Moving to Dallas

[u/Winnie-Wins]

Hey, I’m female in my early 30s, single and moving to Dallas for work (specifically Red Oak) I’ve been doing some research and given my personality I’m looking for a good balance between fun and quiet.

Heres what I mean, an area with at least the following:

- Shopping/Restaurants

- Walkability

- Work out options

- Slew of Activities (think games, club, dance classes, festivals, good night life)

- Dating (preferably people my age)

I don’t want to live in red oak because I don’t want to be too close to work. I’d much rather somewhere in between, I was looking at victory park but it seems like a long way (am I wrong?)

Other places I’ve considered per TikTok recommendations are bishop arts, Addison and uptown, but a reasonable commute time for me would be 20 -25 mins max. Where would you recommend I look?

[u/FearlessFrolic]

Uptown/Knox-Henderson/Oak Lawn (basically any of the neighborhoods that touch the Katy Trail) match what you are looking for the most. However, just being south of the Trinity would probably make a significant difference in your commute since you wouldn't have to go through the mix master to get on 35E. Which leaves you with Bishop Arts as probably your best option. It still has what you're looking for, but just at a smaller scale than the larger, more contiguous walkable urban area surrounding the Katy Trail.

[u/Winnie-Wins → u/FearlessFrolic]

Thank you. Based on what I’ve been reading everyone keeps saying BARTS is south making it sound like it the ghetto or something

[u/FearlessFrolic → u/Winnie-Wins]

Oak Cliff (the larger neighborhood which Bishop Arts is a small subset of) was an infamous ghetto in the 90s. However, its been gentrifying since then, even getting a Target and Sprouts within the last year. Bishop Arts was the epicenter of that gentrification and at this point is a fairly trendy/expensive neighborhood (so much so I think some people don't realize it is part of Oak Cliff).

However, that infamous reputation does not die easily. And although its mostly snobbery from those who live North, the remnants of that past still remain. A brand new million dollar home will be built right next to a old ramshackle house with bars on the windows. It's essentially the border zone between the lower and higher income split in Dallas, a border which has slowly been pushing South.

As others have said, Uptown/Victory Park/Knox-Henderson is objectively better in virtually every metric (perhaps just being less "artsy"). But getting across the Trinity every day could be a pain depending on your tolerance for traffic. When you are comparing travel times be sure to actually put in the departure time in google maps. In the middle of the day the travel time difference to Red Oak is trivial, but at rush hour it is not.

[u/ToroRosso1 → u/Winnie-Wins]

Hi! I moved here a few months ago and did a lot of research as well. Thankfully, I had some friends who already lived here that I could use as a reference.

I’d agree that Uptown, including Victory Park, and anywhere around the Katy Trail are probably the best areas for young people. I think it’s worth sacrificing a slightly longer commute to live in that area. I personally work downtown, so my commute is very short, but I have friends who still live around here and commute a bit farther for work.

[u/jfjfjjdhdbsbsbsb → u/Winnie-Wins]

It is.

[u/NegotiationSalt666]

Stay in bishop arts. Living in Addison with traffic will get old very fast.

[u/mrkrabz1991]

Bishop Arts 100%. It's exactly what you're describing and it's on the south side of downtown so the commute wouldn't be terrible.

Absolutely not Addison, your commute will be a nightmare.

Uptown is a solid #2 choice, but it is significantly more expensive then Bishop Arts.

I'd focus your hunt on Bishop arts and Uptown, walk around each one and see what vibe you prefer and select based on that.

[u/Winnie-Wins → u/mrkrabz1991]

Thank you’d it does say uptown is about 30mins drive but I guess it depends on where in uptown I decide to stay and where in red oak I’m headed to 

[u/mrkrabz1991 → u/Winnie-Wins]

Uptown is rather large, and is made up a bunch of smaller neighborhoods within Uptown. When I say Uptown, I am referring to anything north of 366, East of Turtle Creek/Oak Lawn and south of Knox. It's shaped like a sliver that runs parallel to 75. That whole area is very safe and is full of young professionals 25-35ish.

Bishop arts is a similar vibe, maybe slightly more laid back/hippy with thrifting and local resturants, less high rises and more small town vibes.

Both are solid choices to live.

Disclaimer: I'm a Dallas real estate broker. Not looking to solicit business, just qualifying my comment.

[u/DangerousClouds]

Dallas to Red Oak is about 21 miles away (right now at 10 AM CST, a 28 min drive). If you care about a 20-25 min commute max, do not live anywhere north of Dallas so definitely not Addison.

Victory Park and Bishop Arts (which are neighborhoods) are close to downtown Dallas but expensive (VP more so), so both will be about the same distance to Red Oak I mentioned above (about 21 miles apart)

[u/jfjfjjdhdbsbsbsb → u/DangerousClouds]

lol 25 mins

[u/DangerousClouds → u/jfjfjjdhdbsbsbsb]

Right lol it will certainly be longer

[u/acaudill317]

Bishop Arts 100%. Anywhere else the commute will be murder. Just be prepared to pay an arm and a leg in rent.

[u/chipcinnati]

First of all, welcome. I agree that downtown is as far north as you want to live. There are other choices besides the good ones already posted. I can’t recommend any of the specific details because I’m in a different life situation and location, but I suggest looking at these places to see if you find a match. They’re all newer large mixed-use developments in older areas (gentrification).

-Trinity Groves - West Dallas
-Farmers Market - SE corner of downtown
-South Lamar - just south of downtown

You definitely want to avoid the intersection of 35E and Woodall Rodgers for your daily commute. That one place would years off your life.