Commuting in Dallas - I (Fort Worth, Arlington: water heater, theatre, cost of)

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by lablvrs

I've heard good things about Plano schools. Is that just enough farther out that we shouldn't consider it? Does anyone know how long the commute from Plano into SMU is these days? (I found a thread from 2009 about this, but no recent comments). Also, SMU gave me the name of an apartment/rental guy, but does anyone know of a good realtor who is familiar homes with the Richardson/Plano area? Any additional ideas or comments are appreciated...its tough having to work most of this out long distance.

Im a recent Plano resident and like it here a lot. Everything we want to do most days is here, big enough to have things but suburban friendly. It will be a longer commute to SMU. No kids so I cant speak to school differences as well as some of the pros on that topic here will.

[TurtleCreek80]

The better schools in Plano are in the central and west parts- close to the Dallas North Tollroad, the main highway with a north/northwest route. SMU is off 75, the main north/northeast highway- and so is Richardson which makes it particularly appealing if you want to keep your commute times reasonable. Coming from Plano, you'd not only be headed with the flow of traffic but also need to cut clear across town in traffic. I'd guess 40+ minutes to/from SMU (on a Tollroad @ $4/day) vs 20-25 min to/from Richardson on a free highway. You can also take Hillcrest Road to SMU from Richardson as al alt route if there's a wreck.

Pearce HS zone in Richardson has a SAT score that is right in the pack with Plano West and Senior high schools. I am a huge pro-Plano ISD poster but the additional 30+ minute/ $4 daily tolls aren't worth it based on schools alone. Now- the housing stock and retail/commercial in Plano and Richardson are very different, so you may choose one or the other based on lifestyle preference, but you should feel confident in Richardson's schools.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by lablvrs

Thanks for the input! This is really helpful! I will pass along the healthcare info. to my hubby and we'll start checking out what available in the Richardson area, unless anyone has other suggestions...

I immediately thought of Richardson when I read your post. I live here and I love it; the city management is fantastic,the schools are terrific (I don't have kids, but school quality is still important to me), crime is low, and you can find what you're looking for in your budget whereas it would be considerably more difficult in the Lake Highlands area and practically impossible in Lakewood.

In Richardson itself, check out the 75080 zip code, specifically the Richardson Heights, Heights Park, Reservation, and Canyon Creek neighborhoods. People seem to think a quality education in RISD begins and ends with the J J Pierce feeder patter, but Richardson High School by the numbers is just as good. It's also more diverse ethnically, socially, and socio-economically speaking. The elementary schools in the RHS feeder pattern are almost universally exemplary.

I can't answer specific questions about schools but I'd be happy to try to tackle any others you might have.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

The better schools in Plano are in the central and west parts- close to the Dallas North Tollroad, the main highway with a north/northwest route. SMU is off 75, the main north/northeast highway- and so is Richardson which makes it particularly appealing if you want to keep your commute times reasonable. Coming from Plano, you'd not only be headed with the flow of traffic but also need to cut clear across town in traffic. I'd guess 40+ minutes to/from SMU (on a Tollroad @ $4/day) vs 20-25 min to/from Richardson on a free highway. You can also take Hillcrest Road to SMU from Richardson as al alt route if there's a wreck.

Pearce HS zone in Richardson has a SAT score that is right in the pack with Plano West and Senior high schools. I am a huge pro-Plano ISD poster but the additional 30+ minute/ $4 daily tolls aren't worth it based on schools alone. Now- the housing stock and retail/commercial in Plano and Richardson are very different, so you may choose one or the other based on lifestyle preference, but you should feel confident in Richardson's schools.

Richardson has issues with vacant retail space; basically there's way too much of it and a lot of competition from areas like north Dallas and Plano, but even Plano is losing retail to suburbs further north.

Rest assured the Richardson city government is well aware of the issue and is taking very proactive steps to address it. Also, some people (like me) find the relative lack of big box stores to be refreshing and pleasant, and if I want to go to one, it's not that much of a drive. We make up for it with lots of mom and pop businesses and kickass supermarkets of all varieties, plus outstanding ethnic cuisine.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Richardson has issues with vacant retail space; basically there's way too much of it and a lot of competition from areas like north Dallas and Plano, but even Plano is losing retail to suburbs further north.

Rest assured the Richardson city government is well aware of the issue and is taking very proactive steps to address it. Also, some people (like me) find the relative lack of big box stores to be refreshing and pleasant, and if I want to go to one, it's not that much of a drive. We make up for it with lots of mom and pop businesses and kickass supermarkets of all varieties, plus outstanding ethnic cuisine.

I didn't mean what I wrote about retail & commercial in a negative way- just meant that Plano (particularly W Plano) is more chain-focused and Richardson is more "mom & pop" stores and restaurants. Even down to the nail salons- Plano has Polished and Hollywood Nails and Richardson's are more likely to be owned by small Vietnamese families. Plano has whole foods and Richardson has Sprouts.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I didn't mean what I wrote about retail & commercial in a negative way- just meant that Plano (particularly W Plano) is more chain-focused and Richardson is more "mom & pop" stores and restaurants. Even down to the nail salons- Plano has Polished and Hollywood Nails and Richardson's are more likely to be owned by small Vietnamese families. Plano has whole foods and Richardson has Sprouts.

Oh I know, I just wanted to clarify the situation for the OP but also wanted to be totally honest about the challenges some older suburbs can face. I think Richardson is meeting those challenges much better than many of DFW's other older suburbs.

(P.S. We still have a Whole Foods...for now...until they move in 2013. And pretty much every suburb of DFW has its own Sprouts; it's not a mom and pop, it's a huge chain with locations in four states and growing.)

[RockyJoe817]

I agree with the person who said Richardson! Richardson! Richardson!... You will thank me Later.
This one is right on for your needs and wants. I have a colleague that moved to Richardson
for the sake of the children's education and commute to work.

[BigDGeek]

BTW here are some relevant listings for the OP.

1324 Chickasaw Dr Richardson TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11659785 - Realtor.com®

203 N Weatherred Dr Richardson TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11707048 - Realtor.com® (This one is in my neighborhood and has hung around on the market for a while because it is priced WAY too high. It won't sell probably until it comes down to about the $210-$215k price point.)

306 Thompson Dr Richardson TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11568209 - Realtor.com®

311 Canyon Valley Dr Richardson TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11706530 - Realtor.com®

1238 Navaho Trl Richardson TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11701020 - Realtor.com®


Also bear in mind that Richardson addresses in Collin County are zoned to Plano schools, not Richardson schools. Personally I think that the PISD schools that Canyon Creek is zoned to are not as good as the RISD schools. That isn't a swipe at PISD; it's just a swipe at some individual schools.

[lablvrs]

Assuming my hubby gets a job in the same general vicinity, it definitely sounds like Richardson is a better bet for good schools and avoiding crazy commutes. It had just seemed like we could get more home for the money a little further out, but the tollway is definitely something I'd want to avoid. We have a newer home where we live now (circa 1990), so it will take some getting used to the older home styles of the Richardson area. Other than looking for an energy efficient A/C, are there other things to watch out for or check into when buying homes in Dallas? (Are there common structural issues or pest issues to be aware of?) Thanks again for everyone's input

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by lablvrs

Assuming my hubby gets a job in the same general vicinity, it definitely sounds like Richardson is a better bet for good schools and avoiding crazy commutes. It had just seemed like we could get more home for the money a little further out, but the tollway is definitely something I'd want to avoid. We have a newer home where we live now (circa 1990), so it will take some getting used to the older home styles of the Richardson area. Other than looking for an energy efficient A/C, are there other things to watch out for or check into when buying homes in Dallas? (Are there common structural issues or pest issues to be aware of?) Thanks again for everyone's input

A good home inspector is key- some neighborhoods have foundation issues due to the soil movement and also more recently due to the 2011 drought. Pier & beam foundations typically have more "give" when there is shifting than the newer and cheaper slab foundations.

Bugs shouldn't be an issue unless there are termites or the previous owners were dirty.

For about $2k, you can have a radiant barrier roof liner installed to greatly increase the energy efficiency of an older home. My mom's 1950's home has one and her bills are like $40/mo. I think it hit $100 twice last summe with the extreme heat wave we had.