Wondering About Stonebridge (Dallas, Plano, McKinney: transplants, rental, how much)

[TempNest]

Hi,

My husband and I are thinking about moving to Stonebridge Ranch in McKinney and I was hoping to get some info from locals who know the area. We are currently renting a home in another area of McKinney.

Specifically, I am wondering about the general feel or culture of the area, and any other info that is useful.

Just driving around, we love the landscape with all the trees and the layout of the neighborhoods. The area right around the Earl and Lotte Elementary school and the neighboring middle school seems ideal for us (we have one-year-old twins). I also noticed a sports complex across the street on Eldorado and then there is the park next to the school. We really love this area.

We are wanting a neighborhood where the kids get OUT and play together a lot. I'm an early childhood educator and I believe that play has become too restrictive and children are way *too* structured. It's really important to me to live in a vibrant area where neighbors get outside and get to know each other. Is this the case around the schools in SB Ranch?

How diverse is this area? I'm guessing not the most diverse, but I'm hoping that it's not too homogeneous. We are a multi-racial family. (We are also pretty liberal, but we know that the Dallas suburbs in general aren't going to be a great political fit...sooo...you can't have everything. But maybe there are more transplants in this area..?? It seems a little less...corporate...than Plano. Nothing at all against that atmosphere--just an observation. )

My husband works from home and I am a SAHM at this time, so we are flexible and can move, well, anywhere. Also, we are debating between trying to find a rental house in SB Ranch (possible??) or waiting until we are in a position to buy, which will be a few years as our family is in a happy transition.

That's a lot of info, but I'm hoping to give a feel for our family's needs in order to get better info. We love this area and are pretty excited!

[PlanoGirl]

Hey there. We are in Stonebridge too, just a little west of the area you are looking at. We've been here 4 years and love the area. We've found that the neighbors here are very friendly and really do get to know each other. Of course how much can vary quite a bit from neighborhood to neighborhood (or "villages" as they are called in SB) and even from street to street. But overall, this area has been a lot more active and involved then any neighborhood we have lived in in the past. From my personal experiences it seems that the closer you are to a school, a park, or a trail that your fellow neighbors will access, the more involved/friendly/visible the residents are. Not always the case obviously...just something I've found. Also, low traffic streets tend to be more active than higher traffic ones, obviously do the safety concerns for the kids. Just things to think about when picking a house

As far as diversity, there are much more diverse places, but overall it's not bad. And seems to be getting better each year. I don't think you would have an issue at all being a multi-racial family. One of our closest neighborhood friends are a multi-racial family (black/hispanic) and I know that they haven't had any issues and feel very comfortable here. As far as politics, it is a more conservative area in general (as is most of Collin County) but really its more of a live and let live attitude. With a large number of transplants, you really do get all walks of life. And regardless of political affiliation, etc, most people are very respectful of each others differences and don't let it get in the way of their relationships. We are also a liberal family, and I've never felt uncomfortable expressing my opinion around neighbors and area friends, even though I may be in the minority sometimes. And I've actually been pretty surprised by the number of more liberal (or at least moderate) folks in the area. At least in the issues that are most importnat to me, which are usually the social ones. But for the most part, stuff like that just doesn't really ever come up, except among close friends...and then it's just a fun and good-natured debate that we ALL learn a little from

The Wolford elem area of Stonebridge is great, filled with lots of kids and I always see kids out and about. Having the elementary school, park, and middle school right there is very convenient, and helps encourages kids and parents to get outside and explore their area on foot. You also have Market Street and a number of other neighborhood stores in easy walking distance. The sports complex/park across Eldorado (Gabe Nesbitt) currently has baseball fields, a fantastic tennis complex, and a skatepark. There is also an indoor sports complex (the 3rd location of Plano Sports Authority, or PSA) going there that has just been approved, as well as future plans for an aquatic center in that park. You also have the library right there too. Both Gabe Nesbitt and the library are easily(and safely!) walkable by following the hike and bike trail UNDER Eldorado through one of the many SB underpass tunnels. Great location! There was also just a big rezoning of the high schools, and that area was going to be one of the ones affected. The Wolford neighborhoods really rallied and came together to say their peace, and in the end, were able to convince the ISD to remain at their originally zoned high school. Pretty good sign of a tight-knit and involved community. The middle school (Evans) has some really great programs...I am always reading amazing things about the initiatives their students are getting involved with there.

Hope that helped. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions on specific neighborhoods/streets/ etc. Also, since you mentioned being a SAHM, just wanted to share that I'm in a local Moms group for SAHMs in that part of Mckinney that is a great inclusive group of ladies. DM me if you're interested, and I'll send you a link to our webpage

[AllenEllen]

Mckinney seems like a good fit for you for now but what if you have to go back to work or your husband has to change jobs? Commute can be hellish.

[TempNest]

Plano Girl, thanks so much for the info. I'm trying to DM you but my iPhone is being quirky and uncooperative : /