blanch

My husband and I are from the Houston area. We have been living in the Nashville, TN area and love everything about it here. The seasons, the terrain, the people, the size, the history, very little crime and traffic is not bad. I am particularly infatuated with Franklin, voted the best small town in Tennessee. It is a charming, quaint, historic, well-preserved little town. But, the other side of Franklin 15 minutes from the original historic district has every type of retail and restaurants one could want. It has the best of both worlds. We love it. It has spoiled us I am afraid. Unfortunately, our time here is possibly coming to an end. A move to Dallas may be on the horizon. What I would like in the Dallas AREA is: charming shopping enviroment like town squares, but I also like Whole Foods and upscale shopping (esp. on sale!). I like renovated historic homes w/front porches but want to be in a safe, friendly neighborhood. New construction: I like the historic reproductions and I like the Hill Country look.

ellabella

I grew up in Plano, and currently live close to downtown. I'm very partial to the M-Streets & Lakewood areas, which are older but have had a lot of new construction in recent years with a variety of architecture . They are building a huge flagship Whole Foods right in the heart of Lakewood that will be done in about a year. You'd be close to the West Village, Highland Park Village, Northpark, and Central Market (which I much prefer over Whole Foods!). You should check out the Southlake/Grapevine areas too. They may be considered a little safer as they're not as close to inner city neighborhoods, but they're also quite a commute if either of you will work downtown. I would avoid the north suburbs as I think they lack charm, but I am sure others may disagree. Good luck and let me know if you have more questions!

MrsJenn

I agree with ellabella. Lakewood sounds like something you would be interested in. We are looking to buy a home in that area next year (we also live downtown). Or, if you can afford it, check out the Highland Park or University Park area. Welcome to Dallas!

HonestAbe

Ditto w/ MrsJenn: If you can afford it (and that can be a big "if", Highland Park is THE place to be. Great neighborhood feel, authentic town square area, charm, and very close to some upscale shops in Uptown.

OO

In another post she says her husband will be working in Irving. With traffic what it is, I'd nix HP, Lakewood and the M's, but Southlake might be worth exploring.

2dogs

if your lookin to get away from the heat of Houston, your stepping into the fire here in Dallas.....the Dallas Ft Worth area is as huge as Houston area...lots of good and bad places to live...good luck on your selections....

blanch

This is my first time to communicate via a message board...please excuse the newbie! Yes, my husband will be working in Irving, IF we choose this position. Although of course we love home because it is home, I DO NOT miss the Houston heat, humidity, mosquitoes, etc...and am aware Dallas is not MUCH better - but at least it is further north! Maybe not soooooo flat! I am telling you --- we are spoiled here in Franklin, Tennessee!

starrsville

Everything you like about Franklin, TN - you are going to miss in Dallas.

I moved to Dallas and lasted less than a year. I got tired of the flat terrain and no trees. Moved back to the hills and green of the SE.

Anyone other options available to you - including the actual Hill Country? We headed down to the Hill Country or Padre Island every weekend we could.

dgg

Oh Blanch, I can relate to your concerns. We moved to Dallas a couple of years ago from Atlanta. I grew up in Pennsylvania. I love the rolloing hills and the heavily forested topography of those areas. The charm of the South is also something I miss.

Our family ultimately decided to move to the Park Cities (Highland Park and University Park). It is a lovely area with everything you describe. In fact, prime in Dallas. The prices reflect that. Moving from Tennesse to the Park Cities will give you some serious sticker shock. It's the Beverly Hills of Dallas. If you don't need the Park Cities schools, a more reasonable option would be the charming M Streets near to the Park Cities and Lakewood which is full of character. You mentioned that your husband would be working in Irving though. You may find the commute too much. I'm really not familiar with the area around Irving, but I think Las Colinas would be a good option and nearer than the communities in Dallas that I mentioned. Anyone on the Board, correct me if I'm wrong.

ChristieP

If you like historic downtown, lots of shopping and restaurants, and you want an easy commute to Irving, I must recommend Grapevine! The only thing we do not have is a lot of trees. We have great streets and city services, very low crime, and two fun festivals a year. Plus, we are centrally located in between Dallas and FOrt Worth, so it's only a 20-minute drive to either one.

Be careful of Lakewood and East Dallas. We left there in 2001 due to the increasing crime in our neighborhodd, and we've never looked back...

pepper131

I'm still trying to figure out where this forest is located in Dallas.

All I can think of is some of the immediate areas surrounding White Rock Lake to the sw (fish hatchery) and to the north (along the White Rock Creek). Neither of which you can live in...well except I'm sure there's some homeless folks in there somewhere...

Or maybe the Live Oak tress planted along either side of the Toll Road around Mockingbird Ln.

HonestAbe

OK... this tree topic actually falls into my line of work.

Dallas is not forested. Dallas' ecoregion is considered prairie, grassland, and savannah. While savannahs typically have oak thickets, and the Dallas region has a nice supply of live oaks, most of those trees you see were planted.

To the east of Dallas, maybe 100 miles or a little more, begins a very different ecoregion. It is the pine forest that starts in far eastern texas and moves eastward through the upper part of the gulf states, and through the piedmont near the Appalachians. This is actually the ecosystem that Atlanta belongs to.

Dallas has trees, no doubt, as nearly ever American city except for maybe Vegas does. But that is because people plant trees in neighborhoods. Plus, like with any region of the world, you find native trees alongside cricks and streams.

Put it this way: In atlanta or nashville, you cut down trees so you clear space to build a house. In Dallas, you build a house and then plant some trees around it so you have a "wooded" yard.

What Dallas and Atlanta share is a climate. They are technically in a subtropical climate that envelopes the southeast, but dallas is right on the edge of it, closer to what we consider a prairie climate.

blanch - I know that is the mouthful. Bottom line - they've planted a few trees in Dallas to make it look OK, but it is not nearly as green and lush a native area as Franklin, TN.

packed

Having lived in Dallas most of my life, I beg to differ with some of the other posts. The life style in Dallas is so much more comfortable than many other cities. People are friendly. It's easy to get into your car and go to so many places. Shopping is fabulous, from Neiman Marcus to several large outlet malls with great discount stores. There are wonderful restaurants in Dallas. We had an unusually cold winter this year, meaning it only ranged in the teens once or twice. Last winter I barely wore a jacket. Yes, it's flat in some areas but there are mature areas with trees and beautiful landscaping and even a few hills. The climate is much better here than in Houston, being less humid and muggy although it can get hot in the summer. Two nights ago we went out to dinner and ate outside in the Greenville area, a local fun restaurant area, and it was alive with people. The DFW airport is easy and has many direct flights. It is almost never snowed in. Can wholeheartedly recommend two very knowledgeable top realtors who are very experienced and exceptionally familiar with the Dallas area. http://dallashomesteam.com/
Hope you enjoy Dallas.

starrsville

I enjoyed the last two posts - and especially enjoyed the word "crick".

HonestAbe, have you read Janisse Ray's Ecology of a Cracker Childhood? Interesting read - memoir chapters alternating with ecology of (disappearing) longleaf pine forests of South Georgia.

LOVED the book.

I tried to read Pinhook: Finding Wholeness in a Fragmented Land, but it was a harder read (for me - Disclaimer! Personal opinion)

Both are signed by her. If you have a chance to hear her speak, by all means, go see / hear her.

dgg

Hi HonestAbe, Starsville & Stat_Man! I see you're on another Dallas post as well. Once again, against my better judgment, I have to chime in.

I am also looking for the Dallas forests....

I think I mentioned before that I live in the Park Cities which is known as a pretty community in Dallas area. Well, a few months ago, I was working with my son's boy scout troop, researching the history of our community. The fact is, there were NO trees in the Park Cities prior to 1915. (That pretty much applies to all of Dallas.)You can still see the first one (in the Park Cities), planted at Preston and Armstrong Parkway. In our research at the SMU library, we saw a picture of the first university building, surrounded by.....NOTHING! Not even a scrub tree. Dallas is basically a prairie. There may be a few clumps of trees here and there (referred to as forests by the natives), but most of the trees were planted along with the houses that were built on the "prairie." It is nothing at all like the natural forests of Tennessee. I'm no tree expert, but I would like to further add that an unusually high number of the trees I've seen are either Pecan trees (planted by homeowners) or Live Oaks (also planted by homeowners). I like the Pecans, but to me (a native Pennsylvanian), the Live Oaks look like scrub trees. Apparently they're among a handful of trees that thrive in our climate. I planted two in my backyard because they thrive here. I assume that is why others have done the same. Nevertheless, I'm happy to have them, because they're trees. I don't think that Blanch is interested in what kind of trees are growing hours away in Tyler, Texas or in Southern Georgia. She's looking to live in the Dallas Metro area.

To compare the topography of Tennessee (Franklin) or Georgia (Atlanta) to the topography of Dallas is just not right.

Stat_man, it's obvious that you love your hometown of Dallas and are willing to defend to the end. We all respect that and you are able to provide some valuable information on Dallas. Unfortunately, you come across as defensive and unreasonable when you reply sometimes.

Why can't you just say, "Dallas is my hometown. I love it here. It has everything I need to live a comfortable day-to-day life. The metropolitan area is growing and vibrant, and there is some cultural diversity. It has a moderate climate with very hot summers and mild winters. The topography is flat, much like a prairie. You will not find the rolling hills and forests that you have in Tennesse, but there are areas which you might prefer given your love of the terrain in your present hometown. They are...."

You don't have to argue with everyone on the board to prove that you are correct. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a statistics expert to figure out that there isn't much in the way of hilly terrain and forests in Dallas.

OO

dgg...do you mean that Christmas light live oak at Armstrong and Preston? That was the first tree planted in Dallas? Incredible...its enormous and I'm surprised it could reach that size in less than 100 years.

I had to laugh when we lived in Plano, driving in what was then a back road across the southern end of Willow Bend, there was a sign that said "Welcome to Plano, Tree City USA". Plano was the dead last city I'd call tree city anything!

OK...someone must know of this area of Dallas I'm thinking about. It's not just a hill, it's a cliff (or at least that's the way I perceived it when I lived in Dallas), very, very steep roads leading up to the homes and tons of trees. I don't think it's too far from the Preston Hollow area, but west of that. Cliff and/or green is in the name of one of the streets. Not that I'd live there if I worked in Irving though!

And to those who have suggested McKinney...good grief, they'd spend all their time in the car!

pepper131

OO -

Trying to think of that area and I can't come up with anything...was just over there a month ago.

Kessler Park has an area as you describe - cliff like and steep streets. Oh...and tall trees!!!!

HonestAbe

There is another indicator that is used by urban planners, the Tree Canopy Cover %, but I am hesitant to throw that out here for argument. That is because canopy cover can vary so much from neighborhood to neighborhood based upon building practices, age of the town, etc.

Using that measure, though, the Metroplex would be in the middle of most canopy cover measures. The numbers I've seen put it in the 15% - 30% range of tree cover (with more tre-concious suburbs being closer to 30%). Altanta is in the mid-30's. Franklin is probably at least in the mid-30's. Dallas residents' efforts to plant Live Oaks and other street trees has had a positive impact. When you're flying in, you see zero trees up until you hit the city limits, and then you start seeing the plantings in the neighborhoods. This is true with most cities on the plains.

A place like Portland, OR is consistently above 50% canopy cover.

A place like Denver is between 6% - 10%.

Hope that helps provide another way of looking at this.

OO

pepper131--it has come back to me with the help of Google. It was driving me crazy. Not "cliff" but "bluff". Bluffview. We had friends who lived there--it was a beautiful section--but too far for Blanch to commute!

dgg

OO, I think it is Bluffview you're thinking of. There is also an Oak Cliff in the Dallas area but I don't know anything about it.

Re: the tree on Preston & Armstrong. It was planted in 1915 give or take a year or so.