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Old 05-16-2017, 02:52 PM
 
16 posts, read 18,846 times
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Hi all,

Our family of 4 (plus 1 dog), is looking to relocate out of the DC Metro Area. The two places we have to choose from are Denver, CO and Fort Worth, TX. We would be looking to live within 30 to 45 minutes from either city as my husband's work would be in the city. I am a teacher and I am currently working on becoming certified in Texas (will be starting Colorado this summer if that is the route we take). I've listed a few things about our lifestyle below.

We are a young family (late 20s/early 30s) with two young children (4 and 1 years old) and planning on adding to the bunch in the next few years.

We have a German Shepherd pup and would love a decent yard for him to run in and play fetch.

Our budget would be between $300,000 to $375,000 for our home and would prefer a single family home with at least 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1800 sq ft and preferably .25 acre or more. What areas would be best to get this type of home and a community feel (neighborhoods).

We would also like to be near good schools and a neighborhood community where neighbors hang out with each other (not really what we get here in DC). So suggestions for school districts would be much appreciated.

We would love to find a church (non-denominational preferably) where we can build community with other young families as well. Any good suggestions are welcomed?

We are both pretty independent in our political views so conservative vs liberal isn't too much of an issue for us.

One big thing is we love the outdoors, and I know that Colorado is a haven for those types of activities, but I would love to hear what types of activities outdoorsy people do around the DFW area too.

We also love food, wine and beer and trying new things when it comes to those three categories so suggestions on whether your city has that would be a plus.

I have 5 years experience teaching in Fairfax County and was wondering which school districts are better to teach in and which ones I would be able to get a job in. For Denver area I was looking at Boulder Valley, Aurora, and Douglas School Districts. For Fort Worth, I was looking at Fort Worth ISD, Keller ISD, and Aledo ISD. Which would be better to teach in for these two cities?

With all that said, we are looking to move to a place where we can raise our family well and enjoy life together and with others. If it were you, which would you choose? thanks in advance for all the help.
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Old 05-17-2017, 05:29 PM
 
1,158 posts, read 948,665 times
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Having lived in both cities, your housing budget will go further in Fort Worth than it will in Denver. Home values are increasing in both areas. Lots of people are relocating to both cities. 300k -375k does not buy much in Denver now. Check out City Data Forum Denver. Average home price in Denver is 487k these days.

The weather and scenery is much nicer in Denver IMO. I've lived in Texas for 20 years and summer is still too hot. By September it's unbearable to me. I would choose Denver if outdoor activities are a huge priority.

I prefer the vibe of Denver vs Fort Worth. It is more big city/urban to me. The city feels more alive and vibrant. Fort Worth is just very suburban to me. Denver has light rail and mass transit. Denver has more walkable neighborhoods and trendy little spots. Fort Worth is lots of big box stores/chain restaurants and you have to drive everywhere. West 7th area is nice.

If it comes down to economics or housing - Fort Worth. No state tax is great and you can find a nice home in your price range. Although property taxes are getting bad.

Last edited by Angie682; 05-17-2017 at 05:51 PM..
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Old 05-19-2017, 09:33 AM
 
Location: 89052 & 75206
8,097 posts, read 8,229,742 times
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If you can afford to live in Denver you will be happier there.
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Old 05-25-2017, 11:09 AM
 
Location: DFW, TX
61 posts, read 99,031 times
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My husband and I are leaving the DC Metro area in two weeks moving to Fort Worth. I think we have chose the best option for raising our 4 children, great school ratings, and a better cost of living. We are enrolling in the NWISD which came highly recommended.
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Old 05-29-2017, 05:54 PM
 
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
141 posts, read 134,711 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsAmErika View Post
My husband and I are leaving the DC Metro area in two weeks moving to Fort Worth. I think we have chose the best option for raising our 4 children, great school ratings, and a better cost of living. We are enrolling in the NWISD which came highly recommended.
Excellent school district, good choice. Alliance and Tehama Ridge have good shopping variety, expanding rapidly, Ikea will be opening in 2019. Tanger outlet mall is being built near Alliance airport.

Watch out for houses along feeder routs to the North Texas Speedway, race weekends, forget about going anywhere.
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Old 05-30-2017, 05:48 PM
 
Location: North Texas
4 posts, read 6,258 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsAmErika View Post
My husband and I are leaving the DC Metro area in two weeks moving to Fort Worth. I think we have chose the best option for raising our 4 children, great school ratings, and a better cost of living. We are enrolling in the NWISD which came highly recommended.
My daughter has been a student in the NWISD since the second grade, and will be a senior next year. On the whole, we have been pleased with the district. Teachers and staff are involved and caring, with the school facilities themselves being well-maintained.

Spatially, however, Northwest is a very large district.. When students reach high school, they are given the opportunity to enroll in academies or to graduate early and gain college credit. This may entail a child being bussed to a campus located quite a distance away. Students who have gone through school together for many years are often separated at this time. Of course, friendships may be maintained outside of the the school environment. It's just something of which to be aware and to plan ahead for.

A visit to the Stockyards, just north of downtown Fort Worth, should get your family into the spirit of your new city very quickly. It does get hot here during the summertime, though, so take that into consideration.

Welcome to Texas!
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Old 06-01-2017, 03:15 PM
 
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That's a good choice to have.
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Old 06-27-2017, 09:33 PM
 
18 posts, read 20,045 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Angie682 View Post
Having lived in both cities, your housing budget will go further in Fort Worth than it will in Denver. Home values are increasing in both areas. Lots of people are relocating to both cities. 300k -375k does not buy much in Denver now. Check out City Data Forum Denver. Average home price in Denver is 487k these days.

The weather and scenery is much nicer in Denver IMO. I've lived in Texas for 20 years and summer is still too hot. By September it's unbearable to me. I would choose Denver if outdoor activities are a huge priority.

I prefer the vibe of Denver vs Fort Worth. It is more big city/urban to me. The city feels more alive and vibrant. Fort Worth is just very suburban to me. Denver has light rail and mass transit. Denver has more walkable neighborhoods and trendy little spots. Fort Worth is lots of big box stores/chain restaurants and you have to drive everywhere. West 7th area is nice.

If it comes down to economics or housing - Fort Worth. No state tax is great and you can find a nice home in your price range. Although property taxes are getting bad.
What big box chain stores are you referencing? Sundance square is great and has quite a few stores that are only here local, downtown FTW is very walkable. Also with the panther island plan ramping up there will be lots to do outside. Mind you, no there aren't any mountains to climb or ski down. But there are plenty of mountain bike trails and lakes.

TRE goes from FTW to Dallas and there is another light rail in the works from FTW to DFW. Ft. Worth is fixing to explode, it's a great time to buy here.
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Old 06-28-2017, 08:10 AM
 
1,158 posts, read 948,665 times
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Originally Posted by Gvine21 View Post
What big box chain stores are you referencing? Sundance square is great and has quite a few stores that are only here local, downtown FTW is very walkable. Also with the panther island plan ramping up there will be lots to do outside. Mind you, no there aren't any mountains to climb or ski down. But there are plenty of mountain bike trails and lakes.

TRE goes from FTW to Dallas and there is another light rail in the works from FTW to DFW. Ft. Worth is fixing to explode, it's a great time to buy here.


Sorry the outdoor activities here do not even remotely compare to the scenery in Colorado or Utah if outdoor activities are important. I've lived in both of those states and Texas for 20 years. Having grown up in Utah outdoor activities are what I miss most. There is no snow skiing, rock climbing in the mountains, large expanses of public land for camping, hiking,. It's hard to "mountain" bike in DFW with no mountains...lol. Utah and Colorado have numerous amazing national parks. The heat here is ridiculously oppressive in the summer and floating in the Trinity River is like a dirty canal.

Far North Fort Worth /Keller(where everyone seems to be moving lately) is a mass of subrbia, big box stores, chain restaurants and traffic with zero character (Alliance Town Center). I lived there for 12 years until it became unbearable. It has exploded and it's not necessarily a good thing. Sundance Square is not very large or very impressive.

Fort Worth' s public transportation is a joke compared to Denver or any major city. When I lived in Denver I opted not to drive to work and used public transportation instead of my car. It was reliable and went everwhere. That is not really an option here as most suburbs have zero public transport.

The infrastructure cannot accommodate all of the people moving here and eventually that is going to inhibit growth. I used to live in far North Fort Worth and commuted to 635 and LBJ. I spent 2 hours in my car daily. If there had been light rail I would have gladly used it. You can take light rail from Highlands Ranch to downtown Denver and get anywhere with the bus system.

Just came back from Vegas a few Sunday's ago. A young lady could not get to the DART rail station at DFW airport to go to Dallas because there was no bus service there on Sunday.
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Old 06-28-2017, 09:16 AM
 
18 posts, read 20,045 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Angie682 View Post
Sorry the outdoor activities here do not even remotely compare to the scenery in Colorado or Utah if outdoor activities are important. I've lived in both of those states and Texas for 20 years. Having grown up in Utah outdoor activities are what I miss most. There is no snow skiing, rock climbing in the mountains, large expanses of public land for camping, hiking,. It's hard to "mountain" bike in DFW with no mountains...lol. Utah and Colorado have numerous amazing national parks. The heat here is ridiculously oppressive in the summer and floating in the Trinity River is like a dirty canal.

Far North Fort Worth /Keller(where everyone seems to be moving lately) is a mass of subrbia, big box stores, chain restaurants and traffic with zero character (Alliance Town Center). I lived there for 12 years until it became unbearable. It has exploded and it's not necessarily a good thing. Sundance Square is not very large or very impressive.

Fort Worth' s public transportation is a joke compared to Denver or any major city. When I lived in Denver I opted not to drive to work and used public transportation instead of my car. It was reliable and went everwhere. That is not really an option here as most suburbs have zero public transport.

The infrastructure cannot accommodate all of the people moving here and eventually that is going to inhibit growth. I used to live in far North Fort Worth and commuted to 635 and LBJ. I spent 2 hours in my car daily. If there had been light rail I would have gladly used it. You can take light rail from Highlands Ranch to downtown Denver and get anywhere with the bus system.

Just came back from Vegas a few Sunday's ago. A young lady could not get to the DART rail station at DFW airport to go to Dallas because there was no bus service there on Sunday.

No where in my response did I compare the outdoor activities. All I started is even though there are no mountains there is plenty to do. And yes there are plenty of national parks (big bend, Guadalupe peak, etc) not to mention a ton of lakes, good hunting.

Sundance square isn't impressive compared to what? Denver was a rather dirty city last time I visited. And there's absolutely nothing in Salt Lake City that compares.

You greatly over hype Utah. Again outside of the mountains it's nothing special. My mom was born and raised in SLC and currently lives in South Jordan. Yes, SLC has public transit but DFW is also 7 times larger and 3 times larger than Denver.

To each their own, but Fort Worth is a great city that is only going to get better as it develops.
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