GARLAND, ROWLETT,ADDISON, RICHARDSON, We can't decide! (Dallas, Plano: apartments, renting)

[howdytexas]

Greetings, all. We finally found out the hubby will be working in Garland. I lived in Garland for a year (2005) and it was just fine to me. Being able to choose my son's school was liberating - coming from Chicago, ugh . I remember quiet nights, plenty of parks and shopping, but we usually went out of Garland to have fun. We aren't looking for a neighborhood with a fancy name, just a good place to raise our children. We prefer renting a house or townhome over an apartment. We would also like to be within walking distance to a bus line.

I hope that isn't asking for too much. We're looking in Garland, Addison, Rowlett and Richardson since they have DART access. Any advice would be great. Also, thank you for all of your previous replies.

[FarNorthDallas]

There is a bus line that goes up and down Arapaho Road between the DART train station at Greenville and Arapaho and the Addison transit center in Addison. Along there are houses - some in Richardson and some in Dallas, but the Richardson school district. You might look along there. Some of the areas are called: Greenwood Hills, Richardson Heights, The Reservation, Estates West, Prestonwood, Holiday Park, Prestonwood East, Spring Creek, plus others. You would have to find a house close to Arapaho to make the bus stops walking distance. Buses also run along Coit. Buses don't go into the neighborhoods so you have to find a house on the edges, close to the main thoroughfares.

The elementary schools are Northrich, Classical Magnet, Greenwood Hills, Mohawk, Bowie, Spring Creek, Prestonwood, Brentfield - all in Richardson school district, most rated exemplary.

[nmnita]

I would take FARNORTHTEXAS' advise to heart, he/she usually is objective and knows the area. From what I know I would put Richardson at the top of the list, followed by Garland, but it depends on whether you are looking a new or older homes and your housing budget.

Nita

[momof2dfw]

I've lived in 3 of those.

GARLAND - Lived here twice now and LOVE IT! Our first "starter home" and now and both neighborhoods have been great w/ great neighbors. Close to everything and easy to get around the metroplex. A LOT has changed since 2005. The new mall, Firewheel Town Center is open and growing like crazy. You won't need to leave the area now for much of anything. I love the schools and the magnet programs as well. I like the family feel of the city and area and how even if you were not from here you instantly feel like your a "hometown" person. The city itself is very responsive and been doing a lot of sprucing up on the south side. Old apartments that were allowed to rundown due to out-of-state owners/investors that did not care have been condemned, taken over and torn down. Same for old shopping centers. Parks are abundant and very nice. There are two DART rail stations in Garland and the buses pretty well cover the city.

ROWLETT - Lived here and moved back to Garland. It is okay but has too many negatives for me to consider it a positive. I also have relatives that work in the city and things are NOT good there either (the mayor is a terror). We are still good friends w/ our neighbors there and there often and they are always going on about problems in the area be it their trashcans being stolen and found out in the middle of a road on fire or car break-ins. Then the ones near where 190 is coming there are really unhappy. A few of the negatives are extremely high property taxes (one of the highest in all of Dallas County) and water rates (they raised them twice last summer) and no bulk pick up for trash. Traffic is another issue with all of the road construction and the way 190 is going to go thru is closing off several neighborhood entrances. I know some neighborhoods like to get from home to the high school will have to go practically all the way around to get there. I can point you to a local forum that will expose all of the unhappy campers living there. Oh, and mail service in Rowlett BITES! We had it bad when we lived there and from the sounds of it they have not improved. If anyone dares park remotely close to your mailbox they won't deliver your mail at all. Does not matter if it is only a delivery truck there ONCE and for a few minutes. If they have to go around they won't even stop. Read up on the controversy surrounding their recent bid to be an All American City. OH MY!!!!

ADDISON - Not for a family at all. If your working in Garland I sure would not want to deal with this either. More of a singles area with all of the apartments than a family area.

RICHARDSON - Like Richardson and it has some great spots as well. Love The Heights and Canyon Creek areas and over off of Coit & Campbell. New areas out on the far east are actually Plano schools. Great parks and overall a good family area as well. Richardson is also very proactive when it comes to revitalizing the city. They have been trying to get several of the older shopping centers updated and strong again. Code in Richardson is also a good thing as they are pretty strict on street parking and campers/rv's. Schools in Richardson are also pretty good. I just would not want to live on one far side of Richardson and commute all the way across if I don't have to.


I'd say it is a tie between Garland and Richardson and throw out the other two. Would just depend on how far from work your husband wants to be for his commute and houses you can find in your price range. Some of the better and more desired areas of both of these are not going to have many houses on the market.

[howdytexas]

I guess I kept my Garland Public Library card for a reason! Thank you all sooo much for your detailed input. We'll start looking for places in North Garland/Richardson. Momof2dfw, you are so funny! Farnorthdallas - I look forward to your posts on the Dallas threads, and Nmnita, you are are always helpful. Now, scoot over down there, because here we come!