Movin' to Dallas from Lou., KY ANY ADVICE

Don't worry about Dallas cops, isolated incidents.

If you want good schools fast, find a place to rent in Highland Park. Best public schools in the city. And their high school football team just played for the state championship. You might not even want private schools if you wind up living there. It's a straight shot up the Tollway for you to get to work, and you'll be going against traffic. Another option with great schools would be Southlake, but it won't be convenient for you to get to your office. It sounds like you've got high school age kids, those are the two best public schools IMO. You might be better off renting a house for a year that trying to find something with quality garage space.

 

Agree Southlake or Highland park or University Park from a school or resale standpoint there are lots of nice apartments along North West Hyw at Preston Hollow not sure what schools cover these but would be fine from a commute to work perspective.

 

Well, not seeing a Ferrari in your inventory won't be held against you,..too much. Kidding aside, welcome to the Dallas area. Let's address your questions one at a time:

I will be working in N. Dallas- intersection of LBJ and ND Tollway.

THAT SPECIFIC AREA IS VERY BUSY AS THAT IS AN ARTERY AREA WHERE A LOT OF CARS MOVE. LIVE CLOSE BY IF YOU CAN SO YOU CAN SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE FAMILY.

I need a nice apartment or townhome with a couple garage bays for my cars (997s & Murcie)- while I look for perm. housing.

YOU CAN HEAD NORTH INTO PLANO, FRISCO OR MCKINNEY AND FIND GREAT HOUSING. I PUT THEM IN SPECIFIC ORDER AS PLANO IS THE CLOSEST AND HAS INCREDIBLE SCHOOLS AS DOES FRISCO. I LIVED IN PLANO FOR YEARS AND LOVED IT--VERY CONVENIENT AND CLOSE TO EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT. IT IS A VERY COMMERCIALIZED AREA AS IS FRISCO. THE LOTS ARE TYPICALLY PRETTY SMALL FOR HOMES UNLESS YOU PAY-UP (OVER 1MIL). PLANO WOULD PUT YOU FIFTEEN MINUTES FROM YOUR OFFICE IN MODERATE TRAFFIC. SOME DAYS LESS, SOME DAYS MORE, ETC..

Any area suggestions?

DEPENDING UPON YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION, HIGHLAND PARK (SOUTH ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF YOUR OFFICE) HAS THE BEST SCHOOLS AROUND, AND THE MOST EXPENSIVE PROPERTY AROUND. IT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL DOWN THERE. THAT SAID YOU'LL PAY TWICE AS MUCH FOR SOMETHING OF SIMILAR SIZE ETC TO BE IN HIGHLAND PARK. IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY, THAT'S WHERE YOU SHOULD TARGET. OTHERWISE I'D TRY FOR PLANO OR FRISCO.

I am trying to find a school for my kids which is causing us heartache. All the private schools are going to be tough to get them into.

DO NOT LIVE IN DALLAS, IN MY OPINION, I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE TELLS YOU--THEY ARE REALLY BAD. MOST WITH MEANS SEND THEIR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UNLESS YOU LIVE IN HIGHLAND PARK, OF COURSE. I AGREE WIH MARTIN UNIVERSITY PARK IS ALSO VERY NICE AND A LITTLE LESS THAN HIGHLAND PARK.

We are applying to Green Hill, St. Mark's, Hockiday(sp), etc...

HOCKIDAY HAS A GREAT REPUTATION AND I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND SPENDING TIME WITH THEM IF YOU END UP GOING TO PRIVATES FOR THE KIDDOS.

Any ideas?

Any other area advice/ input would be great!

IF YOU'RE PART OF A RELO PACKAGE, ALWAYS ASK IF THERE IS A BONUS BEING PAID FOR A PARTICULAR PROPERTY--IF SO, NEGOTIATE TO GET SOME OF IT AT CLOSING. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE PROPERTIES IN HIGHLAND PARK ARE UNTOUCHED BY THE REAL ESTATE BUST, AS ARE PLANO AND FRISCO TO A MUCH MORE MINOR EXTENT.

TOUCH BASE WHEN YOU GET HERE AND WE CAN HOOK-UP FOR A LUNCH OR SOMETHING. WELCOME...

I JUST SAW WHERE MARTIN MENTIONED SOUTHLAKE. I LIVE IN COLLEYVILLE AND THAT DRIVE WOULD BE A TOTAL BIT@H TO 635 AND THE TOLLWAY. I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND IT. HOWEVER; BOTH SOUTHLAKE AND COLLEYVILLE HAVE GREAT SCHOOLS, JUST A HECK OF A DRIVE TO THE OFFICE EVERYDAY IN SOME OF THE WORST TRAFFIC YOU'LL FIND IN DALLAS (114 EAST THEN 635E DURING RUSH HOUR). IT CAN BE DONE, JUST KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO. I'D SAY 40 MINUTE DRIVE MINIMUM.

Don't hesitate to email me if you like as I'd be happy to help anyway I can.

 

If you like to a place thats more unique with scenery and is not a cookie cutter community like Plano or Frisco, consider Flower Mound, Trophy Club, & Highland Village.

Its slightly farther north....commute to ND Tollway & 635 takes about 20-30 minutes. That area also has great schools too.

 

From your post, it appears you're trying to avoid the tollway so you are willing to drive. University Park is really nice and may be in your price range. Flower Mound has overgrown itself and is very busy just like Plano. If you don't mind the drive, Southlake/Colleyville area is very nice with exceptional schools and a great since of community. Southlake boulevard can be very busy too as it's the only artery running through town. Again, I can't stress this enough, exceptional schools. If you have kids, there aren't many better places from a school perspective.

Let your wife do some poking around on the internet regarding these communities and have her spend some time in them. Your decision will come faster than you think.

I strongly suggest you check out these areas as you'll make your decision pretty fast I believe.

Preston Hollow area is nice, but Dallas schools!!

 

Seems like you've decided on private schools so School district not a concern for now.
At Hockiday and St Marks its sometimes who you know, where YOU went, and the brand name on the previous school the kidos went to.
Too early for Jusuit or Ursuline high schools however if you by chance are Catholic these are AWESOME schools. St Ritas sets you up for both. ( St Marks and Hockiday too ).
If your son is fortunate to be in the top 1% academically Cistercian will be a great choice ( HS ) Set him up now. PS; Dallas has a killer Talented and gifted Magnet program.
Preston Hollow is a good choice but look around. White Rock Lake area has more "character" IMO.
1.3M gets a lot in DFW but not that much in the Park Cities. Still a very nice area. Probably your #1 pick if Public schools chosen.

 

From where your office is, and if you like the private school route, consider Parish Day. It's CLOSE to where you work, and is a top notch school. It's also co-ed, so you could make one drop a day and both kids will be there. They go through High school I think. I have friends with kids there and they rave about it. If you'd like an introduction to the school, I can put you in touch with my friends. (Fun side note, my sons undefeated 4th grade football team consistently beats Parish's undefeated 4th grade in the super bowl. This year, 39-0. It makes the Parish parents accuse us of scouting kids and hiring coaches. Sore losers! )

www.parishepiscopal.org

For the $ you're looking to spend, I'm aware of a lot on the golf course where I live that is available for 'reconstruction'. I'm familiar with the builder and he does amazing homes. You could have essentially a brand new house in a very desirable and 'close in' neighborhood with an easy commute to work. I'm not sure which school district that house is in, because the county line runs through the neighborhood. Great public schools on one side of the line, good publics on the other. If you're doing the private route, may not matter. There's even a Ferrari guy right down the street! PM me if you want more info. Picture of the existing house/lot, courtesy of Google!
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Grew up in Preston Hollow, but at Hillcrest High School, if your kid isn't in the honor's program I wouldn't consider it. Was against moving to the park cities, University Park/Highland Park back in '74, but my wife was teaching in Dallas at the time and knew it was headed down, even back then. Both UP and HP are in the same school district, Highland Park ISD, and I don't believe you can do any better at any of the private schools, while saving $20-40k a year for your 2 kids in private schools. The property appreciation is among the best in the metroplex, and don't believe the snooty people bs. Every area has obnoxious parents, spoiled kids, and bad people, but most of our closest friends we have came through our home, schools, churches and lives in this area. Many other great communities around, so do your research. Maybe rent for a while while you check things out. In Preston Center, the Shelton is popular, as are several nice apartments on Lomo Alto at Lemmon Ave.

Congratulation on moving to Dallas! It is a great community for business, food, music, and friends, and our great local F/chat community.
Merry Christmas and welcome.

 

Welcome to Dallas! good luck with your home search. I'd highly recommend Southlake if you don't mind the commute.

 

From a young person's perspective...

For temporary housing, I might suggest the Pavilion Townplace apartments at Lover's Lane and the Tollway. You can get a two-car attached garaged, and the rent price for the area is much fairer than the prices in Uptown which is close by. Certainly more fair than renting a house in University Park, which we did so I could start and finish my senior year of high school at HP. Renting a house in University Park could be competitively priced with living in an apartment in Uptown (which is the swanky place for young, wealthy singles mostly). Unless you're willing to shell out the money for a new house, or a renovated one, expect VERY poor garaging throughout the UP and HP area. ex: A garage built in 1930 will not easily hold a Murcielago, nor would you maybe want it to.

Pavilion Townplace is a luxury apartment complex 1 block outside Park Cities (HP and UP) so your kids cannot go to HP ISD schools, but if it is a temporary location, it's a good choice. I've lived there for over 5 years, and my only complaint is being able to hear the hard footed neighbor walking above me. The neighborhood is crime free as far as I know, and I've had neighbors with Ferrari 360, Gemballa Porsche, Lotus Esprit, etc.

Our main reason for choosing this location out of any other complex in Dallas is the close access to groceries, post office, restaurants, and the Tollway. All of which are less than 1 mile away. The garages are the real saving grace to us though. No other complex we know about has such large garages, that are easy to get into.

....................

For schools... it's hard to beat Highland Park ISD. I have many friends who graduated from the various Plano ISD schools and they've told me awful stories. They are typically fiercely competitive in their bragging rights over their parents' money, and they all have to be wearing the latest fashions. Let's also not forget that the drug "cheese" was invented in a Plano high school. Personally, this wasn't the crowd for me.

From a year of personal experience, I found the kids at HP to be friendly, clean cut, and studious. So I'd recommend it. Highland Park high school was one of the top 10 high schools when I went there, so I'm sure it probably still is.

 

Southlake would be a little bit of a commute but it feels much more homey than the higher traffic areas of Dallas. Average home value in Southlake is approximately $485,000 and the average in homes sold in 2006 was $495,000. From the research I did a year ago there are approximately 55 homes in Southlake over $1.5M. A good friend of ours just bought behind the Central Market, across the street from Southlake Town Center for roughly $750K and picked up 4500 Sq Ft and a 4 car garage.

From Southlake Blvd to Hwy 114 to 635 and to Dallas is approximately 19 miles. Took me one hour to drive from where I live in North Richland Hills to Ferrari of Dallas (Surprisingly in Plano). Knock off about 20 minutes from Southlake to your office and you should be able to make it in about 35 to 40 minutes in moderately heavy traffic. Smooth flowing traffic and you can do it in 20 to 25 minutes.

Southlake almost reminds you of Lake Forest, Illinois.

 

Or, if you really want to be close to your Dallas office, try a couple of miles north of 635/Tollway in Addison. I believe Bellbrook Estates in Addison have some homes that are priced in the low million plus range but it is in Dallas public school district.

Your office is extremely close to Hockaday (about one mile south) and if you choose to live in Addison, the school is about 3 miles away and it takes about 15 minutes to get to school in the morning from your Addison home (Bellbrook Estates). By the way, St. Mark's isn't far away either. It is very difficult to get into 3rd grade in Hockaday as slots only become available through attrition. However, slots open up for 4th grade enrollment as additional class is added. Your wife may have already found out about this...good luck and welcome to Dallas.

 

coming from a Houston guy....you will love Dallas!

 

Highland Park is basically a private school. You certainly won't regret that decision. St. Mark's has an excellent reputation, too.

My office is at 635 & Tollway area. Its a great place to base in the Metroplex. I drive down the Tollway everyday (get on at 190 George Bush) and yes it is not easy, but it managable. There are even some nice town homes in that area but I don't know if they have garages. The Shops at Legacy have some nice townhomes, but they may not have garages. A client is building Dream Garage near Love Field for people who want a place to put their cars in their own state-of-the-art garage.

The Ferrari club is a great group of guys and always welcome other enthusiast, no matter what they drive. From the day rallies to the Exotic Car Nights, you'll enjoy the group.

E-mail me when you get to town and we can have lunch if you are near my office.

 

Welcome to Dallas.

 

Dont know about Lakehill.
D (Dallas) Magazine used to run issues on the "best" private schools in the area.
Your realtor should have a copy or should be able to find one.

 

My advice is very similar to what others have posted on this board. Take the money you would have spent on private education and add it to your house payment and purchase a house in the Park Cities (either Highland Park or University Park). That way you get:

1) a great education for your children;
2) Federal tax interest deduction from your home mortgage; and,
3) the benefit of one of the highest home appreciation rates in the area.

And you are also about 15 to 20 minutes away from your office depending upon which intersection you exit to. However, if you want a newer and more modern home, then you will probably have to look elsewhere.

Good luck,

Jeff
Dallas

 

Welcome to Dallas, a really great place to live. I had to make the same move and decisions that you are facing albeit in 2002. I decided that the combination of value, school system and community in Southlake far outweighed at that time the offerings from either of the Park Cities or other areas plus private schools. Tow other points to bear in mind: even if the cost/benefit trade off makes sense today for your kids, you need to factor in the much higher cost of general high school participation that pertains to private schools and which you will face as the kids get older. So unless you already know that this is going to be a short stint, expect your education costs to gather momentum in the private system. Since moving here, the Southlake system has come to out rank the Park Cities on almost every scale. Their football team is generally cited as the star attraction but knowing nothing about the game it had little interest to me. And like the Park Cities its kids are the usual mixture of the best and the spoiled (as in new Merc, BMWs and Trucks for 16th birthday presents) but the social mix is less of the old Dallas "Oil" with many more residents calling Texas their home for the first time than you will find in the PArk Cities. Finally, on a sq. ft basis, there is no comparison between the Park Cities and Southlake both with respect to floor plan and lot size. In fact I was amazed to find that the lot sizes and the lot lines were smaller and closer respectively than anywhere I had lived back East or in Chicago. Strange for Texas I thought but because of the school system (amongst other things) there has been a lot of sub division in the Park Cities.

I have about 50% of your commute route and the worst part of it. The road system was designed by committee whose budget was cut in mid construction. So the 3 lane (in each direction) SH 114 becomes 2 lanes plus two on ramps in the space of a 1/4 mile. This jams the route from 7:15 to 8:15 most mornings and similarly most evenings from 4:30 to 6:15. There are work arounds through Grapevine but they can do nothing more than assure you a one hour commute. However if you were on the road before 7 and after 6:15 in the evening its about 40 mins to your office. As far as getting the kids to any of the private schools from Southlake (excepting that they travel with you and take their chances on the traffic) fogedaboutit !! Remember they will have to drive that route sometime after reaching 16 and many Texas drivers attend drivers-ed south of the border where the rules are quite different and not easy for 16 year olds to digest without serious "roo" bars on their vehicles.

BTW on that note - Texas drivers do not know how to merge on or off freeways in the conventional sense. I have never seen anything like it except in Latin America which may of course be the reason.

 

If we're going to talk driving.. heh... get used to people driving less than two car lengths behind you. Even at 60+ mph!

That took some getting used to when I moved to Dallas.