Young couple looking for unique home under $160k (Dallas, Fort Worth: chapel, co-ops)

[goodhugh]

Check out parts of 75228... there are some very nice options in your price range.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by bryanw3535

North Oak Cliff and Richardson Heights both have some nice options within our price range. Thanks, y'all!

As BigDGeek notes, Richardson Heights Elementary gets 7/10 on GreatSchools, while Salazar gets 3/10. Do the numbers tell the whole story there?

What else am I forgetting to consider?

I don't know anything about specific elementary schools in Oak Cliff but the DISD in general does not have a good reputation. There are some very good elementary schools in DISD but AFAIK they are all in north or east Dallas, not Oak Cliff.

Obviously you can't get the full picture of the quality of a school just from ratings on a website or its TEA accountability rating but if you're hearing consistently positive things about one school and consistently negative things about another, that's a pretty good indication of reality.

However I would urge you to seek out parents who send their kids to those schools and ask them what they think, and possibly even contact the schools to arrange visits. I don't have children myself but I hear very good things about the local elementary school. My house is zoned to Richardson Heights Elementary, I am acquainted with many parents who send their children there, and they are very happy with it. I hear the school is also oversubscribed which means that some parents who buy in the neighborhood aren't able to enroll their children there since the school is over capacity. I don't know if that's true or not...that's just what I hear. If you did end up buying anywhere in the Heights areas of Richardson, I'd recommend enrolling your kids in school ASAP.

Hope this helps.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

North Oak Cliff is cute and all, but it does lack a lot of the amenities you'd take for granted in other neighborhoods and the schools aren't as good. With your budget I'd look at 75080. We have actual grocery stores and banks in Richardson, and a low crime rate and good schools to boot.

There are "actual" grocery stores and banks in North Oak Cliff, too. Most of 75208 has very low crime and the neighborhoods zoned to Rosemont Elementary (exemplary & on par with Lakewood / Jackson schools as far as parental cash flowing in & hands on involvement) have public schools taken care of up to grade 5.

http://rosemontschools.org/

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

There are "actual" grocery stores and banks in North Oak Cliff, too. Most of 75208 has very low crime and the neighborhoods zoned to Rosemont Elementary (exemplary & on par with Lakewood / Jackson schools as far as parental cash flowing in & hands on involvement) have public schools taken care of up to grade 5.

Rosemont Schools

I didn't see any when I was there, except for Fiesta.

[pepper131]

There's a decent Tom Thumb on Hampton. Plus if you want some artisan foodie food - there is Urban and Acres and Bolsa Mercado.

[DitsyD]

Some Oak Cliff grocery stores:
Kroger ~ Wynnewood Village
Tom Thumb ~ South Hampton
Walmart ~ Cockrell Hill Rd./I30

[Squirl]

Look in the hospital district in Irving. Zip code 75061, Street names like Colony, Colonial, Kosstre, Post Oak. Drive around and check it out. Also look in zip 75062 in StoryGlen and Countryside Manor. The neighborhoods in Irving near University Hills are very nice and its a lovely park area.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I didn't see any when I was there, except for Fiesta.

There's a perfectly nice Tom Thumb on Hampton & Ft Worth Ave (NW corner of Kessler Park), in the same center with Bank of America. There's also a grocery store (not Fiesta) on the south side of Kessler Park (Davis? Jefferson) along with a nice new CVS / Walgreens.

I don't even live down there, but I wish people would do more research / drive around the whole area before saying the schools are sh$tty and the retail sucks.

[Squirl]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

There's a perfectly nice Tom Thumb on Hampton & Ft Worth Ave (NW corner of Kessler Park), in the same center with Bank of America. There's also a grocery store (not Fiesta) on the south side of Kessler Park (Davis? Jefferson) along with a nice new CVS / Walgreens.

I don't even live down there, but I wish people would do more research / drive around the whole area before saying the schools are sh$tty and the retail sucks.

Amen to that! I feel that way about NOC, also many of the older, gracious sections in Irving that are served by good elementary schools and near highly rated charter schools.

[Squirl]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

There's a perfectly nice Tom Thumb on Hampton & Ft Worth Ave (NW corner of Kessler Park), in the same center with Bank of America. There's also a grocery store (not Fiesta) on the south side of Kessler Park (Davis? Jefferson) along with a nice new CVS / Walgreens.

I don't even live down there, but I wish people would do more research / drive around the whole area before saying the schools are sh$tty and the retail sucks.

Amen to that! I feel that way about NOC, also many of the older, gracious sections in Irving that are served by good elementary schools and near highly rated charter schools.