlocked. Civics (and other Hondas) are very popular to steal because many of the parts are interchangeable. They're used in street racing, so they strip your car down to fix up the one they busted...

It's bad enough to walk out and see your car gone, but imagine if someone killed someone joyriding in it because you left it open for them.

Honestly, it's not that bad. I wasn't afraid, just being cautious. It's like insurance - you don't get it because you want to use it, you get it to protect you from catastrophic financial failure. You don't lock your doors because someone tries to break in every night, you do it so that if someone does try to break in, it's harder (and they move on to easier targets, say, people who leave their cars unlocked.)

I have never been accosted once in the more than 10 years I lived in Dallas. Never had anything stolen (although someone did try to break into my car). I'm not paranoid, but I'm not oblivious to my surroundings, either.

You'll be fine and I think you'll enjoy the things a big city has to offer.

Thanks for comforting me. I really need that at this time. one has to be rather informed than ignorant about these things. From what I understand, I have to avoid the shady neighbourhoods. Not sure of how well I'll do that, but I guess you all have given me a fair idea of what to look for. Also I trust my instincts to be prety reliable.
Thanks for taking the time to respond. Really appreciate it...

[CallMeLaura]

Senorita,
Exactly. You need to be informed. Hiding from stuff doesn't make it go away and being aware of it doesn't make it happen. I'm aware of heart attacks and haven't had one of those yet...

You might consider a self-defense class, too. A lot of what I've read and heard is that many criminals pick their victims because they 'acted like victims'. I felt more confident after the classes I took, and I'm sure that came across, making me not only more likely to survive an assault, but less likely to even be in one in the first place.

Definitely trust your instincts. Turn around and leave the moment you get uncomfortable, even if that means not getting in an elevator or turning around mid-stride. Somewhere along the way I came across this quote - Never worry about being rude to strangers. The ones who don't mean you harm will understand and the ones who do don't care.

On the upside, there's a great Mexican restaurant along 183 (has a wagon out front) with live music on weekends. Tons of shopping and easy access to all of DFW. Park and ride for the Trinity Express down Esters.