Working at Big Baylor Dallas and Thinking of Sunnyvale...
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My wife and I both are physicians that have accepted positions at Big Baylor downtown and are moving to Texas later this year from California. We have two kids (3.5 yr old son, 1 yo daughter) and are planning on buying a house or a lot in Sunnyvale. Before I finally commit to purchasing lots/houses, I wanted to reach out to as many people to get their thoughts.
- I am a surgeon and I have a 30 - 45 min response time in case of emergencies (need to be in the hospital max 45 minutes after I get a call) but my wife is flexible since she is a hospitalist and mostly has shift work.
- I plan to do public schools for my kids until maybe late middle school and then transfer to private (unless the kids really like their public school and I feel their education is pretty good)
- My wife and I are both South Indian so it would be nice to have a few south indian families in kids' schools who share a similar culture but also be able to have diversity for the kids to grow up seeing a myriad of cultures as well
- We like big lots (0.5 - 1acre+) and plan on building a bigger house (5000 sq ft +)
- my mother will be living with us (she is a great help and relatively young mid 50s) but she wants to be able to connect with her south Indian community as well
Is Sunnyvale a good choice? Are the schools ok? I know it is mostly residential, but will the housing prices be stable in case we decide to move in 6 - 8 years?
My wife and I both are physicians that have accepted positions at Big Baylor downtown and are moving to Texas later this year from California. We have two kids (3.5 yr old son, 1 yo daughter) and are planning on buying a house or a lot in Sunnyvale. Before I finally commit to purchasing lots/houses, I wanted to reach out to as many people to get their thoughts.
- I am a surgeon and I have a 30 - 45 min response time in case of emergencies (need to be in the hospital max 45 minutes after I get a call) but my wife is flexible since she is a hospitalist and mostly has shift work.
- I plan to do public schools for my kids until maybe late middle school and then transfer to private (unless the kids really like their public school and I feel their education is pretty good)
- My wife and I are both South Indian so it would be nice to have a few south indian families in kids' schools who share a similar culture but also be able to have diversity for the kids to grow up seeing a myriad of cultures as well
- We like big lots (0.5 - 1acre+) and plan on building a bigger house (5000 sq ft +)
- my mother will be living with us (she is a great help and relatively young mid 50s) but she wants to be able to connect with her south Indian community as well
Is Sunnyvale a good choice? Are the schools ok? I know it is mostly residential, but will the housing prices be stable in case we decide to move in 6 - 8 years?
Any thoughts are very much appreciated.
Sunnyvale would tick pretty much all the boxes for you with regards to lot size, commute and schools. It's been high end for a long time now so it will be stable. Only thing I would say is that while it does have a significant Indian presence, it's pretty much Indian and white. So it wont be a really diverse set of cultures if that's what you are looking for.
The other thing is that it's a very small town, almost an enclave really. Surrounded by South Garland and Mesquite which have completely opposite demographics in every way. Those are the closest for shopping and amenities. A bit more of a drive to more upscale Rockwall and Firewheel/North Garland.
Sunnyvale does check the boxes for your wish list. Like stated it has more of a enclave feel. They do have great schools but they are struggling with matching the infrastructure with the growth of the city. Like stated Sunnyvale is flanked by Mesquite and Garland which are certainly blue collar towns. Rockwall is just north and is were you will find most of your amenities. Infact they are just getting their first grocery store which will be a Tom Thumb built at Town East Blvd and Beltline. Do your research on the private schools. The closes to Sunnyvale is Dallas Christian and don't think it is any better than Sunnyvale ISD. The better known private schools are all a good distance from Sunnyvale.
Sunnyvale to Baylor in East Dallas (NOT downtown!) in 45 minutes? Yeah, maybe on a good day. AS people flood into places like Forney and Terrell looking for cheap housing, the morning commute into the city is only going to get worse.
Right now I looked at Google Maps and it gives 33 minutes from generic Sunnyvale to Baylor Hospital.
The serious academic private schools in the Dallas area are all in North Dallas.
I work in Sunnyvale. The above info about schools, grocery stores, and the ethnic makeup of the town is correct. It doesn't have tons of Indians like Coppell /Valley Ranch, but there are a good many, and more are moving in. Mesquite and Garland are both very diverse, but Sunnyvale is not. A lot of this is due to the cost of living there, which has historically been high due to the past requirement for 1+ acre lots for all homes. Buying land and building a home may be difficult since there is not much available land, and the few homes that do come up for sale tend to sell quickly. I know there is a small subdivision called St. James Place going in off highway 80 and East Fork Road.
SISD is a very good school district with very involved parents. There are no issues with student discipline or campus violence. The only private high schools anywhere close are Dallas Christian and Bishop Lynch Catholic, and you'd honestly be better off just using Sunnyvale HS. Since your kids aren't even at preschool age yet, you have a lot of time to decide.
The drive time to Baylor downtown depends on the time of day. You can definitely get to Baylor in 30 minutes in non-rush hour traffic. You're also on the west side of the highway 80 construction zone, which makes a big difference.
My wife and I both are physicians that have accepted positions at Big Baylor downtown and are moving to Texas later this year from California. We have two kids (3.5 yr old son, 1 yo daughter) and are planning on buying a house or a lot in Sunnyvale. Before I finally commit to purchasing lots/houses, I wanted to reach out to as many people to get their thoughts.
- I am a surgeon and I have a 30 - 45 min response time in case of emergencies (need to be in the hospital max 45 minutes after I get a call) but my wife is flexible since she is a hospitalist and mostly has shift work.
- I plan to do public schools for my kids until maybe late middle school and then transfer to private (unless the kids really like their public school and I feel their education is pretty good)
- My wife and I are both South Indian so it would be nice to have a few south indian families in kids' schools who share a similar culture but also be able to have diversity for the kids to grow up seeing a myriad of cultures as well
- We like big lots (0.5 - 1acre+) and plan on building a bigger house (5000 sq ft +)
- my mother will be living with us (she is a great help and relatively young mid 50s) but she wants to be able to connect with her south Indian community as well
Is Sunnyvale a good choice? Are the schools ok? I know it is mostly residential, but will the housing prices be stable in case we decide to move in 6 - 8 years?
Any thoughts are very much appreciated.
A few thoughts:
1. With the given constraints (proximity to Baylor, large lot, good public schools), Sunnyvale is really the only option.
2. Schools - Sunnyvale schools are fine. Not exceptional, but school performance is almost always about the individual students not the schools and a solid school system like Sunnyvale should give plenty of opportunities for students to succeed. It is a small district (I think graduating classes around 150) which is kind of a nice change compared to most of the massive schools in suburban DFW. The performance on metrics isn't as great as one would think.
3. Private Schools - If this is part of a long term plan, just be aware that it is quite a long ways from Sunnyvale to many private schools. Even the East Dallas private schools are a long haul from Sunnyvale and not convenient for all the events, activities, etc. By far the biggest concentration of private schools is in North Dallas which is a long commute from Sunnyvale.
4. Visit - Have you spent some time driving around the area? i would definitely suggest that first. You will know if it is for you or not. Sunnyvale has nice properties and some nice neighborhoods but it isn't really surrounded by similar areas. Most of the retail and other options that are closest are in Mesquite and frankly Mesquite has seen better days.
5. South Asian Options - I can't claim to be super familiar with this. Sunnyvale has a relatively significant South Asian population (maybe 20-25%) but it's still not a large absolute number and I don't think you will find the options that you could find in Irving or Frisco where there are larger South Asian populations.
Anyway, just my opinion, but Sunnyvale is a fine choice. DFW really lacks areas with large residential lots, so there are just aren't that many options. The plus side as it relates to your question is that 6-8 years from now if you decide to move, there still won't be many options so there will always be a demand for the large lot properties in Sunnyvale IMO.
I work in Sunnyvale. The above info about schools, grocery stores, and the ethnic makeup of the town is correct. It doesn't have tons of Indians like Coppell /Valley Ranch, but there are a good many, and more are moving in. Mesquite and Garland are both very diverse, but Sunnyvale is not. A lot of this is due to the cost of living there, which has historically been high due to the past requirement for 1+ acre lots for all homes. Buying land and building a home may be difficult since there is not much available land, and the few homes that do come up for sale tend to sell quickly. I know there is a small subdivision called St. James Place going in off highway 80 and East Fork Road.
SISD is a very good school district with very involved parents. There are no issues with student discipline or campus violence. The only private high schools anywhere close are Dallas Christian and Bishop Lynch Catholic, and you'd honestly be better off just using Sunnyvale HS. Since your kids aren't even at preschool age yet, you have a lot of time to decide.
The drive time to Baylor downtown depends on the time of day. You can definitely get to Baylor in 30 minutes in non-rush hour traffic. You're also on the west side of the highway 80 construction zone, which makes a big difference.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I'm glad to hear that Sunnyvale is a solid school district. It seems from your reply that lots/houses will likely retain their value since there are not a lot of options.
1. With the given constraints (proximity to Baylor, large lot, good public schools), Sunnyvale is really the only option.
2. Schools - Sunnyvale schools are fine. Not exceptional, but school performance is almost always about the individual students not the schools and a solid school system like Sunnyvale should give plenty of opportunities for students to succeed. It is a small district (I think graduating classes around 150) which is kind of a nice change compared to most of the massive schools in suburban DFW. The performance on metrics isn't as great as one would think.
3. Private Schools - If this is part of a long term plan, just be aware that it is quite a long ways from Sunnyvale to many private schools. Even the East Dallas private schools are a long haul from Sunnyvale and not convenient for all the events, activities, etc. By far the biggest concentration of private schools is in North Dallas which is a long commute from Sunnyvale.
4. Visit - Have you spent some time driving around the area? i would definitely suggest that first. You will know if it is for you or not. Sunnyvale has nice properties and some nice neighborhoods but it isn't really surrounded by similar areas. Most of the retail and other options that are closest are in Mesquite and frankly Mesquite has seen better days.
5. South Asian Options - I can't claim to be super familiar with this. Sunnyvale has a relatively significant South Asian population (maybe 20-25%) but it's still not a large absolute number and I don't think you will find the options that you could find in Irving or Frisco where there are larger South Asian populations.
Anyway, just my opinion, but Sunnyvale is a fine choice. DFW really lacks areas with large residential lots, so there are just aren't that many options. The plus side as it relates to your question is that 6-8 years from now if you decide to move, there still won't be many options so there will always be a demand for the large lot properties in Sunnyvale IMO.
Thank you for your comments! I'm glad to hear that the lots/houses will at least retain their value over the years because of the lack of options. Also glad to hear that Sunnyvale ISD (while not exceptional) is at least solid with a greater teacher to student ratio.
The commute from Sunnyvale sounds risky to me. I would look at Lakewood or Forest Hills neighborhoods in Dallas. If you are interested in private schools I would think there are more choices in Dallas.
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