Most affluent Dallas suburbs? (Plano, Frisco: insurance, homes, school)

[TriumphOfTheSprint]

Originally Posted by hamiltonpl

Triumph gets away with more personal attacks. Moderator cut: comment removed

Maybe because I'm not attacking you as an individual, rather I'm attacking the comments that you make.

I've never said that 500k was the top end for the suburbs. I said it was a lot of money for the suburbs.

In some neighborhoods in the suburbs, 500k would put you in the bottom half. In others, it would be a mansion. Everything is relative, even in Dallas.

People from Plano will tell you that they are rich. Somehow you infer that I meant all people. However, if you look closely, the word ALL does not appear in my post.

Neither does the word SOME. Perhaps if you were more precise in your use of language, you wouldn't be misunderstood.

The suburbs certainly do not have the monopoly on nouveou riche attitudes, but they are more prevalent in those suburbs. I know because I live here and deal with them everyday. How long have you lived in Dallas, Triumph?

I've lived here for almost 40 years (longer than you, I think), and I've don't necessarily disagree with you. However, I disagree with the sweeping generalizations that you often make about the suburbs and the offensive way that you portray suburbanites.

[Lakewooder]

I don't necessarily agree that having a more expensive house means more money in the bank. What you see is an attitude about things. Had I grown up elsewhere I don't think I would have been exposed to such nuances and I certainly would have gone into culture shock when I matriculated at Southern Methodist, had I gone there at all.

[lh_newbie]

There's a guy that owns a house on Fisher that I pass on my way to ride around White Rock Lake.

His house is on several acres; he spent more money on his fence than I did on my entire house. His place is, IMO, very tasteful. He obviously has scads of money. But if you ran into him on the street walking his dog or in the supermarket, you would have no idea. He doesn't wear flashy clothes, doesn't have the gold package (love that example). He is certainly not nouveau riche. He can have his cake and eat it too, without pushing it in people's faces. He has class.

I've heard it said that money doesn't make a person a jerk. Instead, money intensifies your personality. If you flaunted what you had, you'll do it more; if you were generous before, you'll be more generous after.

I'm trying to say that some people can be nouveau riche even WITHOUT the riche. I lived in Plano and Allen - I ran into my fair share of those people. In my experience, it is more prevalent in the northern burbs. Hamiltonpl is right, it's the attitude.

Brian

[rantanamo]

Growing up as a lower income child in the northern suburbs, there was a lot of nouveau riche. There are some suburban areas that have some nice wealth. Especially places like Willow Bend, Starwood in Frisco, Some parts of Southlake and Colleyville. And there are many others. But if the question was most, you are most definitely talking about places like Preston Hollow, Highland Park, University some areas of Far North Dallas, Turtle Creek and Uptown, where you're having houses and penthouses selling for over $10 million and not raising an eyebrow. I would call all of those areas suburban(except for Uptown and Turtle Creek) as they have large acreages. Especially the Preston Hollow area where those homes have huge acreages. It seems as rural in the estate area of PH and Bluffview as places like Heath. Incredible places to just drive through or bike through to see all of the crazy huge homes.

[GoPadge]

Originally Posted by hamiltonpl

No. Not at all. Those who have a very expensive house are more affluent.

Remaining humble is an attitude. Not a building or a car.

Those who get the loudest and tackiest new cars, gadgets, and show them off are nouveou riche. Ever watch "The Jerk" with Steve Martin? It's the show off attitude I'm talking about. And it's pretty clear from my earlier posts.

Actually it's not clear in your earlier post, or so vaguely worded as to imply that everyone in the suburbs were either crass Nouveau Riche with $$$ or a "$30K millionaire" with none. I don't disagree that both stereotypes exist, but it's the vast majority of hardworking residents in the suburbs that you offend with such apparently biased statements.

[stargazer]

This was just the conversation today with a Barista I know and have had this same convo with a friend who worked and lived in the Park Cities for years. Many burbs are where the Nuevo Rich live. Old money is in the Park Cities.

IMO
Top honors go to West Plano for most affluent burb

[Rabbitwarren]

I think this whole thread is kinda weak. I don't like all the money talk and I think if the OP just comes to Dallas, looks around and follows his heart to a neighborhood that speaks to him (presuming he also checks out schools) then he'll be just fine. The Dallas area has many, many good, modest people in all sorts of neighborhoods despite what the sniping and super critical responses found on this site might imply. Everyone here (except for the notable few) is so geeked by where they live, they like to gather here and talk to each other about it. All of this comes from a good place, really, but posts like this one don't quite exemplify it. OP, come have a look around. You'll fall in love.

M

[rantanamo]

Originally Posted by lecxus

I don't know, I kind of resent threads like these. It's almost as though some of you are suggesting noveau riche are in some way inferior to those who've had money for generations. News flash: due to a variety of factors, most notably racism, up until the 1950's, it was unheard of for certain minority groups to reach upper-middle/upper class tiers.

So I really think it's a slap in the face to suggest that those who recently acquired wealth through education, hard work, and determination are inherently inferior to those who (presumably) sat on their ass and waited for the inheritance checks to come in.

Highland Park is an example of this white privilege arrogance. It seems as though some will do whatever it takes to keep minorities out of this lilly white enclave, even when they may be of the same economic standing. I'm not familiar with Preston Hollow, but the same phenomena seems evident there as well.

The question was, what is the MOST affluent suburb of Dallas. Highland Park is the most Affluent and its not close. Its not a question of inferior or superior. Highland Park IS what you describe though there is some new money there, but that wasn't the question.

Preston Hollow/Bluffview areas are neighborhoods, unlike Highland Park and University Park which are municipalities with their own school district. There is a ton of new money in Preston Hollow as well as old money. Preston Hollow has all kinds of people and the homes are on more of the extreme and are estates west of Preston Rd. You're more likely to find some athletes there, more current big money CEOs, the Perots, Marc Cuban. I know some black families that live there through my gf and the charity that I work with in Oak Cliff. The thing is, you'd be lucky to get a home there for $1.2 million unless its on the edge in a neighborhood like Lake Forest. Most of the homes there are in that price range. PH is popular with many wealthy families because many of the popular private schools are in there as well as many being Hillcrest High alumns.

I'm sorry people take offense, but I grew up in the northern burbs. We didn't have much and there was a lot of snooty going on with people whom now I know are just average middle class people. There was a lot of lilly white privilege(to the point that they could do it) there as well. To single out Highland Park is just that, singling out. I know there are all types of hard working people in the burbs. There's no disputing that. I think some are just pointing out what the original poster wanted to know.

[FarNorthDallas]

Dallas Business Journal Book of Lists for 2007 lists the top 25 affluent zip codes based on median home value. You can buy this Book at Barnes & Noble. I saw it there the other day.

Top 10 Zip code/median home value for 2006/rough boundaries
1. 75205, $718,951 Highland Park
2. 75225, $596,288, (Dallas) Walnut Hill, Central, Lover Lane, Preston
3. 75251, $475,581, (Dallas ) LBJ, Coit, Forest, Hillcrest
4. 76092, $426,855, Southlake
5. 75093, $381,477, (Plano) Spring Creek Pkwy, Coit, Bush, Dallas North Tollway
6. 75039 $370,833 (Irving) 114/Bush, LBJ, Spur 482, O'Connor
7. 75230 $336,374 (Dallas) LBJ, Central, Walnut Hill, Dallas North Tollway
8. 76034 $325,863 (Colleyville) Southlake, DFW Airport, Bedford, North Richland Hills
9. 75201 $306,667, (Dallas) Central, Stemmons, Carlisle St, RL Thorton Freeway
10. 75022 $298,904 (Flower Mound) FM 1171, Int'l Pkwy/Long Praire, Grapevine Lake, Hwy 377

[DFWMike]

This is an interesting debate, not because of what is being debated necessarily, but just an example of broadsweeping generalizations being thrown in all directions. I was inclined to throw an over-generalization jab at Lakewooder's comments because of his suggestion by him that I did the same in my DISD is terrible posts last week.

Unfortunately I can't entirely disagree with the guys south of LBJ. There is some truth in what they are saying, I don't think materialism is limited to one side or the other of LBJ. In fact I think we can go ahead and take Highland Park off the list, they are every bit as pretentious as a West Plano person may be if not moreso.

However, I think anybody that goes and spends anytime in the lakewood area would be hard pressed to describe it as snooty. It's obvious that there is money in the area, but it just seems like the most open area. And I have to admit that W. Plano or Highland Park definately doesn't have the same homey feel.

That being said, you still can't paint either place with such a broad brush. Many types of people live in different areas for many reasons, but places do have vibes, those certain vibes for an area just can't account for every person that lives in said location.

Now that I look back I think I probably pretty much agree with Triumph.