Moving to Dallas/Ft Worth from Arlington, VA and... (Greenville: sales, townhome)

[peter.dehaven]

was wondering about cost-of-living (other than broad statistical info on-line). I currently own a $850K house that I will be selling and looking to buy in a "reasonable" area. Then again, from what I hear, ANYTHING is reasonable compared to Arlington, VA (inside the Washington, DC beltway) where you pay $585k for a 1300 sq ft partially refurbished colonial-seriously! How is the area regarding nightlife, nice places to eat activities and NICE women. I am 48 yo SWM (great shape and look probably 38-39) and although this is starting to sound like it belongs in the personal ad section, I am just trying to cover ALL of my bases. Is the area very dog friendly? Are there alot of outdoor activities to participate in, i.e. hiking, trails, etc?? What is the general feel for the job sector? (general question, I know, but just trying to gauge the overall sentiment). I f you could live ANYWHERE in the DFW area, where would it be and why? Thanks in advance for your help with this matter and I appreciate ALL serious replies.

[Photography]

Do you have a job lined up for you in DFW already (it sounds like you don't)? As you will hear everyone else say on this forum, get a job first, then find a place to live.

[TurtleCreek80]

Yes, get a job first. If you manage to snag a job anywhere from Downtown Dallas north to the Dallas Galleria area offices or west to Las Colinas offices and wish to spend $350-750k, I would check out the following neighborhoods for a single guy your age:
Uptown- you could buy a nice townhome (3-level, 3 bed/2-3 bath, 2500-3000sf) for $300-750k. $750k would get you an architect-designed townhome in a prime location. $300k would get you a nice but mass-built townhome in a small complex with 20-40 units. Uptown is great if you want to be in a fairly walkable area with lots of bars, restaurants, shops, arts. Several decent sized parks with tennis courts, intramural fields, dog runs. The Katy Trail runs though uptown and is great for running/cycling. It will connect east to White Rock Lake in the next year or so. Fun neighborhood with lots of singles, ranging from 20-something college grads to 60-something empty nesters. I know several guys in your age range that live there & love it.

If you want a stand-alone house with yard, look in East Dallas in M Street and Lakewood areas. $350-750k will give you a nice range of homes to look at, from 1920's Tudor charmers to new construction. Henderson Avenue is the nighlife "hub" right now, with dozens of popular bars, restaurants, and shops. Greenville Ave has a ton of bars & restaurants. Uptown has more of a "slick" feel (Dupont Circle-esque), East Dallas is a little more "U Street" meets "Adams-Morgan."

Another place to look for a single family home is in Briarwood or Devonshire in Dallas, west of Tollroad from the uber expensive & desirable Park Cities. Homes are more expensive than East Dallas due to a better location (more centrally located, great highway access <3 minutes, adjacent to Park Cities). $450-550k would get you a "starter home" cottage- about 1500sf. $700-850k would get you newer constrction. I suggest this area because the residents are a bit older (30's-50's) and you might have more neighbors become friends here. Walking distance to Inwood Village with an indie movie theatre, great restaurants, coulple of neighborhood "laid back" bars. Parks, tennis courts, and dog runs about. Neighboring Bluffview has winding country roads & hills & creeks and makes for a nice bike ride or Sunday drive.

Zip codes are:
Uptown 75204
East Dallas 75206, 75214
Devonshire/ Briarwood/ Greenway Parks 75209

[peter.dehaven]

i DO have a job lined up (actually, a transfer from my current company).

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by peter.dehaven

i DO have a job lined up (actually, a transfer from my current company).

What part of town is your new office? Giving us cross streets or a neighborhood/office park name would help us give best advice. Commutes can be a bear here if you don't plan accordingly.

[peter.dehaven]

Great question and I am deciding on either a Dallas OR FW office. Zips 75247 or 76102. Does that help at all. I will be working in sales out of my home, so the office commute thing is not as much of an issue as it is for most. Once again, thank you very much for your time and assistance with this matter.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by peter.dehaven

Great question and I am deciding on either a Dallas OR FW office. Zips 75247 or 76102. Does that help at all. I will be working in sales out of my home, so the office commute thing is not as much of an issue as it is for most. Once again, thank you very much for your time and assistance with this matter.

The 75209 and 75204 zips would be less than 10 minutes to your Dallas office, plus no need for a highway commute. The East Dallas neighborhoods would be about 15-20 minutes.