Researching possible move to DFW (Dallas, Fort Worth: real estate, apartments, condos)

[Chris2564]

Hi there - my husband and I are looking at a possible move to Dallas or Fort Worth. We will be visiting in the next week or so and I wanted to see if anyone could suggest some neighborhoods/drives to introduce ourselves to the cities. We will be empty nesters when we move but youngish (mid 40s) and do not want to live in a suburb. We'd love to find an older neighborhood that is walkable with local flavor, nearby good eats and shopping. Schools are not a priority but I guess we should keep school ratings in the back of our minds for resale eventually. Housing priced $200-450K? We are considering condo or townhouse living as well - ready to downsize and simplify. We both work from home, so we don't have to worry about a job commute.

My brother and family (2 middle school kids) just moved to a neighborhood near TSU and love it. Of course, good schools & a safe neighborhood were the main concerns for them. They have given us great advice so far but haven't lived in the area for very long, so I wanted to get a few more opinions. We'd love a neighborhood/town that has its own sense of personality and with lots to do other than eat and shop (museums, art galleries, music venues, theaters, etc.). The research I've done so far has pointed to Grapevine Main St, Denton Courthouse and Bishop Arts District in Dallas as possible places to visit. Any thoughts about these places? Am I going in the right directions?

Thank you for any suggestions!

PS - we will be looking for a new church family as well - any Episcopalians out there?

[ChristieP]

Grapevine is definitely a suburb, and Denton is an ex-urb that's a good 30+ minute drive from Dallas and Fort Worth.

That being said, I think downtown Grapevine would be great for you. Your housing budget would definitely buy a house in the historic district, and that is the heart of Grapevine's many activities.

[loves2read]

Guess you will visit with your friends and that will give you info on where they are

downtown Grapevine is about a 30-40 min drive depending on time/traffic from TCU area
from what I have seen the housing around Downtown Grapevine varies
Our daughter has friend who is mid 30s maie/divorced w/2 young kids who bought lot and built house in downtown grapevine

Dallas as some areas considered "walkable" but those would be 45+ and traffic on 183/Airport Frwy is a hassle even with a new toll lane

You might also consider Sundance Sq (downtown FTW) and the So 7th area--
condos can be had in your price point--only real negative is lack of real grocery store w/in walking distance
many people in your age group are living there
you could also consider the Museum District

will PM a good real estate site for searching--has listings by subdivision which is helpful
does Dallas and Tarrant county

[Chris2564]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Grapevine is definitely a suburb, and Denton is an ex-urb that's a good 30+ minute drive from Dallas and Fort Worth.

That being said, I think downtown Grapevine would be great for you. Your housing budget would definitely buy a house in the historic district, and that is the heart of Grapevine's many activities.

Thank you!! We will definitely visit Grapevine! I think I saw something about a possible train station opening up to connect Grapevine to Dallas?

I should have been more descriptive when I said "suburb". We have lived in what could be called a "Bedroom Community" before and really want something different than spec built houses, a few grocery stores/strip malls/big box stores and a schools. It seems like several of the older suburbs have what we are looking for.

I love Decatur, Georgia and its quaint downtown and amenities. i read an article about McKinney and thought they seemed similar. Our oldest daughter lives in mid-town Memphis and loves it, too. She's near Rhodes College and the zoo and the Leavitt Shell. She's (and her dad & I) not crazy about the crime in the area but loves everything else. She and her husband will probably move once babies come along, but for now, it's great for young 20-somethings.

[ChristieP]

There will eventually be a train to connect Grapevine with downtown Fort Worth. Dallas is a different transit system, so there will never be a direct train from Grapevine to Dallas. There is the Trinity Railway Express that runs between downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth, and it has a stop at Centreport that works pretty well for Grapevine commuters. I use it when I have to go into downtown Dallas.

Buying a vacant lot and building in downtown Grapevine is a "needle in a haystack" find. Don't count on being able to do that. Tearing down an old home and building a McMansion isn't likely to happen, either, as it is not looked higly upon by the Historical Commission...

Yes, the older suburbs have character and something besides schools and retail. The newer suburbs on the edge of civilization are like what you describe.

[Chris2564]

Thank you both so much for your great information! It has helped us so much in narrowing our focus!

ChristieP, I noticed that Grapevine is very close to the DFW airport. Are there sounds issues with that?

Thanks!

[ChristieP]

Look at a map of the DFW runways, and where Grapevine is located. You will see that the approach paths for the runways are over highways and Lake Grapevine, or industrial areas, not over homes (until you get a significant distance away from the airport.) Yes, the low approaching planes make very loud noise in the WalMart parking lot. But from my house, just 3 miles away, I can't hear them. Do use caution with the apartments at the north end of Grapevine Mills Mall, as they are under the approach path!

[jbb303]

Even if you can hear them, you'll get used to it and tune it out long before it ever bothers you.

[Chris2564]

Hi there!

Thought I'd update you on our trip. We came out last week and spent one night in Dallas and were a bit overwhelmed - wow! and I thought Atlanta was big! We then drove up to McKinney, had lunch and headed over to Grapevine. What a charming Main Street! We thought it was very nice. We spent the rest of the afternoon just exploring the area. The next 2 nights we stayed in Ft. Worth. My sister-in-law gave us the grand tour of FW - showed us around the neighborhoods they loved. Ate great Tex-Mex that night at La Familia near W 7th(?). We loved the feel of the city. It reminds me a lot of Kansas City (we used to live there). I always said I'd move back to KC except for the winters. They are pretty brutal. FW was big but not overwhelming.

Thank you again for all your helpful advice about DFW!!

[ChristieP]

We love La Familia! Glad you had a good visit.