Keller, Saginaw, North Richalnd Hills etc and commuting to FW downtown and DFW airport (Dallas: extended stay, real estate)

[Tigerlily64]

Hoping for some advice from those in the know please...! Am going to be relocating to my company's FW office from the United Kingdom early in the new year. My job will involve regular travel (by air from DFW) and at other times will be based in Downtown FW with occassional trips to our Dallas office as well.

Am currently researching areas to rent a house and like what I have seen in places like Keller, Saginaw/Eagle Mountain, North Richland Hills etc and seems that this north / north-east area of FW surburbia would make sense for trips to airport and convenience for downtown. Can anyone advise on comparisons between these areas and if they are any commuting/traffic advice for the trips I am going to do in connection with living in any of the above areas?

Looking for suburbs rather than FW itself, 2 adults, no children but want nice area, safe, convenient to shops/dining - looking at about $1250-$1500 pcm for rental - any advice gratefully received!

[loves2read]

will PM real estate website with rental homes on it--
don't know how many in what area/price range

We lived in Bedford--it took us 10-15 min to get to DFW depending on time/day and my husband about 25 min to get in/out of downtown FTW where he works--
now we live in Hurst--closer to FTW and little more time to get to DFW--quite a bit depending on day/time because 183/Airport Freeway is the pits during rush hour in evenings because of the split at 114N into Grapevine

there is construction occurring on 114 and 121 and will be on 183--all of which can affect your travel in any of those towns--and it will continue for 2+ years

shopping here tends to be in concentrated areas like indoor malls, strip centers, or some outdoor complexes like Southlake Town Center--
depending on what you are shopping for--it might be close (CVS/Target/Walmart/groceries) or farther--furniture/electronics/nice clothing--

signature stores like Ikea are few and far between as are some grocery stores like City Market or Sprouts

Saginaw/Eagle Mtn area is pretty far from DFW and if you are at the lake itself the roads are surface roads--not 6 lane thoroughfares--and commuting from there can be time-consuming to get to larger roads

most areas are "safe" but you can check on-line crime maps to see that almost any area can hav esome type of crime--just usually not violent types

North Richland Hills has new developments, parks, prides itself on being a true community--but Keller can say the same thing and so can other towns in area

check out the houses on the site I PM and see what appeals to you--
you can search for all the cities in Tarrant county on it that have rental homes in that database

there are some rentals that are not listed with major RE sites--they are smaller property management firms--
might be listing with realtor.com that has lease homes I believe

[Squirl]

Many people make the mistake of chosing to always drive by picking a 1/2 way place. I would either select being near downtown Fort Worth or near the airport. I'd choose nearest to Fort Worth. To use the airport, you can park at Centreport and rail into the airport very easily and its not too bad a drive.

If I did not have to consider using the public schools and wanted to be near fun shopping I would look around the Central Market area in Fort Worth near Hulen and I-30 also near Camp Bowie. This is a very charming area in zip code 76107. Neighborhoods south of Hwy I-30 are not as desirable as those north of I-30. There are wonderful shops along Camp Bowie and a great shopping plaza with lots of restaurants, etc. in the center with Central Market.

I also like North Arlington zip code 76012 in the neighborhoods that cluster I-30 near Fielder Street. Lots of pretty homes with big trees. There is good shopping in that area and it is home to the Entertainment District where you will find Six Flags, The Ballpark and the Cowboys Stadium...it is a very exciting area with good shopping at both I-30 exits on the east and west side of the Fielder Street exit.

I am not fond of Bedford or North Richland Hills and I think Saginaw and Eagle Mtn area are too far.

[Guingirl]

We live in the Saginaw/North Fort Worth/Eagle Mountain Area and we travel regularly to DFW. It takes about 45 mins. As long as you know that you have a drive. Also have many neighbors that work for American Airlines, but we live out in a "country" atmosphere, so we have a really good lifestyle out here and that is the trade off.

I would NOT want to commute to Dallas regularly from here as it would take me about two hours in traffic to get there from here. If you have pretty significant travel to both sides of the Metroplex I would suggest living in the HEB (Hurst, Euless, Bedford) or also called MidCities area.

If you are just doing FW or DFW, then this side of the Metroplex (Keller, Saginaw, North Fort Worth) would be a good choice.

[ClarenceBodiker]

I spent part of my adolescence growing up in North Richland Hills. (And Hurst which is next door to NRH) Honestly, these suburbs are all pretty small compared to, say, Dallas's suburbs. It's quite the advantage because if you live in North Richland Hills around Loop 820, you can be downtown or at the airport both in less than 15 minutes if the traffic is light. Most of the northeast Tarrant County suburbs are pretty safe. And if you're willing to spend up to $1500 in rent, your options are pretty much unlimited in this area. About six years ago I was living in a three bedroom rent house in North Richland Hills for only $1,000/month. Personally, if it were me I'd look around Hurst-Euless-Bedford and close to Highway 183. You'll be 10 minutes or less to the airport, 15-20 minutes to Fort Worth, and 30-40 minutes to downtown Dallas. Off of 183 are older and more mature neighborhoods that are kept up well and are green with trees.

[Tigerlily64]

Thank you all for your very helpful replies - much appreciated. My regular daily journey will be the one into the downtown FW office but I will also make reasonably frequent trips to the airport and only occasionally into the Dallas downtown office so I think I will do as you have suggested and look in the northeast Tarrant County and HEB areas. I prefer quieter living to city life but it is nice to have those things not far away.

Now to just start sifting through the choices and start visiting them in person in February (going to stay in an extended stay hotel initially to give myself some time to look)! Am so looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life and on my recent visit last month all the Texans I met were so friendly.

[loves2read]

when you check the MLS listings just pay attention to the lot sizes--
depending on where you are from, these lots may be pretty small
if that is important to you

[LuvsFW]

You said you wanted to rent a house.
You said you will work daily in downtown FW.
You said you will frequently drive to the airport.
You said you will occasionally need to go to Dallas.

With all that in mind, I would definitely do as Squirl suggests. I would rent a small bungalow in the Arlington Heights, Camp Bowie area of Fort Worth. You will be 5-10 min. away from downtown; 30 min. from the airport; 30 min. into downtown Dallas. And very much in the heart of Fort Worth's shopping and dining areas.

Why be a suburbanite when you can live in the gracious inner-city??? I don't get it. But that's just me....

[ClarenceBodiker]

Why be a suburbanite when you can live in the gracious inner-city??? I don't get it. But that's just me....

Because the OP specifically stated she was looking to live in the suburbs and that she wanted something quieter than the city life? And good luck living off of Camp Bowie and getting to downtown Dallas in 30 minutes. No offense, but are you driving 90 mph the whole time? How can you be at the airport AND downtown Dallas both in 30 minutes when Dallas is twice the distance? Living in the city is great, but not for everybody.

[Tigerlily64]

Originally Posted by LuvsFW

Why be a suburbanite when you can live in the gracious inner-city??? I don't get it. But that's just me....

Thanks for the input LuvsFW, I understand where you are coming from, but I spent many years living in the West End of London where it all happens and whilst many people would think this enviable, after a period of time it is nice to only go to the city lights when you want to but escape from the bright lights the rest of the time.

I currently live in the English countryside, commute 40 mins to my workplace and the nearest city is about 10 miles away. My garden backs on to green belt and I like this for the most part. When I fancy partying then I do like to get to where I want to be quickly and you are right sometimes it is a pain to live far away as then I need to either stay sober so I can drive or pay out for a cab.

I will be staying in an extended stay hotel for a month or so on arrival so this will allow me to research all the suggestions you helpful people have said and then choose the best compromise.

I gather that Camp Bowie is THE place for shopping in the area? I have seen various sites mentioning Sundance Square and Stockyards, also Grapevine Mills but in the UK most shopping tends to be right in the middle of the city so I am not used to finding out where they are and going to various out-of-town places. I liked Southlake shopping area when I visited last month - the only shopping place I went to.

Thanks everyone for all your really helpful comments.