[HOUSING] Single moving to Dallas for work (Victoria, McKinney: extended stay, 2014)

[aznxwill]

Hello! Just recently I received a job offer to work in downtown Dallas, and I'll be moving here soon (about mid-late May).

I'm looking for a nice, safe apartment to live in. My budget is up to $900/mo 1 bed/1 bath, but I would prefer somewhere around $700. I'm looking for a really small place because I don't carry around much. It'll be great if washer/dryer is included. In terms of commute, I prefer up to 30 minute drive one-way to downtown Dallas during Dallas busy hours. I may be able to tolerate up to 40 minutes. I would prefer living somewhere West, North, or maybe East from downtown Dallas. I may be open to a place south from downtown Dallas if it's much cheaper and safer.

I've also been looking at extended stay hotels for the first few weeks that I'll be there. There's the Sterling Hotel, Intown Suites, and Orange Extended Stays. Which do you recommend?

Thanks for your help!

EDIT: I've done a little bit of homework.
Has anyone heard of these apartments? Would you recommend?
The Summit at Midtown Apartments
The Village
The Phoenix Midtown
Oaks White Rock
Manor Oaks Apartments
Grand Estates at Founders Park Apartments
The Victorian Apartments
Chapel Oaks Apartments
Bachman Oaks Apartments
CityScape

[f4shionablecha0s]

Avoid Cityscape at all costs

Also, consider that you'll probably have to pay for parking if you decide to drive to work. If you save a hundred dollars on that, you may be able to afford something downtown where you could walk or bike to work.

[aznxwill]

My work is covering about 60-70% of the parking costs. Thanks for the great tip! What are your experiences at Cityscape?

[ChristieP]

NO NO NO to Bachman Oaks! That is too close to a VERY bad neighborhood with high crime.

Cityscape is the same issue; it's very close to a high crime neighborhood known as "Five Points."

Oaks White Rock is in a good neighborhood called "Casa Linda" that is centered by a well-established shopping center. It's a fairly close drive to downtown Dallas, and you are right by White Rock Lake for recreation. Do be aware that you are right by Doctor's Hospital, and a Dallas Fire Station. You will learn to sleep through the sirens. My husband and I lived nearby there for several years.

[TurtleCreek80]

Phoenix is in the nicest location. It's also super close to Mockingbird Station so you could take DART to work if you want.

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by aznxwill

Hello! Just recently I received a job offer to work in downtown Dallas, and I'll be moving here soon (about mid-late May).

I'm looking for a nice, safe apartment to live in. My budget is up to $900/mo 1 bed/1 bath, but I would prefer somewhere around $700. I'm looking for a really small place because I don't carry around much. It'll be great if washer/dryer is included. In terms of commute, I prefer up to 30 minute drive one-way to downtown Dallas during Dallas busy hours. I may be able to tolerate up to 40 minutes. I would prefer living somewhere West, North, or maybe East from downtown Dallas. I may be open to a place south from downtown Dallas if it's much cheaper and safer.

I've also been looking at extended stay hotels for the first few weeks that I'll be there. There's the Sterling Hotel, Intown Suites, and Orange Extended Stays. Which do you recommend?

Thanks for your help!

EDIT: I've done a little bit of homework.
Has anyone heard of these apartments? Would you recommend?
The Summit at Midtown Apartments
I'm not familiar with these. This area is ok, but some places are good and some are not.
The Village
Not my favorite place in the world, but they are generally ok.
The Phoenix Midtown
I've heard good things about these.
Oaks White Rock
The general area is nice, but I would definitely visit them before I signed a lease.
Manor Oaks Apartments
Grand Estates at Founders Park Apartments
I've heard good things about this complex, but I hate garden style apartments.
The Victorian Apartments
Terrible area! Run, don't walk away!
Chapel Oaks Apartments
Terrible high crime area! Avoid this section of town.
Bachman Oaks Apartments
Terrible high crime area.
CityScape

Avoid cityscape. I don't know anything about the extended stays. The one person I know who stayed in one said it was terrible, and full of druggies. The Medical District has a lot of new apartments, and there is a DART rail station nearby. You said you don't mind small spaces, and I think some of the buildings may have studios in your price range. The zip code is 75235. There's also older buildings in Oak Lawn that could work.

[aznxwill]

Thanks for the awesome tip guys! It looks like you get what you paid for... the lower priced areas are within the crime areas as mentioned. Do ya'll have any recommendations that are not on my apartments list. Maybe I can check those out.

[WorldKlas]

Phoenix is my recommendaton based on neighborhood and location

[RJ312]

Either The Phoenix or The Village, with a lean towards the Phoenix.

At The Phoenix, to get to your price range, you are going to need to take on a roommate and do a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom.

Some of the older complexes in The Village are running around $800-$900 a month for a one bedroom. The Village is a generally decent place to live. However, I'm not recommending The Village as much to newcomers because of the planned redevelopment. The older complexes in The Village are the most likely ones to get redeveloped. And redevelopment could happen at any minute. The newer complexes (Northbridge, Westside, The Dakota, or Upper East Side, all of which have opened since 2000) are less likely to be affected by redevelopment . All of those complexes would require a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom as well to get you within budget.

I'd try and focus on getting a 2 bedroom with a roommate in Uptown if you can, but even that might run over $1,800 a month. Because even with The Phoenix, you'd struggle to be within walking distance of good nightlife. Sure, there is nightlife in Mockingbird Station, but the Mockingbird Station bars pale in comparison to the bars on McKinney and Cedar Springs in Uptown.

[Walter Benjamin]

Counterpoint: If you live in a place that is not within walking distance of a lot of nightlife -- for example, The Village -- you can take the money you save by not living in Uptown, and spend it on Uber rides home from the bars.

I love walking culture and walking cities as much as anyone, but there are just a lot of obstacles to that in Dallas.