26 yr old, thinking about relocating

[mami2emily]

Originally Posted by Freespirited1990

Awesome, these kinds of things are a great mix of exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much.

I did want to ask about outside of city limits as well. We like some outdoorsy things (kayaking, biking) and some of the poshier type things (Southlake town center is where my girlfriend would be working). Any particular burbs like a Southlake with what I would consider a cool town square, markets, cute old style downtowns or unique attractions?

For biking specifically, I like long rail trails or paved trails. Something that isn't super urban and can take me a long time to finish (30 miles +)

I'm going to ask about ft worth in the other form, as we will likely be living in between the two, but if any of y'all would like to throw out a few things cool about it I'd appreciate it.

Thanks again for all the help. This stuff would take hours and hours of research and even then it's hard to get the local opinion from places like yelp.

A lot of people bike around White Rock Lake. It is a heavily treed area so offers some relief from the heat in summer. Also there are kayak/canoe/paddleboard rentals there. Lots of biking also on the Katy Trail. I recently picked up a copy of Best Hikes Around DFW/Fort Worth by the American Hiking Society and am learning about a lot of outdoorsy areas I was not aware of.

McKinney, TX has a great square with lots of shops/restaurants/events going on throughout the year.

Good luck with your move!

[DTXman34]

I'd also add in the White Rock Lake Trails. There's a bike rental place in Deep Ellum and you can take the Santa Fe Trail from there up to the White Rock Lake Trail (there will be signs indicating it). The White Rock Lake Trails will take you around White Rock Lake. Before the turn to the White Rock Lake Trail off of the Santa Fe, there's an outdoor bar and restaurant place called the Lot. You might wanna check it out.

[Freespirited1990]

Thanks for the additions! For the ex Seattle transplant - Im originally from Southern Missouri so I definitely understand the heat and humidity, although Dallas I'm sure gets a bit hotter. I'm not a huge fan of the BGT, as it is relatively short. is the Katy Trail sounds a tad small.

In Missouri we had the Katy Trail that ran from St. Louis to Kansas City, now that's what I am talking about! I am also willing to drive an hour or so for a good trail out of town...

Thanks for the input on the downtown type areas! I will definitely check those out!

[Island Refugee]

If the combined Burke Gilman/Samm. River Trail, at 27 miles is a bit short, you're gonna be disappointed around here (unless you're willing to use surface streets). Most of the paved trails around here are 10mi or less

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Freespirited1990

Thanks for the additions! For the ex Seattle transplant - Im originally from Southern Missouri so I definitely understand the heat and humidity, although Dallas I'm sure gets a bit hotter. I'm not a huge fan of the BGT, as it is relatively short. is the Katy Trail sounds a tad small.

In Missouri we had the Katy Trail that ran from St. Louis to Kansas City, now that's what I am talking about! I am also willing to drive an hour or so for a good trail out of town...

Thanks for the input on the downtown type areas! I will definitely check those out!

Yeah the Katy Trail in Dallas is tiny and it's often crowded. Honestly, if you're into natural beauty and the outdoors, you may be disappointed by DFW. It's the complete antithesis of the PNW in those regards.

[TurtleCreek80]

Dallas actually has a pretty good biking trail system and it continues to be expanded. For example, you can take the 4 mile Santa Fe Trail from Deep Ellum to White Rock Lake (9 mile loop) to the 7 mile White Rock Creek Trail. Little to no surface street biking and you can get a 35ish mile ride in.

OP, you should look up Dallas Trails system as the city is working towards a master plan to connect around 250 miles of trails all around the city. I believe the Katy Trail connector is now open which connects Katy Trail over to White Rock Lake loop (and therefore also the two above mentioned other trails).

There is a pretty active cycling community here.

[WorldKlas]

Las Colinas has the Campion Trail and it has a few extensions into Valley Ranch and another into a wilderness area in Carrollton. Worth checking out. There's also Ceder Ridge park. So there are some hiking trails. In general, though, not so many and not so great.

[TrueDat]

If you like mountain biking, go south to Oak Cliff (southwest of downtown Dallas). There are some decent trails as it's hillier than the rest of Dallas. Check out the trails listed by DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bicycle Assn.) like Big Cedar and Oak Cliff Nature Preserve.

Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association