Moving from Georgia to Dallas, TX (Fort Worth, North Richland Hills: schools, living in, prices)

[SAtoDallas]

You can also look at Casa Linda or Hollywood Heights/Santa Monica here in East Dallas or if you want you can try a southern suburb in DeSoto or Cockrell Hill. Winnetka Heights in North Oak Cliff is a nice area as well and that will put you real close to where you will be working.

[dgbjr]

I think Highland Park and areas in that vicinity are probably out of my price range from what I've researched. The commute will still kill me as well. Aren't those areas some of the most congested?

After spending as much time as I have researching areas to live in, I definitely noticed the differences in demographics pertaining to race. The northern areas are mostly white as mentioned. The west seems to have a higher concentration of hispanics, the south predominately black, and the east a mixture of all depending on the location. I have to admit this plays into the decision making process as well. For whatever reasons, the areas that are predominately white seem to have the better schools? Am I correct in making that statement?

To be honest, I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that I'm screwed in choosing a location that is going to meet all my requirements (wishes).

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by dgbjr

I think Highland Park and areas in that vicinity are probably out of my price range from what I've researched. The commute will still kill me as well. Aren't those areas some of the most congested?

After spending as much time as I have researching areas to live in, I definitely noticed the differences in demographics pertaining to race. The northern areas are mostly white as mentioned. The west seems to have a higher concentration of hispanics, the south predominately black, and the east a mixture of all depending on the location. I have to admit this plays into the decision making process as well. For whatever reasons, the areas that are predominately white seem to have the better schools? Am I correct in making that statement?

To be honest, I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that I'm screwed in choosing a location that is going to meet all my requirements (wishes).

Don't assume that just because an area is white, it has good schools. North Dallas is excruciatingly white and its public schools aren't very good compared to some of the suburban schools. Then again, a lot of north Dallasites send their kids to private schools. I grew up in north Dallas and whenever I'm there, I hear parents plotting on how to get little Taylor or MacKenzie into the chi-chi tony private schools in the area. It's kind of nauseating really. I went to public school and I turned out fine, but the schools were better back then.

[dgbjr]

Point taken. So, I'm back to deciding on an area again. This is getting real frustrating. Maybe I should just buy a helicopter and say the hell with the roadways!

[TrueDat]

I'd avoid Cockrell Hill but what about Cedar Hill? It's south of I-30, so the commute wouldn't be bad, and it seems to have a decent-sized black and white middle class community. The area seems to be rising on people's radar, thanks to the big new mall --www.uptownvillageatcedarhill.com -- that's going up there.

It seems like a nice community that's often overlooked because it is south of I-30. But, for that reason, housing prices are not as expensive as they are on the north side. I know nothing about the schools though. Here are a couple of the city's websites: Cedar Hill Economic Development Corporation and Welcome to the Cedar Hill Chamber of Commerce - Online!

[blueskies49]

Gee, I feel for you, I really do! I live in Grand Prairie by the Arlington border near Hwy 360 and I-30. For years I worked in Dallas and once I got the chance to work in Fort Worth I took it and said no WAY am I going to work in Dallas EVER again! HA! Famous last words! Without boring you with the details I am now working in Dallas again and from where I live, if I leave the house at 6:45 a.m. I can sail on in in 30-35 minutes. And I work on the WEST end of town! However, I don't take I-30 because I'd have to exit onto Loop 12 and that's always slow as molasses around there. I take 183 but if I leave the house later than 7:00 a.m. I go ahead and take the new tollroad cuz it's faster.

Anyway, I'd always thought if you left around 6 a.m. coming from around Rockwall that you should be okay. Rockwall is a fast growing but nice little town. It's landlocked so it can't spread out too far. Then there's Lake Ray Hubbard right there, too. But I'm thinking that you could live in Grand Prairie, further south where they are developing like crazy south of I-20. From there to southwest Dallas where you work and leaving early enough shouldn't be too bad. I'm talking about the areas in Grand Prairie south of I-20 between Hwy 360 to the west and Belt Line Rd. to the east. Alot of new development in there. Or you could go not too much farther west on the other side of Hwy 360 which would be Arlington where my daughter lives. She loves it there with her husband and toddler. Now this is all south of I-20 either just west of Hwy 360 or east of it to Belt Line. But you will have to leave early because there's alot of traffic down there. My son-in-law leaves around 6 a.m. and he works at Love Field in Dallas and his commute isn't bad at that hour.

[dgbjr]

Thank you to everyone for the responses. This is a very big decision and I welcome all suggestions. After reading all the responses so far, I think traffic is going to be the norm no matter where I live. Not living in a big city now, this will be quite an adjustment for me. If I decide on Rockwall, which appeals to me most based on my research, and I leave for work around 6 AM, can I make it to the Cockrell Hill area in an hour? The same question holds true for my second choice, Grapevine? How bad is the noise in Grapevine though with the DFW airport being in such close proximity?

How about if I go more towards the Fort Worth area? How bad would the commute be from North Richland Hills, Hurst or Bedford? I would still leave around 6 AM if needed?

[FarNorthDallas]

Of the two I would pick Grapevine because you will have multiple ways to get to work. If there is a wreck or lane closure one way you can come another.

Rockwall, you are stuck with the I-30 bridge over the lake. If there is a wreck, you just stay home until it's clear. I have friends that live in Royce City which is just beyond Rockwall and they work in Dallas (near Central/75 and Walnut Hill). On good days they can make it there in 35-50 minutes. Cockrill Hill would be 30-45 minutes further because you will have to come through downtown before heading out to Cockrell Hill.

If you are in Grapevine you won't have to deal with getting through downtown Dallas.

Really think about this commute. You are going to spend a lot of time in the car. If your kids have a school function in the middle of the day - say a parent teacher conference at 11am you will miss half a day of work. If you are closer you can come and go to the school much easier. Most of the longer commute moms I know do as much as possible on the telephone including parent teacher conferences (which gives you the "parents' priorities are screwed up" reputation by the school). These moms I know don't attend many of the during the day functions. (Dad goes or no one goes.) There's always something going on during the day - meetings, programs, schedule pick up, cheerleading tryouts, meet the teacher, kindergarten round up, supply sale, choir production, music lessons, dance class - it's always something. Schools don't make it easy for working parents. It's much easier to be within 20-30 minutes even if it means not attending a marquee school or paying for a close by private school.

It is a tough decision. In the past I always had flexible jobs close by (well the furthest away was 9 miles which was pushing it) and it worked. Now I have this job 15 miles away and I don't know if it's going to work or not. It's almost impossible to get 40 hours in with traffic issues, school issues, child issues and not be gone for 11-12 hours a day. I have no time to take a lunch, but that's a minor sacrifice.

I have a mom friend who also works downtown and lives in Flower Mound. She was able to get a job working 8-2 because once her kids hit middle school they lived 1.8 miles away which means no bus service, but too far to walk and there's no aftercare for middle schoolers. She put one kid on a bike at first but if there was bad weather or something the daughter was stuck. Plus it's a weird feeling knowing your child is biking/walking home and you are so far away. She found a part time job even though it meant financial sacrifices.

Just thought I would throw that out there. Having this downtown job has really opened my eyes to the problems of having a long commute. There is a mom who offices near me and has a long commute and her 16-year-old son had a minor accident last week and she had to manage the whole issue on the phone from work - call the ER, call the son, relay messages, relay health insurance info and credit cards number, talk to the nurse, get a friend to go with him, get Rx info, call the pharmacy to pay. If we ran out the door every time there was a problem or issue or function we would work about 20 hours a week and we would lose our jobs.

Just something to think about.

[dgbjr]

Luckily, my wife does not work so she will be able to deal with any emergency situations that may arise. She will also get the kids off to school in the morning. Yes, this will make it difficult for me to attend school functions, but I will have to deal with that on a case by case basis.

Ok, so Rockwall may not be a good idea based on the fact I will have to go straight thru downtown Dallas to reach Cockrell Hill. What about coming from the West side near Fort Worth? Maybe live in N. Richland Hills, Hurst or Bedford?

[FarNorthDallas]

Oh, that's good your wife will be home! You all will be living separate lives though. I really don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but it's a beating being away from home so much.

I'm not sure about coming from the West. I don't know that much about Tarrant County. Ideally, you would want to come from the south, like Red Oak - I would think - or live in Grand Prairie, although I don't know enough about Grand Prairie to tell you where the good schools are. I would stay open minded to the possibility of living close by and using private schools, like a cheaper Catholic school.

Actually, Grapevine may not be too bad - 45-70 minutes. I talked to someone downtown who lived in Grapevine and she said good days were 45 minutes leaving the house at 7am and she stays at work until 6 pm to avoid the afternoon rush. I'm not sure how Cockrell Hill compares with driving downtown. I've never been there to no what the area is like.

Gosh, I'm so negative!! I'm sorry. I have relatives in Cumming, GA and the commute to the loop (285?) about killed them. No one does it anymore.