Garland

Situated alongside two major thoroughfares through the Dallas-Fort Worth area, convenience is the name of the game in Northeast Garland. Add in the light rail station just minutes away, and the neighborhood is a commuter’s dream. “The transportation center is close by in Downtown Garland, so it’s easy to access,” says Tesha Shannon, Realtor for Keller Williams Urban Dallas. Residents of Northeast Garland find a quiet neighborhood to settle down in with lower home prices than some nearby areas. Northeast Garland’s homes lay close together on typical suburban streets, with green front yards and large oak trees on either side. Ranch homes dominate the neighborhood stylistically, generally selling in the low-$300,000s. “You still have an opportunity to get something that is older and renovated, or maybe needs a little renovation,” Shannon says. “They can make a good starter home.” Meanwhile, some subdivisions feature new traditional homes with Craftsman-influenced stone ornamentations. These can go between the $400,000s and upper $600,000s. The outskirts of the neighborhood near State Highway 78 feature a few townhome developments, which often sell around $200,000. Part of the Garland Independent School District, Northeast Garland students can take advantage of its school choice initiative. Most kids attend nearby schools including Northlake Elementary School, graded a B-minus by Niche, and Sellers Middle School, given a C-plus. The B-plus-rated Garland High School offers an “Academy of Fine Arts” magnet program with opportunities in music and theater, art and film. Residents of Northeast Garland head to Bradfield Park in the middle of the neighborhood to get active, whether playing tennis or baseball, swimming in the pool over the summer or utilizing the gym and recreation center. And when they want to be a little more adventurous, locals can explore the trails on foot or by bike at the Rowlett Creek Nature Preserve. Just minutes from the neighborhood, Firewheel Golf Park gives residents the chance to play a round on any of three courses. Neighborhood locals have the comforts of suburbia close by, with a shopping center featuring a Kohls, Home Depot, and Hobby Lobby within Northeast Garland. Less than a mile into the North Garland neighborhood, Walmart Neighborhood Market gives residents a nearby grocery store. And across President George Bush Turnpike, locals can shop and dine at Firewheel Town Center. The upscale mall has plenty of retail locations such as American Eagle and Express, alongside local chain favorites like Gloria’s Latin Cuisine and Wildwood. Northeast Garland is conveniently located at the intersection of President George Bush Turnpike and State Highway 78 for easy access across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Downtown Dallas is around 20 miles away, while DFW International Airport is a little over 30 miles. Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s commuter rail Blue Line stops in Downtown Garland, close to the neighborhood. The trip into downtown Dallas via the train is about 30 minutes. Northeast Garland is adjacent to Downtown Garland, and residents have access to the events the city puts on. “It’s not necessarily where a lot of people will hang out, but people do go down there for some of the cool art festivals, and they do some music stuff down there,” says Shannon. One such event is the annual Dia de los Muertos festival held at the Garland Arts Center, which features live performances and street vendors.

It’s no wonder Firewheel’s namesake is that of a flower – its quiet suburbs are planted between swaths of green space and lakefront views, tied together by Rowlett Creek. Development began in the late 1990s around Firewheel Golf Park and Breckinridge Park and quickly evolved into the golfing community it is today. “It’s a highly sought out community for many reasons. It’s very established with mature trees and very family-oriented,” says Paula Clark, a Realtor with the Shelly Seltzer Team at Ebby Halliday. “It’s just a great little neighborhood. It’s very safe, and people are always walking around.” While locals have everything they might need along President George Bush Highway, this same major highway runs through its lower leg, providing quick access to both Plano and Garland cities and their myriad of shopping outlets with a diverse selection of eateries and bars. Firewheel has several subdivisions, all built around the golf course or Breckinridge Park. Home sizes and styles vary between modest, established homes and sprawling Millennial mansions. Some sit on small plots of land while others showcase yards large enough for backyard pools and tennis courts. Newer homes incorporate farmhouse features like turret windows, inviting front porches and exposed beams, listed anywhere from $630,000 to $800,000. A price tag between $450,000 and $550,000 will often secure an older home with three or four bedrooms, while larger plots soar upwards of $1 million. “The Garland Independent School District is another reason people look to move towards Firewheel,” says Kathy Spillyards, a Broker at Integrity Plus Real Estate. Luna Elementary School receives an A from Niche. The school offers a Montessori Magnet program and two unique mascots: a pair of chickens – Margaret and Amelia – that classes take care of in turns. Students may then attend Webb Middle School and Naaman Forest High School, earning a B-minus and B Niche grade, respectively. The University of Texas at Dallas is roughly 9 miles away. President George Bush Turnpike offers quick access to nearby areas of Garland; the central city of Dallas; and nearby suburbs of Plano, Richardson, and Sachse. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) serves Firewheel with bus lines that run to light rail stations in Downtown Garland and nearby Cityline (Richardson, Texas). For immediate medical care, Methodist Richardson Medical Center is 3 miles away. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is roughly 30 miles away. Firewheel Golf Park consists of the Old Course, the Lakes Course and the Bridges Course. The Bridges Course is the newest, full of rolling hills and large oak trees throughout its 27 holes. Rowlett Creek and Spring Creek flow past the neighborhood, offering water challenges for golfers. One Eleven Ranch Park rests at the golf course’s eastern edge. This 29-acre city park has a large natural area with a creek, mature trees and the largest picnic shelter in any Garland city park. It also has a recently renovated playground with colorful slides and climbing structures for children to enjoy. The outdoor mall of Firewheel Town Center has a small park at the center, with leafy trees and a stream flowing from a fountain. Popular stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods, DSW and Old Navy are among other specialized stores. Wildwood serves laid-back meals in a comfortable setting alongside a wide selection of cocktails and beer, hanger steak and shrimp and grits. For groceries, Walmart Neighborhood Market is just off Murphy Road, and Target is on North Garland Avenue. And with the President George Bush Turnpike nearby, residents are within a short drive anywhere throughout the Metroplex. Annual events include a Taste of Firewheel and the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival. Nearby, locals can enjoy live music at the July Music Festival in Wylie or garner new wall art at the Cottonwood Arts Festival in the City of Richardson. Every March, Plano hosts the Texas Forever Fest. Families enjoy theme parks like Adventure Landing, Play Street Museum, Hawaiian Water Garland and Rowlett Wet Zone in the summer. Strike + Reel off President George Bush Highway provides a fun weekend afternoon of bowling, bumper cars and movies.

Rose Hill is a small residential community near the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard, proving to be a prime location to enjoy the water. “It’s real close to the lake, so it’s great for recreation,” says Realtor Annette McGuire of Keller Williams DFW Preferred. While near the lake, homes are tucked away in late 20th and early 21st century subdivisions where locals enjoy evening walks and bike rides. The community is about 15 miles northeast of Dallas but hugs Interstate 30, so commuters can easily access the city. “It’s an established community, and it is much more affordable for those looking for a first-time buy,” McGuire says. Rose Hill comprises several subdivisions that feature a wide range of housing styles. “Most of them are traditional, older homes. But that’s not to say you can’t go a few blocks over and find new builds also,” McGuire says. Along the sidewalk-lined streets of the Wellington Run subdivision is a collection of early 21st-century custom colonials and new traditional homes with at least 2,000 square feet. Among many other Rose Hill subdivisions, Wellington Run features small back alleys where locals can access rear-facing, two-car garages and stow their garbage bins. Rosehill Meadows is another subdivision with custom homes that feature brick facades, tall entryways and stone turrets. Along Malibu Drive and adjacent streets are ranch-style homes from the 1970s and early ‘80s. Larger brick homes with up to five bedrooms typically cost around $475,000 to $550,000, while ranch styles cost between $200,000 and $300,000. Kids growing up in Rose Hill attend schools served by the Garland Independent School District, which earned an overall A-minus on Niche. Children kickstart their education at Shugart Elementary School, which has a student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1 and a C-plus on Niche. Students advance to Lyles Middle School, which got an overall B-minus on Niche. Students advance to Lakeview Centennial High School to earn their diplomas. The school opened in 1976, adding college and career magnet programs in 2001. Students can participate in the Collegiate Academy, earning up to 63 college credits before graduating high school. The school also offers magnet programs in criminal justice, business administration and television production. Niche gave the school an overall B-plus. Lake Ray Hubbard is a popular destination for outdoor activity. John Paul Jones Park is a waterfront park with a trail that runs parallel to the shore, ideal for enjoying a walk at sunrise or sunset. The park has three fishing piers, so local anglers have a few options when they want to cast a line. For locals looking to spend a day out on the water paddling or in a motorboat, the boat ramp on the park’s northern end is a popular place to get started. Windsurf Bay Park is another nearby lakefront spot with plenty of green space, making it an ideal picnic location. The park also has a shaded pavilion, playground, basketball and sand volleyball courts. Within walking distance is John M. Hayes Park, a nearby park with plenty of space to kick a ball around or walk the dog. Bounded by Interstate 30 and Broadway Boulevard, Rose Hill residents can access ample shopping and dining options. Broadway Boulevard is a six-lane commercial strip flanked by various stores, like Albertsons and Walmart Supercenter. Also along Broadway are various service businesses, banks and various restaurants. Locals enjoy Pollo Regio for dinner, a Monterrey, Mexico-based restaurant with charcoal-grilled chicken, among classics like flautas and tacos. Locals also head to Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, a large bar and grill with plenty of outdoor seating overlooking the water. The restaurant has an extensive beer list with something for every taste. Regarding food, diners enjoy the Bavarian pretzels and hand-made pizzas. Locals primarily drive to get around, but public transportation is available on Broadway Boulevard. Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART, buses shuttle across Dallas and outlying neighborhoods. Commuters have the convenience of I-30 running along Rose Hill’s southern border. Locals heading into the city often hop on I-30 westbound for a 15-mile straight shot into the heart of Dallas. In case of an emergency, Surepoint Emergency Center is about 5 miles away. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is about 45 miles away.

30 miles outside Dallas, North Garland has a quiet, peaceful feel perfect for those looking for a suburban setting. With convenient transportation options and a good school district featuring a school choice initiative, the neighborhood draws in residents ready for a slower pace. Residents also point to North Garland’s home prices, which are lower than many other surrounding areas and make the neighborhood a great place to settle down. The suburban streets of North Garland are shaded by mature trees, with well-manicured front lawns and fenced-in backyards. The small lots give the area a neighborly feel, but not overly cramped. Some of these houses have built-in garages, but the ones that don’t often have rear-entry garages accessible via an alley. Ranches make up the majority of the single-family homes of the neighborhood, generally selling between the mid-$300,000s and $500,000, though some smaller cottages closer to downtown Garland can be found in the $200,000s. “Garland is still affordable, in a time where a lot of the area is becoming not so affordable,” says Tesha Shannon, Realtor for Keller Williams Urban Dallas. North Garland is part of the Garland Independent School District. The district’s school-choice program allows families to pick which school students attend. “The biggest draw for families especially has been the fact that they have the choice of school,” Shannon says. Many neighborhood kids go to Cooper Elementary School, rated a B-minus by Niche, and Bussey Middle School, given a C-plus. The A-graded North Garland High School is the closest for most of the neighborhood, and offers sports such as football, basketball and soccer but also drill team and powerlifting. Laid out around its namesake creek, Coomer Park sits at the heart of the neighborhood, easy for residents to get to. Residents can walk their dog on the trail while kids enjoy the playground. Next to Bussey Middle School, Cullom Park has a softball field and tennis courts, while residents play pickup basketball at Yarborough Park. Just minutes from the neighborhood, locals can play any of the three courses at Firewheel Golf Park, a popular pastime for Garland residents. North Garland has all the conveniences of suburban living at their fingertips, with plenty of shopping around the perimeter of the neighborhood. Just across State Highway 78, residents can find a Kohls, Hobby Lobby and Home Depot, while the opposite side of the neighborhood holds a strip mall with a CVS and plenty of food options. Babe’s Chicken Dinner House is one of them, well-known for it’s fried chicken across the Dallas area. Residents needing to stock up on groceries can stop by the Walmart Neighborhood Market in the center of the neighborhood. And just minutes from North Garland sits Firewheel Town Center, with high-end retailers and popular local restaurant chains such as Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe or Houlihan’s. Just north of Downtown Garland, North Garland has easy access to all the downtown area has to offer in terms of shopping, dining and entertainment. The other side of the neighborhood borders the President George Bush Turnpike for easy access across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It’s about a 20-mile drive into downtown Dallas, and 30 miles to DFW International Airport. Dallas Area Rapid transit operates commuter rail from Downtown Garland into Dallas, which is about a 30-minute trip each way. Less than a mile from the neighborhood, the Garland Arts Center hosts many events for the community in Downtown Garland, including a Dia de los Muertos celebration each November. The event features live performances, vendors and food trucks and is a big day for the broader Garland community. Garland also puts on various festivals and music events throughout the year.

In the northeast section of Dallas in the city of Garland is the neighborhood of Spring Park, where residents are out and about for fun and for the homeowners associations activities. “We’re the only ones that have an HOA with a community pool and tennis courts in the area,” says Debra Mansfield, a current resident of Spring Park and Realtor for Ebby Halliday Real Estate. “There’s a real sense of community with all the activities that the association has.” There is a small section to the south of the neighborhood that is not part of the SpringPark homeowners association, but the majority of homes do fall within the association’s boundaries. “It’s kind of the best of both worlds,” says Mansfield. “There’s easy access to major roads, a lot of shopping is nearby, and we have a small lake with trails around it.” Students in Spring Park are mostly zoned to the Richardson Independent School District, where they can begin at Big Springs Elementary for prekindergarten through sixth grade. First opened in 1978, Big Springs Elementary earns an A-minus from Niche. Students can then attend Apollo Junior High for seventh and eighth grade before moving to Lloyd V. Berkner High School. Students can take Advanced Placement, honors and dual-credit courses. Berkner High School also has an award-wining band program, receiving the Sudler Flag twice, which is usually considered the highest award a high school band can earn. Both Apollo Junior and Berkner High receive a B-plus from Niche. Spring Park also contains the Spring Park Greenbelt – Fred E. Harris Section, with a playground, places for softball and greenspace scattered throughout. The trails within the section also lets residents take some time in the outdoors, connecting to the larger Spring Creek Forest Preserve with 230-acres of forested and prairie areas. Within the neighborhood, the SpringPark clubhouse has an Olympic swimming pool, playground and 10 lighted tennis courts for residents and non-residents alike, for serious practice and every-day fun both. Some roundabouts in Spring Park will have little gathering areas, with a few benches under the cover of trees, for neighbors to have informal get-togethers at any time. The association holds events throughout the year, from weekly book clubs to annual Fourth of July parades and Holiday decoration contests. “There will be an Easter Egg hunt and hayrides at Christmas for the kids,” Mansfield says. Just a mile from the southern border of the neighborhood is the Hawaiian Waters Garland, an outdoor waterpark open from May to September. In the corner of the neighborhood that separates the northern and southern section of the city is a small commercial section that includes a Kroger, and several local restaurants such as Tandoori Flame, Sushi Rollin’ and Jaimes Donut Shop. Just southeast of the neighborhood, residents can stop by Target and the Walmart Supercenter for any home good needs or continue down President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) to reach the Firewall Town Center for clothes from Dillard’s or Lane Bryant. Most of the homes within the neighborhood are either new traditional homes with Tudor or Colonial Revival elements or 1970s shed style. Homes tend to be closer together, sometimes with garages making up most of the house-front. With a median price of $440,000, homes tend to begin around $400,000 and reach almost $1 million. Large windows and open-concept main floors allow the sun to fill the space, and with smaller yards, residents don’t have to worry as much about landscaping details. Brick and stone facades are a common sight among homes, although shed homes tend to have a combination of brick or stone along with wood paneling. There are townhomes in the middle of the neighborhood, just north of the Spring Creek Greenbelt. In Shoal Creek, the townhomes do have access to a private pool, as well as large roads and sidewalks throughout the subdivision. There are two bus lines throughout, route 247 on Jupiter Road as the western-most border of the neighborhood and route 245, which follows Shiloh Road before turning onto West Campbell Road, which divides the neighborhood in half. The PGBT, which makes an arch through the north end of Dallas, acts as the eastern border of the neighborhood.