Good Place To Live S/SE Dallas?

[phdhorn 6224]

My UT son is co-oping for 9 months starting in January in Irving, basically near 356 and 12.  His buddy got a co-op at their other office in Ennis.  They are planning to room together, and want to find somewhere more or less in the middle (son goes N, other kid goes S). 

Places that have come up are Hutchins, DeSoto, and Waxahachie.  Apparently they will be killed multiple times within 3 hours of moving to Hutchins, DeSoto has its problems too from what I hear, and Waxahachie isn't halfway between Ennis and Irving, it's way south of both and a global trek to go all the way the 40 miles into Irving, not to mention the traffic(?).

So I assume all these are out?  Any ideas for a decent apartment (maybe $400-$750 p/p for a 2 br) somewhat convenient for both?  Anything anywhere in the SE quadrant of Dallas that's possible?  If not, alternatives? 

Thanks in advance!

Edited November 11, 2018 by phdhorn

[Longhorn94 2457]

Midlothian, Ovilla, Red Oak are all nice and reasonable. Cedar Hill and Mansfield both have some nice parts as well. 

[phdhorn 6224]

Yeah, looks like some of those areas off 287 are workable, and I've been through there.  I'll pass these along.  Thanks!

[Helobious 9464]

SE Dallas? I don't know if it gets any better than the greedy grove.

 

[Zepol87 9188]

Hutchins no desoto maybe cedar hill ok. Apartments are hard to come by in that area. If you keep going down 175 it gets real white not much crime but again no apartments

 

[zork 629]

That is a long way to commute or one is going to get screwed and the other one won't be happy either.  Are they rooming together because the company is paying?  I'd pony up more for a studio for each much closer.  Will save over an hour a day in commute.  Especially if they have normal working hours with rush hour on both ends.

[phdhorn 6224]

7 hours ago, zork said:

That is a long way to commute or one is going to get screwed and the other one won't be happy either.  Are they rooming together because the company is paying?  I'd pony up more for a studio for each much closer.  Will save over an hour a day in commute.  Especially if they have normal working hours with rush hour on both ends.

I hear you.  No the company isn't paying but I do like the idea of him rooming with a buddy vs. himself in Dallas (only 2 years removed from H.S.) really not knowing many people near him (he's got a good friend going to Brookhaven playing baseball, but even that's a hike on a "buddy" basis).  But I've also considered something closer to his work locale, saving on $$.  I figure for 1 person in the region the rent wouldn't be that bad for a 1 BR studio.   I don't know about his hours, whether he could flex a bit, I guess all that will come out when he actually gets there.

But yeah, the possibility of his going solo is there.

My other guess is that if they get a place closer to Irving, his buddy would be going to Ennis, which would more or less be reverse flow of most rush hour traffic?  I.e. going S/SE from midtown would have less morning traffic out and less evening traffic back up?  

[zork 629]

47 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

I hear you.  No the company isn't paying but I do like the idea of him rooming with a buddy vs. himself in Dallas (only 2 years removed from H.S.) really not knowing many people near him (he's got a good friend going to Brookhaven playing baseball, but even that's a hike on a "buddy" basis).  But I've also considered something closer to his work locale, saving on $$.  I figure for 1 person in the region the rent wouldn't be that bad for a 1 BR studio.   I don't know about his hours, whether he could flex a bit, I guess all that will come out when he actually gets there.

But yeah, the possibility of his going solo is there.

My other guess is that if they get a place closer to Irving, his buddy would be going to Ennis, which would more or less be reverse flow of most rush hour traffic?  I.e. going S/SE from midtown would have less morning traffic out and less evening traffic back up?  

Splitting the difference between Farmers branch and Irving would be preferable with possibly Las Colinas area?  Cowboys training camp, Valley Ranch,  new around 10ish years ago.  Maybe get some recommendations for a realtor in that area that you could give both work/school addresses in FBranch and Irving and let the dude in Ennis find a different way.  Lots of different paths between those areas with Hwy, tollway, and roads that are 6 lanes in semi-grid about a mile apart.(less grid in LC but still decent, check the google maps) 

 

Depends on what end of Irving and what end on Farmer's Branch of course.  Gonna get more DFW airport noise in certain areas of Irving/Las Colinas but there is air traffic all over that corridor due to Love Field as well.

We haven't lived in the FB/Carrollton/Coppell area in about 6 or so years so I don't have any  Real Estate contacts.  I just remember commuting over 2 and 3 suburbs in the mid cities can be a beating.   

[RPM 26328]

Yeah, that's not a real doable commute from the middle. The guy in Ennis should be able to find cheap housing easy. Reasonably safe area, too.

On 11/12/2018 at 3:16 PM, zork said:

Splitting the difference between Farmers branch and Irving would be preferable with possibly Las Colinas area?  Cowboys training camp, Valley Ranch,  new around 10ish years ago.

Cowboys are in Frisco now. But Irving is a relatively high crime area and the cops are dicks. Flower Mound is a much better option, imho. Bit farther, but nicer area.

[Fudge Nuggets 19209]

O.C.T., yo

[phdhorn 6224]

LOL, just saw this and might as well update... the boy is living in the West Downtown area, just south of Woodall-Rodgers Fwy near the aquarium.  Holy shite, 19 y.o. running loose on the West End!  The people at his co-op told him "you guys get a stipend, live downtown for chrissake!" so they are.  Foot loose and fancy free running round the city at 19... wish I could do a do-over on that myself!

[bluto 4934]

The West End itself is pretty shitty (coming back around) but stone's throw to 'good stuff'... unless he has a fake ID I wonder just how much fun it is to live in the city at 19 yo. 

[JohnnyRage 1617]

Good for him. I was wondering why you were considering punishing him. 

The West End doesn’t exist. Clubs can be dangerous, but at least he can’t get into bars.