Lakewood Elementary vs. Stonewall Jackson (Dallas, Greenville: renting, big home, neighborhoods)

[britty753]

My family will be moving to Dallas in a few months and we are trying to decide if we should live in the "m" streets or Lakewood. My son will be going into kindergarten next year and I also have a 3 year old daughter.

On paper, the two elementary schools and neighborhoods seem pretty similar. (school scores, diversity, etc.) Is one neighborhood more sought after than the other? Academics are important to me but not as important as raising good, kind, honest children. I really hope to find a neighborhood that can offer both. We want to plant our roots and be a part of a community we can grow old in. We've heard these are both nice areas. Which would you choose?

Thank you so much for your insight!

[hamiltonpl]

The schools and neighborhoods are very similar. I think Lakewood is a bit nicer because it is farther away from Greenville Avenue which has lots of restaurants and bars. Lakewood also has mansions lining major streets and is closer to the lake. I think this makes Lakewood slightly more desirable. But it really comes down to personal preference.

The M-Streets neighborhood is closer to Central Expressway for easy access to other parts of town -- but Lakewood isn't much further. Both were primarily built at the same time, so you'll find lots of housing from the 1920s-2010s in both neighborhoods. Most of the older stuff has been redone in both areas and the houses are kept up nicely.

[TurtleCreek80]

As you have noticed, the schools are of equal caliber. Both feed into the same middle & high schools.

I prefer Lakewood (Lakewood "proper" - bordered by Mockingbird, Abrams, White Rock Lake, and Gaston) for several reasons:
- Bigger lot sizes
- More permanent neighborhood with more families- M Streets have more singles and young couples who intend to move when their kids hit grade school (onto bigger homes).
- Much less traffic. There are exactly zero "major streets" or stoplight in Lakewood proper. Almost all kids can walk or ride bikes to Lakewood Elementary. M Streets, particularly Monticello, McCommas, Vanderbilt are used as "cut through"/ alternative streets to Mockingbird and are quite trafficky.
-No bars/nighlife in Lakewood proper vs Greenville Ave, which cuts right through the M Streets and is host to an annual ruckous St Patty's Day Parade and block party.

I recommend M Streets for young professionals who want to be walking distance to some nighlife and intend to move once they have kids. I recommend Lakewood for families who want to put down roots into a lasting community.

[jennifw]

We faced a similar decision six years ago. For us, it was home size and lot size. The M-street lots are smaller and the homes were smaller (in our price range).

TurtleCreek is spot-on about traffic. The only cut-through traffic in Lakewood proper is people trying to get to the lake, not to work, etc.

[Lakewooder]

Drum roll! You are about to hear a negative from me regarding Lakewood vs. Stonewall....

There is a certain segment of the Lakewood kids who are a bit spoiled. Usually not the Lakewood lifers but the newer ones. I'm hearing a lot of stuff about kids bringing lunches from Whole Foods among other things. I heard a kid (a WW Wildcat friend of mine's son) saying "but Daddy, EVERYONE is going" a couple of weeks ago. This troubles me a little as I used to hear things like that from the bubble people. However the principal is very no-nonsense so I don't think anyone is going to get away with too much. She treats everyone the same and I'm sure any whiny helicopter parents would be dispatched with alacrity from her office.

BUT I am going to say for the long-term Lakewood is going to be best for establishing roots - your kids will make friends for life and the social scene is very rewarding - it really is like a small town. That comes with a grapevine so there are also cons to that if you do something naughty. Most of our parents are dying off but I'm still really careful about a few things even in middle age!

As long as the kids go all the way through the cluster to Long and Woodrow I'm pretty sure they won't be brats - we don't have many of those. The ones we do have are well-known!


Stonewall is a bit more transient - however probably much less so than most suburban schools up north. But I do have friends from Stonewall who are very close (I went to Lakewood) and I just saw a whole group of them at a funeral last month. This may sound a bit unusual but the friendships we made way back when are even more rewarding as time goes by. We are there for each other through thick and thin. You always know there is someone you can call if you need help.
We have all ages around the neighborhood and Lakewood people look after each other.

[Lakewooder]

Early Childhood PTAs:

Lakewood Home

Stonewall gwra : Greater White Rock Area ECPTA

You can find info on the Lakewood page about the big home tour, party and craft fair fundraiser next month - and here is some info about the very successful fundraiser Stonewall had a few months ago:
Advocate video: Stonewall Jackson and the Reverend Horton Heat | Advocate Magazine

In The News

[Lakewooder]

Stonewall Jackson carnival is Saturday | Advocate Magazine

[Lakewooder]

Scenes Seen at Stonewall Carnival



Check out the photos - Lakewood starting having rides so now Stonewall has them. These things are getting elaborate!

[roverchris]

Wow. The Stonewall carnival sure has changed since my oldest was there in the 90's. Good times back then. Great school. I always remember the auditorium was standing room only during programs & events. Involved parenting makes all the difference.

[britty753]

Thank you for all of your replies! We've decided on Lakewood! Hooray! Moving in December.