A Little About Dallas, Texas 

The DFW metroplex is one of the 5 largest and the fastest growing in the nation. However, the headline city of Dallas, perhaps the best known city in Texas, alone is only the third most populated city in Texas.  With its rich culture, sports, arts and business, Dallas is a metropolis with something for everyone. Glamorous yet totally Western, you can be comfortable dressed up for the opera or outfitted in cowboy gear for the local rodeo. With the laid back sophistication that characterizes the city, natives and visitors alike enjoy the best of what America has to offer, neatly packaged in a three hundred and eighty five square mile hub known as Dallas, Texas.

Dallas is an excellent choice for families looking to make a move. While glitzy and cosmopolitan, it retains the down home feel of a Southern city where hospitality rules, and a “Good day, y’all” comes across with a smile and a nod. The main downtown center is surrounded by neighborhood and suburban areas with a mix of urban living condos and town-homes, as well as established neighborhoods with sprawling lawns, beautiful housing options and plush amenities that have an out of town feel, yet are only minutes away from the heart of the city.

DFW International airport is the third busiest airport in the nation, with flights to one hundred and forty five domestic and forty seven international destinations, so it’s easy to get where you need to go. The residents also enjoy DART, an advanced light rail system that makes intercity travel a snap. Dallas is moving at the speed of business and pleasure.

With a population of over 1.2 million, and nearly 7 million in the total metroplex, the area is loaded with amenities and  services. However, even with so many people, the city remains clean and organized, with plenty of civic initiatives and generous donors who contribute to vibrant city living, including the largest arts district in the nation. There are outstanding museums, such as the Dallas museum of art, The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, as well as numerous performance halls, including the AT&T Performing Arts Center and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

There’s a thriving sports community that serves both the recreational enthusiast and the spectator sports fan. Sporting ideas range from camping and biking on the river and the more than one hundred miles of hike and bike trails to team games at the three hundred and sixty five public and free parks throughout the city. For those who prefer to watch, Dallas has five major league sports teams in football, soccer, baseball, basketball and hockey. 

Dallas’ population is diverse, with many difference races and religions and a strong Hispanic influence, as more than forty percent of the city is of Hispanic origin. The residents are well educated, with a more than seventy percent high school graduation rate. Since the city is not as large as others with the same degree (or less) of business activity, getting to work takes a lot shorter than in other places, with an average of only twenty five minutes. Most of the outlaying neighborhoods are quaint and quiet but close to the hubbub of activity.

There is a wide gap in income levels, with many wealthy families living in opulent settings, but also many low income households in less affluent areas. There are the yuppies in the uptown areas as well, so all income points are fully represented, and anyone can find his place. Housing is much cheaper than other large cities, with a median price of $79,000 for a home, well below the Texas median of $114,000 and the national median of $142,000, making cost of living extremely affordable. There is a well-recognized public school system as well as a wide network of independent schools for all types of students.

Neighborhoods

While downtown Dallas is undeniably the heartbeat of the city, as well as of the entire Metroplex area, there are several outlying neighborhoods in Dallas proper that complete the picture of an eclectic city with a nook or cranny for any type of person.

Highland Park and University Park are among the the wealthiest residential districts in the entire fifty states, for good reason. Homes in this area are lush and large, set out on sprawling lawns. Residents enjoy beautiful landscaping and many amenities, an almost rural existence, yet a short ride into the main part of town. There are only just over 8,000 residents of the area, and median income for a family is $200,000.

Uptown is just what it sounds like, literally and figuratively. Technically a part of the Oak Lawn area, it is just North of Downtown. It’s the northern part of the main city, and is a classy contrast to the more urban downtown. The uptown area is fairly close in distance to the downtown, but it feels clean and chic instead of crowded and busy. Uptown boasts decadent pampering, with stylish shopping and hip eateries to entertain and amuse the upper crust types. Taxes are a bit higher than elsewhere in the city and contribute to well-kept parks and neater streets. Most residences here are apartments, as it’s still in the main part of the city, close to all of the businesses, shops and attractions.

The Turtle Creek area is also officially part of the Oak Lawn neighborhood, and also North of Down town and East of Uptown area. While it doesn’t contain the same activities as some of the more energetic parts of the city, it affords a quieter, more relaxed reality while close enough to the hustle and bustle of downtown. Homes here are not as ritzy as in Highland Park and are generally condos and duplexes, but they are upscale, usually filled with professionals and others who commute to downtown for work, and the location is perfect for getting easily into town.

North Dallas is a shopping mecca and light competition with downtown for restaurants and hotels. There are many ritzy developments in the area, and it’s an alluring prospect for people who enjoy good things in life but prefer to be at somewhat of a distance from the center of town. The main attraction in the area is the posh Galleria, an upscale shopping experience for discerning consumers. There are shopping centers and large chain stores on almost every corner along with a multitude of chic restaurants that make this area a destination for anyone in the Dallas vicinity.

Deep Ellum is in East Dallas and is a night life hub, with bars and clubs, music of every stripe. There are vintage chic and second hand shops, some art galleries and great places to eat. It’s the Soho of Dallas, a place where the very cool mingle and play, mostly at night. During the day, it’s fairly quiet in this area.

Due to the large mix of people and neighborhoods in Dallas, there’s a wide spectrum in housing costs. For example, the average price of a home in Highland Park is over a million dollars, but there are homes in other parts of the city that cost less than $50,000. Dallas is a draw for recent immigrants as well as high income professionals, making for the large disparity in prices. It’s truly a treasure trove of different types of people with distinct ethnic personas, and it’s what makes the city so special. What ties everyone together is the Texan friendliness, as warm as the Dallas sunshine, which glows bright the whole year long.