Exurbia vs Suburbia vs Urbia (Dallas, Plano: condo, big house, school district)

[BStinson]

Which one seems like an ideal choice considering your living/commuting/schooling requirements?

[MckinneyOwnr]

For us, it's the suburbs. I've already lived in a condo downtown for several years, pretty much got that out of my system. Between the smaller living area, 2 car garage, and poor school district, it just doesn't fit for me now since I have a family.

Same thing goes with the exurbs... We don't need a ton of land, and we like having easy access to shopping and restaurants. So being too far out doesn't work either. I figure that's a setup I'd like more as I reach retirement age.

[TheOverdog]

Which one seems like an ideal choice considering your living/commuting/schooling requirements?

I don't think anyone could answer this other than by giving their current locations or defining which cities in DFW count as what.

I'd count McKinney for example (assuming that's where McKinney owner as an 'exurb' because Plano is the suburb and McKinney is the 'exurb', but Plano has enough jobs where that's debatable.


Also, outside of downtown Dallas, the majority of the single family lots are pretty much the same size all the way from Greenville the Avenue to Greenville the town.

[synchronicity]

We've got a "big" lot (by the definitions most people here use) and a "long" commute (well, for me, not my wife) but otherwise are definitely in a "suburb" (with the quote "great school", end quote). There are many permutations of all of those factors.

[Aceraceae]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

I don't think anyone could answer this other than by giving their current locations or defining which cities in DFW count as what.

I'd count McKinney for example (assuming that's where McKinney owner as an 'exurb' because Plano is the suburb and McKinney is the 'exurb', but Plano has enough jobs where that's debatable.


Also, outside of downtown Dallas, the majority of the single family lots are pretty much the same size all the way from Greenville the Avenue to Greenville the town.

McKinney is not an exurb.

[EDS_]

Those descriptors don't fit DFW especially well.

We live in Dallas - an easy cruise from downtown - in a big house on not quite an acre and our kids go to/have gone to exceptional schools. Lots of Dallas proper looks and feels quite suburban compared to most other big cities. All that said we strongly prefer living in Dallas; we've lived in Richardson for a few years and Plano for 15 years FWIIW.

[jcl_cls02]

By what definition is a big and small lot? Big lot > 1 acre? Small lot < 1 acre? Some towns have a mixture of both.

[kidicarus89]

I'd usually go with urbia, but for Dallas I'd say closer-in suburbs (20 minutes from downtown). Close to everything you need, but nice green space to relax.

People must be insane to live out somewhere like McKinney and try to commute to the downtown core. I'd never want to waste so much of my life sitting in a vehicle trying to get to work.

[robmab]

I didn't answer because I think your choices are too full of generalizations. I live in the city, but don't send my kids to private schools, and I have a long commute (because my office is in a dreaded suburb...ugh), but we're close to all the entertainment we could ever want.

Not everyone has to fit squarely into one of those buckets you described.

[BStinson]

Originally Posted by robmab

Not everyone has to fit squarely into one of those buckets you described.

I agree. This is just a general poll which doesn't include all available options.