moving to Dallas Ft Worth Area (Fort Worth, Arlington: apartments, for rent, home)

[ljwinans]

Need some URGENT advice. Moving from Illinois to DFW area. Wife will be working in just west of downtown Ft Worth and I will be working just east of Plano. I am thinking to live just a bit closer to Ft Worth to keep her commute down a bit & I will take the hit. Any tips on where to live and how the commutes will be. We will be renting initially. Thanks

[talkispoison]

Originally Posted by ljwinans

Need some URGENT advice. Moving from Illinois to DFW area. Wife will be working in just west of downtown Ft Worth and I will be working just east of Plano. I am thinking to live just a bit closer to Ft Worth to keep her commute down a bit & I will take the hit. Any tips on where to live and how the commutes will be. We will be renting initially. Thanks

I'm sorry, but that commute is going to be hell for at least one of you.

[ChristieP]

Omg. That commute is going to be very lengthy and expensive. The only direct route from Tarrant County to Plano is on a toll road, and will cost about $5 a day round trip. You will also be spending over an hour each way in traffic. Personally, I would not want that commute!

[RockyJoe817]

Hello;
My two cents:
I would suggest somewhere by the DFW Airport. You would still be driving 3/4 of the commute.
I would suggest anything MID DFW Airport like: Grapevine (West towards 121 Bedford), Euless, Irving at Centrepoint (360 and 183 if apartment shopping), North Arlington.

Have you looked at the map:
Apartments for Rent - PadMapper Apartment Search for Oodle, Apartments.com, Rent.com, Kijiji, and Craigslist Apartments

Good Luck to you.

P.S.

I suggested the 183/360 intersection because it is about three miles from the George bush tollway which
goes all the way through to Plano. That would be costly on your body or wallet, either way your going to pay.
Due to construction, my suggestions attempt to be centrally located for several other commute options for both you and your spouse.

[Greenburg]

All of the northern routes will be a pig for the next few years as everything is or will be under construction.

Best idea I can come up with is maybe Grand Prairie near 30. Her drive would be fairly clean and you'd have the option of paying tolls, or leaving early to get through downtown and up Central Expwy. Whatever you choose, rent for awhile while you get a feel for the area.

[Squirl]

Denton?

[talkispoison]

Originally Posted by Squirl

Denton?

This might actually be the best suggestion

[RockyJoe817]

I enjoy Denton myself, but that would be at least a 25 mile drive on 35W for the spouse
Bumper to bumper south of Golden Triangle/Basswood. Road construction on 35W at 820.
If a central point was 360 at 183 for the spouse, I would suggest drop down to I-30 and west
to downtown Fort Worth.
or
183/820 then 121 Airport Freeway to Downtown Forth Worth.
or
Surface street would be I-10 through Euless (the name is also known as Baker street in Richland Hills, but still the same surface road) To Downtown Forth Worth.

The commute from Denton:
still a nightmare for the Husband:
Bumper to Bumper down 35E then take 121 Business, George Bush tollway, Cutover on 380 through to McKinney then south to Plano.
He wanted to take the majority of the commute, unless either one of them will be attending UNT.
My suggestion would be to stay within the metro.
A few suggested routes for him:

360 to George Bush tollway, (Big Money Daily)
or
183 to the Loop 12 then Northbound on 635, or drop off on the North Dallas tollway
or
183 to the Loop 12 then Northbound to George Bush tollway or 121 Business
or
183 to Downtown Dallas cutover to 75 then 25 miles North to Plano.
or
121 through grapevine to Coppell/Denton Tap for the second leg of 121 business or George Bush Tollway to Plano.

[ljwinans]

Originally Posted by ljwinans

Need some URGENT advice. Moving from Illinois to DFW area. Wife will be working in just west of downtown Ft Worth and I will be working just east of Plano. I am thinking to live just a bit closer to Ft Worth to keep her commute down a bit & I will take the hit. Any tips on where to live and how the commutes will be. We will be renting initially. Thanks

Thanks for all the feeddback, am now looking at Trophy Club with the wife shooting down 35W to Ft Worth and me going up and around Grapevine lake and heading east to Plano, any thoughts on this as it relates to the commute, traffic etc.......... ?

[Tigerlily64]

Originally Posted by ljwinans

Thanks for all the feeddback, am now looking at Trophy Club with the wife shooting down 35W to Ft Worth and me going up and around Grapevine lake and heading east to Plano, any thoughts on this as it relates to the commute, traffic etc.......... ?

The "shooting down the 35W to Ft Worth" might be more of a crawl I'm afraid. I use the I35W from Heritage Trace Parkway (junction 63) exit every day and hit it at about 6.30-6.45am and it usually takes me 35-40mins to get into downtown (Main St) from that point but there are often accidents which adds considerable time.

I make the return journey early to try and get ahead of the traffic which only works to a certain degree. I leave Main St at about 4pm and it usually takes at least 40 mins to drive the 14 miles home (12 miles is on the I35W) but I always skip off at Western Center and take a back route home from there as the traffic is normally very, very slow from 820 up the I35. I also take a look at the tailbacks just as I join the I35 at junction 52a and if need be take the 121 to Beach St then head up Beach to get home but this wouldn't help your wife if you lived in Trophy Club.

Don't underestimate just how awful the I35 is, we did when we moved thinking that we lived less than 2 miles from it and then it would be a straight shot into downtown for my work. Those 12 miles of freeway take at least 35-40mins at the times of day I travel and I have colleagues who leave it later and it takes them an hour plus....