My wife and I live in east Dallas and I work in uptown. We are looking to make a move next year, and are undecided where to look. Very highly/highly rated schools and a newer home are our priorities (my 57 year old house is a maintenance beating). We are looking in north Richardson (older homes though), Allen, Coppell, Lake Highlands, and Flower Mound. Some of those will have bad commutes to uptown, which is not ideal. Based on our criteria, and folks in similar situations, any advice on locations? It's probably a 10-20 year move for us, and I'll work in uptown for the foreseeable long term future. Thanks!

We've been in Lake Highlands just over a year and cannot speak highly enough for it. It has been an absolutely great move for our family.

And if you want to stay East Dallas, I know a very nice recent build (6ish YO maybe?) that will be for sale this fall. McCommas between Skillman & Abrams.

Thanks but we are probably moving April/May 2018 timeframe

OP have you looked at Sunnyvale? Forney?

We just closed on newbuild home in Forney - prices that far out were too hard for my family and I to turn down. Beats buying a older home in the Richardson, Plano area. We are moving from the Richardson area out to Forney. Don't know how far you are looking to move but the area a little further east will be booming within next couple years.

We live in Prestonwood and love it. Far north dallas that feeds to Richardson schools. We are close to the toll road so the commute to uptown isn't bad. Lots of young families. The houses aren't new, but they are a lot newer than the house we moved out of in east dallas.

We did what BIMS did. Moved out of East Dallas from a 1935 house into Preston Hollow area. House is not new (1970) but was gutted and redone about 10 years ago.

Commute dropped from about 35-40 minutes to 15-20 and put us more central to everything.

Your budget is going to dictate the neighborhood you can go for though, obviously?

BIMS O1 said:

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We live in Prestonwood and love it. Far north dallas that feeds to Richardson schools. We are close to the toll road so the commute to uptown isn't bad. Lots of young families. The houses aren't new, but they are a lot newer than the house we moved out of in east dallas.

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We had a very similar experience, though we moved to Prestonwood from Allen. Great area, very convenient access to downtown/uptown. I work in Richardson, so my commute shortened quite a bit, my wife works downtown and hers reduced drastically. We love it.

We live in Flower Mound and love it. Good schools & community. Most homes were built after 1995, and there is still some new construction (but all 500K+). I work in Downtown Dallas & the drive is usually about 40 minutes. It's about the same to Ft. Worth, so you have options should you change jobs in the future.

NTXAggie14 said:

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OP have you looked at Sunnyvale? Forney?

We just closed on newbuild home in Forney - prices that far out were too hard for my family and I to turn down. Beats buying a older home in the Richardson, Plano area. We are moving from the Richardson area out to Forney. Don't know how far you are looking to move but the area a little further east will be booming within next couple years.

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No, no, no. Mesquite is getting to be bad. Shootings way up. Property crime way up and its spilling out into Forney. The sheriffs keep a lot of that out of Sunnyvale but Forney will be Mesquite in that time frame imo.

If you are settled on public schools then your best option is feeding through Brentfield to Parkhill to Pearce. Probably next best is Prairie Creek, Canyon Creek or Mohawk to North to Pearce. That is assuming HPISD is not in your price range, since that is the obvious choice based on where you work and wanting highly rated schools. Lake Highlands has some nice neighborhoods but lots of apartments feed into the high school once your kids get that age. Should be lots of newly renovated options in those areas even though the neighborhoods are older.

Heisenberg01 said:

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If you are settled on public schools then your best option is feeding through Brentfield to Parkhill to Pearce. Probably next best is Prairie Creek, Canyon Creek or Mohawk to North to Pearce. That is assuming HPISD is not in your price range, since that is the obvious choice based on where you work and wanting highly rated schools. Lake Highlands has some nice neighborhoods but lots of apartments feed into the high school once your kids get that age. Should be lots of newly renovated options in those areas even though the neighborhoods are older.

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Or you could stretch it out to Bowie to Parkhill to Pearce. Brentfield has slight edge on Bowie but both are great elementary schools. Parkhill and Pearce are no brainers.

Don't drop below Arapaho.

SoupNazi2001 said:

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If you aren't opposed to a commute check out Castle Hills, but only the core section between Josey and Old Denton and Hebron and Parker. Great place to raise a family. The best thing I like about it is it is quiet and there is no major through traffic. Kids can ride bikes or golf carts to friends houses a couple miles away. Nice pools and playgrounds included. HOAs are fairly low for all this, about $80 per month. We moved here from ITL about 4 years ago.

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I second this. Moore Farm and Homestead are in the immediate area as well and are also nice. My wife's commute to victory park is about 30min.

I enjoy LH because still have quick access to White Rock Lake, Lower Greenville, and Deep Ellum. Lose that the further out you move. With a few exceptions, LH Elementary schools are great. More money moving into 'hood with residents and businesses every year so hopefully JRHS and HS will be cleaned up by the time our kids get there. Will always be more diverse than other areas, but that isn't a bad thing.

Personally I would rather live in Denver anyway, but wife and kids aren't budging.

The part of Canyon Creek that's in Collin County feeds into Plano schools. The homes are older but well built. Many have been renovated. Overall Canyon Creek is a highly sought after area as it's centrally located with quick access to many areas of the metroplex.

Babysitters and every weekend to Greenville, Downtown or Deep Ellum for a meal or drinks.

I'm 36 with 2 kids and still have a life.

Note to add I can get to Deep Ellum from my house on bike trails (White Rock Creek to WRL to Santa Fe Trail), which is nice.

If you think Deep Ellum and Greenville are hipster, then yes you are....with all due respect of course.

I'm not quite 30 yet but certain pockets of Greenville and deep ellum are pretty hipster...

I'll throw Wylie out there. I commute to Uptown everyday, though I start my day at the house after I drop the kids at school and make my way in between 8:30-9. With Waze routing me, I'm generally there in 35-40 minutes. If I'm out at 4:30-4:45, home in the same amount of time. Past that it's an hour unless you have reason to stay a little later. Once initial downtown rush empties around 5:30, its a lot better. I guess having a flexible schedule and the ability to take my first calls and last calls from the truck help. Wylie ISD is great (been here for almost 9 years). I'm building right now in Wylie ISD and the last phase of our subdivision is zoned to Garland ISD. With choice of schools however, you could do the Sachse feeder and those are pretty good schools as well.

Richardson or Lake Highlands unless you can sneak into University Park. The other locations are a beating as far as commutes go.

jtmoney03 said:

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I'll throw Wylie out there. I commute to Uptown everyday, though I start my day at the house after I drop the kids at school and make my way in between 8:30-9. With Waze routing me, I'm generally there in 35-40 minutes. If I'm out at 4:30-4:45, home in the same amount of time. Past that it's an hour unless you have reason to stay a little later. Once initial downtown rush empties around 5:30, its a lot better. I guess having a flexible schedule and the ability to take my first calls and last calls from the truck help. Wylie ISD is great (been here for almost 9 years). I'm building right now in Wylie ISD and the last phase of our subdivision is zoned to Garland ISD. With choice of schools however, you could do the Sachse feeder and those are pretty good schools as well.

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No disrespect, but Wylie to Uptown in 35-40 minutes is light speed with zero traffic.

jtmoney03 said:

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I'll throw Wylie out there. I commute to Uptown everyday, though I start my day at the house after I drop the kids at school and make my way in between 8:30-9. With Waze routing me, I'm generally there in 35-40 minutes.

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I call bull***** With no traffic going the speed limit it would take 45 minutes.

Callled out twice...it's cool. No disrespect taken, was just giving another option. I've only been making this drive to and from for the last 2 1/2 years, but please forgive me if you both know the routes between the two locations better than me. 27 miles door to door, Woodbridge to N Harwood, with small pockets of traffic going 75-80 on George Bush and 65-75 on 30. I leave my house generally around 9 and head home around 4:30. I did throw those caveats in of when I normally commute, which is why that was an important factor. I didn't claim that drive could be made at 7am or 5pm.

robertf03 said:

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jtmoney03 said:

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I leave my house generally around 9 and head home around 4:30.

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I'll be the first one here at 10:30am and the last one to leave a smidge after 4.

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I do appreciate the SV reference!

Spaceship, I apparently do not know what I am talking about. Please accept my apologies for even suggesting Wylie and remove it from consideration as one of the suburbs which meets all of your criteria. I wish you luck in your search!

No one believes you because right now it would take 34 minutes according to waze.

jtmoney03 said:

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robertf03 said:

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jtmoney03 said:

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I leave my house generally around 9 and head home around 4:30.

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I'll be the first one here at 10:30am and the last one to leave a smidge after 4.

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I do appreciate the SV reference!

Spaceship, I apparently do not know what I am talking about. Please accept my apologies for even suggesting Wylie and remove it from consideration as one of the suburbs which meets all of your criteria. I wish you luck in your search!

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Apology carefully considered and accepted. Next time I won't be so kind...

This thread got good