Dallas...mindmeld please??? (Plano, Carrollton, Richardson: city hall, mortgage, townhome) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

lifechangesnj · 03-01-2008, 07:32 AM

Hello everyone,

First let me say that you are a primary source of info in my upcoming move to Dallas.. I am relocating from Atlanta with my employ... I incredibly need you assistance so I will profile out what I am hoping for and offer much detail to correctly direct me or align my thinking. Your time and advise is soooo appreciated!

I am a 41 y/o single white female. Daughters 13 y/o and 10 y/o.

At present I live in a 4 year old Pulte 5 BR 3BA 3000 sq ft home in a suburb of Atlanta in a swim/tennis community for which I paid $325k. My girls attend a small k-12 non-denominational Christian school and are top of their class and high achievers... they love academia (not like mom *wink). I work from a home office and fly domestic and internationally. In my current community I am surrounded by mini-van mom types, and have no ability to walk anywhere but arond the block. I seek a sense of community with other like minded singles or couples.

I have visited Dallas on a weekend looking trip and became familiar with the Hockaday school area (that school is too expensive),and have been told about Highland Park and University Park as upscale and appealing, but keep up with the Jone's type place. As a single parent I am not really wanting to put my girls at that social disadvantage.
I would like to know if Dallas has a walking type of community to the shops and restaurants ? Ideally I would like to downscale my current $300k mortgage in this move... any chance? I need 3 BR's and office area, 2 Car garage, and prefer newer construction. Home or Townhome.
Proximity to the airport is important... I cannot stand driving 45 minutes to get home when I am jet lag and missing my girls after an international trip. It is gruelling.
My primary concern at present is schools. I have raised my girls as non-denominational Christians, and the school tuition where I am now is $7500 perchild ($15k per year). I would like to find a Christian school along these lines but the cost of tuition seems to be starting at 11k in the Dallas area. Better yet -to save some money for the single mom- a TAG or Magnet school for high achievers would be great but I have no clue where to start. I can't seem to navigate this info via web and would appreciate input on this as well?
Coming form Georgia, we are accustomed to and enjoy hot weather as well in the summer and the ability to get out on a lake or poolside and enjoy the warm sun... can you explain the Dallas seasons to me (duration and severity?)
My girls and I love adventure and enjoy outdoor activity, is there parks, mountains lakes to enjoy? I have been told that Dallas is flat and doesn't have much to do.
Your incredibly appreciated in your guidance!! Thanks a bunch!!

FarNorthDallas · 03-01-2008, 09:40 AM

Hi! I have family who live in Cumming and who attended Woodward and Marist and whose own kids attend Pinecrest. I'm the single mom of a kid in an independent private school here in Dallas. Have you considered Catholic school? Generally speaking the Christian schools with the lower tuition are just not very good (there are exceptions!).

The better ones are more expensive. Examples are:

Liberty Christian in Argyle Liberty Christian School which is $10-14,000. That is a really good school and north of DFW airport.

Canyon Creek Christian is a cheaper one with a pretty good reputation. Canyon Creek Christian Academy > Home ( DNN 4.4.1 ) It's $8-9,000 and in Richardson. It's about 45 minutes to the airport.

Trinity Christian Academy in Addison is a really good school - very conservative, large, established. Please wait... (http://www.trinitychristian.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1 - broken link). Tuition is about $11-15,000.

The K-8 Catholic schools are cheaper, yet good, and the high schools are about $12,000.

Hockaday is one of the top schools in town. The tuition for the top schools, which are all independent schools, is $18-22,000.

There are some smaller cheaper Christian schools that just aren't very good at all. Be careful of those. Academics and teaching skills in those schools are severely lacking.

We have a lot of really good public schools, so a lot of private school families, when they move here, make the switch to public. Southlake is a nice community with excellent public schools and is near the airport.

lifechangesnj · 03-01-2008, 09:45 AM

Hi FarNorthDallas, which school do you have your kids? This is all good info, but these all seem so far from the city and airport....
How is the single life in Dallas from one single mom to another?

FarNorthDallas · 03-01-2008, 10:42 AM

My son's private school is for kids with learning differences. It's $18,500 next year which is totally horrifying and is in the city of Dallas. This school gets kids who have been "invited to leave" from their regular private schools due to learning struggles (not behavior issues). Many can return to their first school at some point. I've talked to a lot of parents who have had kids in public and private schools all over town.

I just don't know anything about the areas right next to the airport to tell you about schools right near there. Southlake is close to it. You might post on the Ft Worth board, too. The airport sits right on the border on Dallas and Tarrant Counties. I live in the city of Dallas so what I know is mostly east of the airport. (I have friends in Flower Mound who love Liberty Christian School in Argyle though which is how I know about that one.)

Single life? I don't know. I don't pursue it. I just don't have the interest. Maybe later when The Child is 18.

turnbun · 03-01-2008, 11:53 AM

For proximity to the airport and family oriented neighborhoods with good schools, I would suggest either Flower Mound or Coppell. I know there are several Christian school options in those areas as well. You can get quite a nice house for your money in those areas, too.
As far as walkability, there really isn't much of that in Dallas unless you are closer to downtown.

blueskies49 · 03-02-2008, 12:22 PM

Southlake has all that new outside retail that's great to walk around plus all kinds of new restaurants if you're into that. The city hall where my daughter got married at with the fountain and gazebo out front are beautiful.

Lifechange, we are extremely hot and humid, too, with lots of area lakes, water parks, etc., to enjoy. Hot from sometime in May through mid-October (usually), then we might get a few days or so in the winter of freezes and maybe ice (not usually snow) but this year we haven't had any icy eposides. Lots of potential for tornadoes but they don't always touch down. Just keep an eye out on the weather forecasts. Don't keep that from letting you move, though! Chances are next to nothing you'll be in a tornado!

True, Dallas might seem relatively flat coming from Georgia but it's more of a rolling topography. Lots of areas with gently rolling hills and the older areas of towns have lots of beautiful trees. Oaks, cottonwood, elm, balled cypress, etc. I knew a guy at my last job just moved from Georgia and he asked me why our trees were so short?

We are in an area of four different geological formations but sometimes with all the construction around here, it seems we have less and less trees. We do have tall trees, probably not as many as your used to but they get more numerous in East and Southeast Texas.

sonshinelife · 03-02-2008, 04:41 PM

Some other private schools to consider:
Prestonwood Academy (Plano/Carrollton area)
Carrollton Christian Academy
American Heritage Academy (Carrollton)
There is another Baptist school (I can't recall the name)in Lewisville off I35 that I've recently heard good things about.

Many of the public schools in the Plano, Carrollton, Coppell, Southlake, Lewisville schools are quality. It is really just a matter of where you want to live.

Carrollton, Coppell, Plano are all in reasonable areas in proximity to the airports both DFW and Love Field. We have the George Bush Tollroad and the 121 Tollroad and both are good routes to DFW.

As for single life...Dallas is so large and there are many things for singles to do. Nothing is hard to get to in regards of restaurants, clubs etc. As for what are the hottest spots, I can't help you there. I'm recently divorced and have no interest in the single life at the moment.

Many of the churches offer functions for singles. Especially the larger churches.

lifechangesnj · 03-03-2008, 12:24 PM

Thaks everyone for all your input, this is a fanrasitc forum. I would like to know if anyone knows how I can get my hands on a map with zip code listing for Dallas and the surrounding areas?

sonshinelife- hold steady, there is life after divorce, I PROMISE!! smiling *wink

momof2dfw · 03-03-2008, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifechangesnj

Thaks everyone for all your input, this is a fanrasitc forum. I would like to know if anyone knows how I can get my hands on a map with zip code listing for Dallas and the surrounding areas?

sonshinelife- hold steady, there is life after divorce, I PROMISE!! smiling *wink

Get yourself a Dallas Mapsco. I use one and I'm a NATIVE! Only because of all of the local side streets/residential. But it is a great way to navigate the city, it has a zipcode map along w/ the zipcodes on each page, etc. If your in Dallas you can get them at any convience store, bookstore, office supply, etc. Believe you can also order them online.

5stones · 03-03-2008, 03:21 PM

while southlake is close to the airport it's expensive and you want to go under 300k so I would forget it.
Coppell, lewisville, West Plano,Flowermound, Grapevine, Colleyville, Keller, North Richland hills. (all close to DFW airport) Are ALL great family areas all with good schools. Some HS are better than others for different reasons, but I believe all areas are nice, safe, and have good solid schools.

You will get more house for you money in flowermound and lewisville and NRH

public schools here are better than most Georgia public schools. I would say the suburbs of NE Tarrent and Collin counties closely compare to the Alphretta area schools.