Relocating Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, or Arlington Texas pros and cons?
in Travel
I'm relocating next year and I'm considering Fort Worth, Grand Prairie or Arlington Texas. I have a 10 year old. I want a family oriented neighborhood. it has to be safe and have good schools with reasonable houses. benefits of the cities and suburbs.
Comments
What the other poster said about Texas being too hot is correct. You will have about five months out the year in the Dallas, Fort Worth area of 100+ degree temperatures. This will completely change your way of living as there is no going to the park, going for jogs, or doing really any outdoor activities. I'm black and I never got sick from the heat until I moved to Texas. I've lived in the south all my life. Suddenly after moving here I would throw up everytime I would come from outdoors. It would feel like I was dying for an hour. Per my doctor- it was the HEAT.
Second, Arlington or Grand Prairie are best. Steer clear of Fort Worth. It's too far. Too much crime. Mostly factories and very, VERY low wage jobs. I live in Fort Worth now. I've been here only four months and can't wait to get back to Dallas. Fort Worth is the GHETTO. Most jobs pay minimum wage. Not many good jobs.
Its dirt cheap out here though. I live in a furnished efficiency for $280.00 per month.
I am not sure where you live now, but I agree with the Arlington, Grand Prairie, or even the Arlington/Mansfield area. That means Arlington city, but Mansfield school district--Texas school districts don't always line up with the cities in which they are located. This area is suburban, but is increasing its medium density development so there is much to do in a short drive. I would call the area suburban/urban. Also, while Arlington schools are okay, I have heard that Mansfield schools are a notch better, with ethnic diversity, without a truckload of social problems-although any place has at least a few, and the area is geared to adults with children. Crime rate is pretty low with most of the crime being petty property crimes.
Texas is hot in the summer, but air conditioning is almost universal. This is the Southwest after all. Places like Texas and Arizona do get hot. Fort Worth is okay in spots, but you need to be strategic in where you look. I have not heard many good things about Fort Worth schools and the few teachers I have met from that district all seem angry and frustrated.
I don't know your job field, but I am guessing you have that settled; you just need a place to land. Anywho, best of luck and bienvenidos.
Of the 3 places you named I'd choose Arlington or Grand Prairie. In another answer the person stated that Grand Prairie was well, , , you know what he said. We live in far south Grand Prairie and we love the city, so I can't imagine what he's referring to.
The schools in all 3 locations are good. . . not great. If you want really good schools you'll have to move to Plano, Allen, Frisco, Southlake, or Keller. Housing is more expensive in these cities.
Most people have a car and prefer to drive than take a bus, so they don't choose a city based on public transportation. However, if that's important to you and it sounds like you want to live in between Dallas & Ft Worth, Irving would be the closest city to that area, that has public transportation.
NOT grand prairie. That place is like the bvtt cr@ck of the DFW metroplex.
Stay away from even the east side of Arlington (as it is right next to GP)
Yuck!
You want mansfield, grapevine, euless/hurst/bedford area aka EHB,
Probably grapevine.
And cheap I suppose. Unless you plan on driving you and the kid all the time while growing up, GP and ARL are out because neither one has bus service and are so spread out a car is required. Ft Worth has the cultural areas (as opposed to tourist traps) and bus service although coverage is a bit uneven.
Its too hot to live in texas lol
plano