SperlingViews - Dallas, Texas

We have an abundance of activities for children.[read more...]

Because of White Rock Lake, most East Dallas has cooler temperatures than other parts of the city. White Rock Lake is nestled in a gently rolling valley. The confluence of local creeks give the area ample water that allows for lush (by Texas standards) vegetation. The trees the valley and the lake all combine to create a microclimate that gives East Dallas a temperature difference, A few degrees cooler in the summer can make a big difference, especially during the record scorchers experienced in the past few years. The area around the lake is also a great place for outdoor activities. Cycling and jogging trails abound. Wildlife is rich. Many birds use the lake as a resting place during migrations. January to March, be amazed when large numbers of Pelicans visit. The area also boasts a colony of Monk Parakeets. Many more localized species abound in East Dallas too. It's also not surprising to see bobcats, raccoons or coyotes in the neighborhood. The rolling hills and trees make East Dallas neighborhoods wonderful places to live in and explore. The hills of East Dallas make it a great place to cross train for runners, triathale]etes or backpackers. White Rock Creek has recently become a haven for kayakers. East Dallas is a great place to live in if you are looking for an active lifestyle with a climate atypical of the rest of the city.[read more...]

For all the yahoos that had bad things to say about Dallas or Texas in general, just leave and good riddance. Dallas is a great place to live or to visit. People in Texas are generally nice and friendly and as for the post by george that talked about "people being gunned down in the street" is just absolutely ridiculous. There is crime just like any other city in the U.S. but happens in the places you do not want to frequent so there is no problem. If george was witnessing "people being gunned down in the streets" then he obviously went to the wrong bars and should try going to nice night clubs and meeting "the other kind of people" instead of hanging with his friends. Rather than bad-mouthing something you may not care for and making up lies to justify your rage, why don't you keep your mouth shut and let people decide for themselves. All people are different and you can dislike differences in people without saying nasty things to justify your own feelings. What you may not like in someone may be exactly why someone else may really like that person. It is all about chemistry. You could be one of those people that does not make friends easily but it doesn't make you a bad person. You could be a person that is picky enough about your friends to want them honest and sincere and not quick to judge which could be exactly like yourself. So quit judging everything and everyone lest ye be judged by the same measure.[read more...]

Pretty good place to live, except July and August[read more...]

Lived in Dallas 12 years and, overall, enjoyed it. Lots of entertainment options - cultural, artistic and sports - and loads of outstanding restaurants and shopping. Recent improvements in the Downtown and Uptown areas and the city's rail system have been a boon to the city. Lower on the recreation offerings than I wanted, but White Rock Lake is a treasure. Most Fortune 500 HQs of all US cities, a substantial airport that puts you on either coast in 2-3 hours, an easy place to do business and a healthy job climate. So, with steady income and low cost of living, one can make great strides in one's financial portfolio. On the downside, there is a certain "land lock" dread that stems from being 3+ hours away from other destinations - Austin, SE mountains of OK, Houston, etc. If you want to truly get away, a flight is needed. The people are superficial and rather culturally homogeneous, the city government fairly corrupt and the landscape uninspiring. [read more...]

We have just a few days a year that are really cold, but the heat starts in April and can continue to November. Because of the heat, it's too hot to spend a lot of time outdoors. No where to hike, and too hot for jogging and biking much of tghe time. Professional sports are in abundance: hockey, basketball, soccer, baseball, football. You name it, and we have it. Museums are okay, I think the ones in Fort Worth are better. We have a couple of good theaters and get decent plays and musicals. Local theater is very active.[read more...]

I hearing all the time and on the news that job marketing is down by 8% or more. It sound pretty scare to me because, people are losing theirs homes and they can't pay theirs bills. Just watch the news and you see what i means. This city where i live in Dallas, Texas don't seen to be in low economy because i see people finding jobs by dozens, and by facts this city is continuous to grow by leap and bounce with high volumes of traffic early in the morning trying to get to work. So, if want to get a job in a bad economy then you have to move to Dallas, tx. Let me give you one more big true fact, then i will close my review! I myself is working, and i has no problem in me finding a job in a bad economy while continuous running me a home-base business so that i can work my way out of a J.O.B. "Just Over Broke"! Thank God, I'm earning me a check![read more...]

Growing up in Iowa (I know, one of those dang Yankees), I never liked the cold or snow, in fact when I was 15 and went to FL in February and it was warm and sunny, I decided then and there I was moving to FL or TX when I grew up. Why Texas my family wondered, having never been there, it just sounded like a good place to go. Three days after my 21st birthday, I was there and although I miss my family sometimes, I told my mother that geographically I was born in the wrong place!! I love Texas, it is warm and inviting, you'll never meet better people - sure there are jerks everywhere - but in Texas, you'll meet fewer of them! We live in NM at the moment and are trying like the dickens to get back home! Once back, I will not move away again, ever!! I kind of know how Dorothy felt after she got out of Kansas, I just want to go home!! If you are thinking of moving to this great state, well, I just can't think of anything to discourage it! Once you're there, you'll understand - it's just home!![read more...]

I've lived here for 12 years and finally I have had enough. I'll start with the cons of living here first. There is absolutely nothing to do here but shop and eat. Downtown Dallas is basically a ghost town with nothing to attract locals or out of towners to venture in and spend money. The weather is awful with winters so off the charts, one cannot plan on what to wear because we go from 10 degrees one day to 80 degrees the next and summers are no better with temps in the high 90's to low 100's for 3 months straight. This is really the Beverly Hills of the south with flashy cars to who has the biggest pad. It's so lame. There are a lot of cowboys and rednecks here, not trying to offend anyone, but I'm just being honest. This is not an outdoor city and we are a good 5 hrs from a filthy dirty beach. The cost of utilities is unbelievable and car insurance will kick your ass!! There is concrete everywhere and there is no natural beauty, no mountains, just flat, dry, ugly land. As for public schools, those are bad too. There is just too much ignorance here! And the people are rude and too much racism. Most people here are shallow, friendly to your face and talk about you behind your back. Now the pros - You can get direct flights to just about anywhere in the world. Great pro baseball team. Close to Fort Worth and Austin, which are much better cities, with lot's to do. That about sums it up. [read more...]

The cost of living is exceptional. If you are seeking a place with a great cultural experience, Austin would have more venues. Housing prices are advantageous compared nationally. Although Dallas has a singles scene, I would not rate it as a better place to live for singles.[read more...]

I've lived in Dallas for over 30 years and am originally from the Midwest. I have loved living here and have seen many changes--most of them good, some of them not so good. The people here have been friendly to me and seem to be decent and caring on the most part. I think that some of the "very wealthy" areas of town can be cliquish--we call it "living in the bubble", but that is certainly not Dallas in general. Dallas is cosmopolitan and has some wonderful museums, parks, sports and concert venues and new symphony and opera halls. I'm never bored here--there is always something going on. Whiterock Lake is located in an area northeast of downtown, and has wonderful jogging and biking trails as well as a beautiful park and arboretum. There are lots of large trees and pretty vistas of downtown Dallas buildings at night. The Uptown area has the Katy Trail and many shops, restaurants and new condos and apartments. That area, too, has lots of trees as does the "M" streets area (a cute area with lots of 1920-30's cottage homes) and Greenville Avenue restaurants and shops. Lakewood is another area that has older homes with lots of charm. Lake Highlands north of Whiterock Lake is another older, pretty neighborhood with affordable housing. There are now condos near and in downtown Dallas, but the area is just getting under development slowly. Dallas downtown used to close up after 5:00, but there are more and more restaurants, clubs and housing being opened. North Oak Cliff across the Trinity River is also developing into a renovated neighborhood--especially near Kessler Park/Stevens Park. It is an easy commute to downtown, but the area still is still rough in some spots. There are many areas of Dallas that are changing--for the better. There is a lot of growth and development, and the shopping, medical care and colleges are great! Not so good is the traffic--although most of the highways and tollroads are upgraded, the commute is still a hassle. The economy has done much better than the rest of the country the past few years, and housing prices are affordable. I have children from ages 43 to 24, and they have all had no problem getting employment after graduating from college. (All 7 of them returned to Dallas and stayed). Like every city, there are some blighted areas with crime, but get a good Realtor, and they'll be able to steer you away from those. I have also lived in the suburbs of Addison, West Richardson, and Coppell, and have enjoyed those areas as well. Coppell, just west of Dallas near the DFW airport is a wonderful little city to raise a family, with hardly any crime and a city that is great about it's appearance with nicely landscaped streets and public areas and has many wonderful parks. The summers can be very hot, but the winters are usually mild. Dallas is a busy city, but overall is a great place to live. [read more...]

I moved here from Germany and now will be moving back (I am American, from the northern part of the US). While I do like some things in Dallas (lots of sunshine is nice), there just are too many negatives: - The increasingly long commute, traffic gets worse and worse - Police speed traps in the rich communities and suburbs (I was ticketed for going 28 in a 20 in University Park) - The "police state" in some places (read about Highland Park, where the millionaires live, and how the cops try busting people in their own homes for having parties where beer "might" be served to minors [even though Texas law says that people under 21 can drink, if their dad is with them and it is ok). The overall police state mentality I see (more and more police cameras by the way). - Sprawl. Let's face it, this city is about twice as big as it should be, in area. We don't live in an earthquake plane, so why are all the buildings under 4 stories ? - The summer heat. Over 100 degree heat for about 20 days this summer. Enough ! - Ubiquitous leaf blowers. Noisy, loud, environmentally unfriendly, and everywhere ! - Nothing to really do but shop and go to restaurants. - The whole narcissistic "party girl" and "party guy" scene here. Girls in "pajamas", with tatoos, loud, drunk, etc. Guys with hats turned back. It is EVERYWHERE. - McMansions and Hummers. The whole "I am a VP of 'asset management'" (no one here builds anything, everyone is either a lawyer or "asset manager", or they were involved in inflating the mortgage bubble). - Driving your Lexus to the 24 Hour Fitness or Bally, instead of just getting out and biking or joggin. LAME. - Weird alcohol laws (the entire north side of Dallas is "dry"). - Dallas Cowboys and their new $ 1 billion stadium. Jerry Jones. The entire thing is just bad. I'll leave on a positive note. Things I liked: - The airport is convenient, clean, and well-run (compare to Detroit or Chicago O'Hare) - Not too expensive for a family (compare to NY or California) - American Airlines is here and they are great. They always make my trip nice. - People are pretty friendly - There are nice "hubs" in Plano, Addison, and parts of Dallas (these are the Post communities. I have some issues with Post, but they have improved Dallas with their "new urbanism", which is like Europe. Joel Kotkin calls Dallas an "aspirational city" and describes these new hubs. So there is no central part of Dallas, like there is a central part of Chicago or New York. It is hubs. You either like that or not. - Business friendly - Easy to find an apartment - New bike trails (Katy Trail, White Rock Lake) - No snow in winter [read more...]

Dallas is not the best place for outdoor recreation. For most of the year, it is too hot to enjoy hiking, camping, etc. Also, there aren't many off the path hiking areas. So, if you are an outdoors person, you are better off in another city.[read more...]

I was born in Dallas. After my mom divorced my dad & remarried, when I was 5, we left. I moved back in the 90's, & am now divorced w/custody of my son. We moved from East Dallas to downtown a year ago. While there are exceptions to every rule, Dallas is (for the most part) full of 5hit. Now that it's summertime I take my dog on walks & go sit w/him on restaurant/bar patio's whenever I'm not @ work or volunteering, or taking my son out to events. On these patios I often times find myself bored to death by all of the boring conversations that I overhear or that I find myself a part of. I swear to me it seems like most everyone here is from a podunk town, & moved here thinking it would instantly make them SOMEBODY. Like they watched Miami Vice when they were little & said, "Woohoo, when I grow up I'm movin to tha big city!" Living here doesn't make you somebody. Usually if you're living here it is so that you can have 24/7 access to cocaine, or because of the same reason I am here...my job is here. I live here because it's within walking distance of my job that I've been @ for 11 years, & because it's a mile & a half from my volunteer service & my son's school. As soon as he graduates--in 2 years--I'm heading back over to the White Rock lake area. True, no matter where you go in Dallas, it's going to be a bunch of ppl who subscribe to the misconception that everyone's worth is only their salary, but I still like the White Rock area, I like that bike trail much better than the Katy, & at least that area isn't as full of a bunch of counter culture wannabe's who dress the same & wear black rim glasses thinking it makes them appear intellectual, along w/the mix of their friends who will ONLY shop @ hot topic for their clothes so that they can play 1950's dressup/tattoo/skull jewelry/false pinup 5hit, while thinking it makes them soooo edgy & hardcore as they sit around & NEVER talk about anything interesting, or do anything good, or...goddddddd n/m, I'm going to stop now b4 this becomes a 500 page rant.[read more...]

During the 70s, Dallas had former Texas Instruments CEO Erik Jonnsen as Mayor. Jonnsen implemented "Best Practices, continuous improvement" management, just as he had at Texas Instruments, and as in place at every world class organization. This has gone by the wayside and Dallas is now a classic case of "Management by Crisis". Our quality of life amenities have had serial budget cuts for decades, especially in the critical function of the libraries. Offsetting this is our marvelous collection of world-class museums in our downtown Arts District. Dallas and Fort Worth combined have one of the world's best collections of the very highest quality museums, and we treat all of the museums as our own, regardless of which city they happen to be in. Lunch at the Modern in Fort Worth is unequalled. There is no better planned and organized event for children than the annual Mayfest gala put on by the Junior League of Fort Worth on the first week in May of each year. This is a four day event from Thursday to Sunday. Plan to be there when the gates open on Thursday or Friday with your children, as it is shoulder to shoulder on Saturday and Sunday. When our two kids were of the age to enjoy Mayfest, we took them out of their respective schools early every year so we drive the fifty miles west, park, and catch the shuttle bus to the entry gate, which opens at 3pm. The kids loved every single minute of these Mayfest outings and looked forward to repeating them year after year. We would love to see the Junior League expand this fabulous event to cover two full weekends plus the weekdays in between to reduce the crowding on the Saturday and Sunday now experienced. If you have kids, do not let them miss this best kids event anywhere!!!![read more...]

Dallas Sucks! [read more...]

Somebody can help me with these questions considering i would move to Dallas with my Wife and one boy? On monthly basis: Cost of Natural Gas? Cost of Intenet Cable? Cost enery (electricity)? Cost of two cell phones? Insurance of 1 medium and 1 small second hand car? You can submit just giving aproximations or ranges. Thanks so much Michael[read more...]

I've lived in Dallas for 4 years now and graduated from University of TX- Dallas. Moved here from Denver, CO and can't wait to move back. I thought it would be a great place to live but aside from having fun on campus and meeting some great students to hang out with, it truly sucks here. Although my apt is affordable and in a nice neighborhood, I'm 26 and my car insurance is $210 a mth, my electric bill is on average $260 a mth for a 2 bedroom apt. The people here are absolutely stupid and so stuck on themselves. Everyone thinks they're so great and so beautiful here. Unless you like fake bleach blondes, who are absolutely plastic and money hungry, there is just nothing to look at. What's I've experienced of Dallas is lack of real people, much racism and constant sexual harassment. I dated a guy for 6 mths who is hispanic. I am white and many people would stare at us, would not hang out with us and it was obvious that not even his friends wanted me around. I worked at two restaurants and now an auto detail place as an office manager. You wouldn't believe how many times my boss at my previous job would tell me to put make up on before I went to serve tables and to unbutton my blouse some so that customers can see my nice breasts more. This in Colorado would be considered sexual harassment big time. It happens alot here. Other than the fact that I enjoy warm weather, summer is too hot and I"m ready to go back to beautiful CO!!![read more...]

The city itself I suppose could be called beautiful. There are plenty of attractions, places to go and things to do. It's a big city. Too big for me. Just too many people and way too many cars on the roads. Too much hustle and bustle. Everybodies in a hurry. I've had enough of hustle, bustle and hurry. Next stop is a small town. I suppose if I grew up around here it would be different. Now that I am retired I just want to relax and enjoy what life has to offer. Nothing wrong here if this is what you're looking for. Cost of living is good, housing comparable to other big cities.[read more...]

I was born in raised in Dallas Tx. It has no culture and extremely racist, with good old boy mantality. I was raised with tough skin so I fight the racism internally as well as everyone else I know. The light needs to shine on this issue. Southern hospitality is like calling Philadelphia the city of brotherly love. But leaving doesn't fix it I just hope enough people move here to drive out the racist while the rest pack up and move to the backwoods of another country. Only reason some people don't move back home or leave this place is because the cost of living is reasonable but that is even changing with jobs cutting pay while steady building unaffordable luxury. Its even segregation in the church. Reminds you of those days when going to a so called diverse school only to find blacks at one table caucasions at another. Go figure[read more...]