Safe neighborhoods in Dallas

[Anonymous]

I am being transferred to Dallas for a 1 year assignment. I've never been there so I need help finding a rental in a safe neighborhood. I've found some places I like in North Oak Lawn. What other close in areas should I be looking at? I don't need anything big (just me and my DD who is 2 yrs old) but I am looking for a neighborhood with some charm (older homes, mature trees, etc). I don't want a cookie cutter suburb. TIA!

[Anonymous]

Dallas is massive, so it is going to depend on where you will be working if you can give us an idea because the commute can be really killer if you're too far away.

But just off the top of my head, the neighborhoods that fit the bill:
-M Streets
-Lakewood
-Lake Highlands area (L Streets and surrounding neighborhoods).

I think you will have the best luck with rentals in the M Streets area as there are a ton of rental properties there, they're mostly mid-century homes and it's a very walkable, pleasant area with a nice little park nearby. It's also close to a huge Kroger grocery store and pretty close to Central Market, which is an amazing grocery store with the sickest produce section I have ever seen.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PP. I am mostly likely going to be working downtown from what I've been told.

[Anonymous]

Stay on the north half of the city and suburbs and you should be mostly ok. There are little pockets around but mostly that is a good guide. City-data.com forums can be very helpful on specifics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. I am mostly likely going to be working downtown from what I've been told.

Highly recommend M Streets then! It is a very easy commute downtown. Most of the rentals in the M Streets are duplexes and go really fast since it's a popular neighborhood. I would look up Ohland Properties and look at some of their properties as they manage a ton of the M Streets duplex rentals and that'll give you an idea of what the homes look like. They are all nicely updated on the inside from what I have seen.

There are also some apartment buildings in the area, too, closer to the Knox/Henderson area if you want apartment living.

[Anonymous]

M streets are great...and expensive. What is your budget?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I also forgot to mention that I will be in nanny share with a co-worker. They live in Highland Park. I am flexible with the budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I also forgot to mention that I will be in nanny share with a co-worker. They live in Highland Park. I am flexible with the budget.

Another reason M Streets would be a good pick then. It's really close to HP.

[Anonymous]

Highland Park and University Park area are actually extremely nice, why don't you find a place there?

[Anonymous]

I've been looking PP but the places in those neighborhoods seem bigger than what I need. I just need a 2 bedroom condo/apartment/townhome. My nanny share colleague said he will ask his realtor friend for suggestions too. In terms on the DC area, what neighborhoods would you compare Highland Park and University Park to? Spring Valley? What about North Oak Lawn and the other suggestions? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

M Streets recommending PP here. HP and UP are extremely nice areas, but yeah, the houses are huge and there aren't likely to be many rentals. I think HP and UP remind me of the Spring Valley/Palisades area in DC.

Honestly, I don't know anybody who has lived in Oak Lawn, so I can't give any information on it. I can ask some friends though, who may have some thoughts on it and will let you know.

[Anonymous]

And I'd say as far as M Streets go, there isn't anything really comparable in DC in terms of how the houses look and it's hard to say what neighborhood in DC fits the vibe of the M Streets. I lived in the M Streets right after moving from DC and it helped ease the transition for me a lot because it was so walkable to restaurants and a quick drive to groceries - Kroger, Trader Joes, Central Market, Whole Foods are all within about a 1.5 mile radius.

I think I feel about as safe in the M Streets as I did in CCMD/Tenley area and the nearby restaurants (Greenville and Henderson) are comparable in vibe to Logan. For Dallas it's a pretty, green area and as long as you aren't right on/off Greenville, it's quiet.

[Anonymous]

You may be able to find a rental in HP, UP or nearby. M Streets and Lakewood may be an options too. Oak Lawn area is okay if you are several blocks north of Lemmon - it gets a little sketchy the further south you go.

[Anonymous]

There are some nice streets with older duplexes (what would be called "semi-detached" here) on the south end of Highland Park/north end of Oak Lawn. They are often for rent. About the same distance from downtown as the M Streets, but on the same side of 75 as Highland Park. If you're in a nanny share in Highland Park, not having to cross 75 at rush hour would be a very good thing. There's also a neighborhood with duplexes north of Northwest Highway, near Hillcrest HIgh School. There are also some townhouses just south of Northpark Mall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are some nice streets with older duplexes (what would be called "semi-detached" here) on the south end of Highland Park/north end of Oak Lawn. They are often for rent. About the same distance from downtown as the M Streets, but on the same side of 75 as Highland Park. If you're in a nanny share in Highland Park, not having to cross 75 at rush hour would be a very good thing. There's also a neighborhood with duplexes north of Northwest Highway, near Hillcrest HIgh School. There are also some townhouses just south of Northpark Mall.

Here's a duplex that's convenient to Highland Park:

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/house,condo,apartment_duplex,townhouse_type/2107660981_zpid/days_sort/32.89002,-96.761506,32.854049,-96.810687_rect/14_zm/?view=map