Relocating from Colorado-looking for the right town outside of Dallas (Cedar Hill: where to stay, apartment)

[ColoNatives]

We are looking at relocating from Colorado and my husband will be working in Ennis. Just a little background on us we come from a small city of 50K or so about an hour North of Denver. (Not too much congestion and most chains stores and restaurants within 15 minutes). I've done some research and Ennis is quite a bit smaller than this. We don't mind a small town feel but not too keen on everyone knowing our business either. I don't really want to have to go to Dallas (45min) for everything but wouldn't mind once in awhile. Just like we do now with Denver.

We have looked at a few rentals online mostly in Waxahachie. We're looking at renting (a house-not apartment) first to get a feel of the area. We haven't had much luck finding houses in Ennis. My husband would prefer to keep his commute down to 30 minutes or so each way and are looking for rentals no more than $1400 a month. Our kids are not yet in school but we would like to know where the best schools are in this area. I've heard Ennis schools are pretty good but would appreciate any other suggestions.
We plan on making a trip to look at houses but only for a weekend so we'd like to make the most of it and not waste too much time in the wrong areas. Any suggestions of where to stay would be most helpful as well.

One more thing, we'd also like some racial diversity. Does anyone know how the different races get along in this part of the state? Are they diverse but everyone pretty much lives on their side of town and goes to their restaurants etc. or do they intermingle a little? Also, if anyone could tell me anything more about the different towns in the area that would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!

[nsumner]

Look at Cedar Hill. It puts you close to Ennis and all the shopping is right there. Lots of homes for rent too.

Naima

[Acntx]

Ennis has an estimated population of 19,150, which is small but not too small. From your sentence about everyone knowing everyone else's business, I'd eliminate towns that are notably smaller than Ennis. I don't know that much about Ennis, but I haven't heard anything that would make me discourage you from living there.

Waxahachie is approximately twenty minutes west/northwest of Ennis. Its larger, with an estimated population of 31,100 and is growing at a much faster rate than Ennis. Approximately 1,200 people moved to the city over the past year. There has been a lot of retail business growth in the city and many well-known chains have opened businesses there, including Best Buy, Target, Belk, JCPenney, Home Depot, etc. The nearest mall is located in Cedar Hill, a suburb in southern Dallas County. My mother works in Waxahachie and the city has nice areas that you might find suitable. The city is racially diverse, but there is a significant degree of income disparity between residents of different races, according to City-Data's own statistics. The school district is diverse.

Corsicana is situated approximately twenty miles southeast of Ennis on Interstate 45. It is a city of 25,000 that meets your husband's desired commute criteria of 30 minutes or less.

I hope this helps.

Welcome to Texas

[Grainraiser]

Waxahacie seems to be a perfect fit for you and your husband. You say your husband wants a 30 minute commute but you did not say were he will be working. If his job is 30 minutes or less from Waxachie I think your on the right track. It fits your criteria quite well.

[ColoNatives]

Thanks, everyone for your suggestions. Does anyone know anything about Midlothian? It's closer to Ennis than Cedar Hill but a little farther than Waxahachie. And I've seen a few nice, newer houses in our price range there.

[momof2dfw]

Uh, you do NOT want Midlothian.

Look up pollution in Midlothian and the cement plants.

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Uh, you do NOT want Midlothian.

Look up pollution in Midlothian and the cement plants.

Second this...and it applies to the far south part of Cedar Hill, too.

[bluescreen73]

ColoNatives - Loveland? Greeley? We're actually looking to move back to Colorado.

Prepare yourselves for a significant climate and geographical adjustment. Compared to the Front Range, DFW is about as scenic as an anthill.

[mayhem154]

I agree with everyone else, stay away from Midlothian. Stick with Waxahachie, we're usually upwind from the cement quarries. We've been here going on 5 years now and love it. As far as the schools go, all Pre-K and K students will feed into Marvin Elementary. 1st grade and up will feed into neighborhood schools. Wedgeworth and Felty Elementary both received "Exemplary" ratings from the TEA, so you may want to look in those neighborhoods. All the rest of the campuses received "Recognized" ratings, so you can't really go wrong anywhere you look. We live in the Wedgeworth area, it is a mix of homes ranging from about 30 years old to brand new and is a very walkable area. It's close to all the shopping and restaurants off of US287. As far as a place to stay when you come and visit, the La Quinta, Holiday Inn Express and Sleep Inn are all good choices and close to everything. Best of luck...

[ColoNatives]

bluescreen73-We have lived all over the front range but call Loveland home. We are going to terribly miss the mountains, bike trails and all the outdoor activities the front range provides but we gotta go where the work is! We're preparing for a huge adjustment.

ChristyP and Momof2DFW-thanks so much for the info on Midlothian, I'm sure it would've been ruled out once we drove through there

Mayhem154-thank you so much for the info on schools and Waxahachie! Do you have any preschools you would recommend as my daughter won't be going into Kindergarten for another year?

Thanks to everyone who offered advice! I'm definitely feeling more at ease about this long-distance move!