Los Colinas?? - Moving to Dallas from SoCal (Plano, Irving: schools, to live)

[badawio]

Hello All. My wife and I relocating to Dallas from Orange County. We don't have kids yet, but are looking to start a family in about a year. We wanted to live close to downtown without being in the city. Plano seems so far away. How's Los Colinas? Are there lots of young professionals and things to do? How is the City of Irving in general? My wife is a teacher so schools are important in that respect.

Thanks a lot!

[socketz]

You need to get out here and look around first.

Here in Dallas, most of the major employers are not 'downtown' per say, but on the edges of town and in the major developed suburbs like Plano/Richardson (at least it is that way for me in the Electronics/Tech industry). However, if airport access is critical, places like Southlake, Coppell, Grapevine, Flower Mound and Los Colinas are better than say Plano, Richardson or Mckinney. The 190 has however made access from these areas to the airport simple as well (I drive to the airport alot and it is 30 mins from my doorstop to my wait in the terminal).

Los Colinas is a nice area, but if you work in say Richardson, it would be too much of a drive. Once you have some idea where you will work, it is only then you should pick an area to live.

Note that there are a ton of nice areas in north Central Texas, so no matter where you end up, there will be alot of places to choose from which you can live.

Lose the concept of 'Suburbs are the middle of nowhere' because in Places like Plano, Richarson and even up and coming Frisco, things are changing - even huge employers like Raytheon are out in McKinney. Dallas' employers are spread out everywhere, so the normal rule of thumb that says work is in the center of town and everyone commutes into the center does not reallyhold true here.