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Yes, we were closer to Lochwood, but we certainly didn't identify with THAT neighborhood... Hubby would take you up on the Guinness but I am more of an Ace Cider gal. ;-)
Unfortunately, I now work in downtown Fort Worth, so returning to East Dallas is not possible unless I learn to fly a helicopter...haha!!
NO. We did NOT live near Lochwood or on Peavy!!! (ICK...)
We were right behind the big Baptist church (Lakeside?) on Garland Road west of Buckner. There are a small number of duplexes there on San Fernando. They were built in the 1940's and at first glance, they look like a regular house. You really have to look to see the second doors.
My favorite house is on Peavy. It has the best view in Dallas. It's right at the corner of Peavy and Buckner and overlooks the lake and downtown.
There isn't anything wrong with Lochwood or Peavy... I don't see a reason to ICK either one.
The south end of Peavy closer to I-30 is SCARY with some very rough apartments. That is what I was "icking" about. Yes, the north end is nice, especially by the lake.
We did not like the Lochwood area. We had looked at moving down there, but the little frame houses were just not well-maintained. My sister lived on Fernald for a while and had many problems with her house.
We were drawn to Lakewood, HP and UP because several here recommended them and we like the classic architecture (and trees!) in those areas, but as a family of four we had a few concerns.
As we hope to be in our next home for several years, our first concern is that these neighborhoods might not be able to hold their appreciation because of nearby neighborhoods that we saw that are less desirable.
Crime became a consideration after we talked to a couple of people about car and home break-ins.
We visited a couple of schools and while the elementary schools impressed us, we were concerned about what the middle and high schools will look like in another ten years.
While we have lived in many countries and enjoy city living, we share a perceived notion that while our kids are young, there is an appeal to living in the suburbs where there are cul-de-sacs, many other families with kids about the same age and family-oriented services like pools, skating rinks, ball fields, etc.
I expect that our needs will change later, and would be the last to bash the city proper, but this is why we are leaning towards for suburbua for the time being.
Forgive me while I reflect on my childhood. I do NOT mean this to be a rant, just a reminder of "simpler times" and my silly message of wants -vs- needs:
I grew up in a town called Gibraltar, MI. Our house was a 3 bedroom, one bath place without a garage. As a child, I had no idea that we weren't "rich". There were (4) people living in the house - my parents, my brother and me. I had a wonderful childhood. The only amenity I can remember was in the winter, we could walk down the street to the police station where there was a field they flooded so we could ice skate on. I remember the countless hours spending time wrestling with my dad and "helping" my mom around the house way more than I remember how many square feet our house had. I only know that now because I asked my parents. They remembered.
My point here is merely that children certainly don't require huge houses, pools, skating rinks, ball fields, etc to be happy. Kids have something FAR more useful to keep them happy - imaginations. Many parents I talk to project their wants on their kids, to which they rename them into "needs".
Kids NEED a roof over their heads, food in their bellies and parents that love them.
My wife and I are very consious of this and while it's difficult to separate needs and wants sometimes, we live in Lake Highlands and have way less house than we can afford, but made a consious decision to buy more than we need (almost 2600 sq ft, 4br, 2.5ba - this is way more than we need, but we made a consious decision to buy this house so I can home office, we can have a kid and still have a dedicated spare bedroom that we do not need). There are lots of kids here. The schools are good (way better "rank" than the schools I grew up in). We are discussing having a child and feel the kid would have a wonderful childhood in this area.
Please, don't use kids as an excuse to get what, as an adult, we want.
We were drawn to Lakewood, HP and UP because several here recommended them and we like the classic architecture (and trees!) in those areas, but as a family of four we had a few concerns.
As we hope to be in our next home for several years, our first concern is that these neighborhoods might not be able to hold their appreciation because of nearby neighborhoods that we saw that are less desirable.
Crime became a consideration after we talked to a couple of people about car and home break-ins.
We visited a couple of schools and while the elementary schools impressed us, we were concerned about what the middle and high schools will look like in another ten years.
While we have lived in many countries and enjoy city living, we share a perceived notion that while our kids are young, there is an appeal to living in the suburbs where there are cul-de-sacs, many other families with kids about the same age and family-oriented services like pools, skating rinks, ball fields, etc.
I expect that our needs will change later, and would be the last to bash the city proper, but this is why we are leaning towards for suburbua for the time being.
Keikis - support of the suburbs will not be tolerated !!!
I commend you for saying this in such a hostile anti-suburban environment. I completely agree with you by the way.
I started looking in the park cities because of the school reputation. Kept trying. Wasn't my cup of tea.
I also couldn't get into the proximity to the other far less desirable areas that were right there. I then met a gal here in my apartments while doing laundry that just happened to have had lived there for 10 years, but just moved. She confirmed many of my suspicions and at that point I figured it wasn't meant to be for me. Kept inching my way north between the 75 and Tollway till I found areas that clicked for me.
I grew up in a decent area (tiny little blue collar area in the middle of sketchy ones) in MD surrounded by marginal (now very dangerous) areas and know all the tradeoffs. The home I lived in growing up is now worth about 10,000 dollars more than what my parents paid for it in the 70s. Cross over the Woodrow Wilson bridge into VA (it was the burbs everyone bashed when I was a kid), the home values are more than 7x more than it.
Aside from the potential for crime in the Park cities (statisticly they are safe), I think that as we grow older, there are different things we look for in a home/community. I can honestly say that a uptown style living is definitely something I'd seek when I'm retired (I love the upper side of Manhattan and downtown San Fransico), but it's just not right for me/us as a family at this point. I'm one of the few people I know that enjoys dense population. All the things the people living near the city hate about the burbs are actually the things that my family finds comfortable at this point in our lives. There is no right or wrong, just preferences.
Anyway, I've going to cut out of this thread because there is a wrath a coming and I'm sure this will get personal soon. e-War is not my thing. Thanks for the honest post. I'll leave you to the wolves now.
Brian/lhnewbie, after you read my post, you can start typing your apology!
I just visited Dallas as a house hunter and am simply responding to the original poster. Like others, the reason I have come to this forum is to read the perspectives of others, and I appreciate what everyone has to say. Having gleaned some great information from what others have shared here, I thought it might be beneficial for others to hear from someone who had recently visited as well.
Brian/lhnewbie wrote,
"My point here is merely that children certainly don't require huge houses, pools, skating rinks, ball fields, etc to be happy. Kids have something FAR more useful to keep them happy - imaginations. Many parents I talk to project their wants on their kids, to which they rename them into "needs."
Brian, my children were adopted internationally and lived their first years in an orphanage. The building they lived in was decades old and literally falling down. There were periods each winter that my children went without hot water or heat. It is our great joy to give them a warm house, room to play and space to explore. We never said anything about the size of our house.
After years of hunger and neglect, our children came to us malnourished, weak and physically underdeveloped. As a result, it is very important to us to have the ball fields, pools, play areas and skating rinks to help them develop. When they first came home, they didn't even know what a slide or a swing was. My children are finally happy and safe, Brian. Now we have the great joy of helping them grow physically and emotionally. For us the things we described are requirements for the time being!
Then you wrote,
"Kids have something FAR more useful to keep them happy - imaginations."
All my children had for the first four years of their lives was their imaginations, but nothing to stimulate them. They had no books, virtually no toys and almost no interaction with adults. They were discouraged to talk. My children have literally had to be taught how to play. They have even had to be taught how to pretend.
You said,
"They were Many parents I talk to project their wants on their kids, to which they rename them into needs."
For our children, safe places with different types of activities that I described in my original post ARE needs.
Brian, for the first couple of months that they were home, my little ones screamed when we took off their shoes for a bath and begged to sleep with their shoes on because they had never had their own shoes before. For months, they would hide bits of food from the table in their pockets or under their legs because they didn't get enough to eat in their orphanage and kids would steal food from one another. They would hide food so they could have enough to eat. Brian, in the case or our family (and given the limited information that you have about other people who post here), you have no place to be lecturing about wants and needs, and are in no place to judge. I have witnessed things around the world that you can't even imagine.
"Kids NEED a roof over their heads, food in their bellies and parents that love them."
Yes, Brian. If this is really true to your heart, please consider supporting an orphanage overseas.
Then you wrote,
"Please, don't use kids as an excuse to get what, as an adult, we want.
I am sure that you understand now, the horrible presumptions that you have made. The people who take the time to write to this forum are not just moving to the Metroplex, they are looking for something specific based on their own unique situations. To make assumptions about the reasons that people are requesting specific attributes in their new homes, and then attack them for it is just plain wrong.
Thanks to those of you who have shared your honest perspectives without making those opinions personal, and for those of you who are seeking something particular in your new neighborhood, whatever the reason. I hope that Brian/lhnewbie's post and the the post of a few others don't dissuade you from seeking and sharing information here! I apologize for sharing so much about our family.
As I stated, I didn't mean my post to be a rant. If it came across as attacking you, I apologize. But I do stand by everything I said.
You certainly don't need me to say this, but you have done an amazing thing with your generosity. Adopting children in need is certainly a noble deed and I commend you for your wonderful gift to these children. Filling their needs (such as food, shelter and clothing) and further showering them by fulfilling their wants is great!
Nothing in my post was intended to attack you; I was just responding to your last sentence, "I expect that our needs will change later..." - it is a pet peeve of mine that people use the word need in place of want. Silly, I know, but it's one of those things that sets me off.
FYI: While I don't directly give to orphanages... my wife and I give both in time and money to our church and many other worthy non-profit agencies. My wife has even travelled to other countries to help build homes for families that don't have them - something we plan to do together next winter.
I accept your apology, but your statement that you stand by everything is indicative that your are still being highly judgemental of the people who post to this forum. Is it appropriate for you to "rant" regarding some "pet peeve" that you have when it draws away from an important exchanges of information? I have already had eight private messages from people stating opinions about where they would recommend moving in the DFW area, but have hesitated to do so because of the grief they have received from other posters.
You wrote, "'I expect that our needs will change later...' - it is a pet peeve of mine that people use the word need in place of want. Silly, I know, but it's one of those things that sets me off."'
Perhaps then, it is time to hit the backspace key or take a breather if you are so upset by a poster who is seeking information about moving to Dallas that it, "set's you off". People's needs can change every bit as much as their wants over time. If you need me to exemplify this, I would be glad to do so. Again, this should be a forum where EVERYONE can seek and share information without someone else ranting or being "set off" by what they are saying or asking!
Off topic, and I apologize to other readers for this, and will not do so again but since semantics are important to you...
I am sure that you were just being kind, but in your reference to adoption, adopting a child is not a generous or noble deed any more than giving birth is generous or noble. It is simply a way that people choose to build their families. The last thing I would ever want is to have my children think they should be grateful to us for our adopting them! It is my husband and I who are the fortunate ones. Thank you though, for your kind intentions.
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