OK the wife and I, have both just graduated from college and are looking to move to the Dallas area. We sure did pick a good time to jump into the job market huh? Hehehe that's OK, I'm pretty much retired anyway.

Anyway I'm really not familiar with the Dallas area outside of downtown. My parents live in Hillsboro. We are looking for something semi close to Dallas but away from the beaten path, so to speak. We both grew up out in the country and we both just want to get back to our roots. We want to raise our two children in a place where we feel like we are part of the community. Something small but close to Dallas.

I've been looking at the east side of Dallas. You have Lavon, Ray Hubard, and Tawakoni all right there, plus Fork just a bit further east. Growing up in the deserts of New Mexico, a place like that is Eden to me.

I figure fishing people would be the best to ask. So where should I start refining my searches to? Any particular areas come to mind? We aren't rich by any means so I'm looking for a place where average persons with two middle class incomes could live comfortably. Oh another plus would be if the school had a great high school football program.

So basically it breaks down like this in matter of importance:

1. Affordable rural community semi close to Dallas
2. Good schools
3. Close to great fishing
4. Good sports programs

Good luck my friend. You must not watch any Dallas tv,listen to any radio from around here or at least get on the internet.I would get has fore away from anywhere near Dallas even the Cowboys left they are really the Arlington Cowboys now. Ha!Ha! Ha! I think that the Ft. worth area and outside of the Dallas city limits just about anywhere will be has good a place to live. I just think that anywhere in the north Texas area is the best place to live in the whole country. As for has lakes will I like Lake Texoma I keep a houseboat there and it is a great lake very good fishing. Other lakes fishing Ray Robers,Lake Lavon Ceder Creek,Lake Athens, Richland Chambers all great lakes. Now schools any school at least 3A to 4A Class no bigger and the best education a child can get no matter where they attend school at is a school where the parents are involved. I am self employee for 28 years raised two kids put them thru college and now my 4th grandson came into the world 05/05/09. So in my opinion I think the Burleson area is a great area to live. So good luck,God Bless and welcome back home.

Doug

Flower Mound.
Just check it out.

Grand Prairie is nice in quite a few areas

Good points. I was thinking of schools in the 3-4A range would be best for my kids as well. Heck the town I grew up was 2A N.M. which would be like a 1A Texas school. Preferably I would like to be no further than 15-20 miles from a great fishing lake. When I was in the service we moved 4 times one year. LOL there is no way I could do that now. The next move we make I want it to be for good. I'm looking for a community that we can settle down in and my kids can call it home. A real home, not like what they've had while I was I serving.

When I got out I moved us all to Lubbock to go to school on my GI Bill, but Lubbock just isn't our cup of tea. It's a great place to go to school, but unless you like farming cotton, it just doesn't have a whole lot more to offer. The only real lake around here is Alan Henry, and after fishing some of the north and mid Texas lakes, I have a hard time calling Alan Henry a "real" lake.

So we have:

Burleson
Grand Prairie
and Flower Mound

Thanks for the input fellas! I'm headed down there in a couple of weeks. I hope by then to have my list of "possibles" narrowed down.

3-a whats that for that your talking 100 miles outside of dallas

If I wasn't having to commute somewhere and just wanted to live in Dallas area by good fishing in a quiet small town, I'd pick a town between Ray Roberts and Texoma on major roads, i.e. Whitesboro or Gainesville.

However, betting you will be finding a job closer to the metromess. Personally I'm really fond of Oak Point but suppose I am biased. Almost zero crime here, a new elementary school, cheap housing, big lots, no apartments, quiet at night, lenient home owner association, right next to quiet side of Lake Lewisville.

Ferris is 3A and is 20 minutes from downtown. Though I.ve lived here all my life I would not recomend it, there is a reason this little town hasn't grown in 50 years. No direction and leadership, we do have some really nice schools though. If your looking east, Forney is 30 minutes from downtown with great schools and athletic programs. They are 4 A

I'd also give Little Elm, Anna, and Wylie a look if I were you. Heck McKinney is getting a little big but it's witin an hour from Ray Roberts, Lewisville, Lavon and Texoma. You can't beat that.

I agree with Fillet above. Also look in Aubrey. Providence, Paloma Creek and Savannah. These are great communities along 380. Great fishing with in minutes, with great schools and a sense of a small community. We moved here from California and love it. Here in Providence we have a 25 acre trophy Bass lake that Bill Dance designed. Good Luck!!

Take a look at Lone Oak

Haslet. Roanoke, Trophy Club, Argyle, Ponder, Justin, Denton are all nice areas to live with good schools, Keller and Southlake are good also but the homes may be a little more.

Grapevine or Flower Mound.

I'm partial to Sanger, but Aubrey, Pilot Point, Celina, Prosper are all good. Any of the towns surrounding Ray Roberts are pretty nice.

Prosper and then Celina are about to get real big though as Frisco/Plano continues to expand. On the east/northast side, Princeton is good.