Why the hostility towards suburbanites? (Dallas, Forest Hill: high school, living in, price)

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by lh_newbie

Actually, we are investing in renovating our home, so no, I would not be classified as a "vulture" as per your description. Whew!

Beyond that, my wife and I bought in this area because we want to live here for a VERY long time. After the holidays, I am going to propose to my HOA that we begin going down the path of getting a neighborhood stabilization overlay to preemptively ensure that we don't become a tear down neighborhood... or at least if we do, the new structures fit in architecturally with the neighborhood.

Good luck with that.

[mbd723]

Other great Dallas neighborhoods:

Forest Hills
Little Forest Hills
Bent Tree
Bluffview
Devonshire
Greenway Parks
Preston Highlands
Timberglen
Melshire Estates (WT White is another great high school)
Northwood Hills

Don't forget: Dallas' TAG (talented and gifted) HS was ranked #1 HS in the US last year (US News and World Report).

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by mbd723

Other great Dallas neighborhoods:

Forest Hills
Little Forest Hills
Bent Tree
Bluffview
Devonshire
Greenway Parks
Preston Highlands
Timberglen
Melshire Estates (WT White is another great high school)
Northwood Hills

Don't forget: Dallas' TAG (talented and gifted) HS was ranked #1 HS in the US last year (US News and World Report).

I grew up in Melshire Estates and my parents still live there. It's not a neighborhood where an average middle-class family could afford to buy unless they had a huge down payment. Plus, it's squarely in teardown territory. I would not recommend that neighborhood to anyone looking to move to Dallas, and that's sad because I mostly liked growing up there. It's just not the same.

And yes, Dallas's TAG HS is good...but it's not an option for most kids. It is extremely selective and accounts for a tiny percentage of the district as a whole.

[lh_newbie]

Originally Posted by nativeDallasite

Good luck with that.

So you want nice homes in older areas, but aren't willing to renovate and aren't willing to fight for zoning ordinances? Sounds like you're just down on Dallas. Can anything be done to convince you otherwise? Or if it's not packaged the way you want it today, it's crap in your mind?

So much for civic pride. The best things in life ARE worth fighting for.

Brian

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by lh_newbie

So you want nice homes in older areas, but aren't willing to renovate and aren't willing to fight for zoning ordinances? Sounds like you're just down on Dallas. Can anything be done to convince you otherwise? Or if it's not packaged the way you want it today, it's crap in your mind?

I've already renovated a house in my lifetime. It is a lot of work, a lot of expense, and it's exhausting. I don't want another project at this point in my life. I may buy a house that is move-in ready, but I am not prepared to overhaul a house that will probably just be torn down anyway. If I owned a property in an area targeted for teardowns, I would fight for zoning ordinances, but I don't. To me, north Dallas is a lost cause. It's going to the people who have the money to build the mini-mansions. Those of us who aren't millionaires might as well be banging our heads against a brick wall. Like I said, who cares about tract ranch houses? Nobody.

So much for civic pride. The best things in life ARE worth fighting for.

Brian

Oh give me a break, I'm just calling it as I see it. You don't think I'm upset by it? Please. I'd like to be able to buy into the kind of neighborhood that existed when I was growing up, but I just don't see them around. In Dallas, it's all about the almighty dollar. Until the city ITSELF takes some interest in the issue, I don't see things changing.

[EasilyAmused]

I dunno. I'd rather see the old ranches go down and mansions built than for everyone, who has any money, throw their hands in the air and move to the burbs. What good would that do to a city? Its not like its historical Boston with 200 year old Brownstones, its Texas for pities sake. And Texas has always been about the almighty dollar.
I owned a little 60's a ranch in Uptown Houston before my great adventure into xburbia. I remodeled it, put a fortune in it. Someone bought it for a fortune and whacked it down. Yeah, I was sad but, eh so what. Its not like I lost money on the deal. Its not like we lost a piece of Americana or an architectural masterpiece. What it did do is insure the future of that neighborhood though. Its going to stay nice.
As to a neighborhood from the 50's, that doesn't exist anywhere. It sure doesn't exist in the burbs with all the attitudes of entitlement and the Xanax Zombies stumbling around. No matter how hard they try to build TownMarketSquareCenter Thingamigies to look like a 50's Ice Cream Parlor movie, they can't get rid of the sterile/can't be bothered/I want it all now attitude of its residents.
Personally I'd rather be in a place that tries to maintain the integrity of a city, by rebuilding or restructuring or remodeling and by staying put and refusing to go, than in an area full of residents who are always fleeing one element of society or another.One break-in in an xburb and they are all packing up and moving farther north.

[Lakewooder]

East Dallas invented the Texas historic district on Swiss Avenue in the 1970s. Munger Place was the next HD. I personally served as vice-president of the second (we were almost the first) conservation district, Lakewood Country Club Estates, in the mid-1980s. Hollywood Heights CD came along next. The McMansions took us by surprise in Lakewood Heights and sadly, it's probably lost to them. But there were a lot of homes built on the back of lots during the Depression with the thought being that they would become 'the servants quarters' and eventually a larger home would be built on the middle part of the lot. That didn't happen - so that somewhat mitigates the McMansion movement in that particular section. Since that began we instituted several more conservation districts and the 'bugalow heaven' of Junius Heights HD which adjoins Swiss, Munger and Peak's. It isn't easy to do, and getting them passed is a testament to the pride and obstinance of East Dallasites.

We have also practically invented the overlay ordinance which is now being used by Cochran Heights (Knox-Henderson). I am also on that committee.

Some of the 1950s neighborhoods are trying both the overlay and CDs. I think those houses have a lot of value because among other things, the ranch style was new then and they are built like fortresses (not like the 'North Dallas Special' latter versions).

For 1950s areas I would suggest the areas just to the north and south of Mockingbird from Skillman to White Rock Lake (Lakewood Elementary) and on up Mockingbird to Peavy over to Lochwood (exemplary Hexter Elementary). Some of these are known as 'L-Streets'. As the west shore of the lake gets more and more expensive (you think they are 'overpriced' now, wait 7-10 years -- yikes) I expect the east side to take off...

[mbd723]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Personally I'd rather be in a place that tries to maintain the integrity of a city, by rebuilding or restructuring or remodeling and by staying put and refusing to go, than in an area full of residents who are always fleeing one element of society or another.One break-in in an xburb and they are all packing up and moving farther north.

I second that. It just seems that are two types of people out there: those who want to take action and do something (even if it's a little something) to work towards improvement, and others would would rather complain and look for the easy out.

[stargazer]

ahaa and I just read this thread. Now I understand all the snipping on the best salon thread.....

[Moth]

You'd have to have lived here for a long time to understand Dallasites' scorn for the suburbs. Transplants never get it.

Actually, you could be describing the city vs suburb attitude that I grew up with. So much so that my recent move to the burbs has not come without some sadness although it was overall the right move.

I'd also add that Dallas has a lot of really nice areas in the city while the suburbs there are usually of a particularly sterile quality.