Living in Downtown Dallas

If you are planning on moving to Downtown Dallas, you are in the right place. In this blog, we’ll share a complete breakdown of living in Downtown Dallas. You’ll learn about its pros and cons, cost, neighborhoods, affordable housing, and schools.

What’s Downtown Dallas like?

Downtown Dallas is one of the best places in Texas, located in Dallas County at the Dallas city’s core. It has a diverse culture and a dense urban feel, with most residents living in rented housing.

Many families and young professionals have found a home here due to easy accessibility. As a Dallas resident, bare necessities are within walking distance, with tons of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops lining the entire area.

Although there are not many traditional grocery stores in Downtown Dallas, TX, a Dallas Farmers Market is located here. You can obtain organic food and fresh farm produce from this market.

If you have a job and house both in Downtown Dallas, you can live a car-free lifestyle. This neighborhood is the central hub of the DART light rail, which also includes other public transportation routes. Moreover, all these transport systems merge to make this neighborhood highly accessible and easy to connect with the Dallas Fort Worth area and other Dallas neighborhoods.

Downtown Dallas is an artistic town converging with commerce and a central piece of stunning architecture offering high-rise living.

Though Downtown Dallas is a reasonably historic town with centuries-old sidewalks, new development is still ongoing. The current median townhomes date back to 2002 with brick walls and tree-lined streets.

The median household income here is $89,023, which is more than the national average of $64,994. Most of the residents are renters, with only 14% as homeowners. The median home value is $337,404, and the median rent is $1,616.

With lots of open and green space, parks, lakes, and trails in Downtown Dallas, you won’t lack sports and outdoor activities. A famous Reunion Tower provides an encompassing view of Dallas city through its 561-foot observation deck.

Pros and cons of living in Downtown Dallas

Here are the pros and cons of living in downtown Dallas. Check them out:

Pros

The walking distance is less to basic amenities

It is a walkable neighborhood, so you won’t have to own a car necessarily. You can find a job and residence both in Downtown Dallas without going to another area for work.

This town saw plenty of new construction in the past couple of years, such as the Tom Thumb grocery store located on the edge of Downtown just off Oak Lawn. A grocery store was the only thing missing before.

AT&T, a major tech corporation, recently built an AT&T Discovery Zone at their headquarters. This zone combines culture and entertainment to create a unique outdoor experience where people always perform live music. There are also restaurants lining up along the zone area.

Another famous place is Klyde Warren Park, located in the heart of the Downtown area. It offers plenty of play areas, with food trucks and restaurants dotting the side of the park. Klyde Warren Park also connects Downtown with Uptown and is built over a freeway underground. It’s an excellent place for visiting on weekends.

Recently, many newly constructed parks in Downtown opened to the public. One such park is Carpenter Park.

The Dallas Museum of Art is another place to visit in America’s largest Arts District in Downtown Dallas TX. It houses more than 2400 art pieces from around the globe.

This District is also home to multiple performance venues, providing impressive operas, ballets, and symphonies.

Another must-visit place is the Park Cities. It refers to Highland Park and University Park.

The watersides in these twin cities offer miles of walking trails, refined Italian and seafood restaurants, high-end shopping malls, and designer boutiques. They also encompass chic condos and a stunning collection of upscale homes.

Downtown Dallas also offers plenty of fine dining options and exciting nightlife within walking distance.

Moreover, all major bands touring through the South side of the US never miss the chance to hit Dallas during their visit. So, you can get plenty of entertainment as well.

If you can’t find enough fun and entertainment in Downtown Dallas, many popular neighborhoods in Dallas are also close by. You can easily walk to Deep Ellum and Uptown.

You can also take a free trolley from Downtown to Uptown that is available all the time and operates seven days a week. In addition, there are other ways to visit the neighborhoods.

You can take an Uber ride from Downtown to Knox Henderson, Lower Greenville, or Oak Lawn. It will cost you only $6 to $8.

You’ll get different housing options

The housing is a lot cheaper in Downtown Dallas than it is in Oak Lawn or Deep Ellum. There are also many living options in the form of both old and new lofts, apartments, and single-family houses.

You’ll find many mixed-use projects with apartments and the Statler, Thompson, and Hilton hotels located on the top of buildings.

If you are particularly looking for modern apartments, many angular skyscrapers in Downtown Dallas include high-rise apartments.

This town also comes with plenty of spacious condos with excellent HOAs. On the Farmer’s Market side, you’ll find tons of brownstone homes as well as low and mid-rise apartments.

At Bryan Place, just a few blocks from Downtown, it’s a lovely boutique property with single-family homes built in the 80s.

It is the central hub

Moving to Downtown means you’ll be living in the center of amenities. You’ll access many restaurants, bars, and shopping centers.

With it being the center of town, many companies also offer plenty of job opportunities. Also, people are building new upscale apartments and condos with the development still going on.

The education quality is excellent in Downton. You’ll find one of the best public ISD schools in the University Park area. The Lake Dallas Independent School District is also 30 minutes away from this historic town via Interstate 35E.

Cons

Homelessness

People living in every major city have to face homelessness somehow. The same is the case with Downtown. Homeless encampments are littering all over the south side of this neighborhood.

Particularly on roads around City Hall, bridges across Interstate 30, and under Interstate 345, you’ll find plenty of homeless encampments. There is also pretty aggressive panhandling going on in those areas.

This is one of the current challenges that many Downtown neighborhoods face. The housing rent is high, and around 12.6% of families here live below the poverty line.

But, if the encampment makes you uncomfortable or the panhandling freaks you out, choose areas on the north side of Downtown.

Furthermore, if you want to avoid homelessness, make sure you can afford to own a house or the median rent of $1,616 per month.

It is noisy

Living in Downtown means you are right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of traffic. All kinds of noises are going down here regardless of where you live in this town.

Downtown has a walkable score of 90, which is excellent, but a good score also comes with a downside. You may have to listen to police, fire brigade, ambulance sirens, and honking cars throughout the day.

For the past couple of years, there’s also been an issue with cars wreaking havoc by street racing. But recently, law enforcement has taken some steps to eliminate this problem. They have enacted cameras and are arresting people for street racing.

If you specifically want a peaceful neighborhood, then this town may not be for you. But if you wish to live close to the city’s hustle and bustle and amenities, Downtown will work for you.

FAQs

Is Downtown Dallas a safe place to live?

Downtown Dallas is as safe as most of the major cities are. There are both safer and less safe areas. But keep your head about you as you would in any metropolitan city.

Avoid the West End and south side of Downtown as they are littered with the homeless. They can be pushy and aggressive, but most of the time, they are pretty harmless.

Specifically, areas such as the Arts District and Deep Ellum are generally safer places in Downtown Dallas.

Which area is better to live in, Dallas? Uptown or Downtown?

Downtown Dallas is relatively less expensive to live in than Uptown. It has the same extraordinary factors as Uptown but has more walkability, with plenty of offices and high access to amenities in comparison.

What are the best places to live in Downtown Dallas?

The best neighborhoods to live in Downtown include South Canyon Creek, Deep Ellum, Bishops Arts District, and Lower Greenville. If you are relocating with your family, Preston Highlands is the perfect place to live. You can squeeze the best out of quality education from top-notch schools there.

What’s the weather like in Downtown Dallas?

You can expect warm days and chilly nights during the spring and fall seasons. From June till August, it’s pretty hot with 100+ degrees temperature during the day. November till February is mildly cold, and snowfall is scarce.

Is Downtown Dallas a walkable area?

Yes. It has a 91 walkable score meaning you can easily browse restaurants, bars, shopping centers, and other amenities on foot. You can also rent bikes or electric scooters or use Uber rides to visit different neighborhoods. A free trolley runs through Downtown Dallas and can take you to Uptown. Also, there are many bus stations, a trolley, and the DART light rail runs through the town connecting with Uptown.

What are the best natural places to visit in Downtown Dallas?

If you love to be up close to nature, one of the best places in Downtown Dallas is Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. It is a manicured green space comprising 20 gardens and is only a 30-minute ride from Downtown. The Arboretum shares the boundary with White Rock Lake and Park. A 10-mile trail for hiking and biking surrounds a 100-acre lake, and boats provide access to the water body. Both the Arboretum and White Rock Lake Park are top picnic spots for families.

What are the food and dining options in Downtown Dallas?

Downtown caters to all kinds of palettes with full brunch meals, curbside food trucks, and underground steakhouses. You’ll find excellent barbecue at Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum and sushi and soba at Tei-An, near the Arts District. If you are craving pizza, do remember to visit Campisi’s near the giant eyeball sculpture. There’s the best specialty pizza in town. Near the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the Tex-Mex restaurant offers the exotic taste of Mexico. Their tacos are to die for.

Summing Up

Hopefully, our blog will help you get a significant idea about what it is like living in Downtown Dallas and its pros and cons. Several factors are debatable and may not be a con for you.

So, if you want to relocate to this area, we can assist you in finding the perfect place that suits your lifestyle. We’ll also explain which areas of Downtown Dallas have more to offer and which neighborhoods to avoid.

Situated in Dallas, we are a team of realtors helping people worldwide to relocate to this city and its surrounding neighborhoods. Our experts listen carefully to your needs before finding the perfect place amidst the various amenities.

Check our YouTube channel if you require more information about Dallas neighborhoods such as Plano, Frisco, Allen, and Mckinney. We cover everything from pros and cons to schools, new construction, and housing in our videos weekly.

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