Lifestyle

North Dallas

Prestonwood and Bent Tree
Located in Far North Dallas, sharing borders with Addison, Plano and Carrollton, Bent Tree is filled with modern homes and contemporary apartments that surround the exclusive Bent Tree Country Club and golf course. Bent Tree is located within minutes of prime retail shopping areas and business districts of North Dallas, Addison and Plano and has easy access to the Dallas North Tollway.

Prestonwood has a suburban neighborhood feel with an eclectic mix of ranch-style homes and apartments and retail shopping ranging from grocers, national retailers stores such as Old Navy and Steinmart, and a plethora of small local shops. Fretz Park and Prestonwood Country Club are two of the neighborhood’s recreation jewels.

Prestonwood and Bent Tree are located within minutes of prime retail shopping areas and business districts of North Dallas, Addison and Plano and enjoy easy access to the Dallas North Tollway, IH-635 and other major thoroughfares.

Preston Hollow and Bluffview
Preston Hollow is located south of the LBJ Freeway. It offers older, more established neighborhoods with homes and estates projecting the grandeur of North Dallas. Various retail stores and restaurants are located nearby in Preston Center. Preston Hollow is close to the Dallas North Tollway, providing convenient access south to downtown and making it an excellent location for commuters.

University Park
A companion city to Highland Park, University Park makes up the second half of the Park Cities. As home to the prestigious and nationally respected Southern Methodist University, the University Park community combines stately homes, beautiful parks and a quaint retail area. This community of about 23,300 residents has a unique, sophisticated small-town flavor.

Highland Park
An old and traditional section of North Dallas, Highland Park is known for its spacious lots and more expensive homes. Highland Park is one of the Park Cities and remains independent of Dallas. The area was designed by Wilbur David Cook, architect to Beverly Hills, and exudes the same type of exclusivity. Highland Park has dramatic scenery and includes the lovely Turtle Creek. It is primarily a residential area, with approximately 8,842 people who can enjoy some of the most exclusive shopping in the United States at Highland Park Village.

Suburban Communities

Addison
Addison is a booming retail and commercial center that caters to the business crowd during the day and residents seeking delicious food and entertainment at night. The business and daytime population typically reaches up to 100,000 a day. More than 50,000 people work in the Addison corridor, which is easily accessed by the Dallas North Tollway.

More than 2,000 businesses, 135 fine restaurants and 17 hotels serve this busy commercial district. Mary Kay and Pizza Hut have their corporate headquarters here, and MBNA is one the town’s largest employers. Plus, the Addison Airport, a general aviation facility, contributes to the city’s economic prosperity.

Addison’s quiet, classy neighborhoods give more than 14,000 residents access to superb recreational centers with complete workout and sports facilities. Well-planned neighborhoods and upscale apartments reflect the cosmopolitan nature of the town. The nightlife in Addison is known throughout Dallas for its fine dining, music and comedy clubs, theater, and shopping that attracts a diverse crowd of singles, families and business travelers. Day and night, Addison truly creates an ideal combination of work and play.

Carrollton
Carrollton is based in both Dallas and Denton counties and is known for its suburban comfort, convenient shopping and steady corporate growth. The city is constantly expanding with new houses and business developments, while maintaining a small-town feel.

Carrollton’s nostalgic Old Downtown area is centered around a quaint gazebo in a town-square setting. Many unique shops and restaurants make this area popular for community parades and festivals.

Carrollton is easily accessed by IH-35, Dallas North Tollway, SH 121 and the President George Bush Turnpike. The city is served by the Carrollton-Farmers Branch and Dallas school districts. Carrollton’s population of 115,300 residents, more than 4,000 businesses and a daytime work force of more than 75,000 is still growing. The average appraised home value in Carrollton is $125,000, and the average household income for Carrollton is $74,430. Some of the largest employers in Carrollton are Halliburton Energy Services, ST Microelectronics Semiconductors and General Aluminum Corporation.

Farmers Branch
Farmers Branch is a community that caters to families and hosts some of the area’s most delightful parks, libraries and suburban shopping. This city of 27,500 residents consists primarily of single-family homes with a median home value of $99,200.

Businesses also thrive in the city, which is home for the corporate headquarters of Haggar Clothing Co. and i2 Technologies Inc. Other large employers in the city are GEICO Insurance, TD Industries and Tuesday Morning. With its proximity to IH-635 and IH-35E, Farmers Branch is an excellent location for commuting in all directions. The city is served by the Carrollton-Farmers Branch and Dallas ISD.

Richardson
What began as a small rural community is now an outstanding mixture of business and residential life. Richardson is approximately 10 miles north of downtown Dallas, and 70,000 people are employed within the city limits. Richardson is also home to the University of Texas at Dallas and the Telecom Corridor®, which has one of the world’s highest concentrations of leading-edge telecommunications and technology-based companies in the world.
With its proximity to North Central Expressway (U.S. 75) and DART light rail service, Richardson provides an easy commute to downtown, as well as to Plano and Addison. It is served by the Richardson ISD and has extensive recreational centers offering a variety of classes for young and old. Richardson has 92,000 residents and a median household income of $69,724. Major employers in Richardson are Nortel Networks, Cisco Systems, SBC and Texans Credit Union.

Collin County

Allen
Located 12 miles north of the Dallas city limits, Allen is one of the fastest-growing areas in the United States. Allen has dedicated itself to the development of a quality community with a top-ranked educational system, family-oriented residential areas, innovative recreational facilities and premier business parks.

The community’s rapidly expanding population of 67,000, key location just north of the Telecom Corridor®, and appealing demographic base have helped to attract top technology and telecommunications companies that have found a haven in the pro-business atmosphere. Experian and Sage Telecom call Allen home. The average price of homes sold in 2004 was $192,613.

Frisco
Frisco, the fastest-growing city in Texas, has seen its population grow from 6,138 in 1990 to 64,981 in 2004. Frisco is convenient to the Dallas North Tollway, and it is directly adjacent to the Legacy Business Center and the corporate headquarters of JCPenney, EDS and Frito-Lay. Several high-quality housing sectors, resort communities, entertainment options and retail developments dot Frisco’s landscape, including the Stonebriar Centre Mall, the Metroplex’s largest indoor shopping center; the Frisco RoughRiders, a Texas Rangers’ Class AA affiliate team who play their home games at Dr Pepper/7Up Ballpark; and the FC Dallas professional soccer team. EADS Telecom North America, Fujitsu and Tenet are some the large employers based in Frisco.

McKinney
With a more relaxed, small-town atmosphere, McKinney, the Collin County seat, has many historic neighborhoods as well as new housing communities to compliment its corporate, business and retail centers. With almost 70,000 residents, McKinney still has a small-town feel that is reminiscent of its agricultural beginnings. McKinney is home to United American Insurance, Blockbuster Distribution and Raytheon. It has easy access to Dallas, Plano and Richardson via U.S. 75.

Plano
Bordering North Dallas, Plano is the largest city in Collin County, with more than 230,000 residents. The city projects a family-oriented atmosphere and has a large concentration of corporate headquarters, smaller businesses and retail stores. The renowned Legacy Business Center is home to Countrywide Home Loans, Community Credit Union, EDS, Dr Pepper/7UP, JCPenney, Frito-Lay and Perot Systems. Plano is known for its planned neighborhood communities, with some of the most spacious homes in and around the Metroplex, the Shops at Willow Bend, several shopping centers and the Plano Independent School District.

Thought-Provoking ArtWhen Dallas showcases its art, it is done with grandeur. The Dallas Arts District is the largest urban arts district in the country, and is a hotbed of award-winning museums and galleries, including the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and Crow Collection of Asian Art. Outside the district, other artistic ambitions abound. Explore here to see what Dallas has to offer.

History & HeritageFrom The Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza, to the West End and to Southfork Ranch, home of the infamous “Dallas” TV show, Dallas is rich in history on and off the screen. Experience Pioneer Plaza, the Old Red Courthouse, Deep Ellum and more, and get to know Dallas.

Cultural RevelationsIn order for a dinner and a show to take place, there has to be a show to attend, and Dallas has plenty. Looking for award-winning Broadway productions, art-house theatre, laugh-out-loud comedy, incomparable orchestral experiences or breathtaking ballet? Find it here.

The BIG OutdoorsIt’s not all concrete and high-rises here. After all, this is Texas. For a refreshing adventure outdoors and breathtaking views, explore White Rock Lake, Klyde Warren Park, Katy Trail, Dallas Arboretum and more.

Family-FriendlyDallas plays host to some of the most lauded attractions in the nation, and visiting places such as the Dallas Zoo, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at theDallas Arboretum, Dallas World Aquarium, and Six Flags Over Texasare practically mandatory. Grab the kiddos and hit the town!

Nighttime BuzzWith 14 different entertainment districts from which to choose, a night out in Dallas can only result in a good time. Party in chic lounges and posh bars in Uptown, dance the night away in Downtown, bar hop on Lower Greenville and McKinney Avenue, or catch cool live music inDeep Ellum. Get more details here.

Style For MilesDallas corners the market on shopping in the Southwest. It all began with the nation’s first Neiman Marcus and Highland Park Village, the first outdoor planned shopping center. Now, exclusive designer boutiques like Oscar de la Renta, Dior and Alexander McQueen call the city home, as well as of-the-minute trend purveyors like H&M and mega-outlets like Grapevine Mills.

Tastes Of DallasOur pride and joy is premier barbeque and authentic Tex-Mex, but it doesn’t end there. From gastronomy and farm-to-fork, to soba noodles and wild game, Dallas dining is one unique experience to savor.

BIG-Time SportsCelebrate sports Dallas-style by catching a game with one of five cheer-worthy professional teams, including America’s Team the Dallas Cowboys, baseball’s Texas Rangers, puck-wielding Dallas Stars, the Dallas Mavericks, and soccer’s FC Dallas.

Sources: Individual cities and NCTCOG.