Moving to Dallas--Please help me pick my neighborhood! (Austin, Waxahachie: house, neighborhoods)

[kristinbv]

I am moving to the Dallas area (again!). I lived in Waxahachie for about 3 years, 2 years ago.

I liked that area but I would like to be closer to downtown, like the Oak Cliff area, but no farther north than LBJ. I am not sure how safe Oak Cliff is, I do have friends that live in the area (men) but I am not sure I would feel safe there as I have young children and my husband travels alot.

The thing that is most important to me is to live in an area where neighbors talk to each other and have each other over for dinner, etc. The area I live in now is great and I knew all my neighbors by rhe 2nd week I lived there (never had that before and I am hooked now!). An area with a mix of young families (we are in our mid-20s), older couples, gay couples, etc would be fantastic. Schools are another factor, I would prefer they attend public school but realize I may have to send them to private schools.

I would also entertain living in an equestrian neighborhood if it is not farther than 25 miles from downtown.

I would like to stay in the 200s but if that is not possible, we could go up to about 400K.

I would really appreciate any insight or suggestions so I can start my search. Thanks!

[Macbeth2003]

Check out old East Dallas. Minutes from downtown, uptown, etc. Great public schools, and neighbors who know each other. In fact in my area (Junius Heights / Munger Place) there is a fantastic Early Childhood PTA for kids from birth until Kindergarten, this would help you get to know your neighbors, and your children would have friends who started Kindergarten the same time they did, we go to Lipscomb elementary here, but the whole area has great schools, Lakewood, Bonham, Lipscomb, and more. I would look in Junius Heights, Munger Place, and at your top financial range, Lakewood.

Oak Cliff has some lovely areas as well, and some..... ahhh not so lovely. I'm sure a resident will chime in soon with better info about that Historic part of Dallas.

It has very much the mix you are describing. We are a family with one Kid. I'm early 30's wife is late 20's. On our street are several other families, some gay couples, and a couple of grandparent age couples.

[Grainraiser]

Either old East Dallas or North Oak Cliff would be the area I would start my search. I would give the edge to Old East Dallas because you have school age kids. I would also add Lake Highlands to your list. Drive around the neighborhoods and see what you think.

[cityconvo]

I agree with the above posters that East Dallas and Oak Cliff should both be good fits. Overall the East Dallas schools are going to have an edge over the Oak Cliff schools.

If you look in Oak Cliff focus on the neighborhoods that feed into Winnetka and Rosemont elementary schools as they are the highest rated in Oak Cliff. The more expensive neighborhoods in the Kessler area and Winnetka Heights feed into Rosemont. You should be able to find a very charming historic home in your budget. The variable will be if you want a house that is move in ready or if you are willing to do some work.

The area that feeds into Winnetka is more affordable. Some of the redevelopment spill over that has already taken place in Winnetka Heights is beginning to creep south of 12th street which according to the DISD map is where the boundary for Winnetka Elementary begins. Both Winnetka and Rosemont earned the same rating this past school year.

Most of the neighbors and residents are very friendly and many describe living in Oak Cliff as residing in a small town within a big city. Most of the neighborhoods are very organized and Winnetka Heights is especially dilligent in preserving the historic architecture in the neighborhood.

[Lakewooder]

I have always heard good things about Rosemont and the middle school is also good. http://www.dallasisd.org/schools/ms/greiner/ (broken link)

MacBeth is right about Junius Heights in Old East Dallas/Lakewood. It's really sort of an annex of Austin these days. Lipscomb has been exemplary for three years in a row and the principal was DISD principal of the year - she lives in the neighborhood.

Besides Lipscomb, Lee, Lakewood you might also check out Stonewall Jackson Elementary which serves the M-Streets. Thrice-exemplary Bonham does not feed into Woodrow but North Dallas High School. Stonewall, most of Lee and Bonham are in 75206. Lipscomb and Lakewood are in 75214.

BTW I posted this on another thread Lakewood-Now.net - Dallas Texas - online community newspaper (http://www.lakewood-now.net/view/article/4183 - broken link) The new principal at J. L. Long Middle School (where these elementaries feed) is an alum of our high school and lives in Lakewood. She had seven brothers and sisters also go there and she taught at Woodrow for seven years. And the Woodrow principal is also an alum. The previous principal of Long resigned for health reasons but her late father was once principal there.

Also we have a lot of alums teaching in the various schools.

So there is really 'a hometown' feeling around here. And we have all sorts of people who get along and who hate conformity and homogeneity. Check out links at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakewood,_Dallas,_Texas and read past articles at http://www.lakewood-now.net/ and http://advocatemag.com/archives/list_archives.php (broken link) (this publication has also just purchased an Oak Cliff publication)

[kristinbv]

Thanks for all the great info...this will definately get me started on the right track. I never even thought of east Dallas!