Young family relo-- what suburb with commute into downtown? (Dallas: 2014, home)

[NYLACHI]

Hi everybody!

My husband is interviewing for a position in downtown Dallas (right by the American Airlines Center).

We have 3 small children (kindergarten, 3, 1). I stay at home for now, so that isn't an issue.

We are moving from Chicago (suburb, Naperville), so your home prices and commute times seem like paradise to us! Ha. However, because of this it is difficult to discern the good options from what seems like a good option relative to Chicago if that makes sense.

Our budget is $325,000 for a 4 bedroom home. Resale needs to be a possibility because we've been averaging about 8 years in a city with my husband's career. Schools are a huge consideration. I'd like lots of other YOUNG families around for my kids-- they "go out to play" with the neighborhood kids here all the time. Then comes commute time/traffic and finally, we lean to the left, politically, and are not active in a church so I'd like a community where those facts don't make us a pariah.

If there is a trader Joes/whole foods/Costco and an IMAX theater within 10 minutes, that would seal the deal.

Thanks so much for your help. I'm thinking Plano at this point but I'm piloting blind here!

[Rakin]

Yes, Plano, Allen, Frisco would all meet your needs. Plano will be the closest.

Flower Mound would be great but does not have all the shopping you mentioned within 10 minutes.

[ChristieP]

Richardson would be great!
Commuting from Flower Mound to Victory would be awful...

[txgolfer130]

Love McKinney, and always highly recommend it. Super family friendly and oriented and kids of ALL ages. Commute to downtown Dallas will be murder from 7:45-9am (not Chicago traffic, but close), but it's a great place to raise a family.

However, with your TJ & IMAX search variables...Plano (E. of Independence will be 15 min.), Frisco (also about 15 w/ traffic), Allen (15-20 w/ traffic) & IMAX is at 635/35 area.

[ChristieP]

One thought: rather than focus on shopping and IMAX for you, you might consider focusing on cities where it would be easy for your husband to hop on the DART rail and save himself the hassle of driving into Victory every day. Personally, if I worked in or newr downtown Dallas, theres no way I would be driving down there. I would much rather be sitting on the train and relaxing!

DART.org - DART Rail System Map

Here's the DART rail system map. Look at the TRE that goes into Tarrant County, or the green line that goes up to north Carrollton. There are nice communities fairly close to the rail stations where you could have almost everything in your wish list.

[NYLACHI]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

One thought: rather than focus on shopping and IMAX for you, you might consider focusing on cities where it would be easy for your husband to hop on the DART rail and save himself the hassle of driving into Victory every day. Personally, if I worked in or newr downtown Dallas, theres no way I would be driving down there. I would much rather be sitting on the train and relaxing!

DART.org - DART Rail System Map

Here's the DART rail system map. Look at the TRE that goes into Tarrant County, or the green line that goes up to north Carrollton. There are nice communities fairly close to the rail stations where you could have almost everything in your wish list.

My husband tends to work long hours-- after being a slave to the Chicago Metra, I think the last thing he wants to do is deal with public transportation again!

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by NYLACHI

My husband tends to work long hours-- after being a slave to the Chicago Metra, I think the last thing he wants to do is deal with public transportation again!

DART is nothing like that. You can park at the station and ride all the way to work.

I think Plano and possibly Richardson are good options for you, though there is not a Trader Joe's in Richardson. They are building one a few miles south of here but it supposedly won't open until 2014.

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by NYLACHI

My husband tends to work long hours-- after being a slave to the Chicago Metra, I think the last thing he wants to do is deal with public transportation again!

Second that DART rail is nothing like that. Trains run every 15 minutes or so during rush hours, and the outlying stations are all "park and ride" type. My husband used the DART rail every day when he worked downtown, and whenever I have to go over there, I use it, too. Most major employers also offer subsidized DART passes, too.

Driving into downtown, or Victory where his office will be, can be awful. Remember, too, that Dallas has a lot of toll roads, and even though the toll of "only" $2.50 each way may not seem bad, it adds up really quickly. It's not unusual for someone who uses toll roads daily to spend over $1200 a year on tolls.

[mSooner]

Honestly, I think you would adore the Lakewood/M-Streets area, but you are going to have to settle for a smaller home.

Other than that, I think the previous suggestions are worth checking out, though Flower Mound is far. Add Coppell to your list as well.

[NYLACHI]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

One thought: rather than focus on shopping and IMAX for you, you might consider focusing on cities where it would be easy for your husband to hop on the DART rail and save himself the hassle of driving into Victory every day. Personally, if I worked in or newr downtown Dallas, theres no way I would be driving down there. I would much rather be sitting on the train and relaxing!

DART.org - DART Rail System Map

Here's the DART rail system map. Look at the TRE that goes into Tarrant County, or the green line that goes up to north Carrollton. There are nice communities fairly close to the rail stations where you could have almost everything in your wish list.

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

DART is nothing like that. You can park at the station and ride all the way to work.

I think Plano and possibly Richardson are good options for you, though there is not a Trader Joe's in Richardson. They are building one a few miles south of here but it supposedly won't open until 2014.

Is there parking at the Plano stations? That's a huge issue with the Chicago 'burbs...there's the Metra, but there is often a 10 year waiting list to park at the stations. It's horrendous.

Huh. Well, that's really an excellent option as the Victory station is right near his potential office.