jessica

we are planning to move to the dallas area soon....I understand that the cost of living is considerably less in irving. does anyone have any personal experience living there...nice schools, shopping, housing?

xx

Hi Jessica -

I wouldn't exactly say that the cost of living is considerably less than Dallas. Are you looking to purchase a house or rent an apartment? Valley Ranch and Las Colinas areas are nice, however, the prices of these homes and apartments can be as much as some in Dallas. Irving does not have great shopping, but there is plenty of nice shopping close by. What area of town will you be working in?

sandi

Las Colinas is very expensive, but older Irving is not. The older Irving may not be what you're looking for as most of the houses were built in the 50's and 60's and the neighborhoods are not so great. There are MANY apt complexes in the Irving/Las Colinas area with a broad range of prices. I was born and raised in Irving and work in Las Colinas. Let me know if you have any other specific questions about the area.

Christie

I'm a native Dallasite, and I agree with the other posters that the cost of living isn't less in Irving, especially in Las Colinas. The older neighborhoods can be quite rough, and the schools are just OK.

Honestly, you want to live fairly close to your work in the Dallas area. A long commute gets very old, especially when the weather is hot or there is a big wreck on a major freeway. A commute from Irving to Plano can easily take over an hour in traffic both directions.

If you'll be working in the Irving area, then yes, you should look at moving there. But if not, then you should look elsewhere.

Relocator2

Also looking to maybe move to the Dallas area. I sent a resume for job opportunity with a great company. I thought their offices were in Dallas and we were looking to live in the Richardson area. I got a callback for an interview last week and in making travel arrangements learned their offices are really in Irving rather than Dallas. Waiting now to hear if I get 2nd interview or job offer. Not sure I would like the Irving area. I am a 29 yo engaged female who would be moving with finance. We like upscale shopping, restaurants, lots of movies, etc and would be buying a home. To give you an idea, we initally like the area around SMU but housing costs too high so we began to move outward toward Richardson. Would that be a crazy commute to Irving, I assume? Are there nice areas that might fit our like in or near Irving?

Christie

Yes, a Richardson to Irving commute would be insane. You'd be spending your life on 635, at least until the George Bush Turnpike is finished, and then you'd be spend a lot of money on tolls.

If you like the area around SMU ("Park Cities"), also look east of 75 at Lakewood, and at the city of Southlake between Dallas and Fort Worth. Both of these cities offer the things you're looking for, and the commute wouldn't be horrid. Richardson is a nice town with excellent city services, but it is a lot more family-oriented and there isn't any upscale shopping there.

xx

What part of Irving is the job in (close to 635, 183 or 114)? If it is close to 635, then you may want to look in Coppell, Carrollton or Farmers Branch.

Local

I work in Irving, live in North Dallas right next to the Galleria. That area has more upscale shopping, movies, resturants in a two mile radius than you could shake a stick at. My commute (635 all the way to Beltline in Irving) is never more than 30 minutes in the morning and 45 at night.

Relocator2

The job is off of 114. It is not as far north or east as 635. It actually located in the area by the University of Dallas, Las Colinas COuntry Club and Exxon, if that puts it into perspective. Local - when you say you live in North Dallas, how would this area be defined because it sounds exactly like what we would be looking for?

Local

I live within walking distance to the Galleria in an apartment complex. About a mile from the intersection of Dallas Tollway and 635. To the north you come into Addison which has more resturants per capita than any other city west of the Mississippi and offers homes and townhomes for sale, along with a very trendy apartment community (Addison Circle). To the west a couple of blocks north of the intersection of Spring Valley and Preston and Spring Valley and Montfort are some very pleasant communities that my wife and I are looking at buying into. Three bedroom homes run about $150-$200, which is the norm for the area. Hope this helped put a definition on the location.

sandi

I work at 114 and Rochelle, just a mile of so from Univ. of Dallas. I live in East Dallas, just 2 miles noth of downtown. my commute takes only 25 minutes and I never get on a highway.

Lemmon Ave, close to my house, eventually turns into Marsh as you pass Love Field airport, at NW Highway. If you turn and go west on NW highway you'll cross Luna, O'Conner and evenutally will get dumped into 114.

So really, you don't have to live in Irving or closer to 635. I can't stand 635.