Moving to Dallas From FT Worth
Posted by TheMeanHorizon@reddit | askdfw | View on Reddit | 29 comments
I know this gets asked a lot, but please bear with me. I just got a job in the Mesquite area and wanted a bit of insider info on downtown Dallas, mainly Main St.
According to everyone I know from Ft Worth all of Dallas is bad and very very dangerous, I apparently shouldn’t consider moving here at all. BUT I’ve just found the perfect apartment near the eye. I’ve heard anywhere north of downtown is safer…. So should I be looking more north of that area? I’m just really not sure at this point, I’ve half convinced myself that crime is everywhere and nowhere is going to be the best/have the best reviews. But I still have a nagging feeling about it. (Is there even much to do in downtown? Or is it better near Katy Trail?)
DoubleBookingCo@reddit
I'd recommend Oak Lawn, Uptown, or East Dallas instead of Downtown. Living in downtown proper brings a list of headaches that you won't have to deal with in the other areas.
If you are commuting to Mesquite every day, you will almost definitely need a car.
onlinealias350@reddit
I’ve lived downtown, mainly on Main Street, since 2005. Have you looked at The Kirby? I lived there for over a decade. CVS is across the street on Akard. The closest grocery store is Tom Thumb at the Union in Victory Park. As far as safety… Two years ago, I was assaulted by two men trying to steal my purse and I have been flashed probably a dozen times (I’m a photographer & the sight of a camera makes some men & one woman loose their clothing). But considering the fact that I’m a very small female running around taking pictures and I’ve lived in this neighborhood for almost 20 years, that’s not too bad? There is plenty to do and there is always something interesting to see….
yellowsun_97@reddit
So sorry you were assaulted :(
onlinealias350@reddit
Thank you.
Annual_Low2689@reddit
Check ross avenue
alphabet_sam@reddit
I lived at 1900 pacific for a little over 2 years and honestly never felt that unsafe. Maybe the most unsafe thing I did was when my dog was sick I had to take him to the park at like 3 or 4 am a few times. If you want to live downtown you can, but to me it’s super annoying and inconvenient. 1900 pacific is a nice complex though
TheMeanHorizon@reddit (OP)
What does walking around Dallas after dark feel like? I have genuinely only ever walked around Fort Worth at night a handful of times. I’m going to feel like a fish out of water for a while.
alphabet_sam@reddit
Where I was at, it was mostly empty because it was where all the businesses were headquartered (a few streets over from Main St). Main/elm are busier a lot later
onlinealias350@reddit
For the most part, it’s very well lit and on the weekends there’s a ton of people. There’s also a downtown safety patrol. Don’t play with your phone when your walking around. Just pay attention and you’ll be fine.
Cherrykay02@reddit
I have a spot that has a Tom Thumb and Starbucks on the first floor and is a high rise downtown!! 1 BR $1519, I’m an apartment locator so I can get you lots of options & get you portion of app and admin fees refunded by being my client :)
SandMan83000@reddit
I saw you asking about DART above and you should know Mesquite is not a part of DART, so transit to work won’t be an option.
If grocery stores are important to you I would consider East Dallas between White Rock Lake and Deep Ellum. East of the lake has barely any, but I have 10 within 8 minutes of me (12 if we count the Targets).
In your price range you could afford a garage apartment or a smaller duplex unit. Both would be on the older, less updated side, but you’d have a shorter commute and be in a safe area with lots of groceries.
TakeATrainOrBusFFS@reddit
People who don’t live in Dallas are absolutely terrified of it and likely all cities.
People who live in most parts of Dallas, including downtown, generally say it’s fine an to just pay attention to what’s going on around you. As someone who lives in North Dallas and goes to other parts of Dallas often, I agree with this assessment.
I have friends downtown and it can be surprisingly affordable. The issue is that there’s no grocery store, but there is the Farmer’s Market.
Traffic crashes kill slightly more people than violent crime in Dallas, by the way. If you can set things up to live near good transit options, you can be a lot safer in Dallas. Even if you can’t commute to work on transit, there is a lot of cool stuff you can do without a car if you’re near transit downtown. I can provide more guidance and some resources if interested.
TheMeanHorizon@reddit (OP)
As far as transit goes, are the options bus and trolly? Do they run very often and make frequent stops? I have only used public transport when visiting Chicago and they have an awesome system.
The complex hasn’t set up their new keycard system yet so anyone can walk in. They had an issue 3 years ago with paraphernalia in the stairwells and people entering that do not live there bringing their friends in and residing for a while. This is been my biggest turn off. Wondering if I should factor this in as much as my family is.
txchiefsfan02@reddit
Your family is right to be concerned if a complex with a history of security issues is not addressing them. I would not rely on 311 to persuade a lazy/cheap management company to do the right thing. Once a place gets a reputation as being lax on this sort of thing, it tends to snowball.
Before you decide on this property, talk to current residents and take recent reviews seriously. The rental market in Dallas is tight enough that properties in appealing locations can get away with stuff that doesn't fly in the suburbs or in markets with a better supply/demand balance.
TakeATrainOrBusFFS@reddit
As /u/yellowsun_97 said, you can use the GoPass app to plan some hypothetical trips to get the lay of the land.
Check out DFW Urbanistas (a women-led urbanist group) on Instagram. If you do move here, you can get involved with them and take transit around places as a social thing with other women.
My general advice for being DART savvy: + Install the Transit app from the App Store or Play Store. Google Maps and Apple Maps both show realtime info on the buses and trains, but Transit is specifically designed for navigating public transit. + Install the GoPass app from the App Store or Google Play. The main thing this app provides is the ability to book GoLink and the ability to report non-emergency issues to DART. + Know how to pay. You can buy passes in the GoPass app or at kiosks at rail stations, but my favorite way to pay is by tapping a credit card on any DART bus or any rail station. Tap to pay is nice because it ensures you spend the lowest amount possible. DART will never charge you more than the cost of a day pass. + Put the DART police numbers in your phone. You can always text 214-256-1819 or call 214-928-6300. You can also report problems to DART from the GoPass app. The police will want to know which vehicle you’re on. Trains have red stickers in multiple places in them with the car ID. Police usually respond quickly. + Sit at the front of the train near the operator. The operator will report problems, and the folks who like to cause trouble usually don’t hang out near the front. + Practice using DART. Riding DART can take some practice. It’s a good idea to get that practice in for something you can be late to. Have a friend join you and go out on the town without needing to worry about parking! + Bring your bike. You can bring a bike on any DART bus or train, and on GoLink. Biking is great for connecting the first and last mile of your trip. There are many streets in the Dallas area that aren’t too bad to bike on. I highly recommend getting a helmet mirror so you know when you can relax and when you need to be on alert. + Understand GoLink. Many residents don’t live immediately near fixed route service (bus or train). GoLink connects you to the transit network by sending a vehicle to your location to pick you up. Learn about GoLink on DART’s site. + Join /r/dart. There’s a local community of riders and enthusiasts who love DART and want to help make it better, and we need everyone on board!
yellowsun_97@reddit
Bus, train, trolly, downtown the “go pass app” to look at the routes and become familiar with them. They are often and there is frequent stop. If you plan on downtown a bike is a nice option to have.
NintendogsWithGuns@reddit
Never listen to suburbanites when it comes to Dallas-proper. Yes, Dallas is plenty safe, you just want to avoid South Dallas, just as Fort Worthians avoid Polytech. However, downtown sucks and I would avoid moving there if only because there isn’t much to do. Also, I don’t know if I’d move to Uptown either, unless you want to be surrounded by out of state transplant yuppies and bad overpriced texmex.
For your budget, you could get a place in East Dallas, which as a Dallas native is my preferred area. Lakewood has apartments in that range, as does the M Streets near Lowest Greenville.
yellowsun_97@reddit
There isn’t much to do? There’s tons of museums and the ATT discovery district. Lots of festivals and events held at klyde Warren park. Nice gyms downtown. The opera house, the symphonies, concerts, sporting events, and more. Downtown has so much to do. 🫣
NintendogsWithGuns@reddit
ATT discovery district is basically just an overpriced food court and some Tik Tok traps. Klyde Warren events can be attended anytime and you can get there via trolley. No one on this kind of budget can afford to go to the Opera House once a week. And the “largest library” is also overrun with homeless encampments. Also, the Farmers Market isn’t even the best farmers market in Dallas.
onlinealias350@reddit
You haven’t spent much time downtown, have you? First of all, there isn’t a trolley downtown. It’s in Uptown. Doesn’t matter because Klyde Warren, along with numerous other parks, are well within walking distance. The DMA, Nasher, Meyerson, Majestic Theater, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Perot, and Winspear are also a very short walk away. And the Downtown Residents Counsel hosts numerous events and safety meetings every month. With all that, I have never bothered to go to the library. Admittedly, I am a little spooked by the library.
yellowsun_97@reddit
Well you said there was nothing to do but those are tons of options for things OP can do. 🫣 Also the homeless people in the library have never bothered me or anyone around me. The resources in that library are amazing. The farmers market may not be the best to you but it still has tons of food to purchase and people to mingle with. I think someone that can afford $1200-1500 in rent alone in Dallas can for sure afford the opera and symphony if that’s something that interest them a I think I spend like $30-60 on a ticket every season or so. 🤷🏻♀️
yellowsun_97@reddit
If I know what apartment you’re talking about that area is fine and convenient. I have a friend that lives in the building next to the eye. If you wanna get to places downtown and utilize public transportation that’s a big help. It’s a big of a drive to mesquite though. I live in deep ellum and people say the same that’s it scary and not safe and whatever but I’ve never had issues and issues that do arise are people visiting here not living here. I’m also from Fort Worth and lived in meadowbrook, East side, north side, central downtown, and west 7th. I think the level of being worried was the same there as it is here. Uptown will be more expensive and it’s more preppy and stuff. With your budget that area is cheaper but it is busier and there’s more people loitering on the street. I take main and commerce everyday but never seen anything off besides people that are clearly suffering from mental health issues or drugs. It’s a part of city life unfortunately. Welcome to Dallas 😋 if you love the industrial look look at private lofts near by deep ellum. I know there’s some available at citi lofts.
TheMeanHorizon@reddit (OP)
As far as groceries go is it feasible to get one of those collapsible rolling carts and shop at Whole Foods via the bus? I cook for myself sometimes twice a day so I practically live in the grocery store currently. (I know my habits will change being in the city though)
As far as activities go, how is Dallas in general with gatherings and “clubs”? Like board games, video game, and even craft meet ups.
The job is at 635 & 80, it’s a haul from the cleburne area so at this point anything is closer than what I’ve got. Traffic has been the better part of my existence since I’ve started working in construction sadly. I do know that I will have to essentially re learn how to drive though.
I really appreciate everyone’s responses, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get much info.
yellowsun_97@reddit
There’s a Whole Foods downtown you can visit using the bus and possibly the dart. There’s tons of gatherings and clubs. I’ve seen several posters and flyers at the library for crafts. I believe there is game rooms. I’ve seen some groups playing different variations of card games at restaurants. Maybe you can look for a Reddit for board games or cards games in our area or join the Dallas Reddit and ask in there. Driving in Dallas can be stressful so I would suggest learning how to drive again as soon as possible. If you’re going to be coming from downtown it’ll be even more so. 30 is not so bad but 635 has been having construction for a while and can be difficult. There’s tons of things to do here you really just have to search social media for it or find things posted about it locally.
spargonaut@reddit
Hello.
Your post is missing some details.
DFW is BIG and has a lot to offer.
Please update your post to include:
You'll get better responses from the community if you're more specific and follow some of the suggestions in the pinned thread.
https://www.reddit.com/r/askdfw/comments/blnkzt/posting_a_question_be_specific/
You might also have a look around in this subreddit to see if anyone else has already asked or answered your question
TheMeanHorizon@reddit (OP)
Thank you mod 🙏🏼
spargonaut@reddit
HTH.
Good luck with your move.
thedeadlysun@reddit
I definitely recommend uptown instead of downtown proper, your price range may be a little tight for uptown but it’s definitely everything you are looking for. I was in a similar situation when I moved to uptown, had to bump my price a little bit but I also needed a bit more space than you are looking for. Bishops arts may be another shout if you can find something in that price range as well.
TheMeanHorizon@reddit (OP)
I kinda screwed myself with downtown being the first place I looked. I really love the industrial look and I just can’t seem to find that anywhere north of downtown (online at least).
I plan on making my way up again soon to check out a few other areas. Thank you for the info!