Need advice on moving to Dallas (Denton, Henderson: houses, schools, college)

[emkolar]

My fiancé and I are considering relocating to Dallas from St. Louis (he has a job opportunity there) but neither of us know much about the city. We're both in our early 20s and liberal to moderate. I'm a college student, a musician, and have been a barista in coffeehouses for years so I'd like to continue doing that until I graduate. He is a software developer and also a musician. I guess I'm wondering, are there areas of the city you'd reccomend for us to look into for housing, and areas I should look into for employment? How's the music scene? The schools (college level)? Anything you guys can tell me would be a great help.

[WillysB]

Look in Deep Ellum for liberal and music... if the scene still lives there. The metro is putting a rail line thru so the place is having some hard times. Visit the Observer for a better look at the scene.

You'll fit right in. Hurry on down for the Denton Jazz Fest.

[TrueDat]

Where is your fiance's job located? Where will you be going to school? As the Dallas area sprawls, this should be a consideration in where you might want to live.

Most of the areas you might like are "inside the loop" (meaning south of Loop 12): East Dallas (perhaps the up-and-coming Henderson Ave. corridor), down-but-not-out Deep Ellum; the "gayborhood" but very mixed Oak Lawn; Lakewood (near White Rock Lake); yupscale Uptown (www.uptowndallas.net); gentrifying North Oak Cliff (www.oakcliff.com); downtown; and formerly industrial and still gritty but up-and-coming The Cedars area (south of downtown).