What do people have against Dallas proper? (Garland, Mesquite: sale, neighborhood)

[SouthDallas40]

I moved to the MetroPlex 6 years ago and after initially renting in Carrollton I settled in my new home in Dallas' Mountain Creek neighborhood. I absolutely love it! There are rolling hills, lakes, parks, and plenty of nearby-retail.

I've found Dallas city services to be wonderful and responsive. The streets are well-kept. And in the 4 years I've lived here neither I, nor my neighbors to my knowledge, have experienced any crime problems. None. Nada. Zilch.

I'm extremely happy living in Dallas and frankly wouldn't consider living anywhere else.

http://urbandallas.us/postings/mtn_creek_2.jpg (broken link)

[khfar]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Hubby and I lived in Lakewood area of Dallas (75218) for 5 years, and you could not pay us to move back.

1. We got so sick of the crime! Both of our vehicles were broken into in front of our house (we only had a 1-car garage, so one had to be parked outside at night) and the DPD never even cared about investigating the crime, even when stolen items were recovered in the thief's posession!

2. Bad streets. As soon as you cross the Dallas City Limits, the streets become like a corncob with potholes/poorly done repairs.

3. City Leadership. Laura Miller (Dallas Mayor) is only concerned with making her city sound good, not with doing anything to actually fix it.

4. High taxes. The taxes on our old house (duplex) DOUBLED in the last year we owned it. Thank that to Parkland Hospital and the busiest maternity ward in the nation, full of illegal aliens.

5. Poor city services. I was very displeased with Dallas' libraries and the parks/rec programs were equally bad. The community center near us was always full of teens who dressed like gang members, and the equipment was old and not worth using. Don't get me started about the Dallas "recycling program" that would never pick up our recycling! I often ended up hauling the stuff with me to work in Richardson just to get it out of the house!

We "escaped" to Grapevine in 2002 and have never looked back. Smooth streets, wonderful library and community services, and a recycling program that actually WORKS! We love it here!

I hate to say this, but 75218 is not really considered Lakewood. It's either Forest Hills, Peninsula or Casa Linda. Crime can happen anywhere. I have a friend who actually lives in Grapevine, and had her entire home broken into and ransacked. All of her electronics and jewelry were gone.

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Hubby and I lived in Lakewood area of Dallas (75218) for 5 years, and you could not pay us to move back.

1. We got so sick of the crime! Both of our vehicles were broken into in front of our house (we only had a 1-car garage, so one had to be parked outside at night) and the DPD never even cared about investigating the crime, even when stolen items were recovered in the thief's posession!

2. Bad streets. As soon as you cross the Dallas City Limits, the streets become like a corncob with potholes/poorly done repairs.

3. City Leadership. Laura Miller (Dallas Mayor) is only concerned with making her city sound good, not with doing anything to actually fix it.

4. High taxes. The taxes on our old house (duplex) DOUBLED in the last year we owned it. Thank that to Parkland Hospital and the busiest maternity ward in the nation, full of illegal aliens.

5. Poor city services. I was very displeased with Dallas' libraries and the parks/rec programs were equally bad. The community center near us was always full of teens who dressed like gang members, and the equipment was old and not worth using. Don't get me started about the Dallas "recycling program" that would never pick up our recycling! I often ended up hauling the stuff with me to work in Richardson just to get it out of the house!

We "escaped" to Grapevine in 2002 and have never looked back. Smooth streets, wonderful library and community services, and a recycling program that actually WORKS! We love it here!

ChristieP
We also had a bad experience (crime) living in Dallas but of course, it was southeast Dallas (Pleasant Grove) which is a pretty bad area

[seb]

Wow, yeah, damn that county hospital. How dare it provide healthcare.

I live right in downtown (75204) and love it. The wife and I initially moved to Plano when we relocated here, because we didn't know any better, but couldn't wait to get out of the strip mall hell of it.

I think it comes down to people being scared of cities and urban environments in general. Or ethnic diversity. They'd rather drive their SUVs 3 miles away and sit at a chain restaurant complaining about how dangerous the city is. And then go to a different strip mall or chain to change things up. Have you looked at Stonebriar and the 4 Starbucks on one block? 2 at the mall and 2 across the street from the mall. Sick.

Dallas is booming and it's only going to get better. Have you seen the number of cranes in Uptown and Downtown? It's awe-inspiring. The new Dallas Performing Arts center is going up and going to be a real asset to the Arts District.

6 miles away is White Rock Lake. I can run or ride my bike down Swiss Avenue to the lake. I can walk to stores, restaurants, museums, performances. My commute is 2 miles. What's not to love about the city?

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Hubby and I lived in Lakewood area of Dallas (75218) for 5 years, and you could not pay us to move back.

1. We got so sick of the crime! Both of our vehicles were broken into in front of our house (we only had a 1-car garage, so one had to be parked outside at night) and the DPD never even cared about investigating the crime, even when stolen items were recovered in the thief's posession!

2. Bad streets. As soon as you cross the Dallas City Limits, the streets become like a corncob with potholes/poorly done repairs.

3. City Leadership. Laura Miller (Dallas Mayor) is only concerned with making her city sound good, not with doing anything to actually fix it.

4. High taxes. The taxes on our old house (duplex) DOUBLED in the last year we owned it. Thank that to Parkland Hospital and the busiest maternity ward in the nation, full of illegal aliens.

5. Poor city services. I was very displeased with Dallas' libraries and the parks/rec programs were equally bad. The community center near us was always full of teens who dressed like gang members, and the equipment was old and not worth using. Don't get me started about the Dallas "recycling program" that would never pick up our recycling! I often ended up hauling the stuff with me to work in Richardson just to get it out of the house!

We "escaped" to Grapevine in 2002 and have never looked back. Smooth streets, wonderful library and community services, and a recycling program that actually WORKS! We love it here!

[khfar]

I am from Dallas, and am about to move to the metro Detroit area (not by choice, mind you, but my husband was relocated there for a few years), and let me tell you: Dallas is NO Detroit. The notion that Dallas is becoming a Detroit is hilarious to me. With all of the activity that goes on downtown, and with thriving surrounding areas like Lakewood, Lake Highlands, Highland Park, Bluffview, etc...I hate to tell you this, but those people aren't going ANYWHERE. I don't know many people from Lakewood or HP that would ever live in Plano, Frisco or McKinney. They live in those areas for a reason, which is the charm of the homes, and mature trees, etc.

I went into Detroit when I was up there house hunting a few weeks ago. I just wanted to check it out. That place is a ghost town. Their downtown is beautiful, but unless there's a game going on, no one is there. The rest of the city is just a slum. Trust me...Dallas is no Detroit.

[kaykay]

Well, after loads of bickering on this forum about city vs. suburbs, I think it's finally boiled down to the old saying-"different strokes for different folks!"

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by SouthDallas40

I moved to the MetroPlex 6 years ago and after initially renting in Carrollton I settled in my new home in Dallas' Mountain Creek neighborhood. I absolutely love it! There are rolling hills, lakes, parks, and plenty of nearby-retail.

I've found Dallas city services to be wonderful and responsive. The streets are well-kept. And in the 4 years I've lived here neither I, nor my neighbors to my knowledge, have experienced any crime problems. None. Nada. Zilch.

I'm extremely happy living in Dallas and frankly wouldn't consider living anywhere else.

http://urbandallas.us/postings/mtn_creek_2.jpg (broken link)

Beautiful picture. What part of Dallas is this in?

[KBilly]

Originally Posted by Guerilla

Well, a lot of Dallas is flat. The big hills are to the south, the small up and downs, to straight up flat prairies are to the north.

I guess you never made it out to White Rock Valley, the rest of Lake Highlands (get it... high lands, near low lake), Old Lake Highlands, Flagpole Hill, or anywhere, for that matter, east of Skillman to Plano Road and north of NW Hwy to 635.

That picture is from Mountain Creek area, in south Dallas near I-20 and Mtn Creek Pkwy -- beautiful there.

75218 in no way can be called Lakewood. It's east of White Rock Lake and Lakewood is west of the Lake. And, by the way, is very well known for having higher crime in the parts of 75218 north and east of the Casa Linda corner.

[Lakewooder]

75218 Lakewood? Now that's pretty funny. Do you realize how many people never go over to the 'other side of the lake'?

Bub-bye Christie - enjoy yourself in your rustic community. I shall have a glass of the new sangiovese at Times Ten Winery patio (overlooking the real Lakewood) for you. I shall soon be retired thanks to my Lakewood Real Estate investments.

[metroplex2003]

Well, southern section of the metroplex does have some of this area's highest elevations. I heard its nice out in Cedar Hill St. Park.

Anyway, I thought the topic was Dallas proper. I agree, I'm more of a suburbanite myself, but I do see the importance of having a strong urban core.