small yards in Dallas' suburbs??!!
Feb 8th, 2001, 12:27 AM
#1
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small yards in Dallas' suburbs??!!
Can anyone tell me why the Dallas' surburbs have such tiny yards (besides the alley/garage combo)? This is, after all, a huge state! Also, why are so many neighborhoods gridded out with no attractive design features like curving streets, staggered houses on lots, etc. Is is just to make money and cram so many houses on every bit of land - most everyone from out of state hates this part of living here. I know it's hot in the summer but you could enjoy a larger yard the rest of the year.
Feb 8th, 2001, 04:32 AM
#2
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I would guess that people don't want to live 75 miles from where they work. Duh! And therefore planners try to cram people/houses into a smaller area. This is pretty true all over the country. As a city gets to behemoth size (which Dallas is) something's gotta give...
Feb 8th, 2001, 04:38 AM
#3
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You'll be glad for those small yards once summer comes and you have to care for it...and water it, and hope something will grown in the rock hard ground! DON'T forget to water your foundation, whatever you do.
Actually, if you'd bought around Preston Hollow, or White Rock Lake area, you'd have nice big yards, and real trees.
Our street in Plano did curve, and both houses we owned in that town had pools in the backyard. Because yards are small and we hated solid deck and missed the landscaped look, we had deck only around 3 sides, and from the back of the pool to the fence line was all landscaping. It was small, but it was beautiful.
We lived across from the bike trail and creek so when the kids wanted to run, play football, ride bikes etc, thats where they went.
I like the rear entrance from the alley into the garage, not looking at garages or cars sitting in the front drive. That aspect is very attractive.
It's a huge state but commuting time into downtown is getting worse and worse..they can't afford to expand much further out and still have it a doable drive. Heck, you could live out in Possum Kingdom if you wanted to put up with the commute, and have all the yard you want. And have you seen some of the neigborhoods around Grapevine Lake? Huge lots.
Actually, if you'd bought around Preston Hollow, or White Rock Lake area, you'd have nice big yards, and real trees.
Our street in Plano did curve, and both houses we owned in that town had pools in the backyard. Because yards are small and we hated solid deck and missed the landscaped look, we had deck only around 3 sides, and from the back of the pool to the fence line was all landscaping. It was small, but it was beautiful.
We lived across from the bike trail and creek so when the kids wanted to run, play football, ride bikes etc, thats where they went.
I like the rear entrance from the alley into the garage, not looking at garages or cars sitting in the front drive. That aspect is very attractive.
It's a huge state but commuting time into downtown is getting worse and worse..they can't afford to expand much further out and still have it a doable drive. Heck, you could live out in Possum Kingdom if you wanted to put up with the commute, and have all the yard you want. And have you seen some of the neigborhoods around Grapevine Lake? Huge lots.
Feb 8th, 2001, 06:20 AM
#4
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Interesting question. I can't comment on Dallas specifically, but what Cathy describes can be found lots of places. Out here in Maryland, these issues are primarily found in newer neighborhoods. It seems that the customers want huge houses with lots of bells and whistles. To get that, you have to make compromises elsewhere. Often, this means a small lot in proportion to the house. On the bright side, there are lots of older neighborhoods with somewhat dated homes where the lots are still big in comparison to the house. Cathy, is it possible to find a little more interesting neighborhood by trying a different section of Dallas?
Feb 8th, 2001, 06:51 AM
#5
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Cathy,
The tiny yards were a surprise for me also. I had a mental picture of Dallas having large separate homes with acreage for yards.
After spending a few days there, I felt I was in a Stepford Wife/sci-fi movie. I never saw any people on the street. They drive into their garages that is in the back of the house via an alley, and never come outdoors. They get in their garages, drive to work, into another garage, into a buiding, and again never venture outdoors.
So much for the movie image of the great outdoorsmen of Texas.
As for Neil's "duh" comment. There is a lot less land in New England. 1/2 acre lots are common. Many homes have more. Mine has 4 acres. We still get to work each day and most don't travel more than a few miles.
Planners love to cram houses in small lots if zoning will allow it. It's cheaper.
The tiny yards were a surprise for me also. I had a mental picture of Dallas having large separate homes with acreage for yards.
After spending a few days there, I felt I was in a Stepford Wife/sci-fi movie. I never saw any people on the street. They drive into their garages that is in the back of the house via an alley, and never come outdoors. They get in their garages, drive to work, into another garage, into a buiding, and again never venture outdoors.
So much for the movie image of the great outdoorsmen of Texas.
As for Neil's "duh" comment. There is a lot less land in New England. 1/2 acre lots are common. Many homes have more. Mine has 4 acres. We still get to work each day and most don't travel more than a few miles.
Planners love to cram houses in small lots if zoning will allow it. It's cheaper.
Feb 8th, 2001, 07:20 AM
#6
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Herself,
But for New Englanders who live around a city the size of Dallas (IS there even one?), I'll venture to guess, most are commuting more than 20 minutes.
We have lived up there too. Yes we had a 1/2 acre lot, but my husband worked in Cambridge and we had to look for housing outside of Framingham before finding anything comparable to what we had before, yet still affordable. It took him an hour to get to work, not 20 minutes and he paid dearly on the MA Pike, as we did for property taxes, auto tags, auto insurance, state income tax blah blah blah. Anyone who has lived there knows this song!!
I'll take Dallas any day over that and I grew up in the Berkshires of MA!!
Cindy has a good point as well, and one I tried to make in post #2. If you look in the older neighborhoods, Preston Hollow, White Rock Lake, even North Dallas from Walnut Hill Ln to the old areas of Richardson, you're going to find nice sized lots, and even varied set-backs. Or...look even further out, McKinney and Allen (too far from downtown isn't it). What you describe are new suburbs in Anywhere, USA, providing Anywhere is a major metropolitan area. It's certainly true where we live now, Tampa, and this isn't even a major metropolitan area!
But for New Englanders who live around a city the size of Dallas (IS there even one?), I'll venture to guess, most are commuting more than 20 minutes.
We have lived up there too. Yes we had a 1/2 acre lot, but my husband worked in Cambridge and we had to look for housing outside of Framingham before finding anything comparable to what we had before, yet still affordable. It took him an hour to get to work, not 20 minutes and he paid dearly on the MA Pike, as we did for property taxes, auto tags, auto insurance, state income tax blah blah blah. Anyone who has lived there knows this song!!
I'll take Dallas any day over that and I grew up in the Berkshires of MA!!
Cindy has a good point as well, and one I tried to make in post #2. If you look in the older neighborhoods, Preston Hollow, White Rock Lake, even North Dallas from Walnut Hill Ln to the old areas of Richardson, you're going to find nice sized lots, and even varied set-backs. Or...look even further out, McKinney and Allen (too far from downtown isn't it). What you describe are new suburbs in Anywhere, USA, providing Anywhere is a major metropolitan area. It's certainly true where we live now, Tampa, and this isn't even a major metropolitan area!
Feb 8th, 2001, 10:10 AM
#7
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Your post should be "Small yards in PLANO" because that is the truth. If you look at average lot size, Plano is among the smallest in the area. And, as you also mentiuoned, the streets are like a grid, too.
I currently live in White Rock Lake area and I just love it. We have curvey streets, and big yards with lots of trees. I drive just as far to work in Richardson as my coworkers who live in Plano do, and I think my quality of life where I am is MUCH better.
I currently live in White Rock Lake area and I just love it. We have curvey streets, and big yards with lots of trees. I drive just as far to work in Richardson as my coworkers who live in Plano do, and I think my quality of life where I am is MUCH better.
