Best Suburb near Dallas, Texas?

Question

What is the best suburb for a family of six? 1 child grade 10, 1 child grade 8, 1 child grade 6 and one child grade 4. Looking for school districts that offer music programs for fourth grade and above, school plays etc.
Looking for affordable rental property (4 bedroom for less than $1700) and good manufacturing (for husband) and computer jobs (for me).
Looking at Frisco, but heard it's too expensive.
Also, does the weather really get down to the 30s in winter??
How is the air quality for sinus allergies and asthma?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Allen, Texas is also a good place to raise a family. The city is growing at a steady pace and adding good family business, parks and attractions. They recently built a brand new library and recreation center. The recreation center has indoor swimming. There are other rec. centers in parks around the city also.



http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/allen/schools/



The Allen High School houses Collin County Community College classes (9th - 12th grade students can participate). The high school also offers Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes.



Music classes start in kindergarten, and Allen High School has the largest marching band in the United States.

It's quite a sight to see and hear!



A two bedroom apartment starts around $750 per month and goes up from there. Below are links with houses for lease or rent in the area.

http://www.forleasebyowner.com/z_AllenTexas.asp

http://www.rentalhomesplus.com/Results.aspx?page=results&stype=city&city=Allen&state=tx&rad=20



The weather can get down to the 20's also, but it never stays there long. If we get a snowy or icy day, it usually only lasts 1 to 3 days. The Summer can be mild or downright unbearable depending on El Nino or La Nina (warmer or cooler Pacific Ocean temperatures). We have had Summers with temperatures in the 110's or higher for weeks at a time. Drought is included with the higher temperatures and also water rationing. We can go up to 6 weeks without rain at times. July and August are the hottest months. January and February are the coldest months, but never for very long.



Frisco has a lot of jobs. Plano, Richardson, McKinney and Allen have computer jobs also.



P.S. Plano schools are good...believe me...we have to compete with them academically so who would know better! Allen schools are just a tiny smidge better if you look at the statistics on the Neighborhood Scout website.

Answer 2

Annie, when you asked which was the best suburb I was ready to say Plano because it is THE best, but then I noticed you said you were considering Frisco but it was too expensive, so scratch Plano because it is more expensive than Frisco. However, both are nice.

Since traffic is heavy here you'll want to live as close as possible to where you work. Public transportation doesn't go into all of the suburbs. Less expensive suburbs that are nice are Carrollton, McKinney & Lewisville to the north and Grand Prairie (where we live) and Mansfield to the south. I think you'll be surprised by the cost of houses here and you may want to buy one rather than rent.



All the public schools in the Metroplex offer a music program to all grades, but they don't offer drama classes until 6th grade. I have to tell you, do not put your children in Dallas public schools. The district is really pretty bad. The suburban schools are good -- Plano's are really impressive.



Two large manufacturing companies that have defence contracts are in the Dallas area. They are Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. I'm sure there are many other manufacturing companies here, but I'm not familiar with them -- other than GM which is having major problems.

You shouldn't have trouble find a computer job.



Yes, believe it or not it does get into the 30's here in winter, but the good part is that the next day may be 65 or higher. We had ice 1 day this winter and all the schools were closed. By that afternoon the streets were clear and the next day the temp was 75. I swear.



As in any major city we do have some Red alert days during the hot summer, but it's not frequent, so it shouldn't be a major problem for a person with asthma. They tell you if you have a problem to stay inside on those days.



If there is anything else you want to know let me know.

Answer 3

I agree with Duckie. Allen is a wonderful place to raise a family. It has a small-town atmosphere and excellent schools. Frisco and Plano are both much larger than Allen, and I think they're way too congested (and the school district is much larger). You might also try Lucas or Wylie (Lovejoy School District is one of the best in the state) - or look in McKinney..... Yes, it can get into the 20's in winter, but usually warms up to the 50's by the afternoon:) After living in CA for 40 years, I think the air quality in the northern Dallas suburbs is EXCELLENT! Big, bright beautiful blue skies:)

Answer 4

I currently live in Lewisville. And, Lewisville is more affordable than Plano or a Frisco. The music programs in Lewisville ISD are outstanding. Probably some of the best in the state. Band and orchestra doesn't generally start until 6th grade here in Texas.



I disagree with Prairie Girl about Plano's schools. I am an educator and have heard nothing but negative things about Plano. The classes are currently very scripted and uniform decisions made by the district. Teachers have very little say about how to teach. This is what I've heard from teachers in Plano.



Also, I am allergy sufferer. And, it is pretty bad down here. Winters are generally 30's and sometimes 20's. Summers get up to 105.

Answer 5

Definitely suburbs North of Dallas are all excellent. Allen homes can be reasonable or quite expensive depending on what you're looking for. Wylie is affordable, but Fairview is pretty expensive. There are some new homes being built right down the street from the new shopping centers in Allen that you could afford with $1,700 per month.



Take a look at these homes for sale.

http://www.homes.com/Content/NHCSearchResults.cfm?city=ALLEN&state=TX&MaxPrice=200000&minprice=0&TemplateToView=List



http://www.dallasnorthproperties.net/Homes_for_Sale.htm



This link is for David Weekley homes in the Dallas area. Hopefully this will give you an idea as to the price of the different areas surrounding Dallas.

http://www.davidweekleyhomes.com/Site/City.aspx?UID=CF613005-4153-4ABD-9FB1-5675C1362660



Ashton Woods Homes website for Dallas area.

http://www.ashtonwoodshomes.com/community.php?parentCity=3

Answer 6

Wylie or Sachse. They are not near as stuck up as Plano or Frisco. Frisco people act like they have money, but all they have is a bunch of debt trying to keep up with the people next door. I have a 4 bedroom house built in 2006 that I am getting $1695 and the people just moved out if you are interested!

Answer 7

I am in Arlington and it is also a lovely place. The other cities mentioned are further north and the traffic is quite a bit worse if you have to commute ( I go from here to downtown Dallas daily). The less dense population on this side of town is why we like it. Our girls go to Exemplary rated public schools but of course there are plenty of private/Montessori schools around as well. I think housing might bed s little less costly in this area too. Good luck making your decision!