Moving, but Where? Info on Allen Areas PLEASE

I think McKinney, Allen, Frisco & Plano are all great. The only negative I know about Allen is that the high school is huge.
This really isn't a response to the question as you have gotten some great advice. I just wanted to say that as a Realtor any Realtor who tells you what neighborhoods not to consider is violating fair housing laws and could be subject to a fine or have his license revoked. Victoria T. may want to withdraw her response.

When we moved here from DC we were told to stay away from the East side. That being said, I've driven through the east side side and don't know what they are talking about. I don't hear about much crime on the east side and properties are cheaper than the west side. We live in Twin Creeks and love it. They have great amenities centers and are loaded with kids. However, now that I'm familiar with the area If you need a realtor we used Nick McCoy of Keller Williams. He was wonderful about telling us which neighborhoods to look at in Allen and which ones to stay away from. He is also familiar with the surrounding areas. What I loved most is he talked us out of a more expensive house at the cost of his commission.

So this cracks me up - I life in North Plano ... and 'unsafe' is the worst possible description. :) I love my neighborhood - we live near Custer & Hedgecoxe - Hedgecoxe seems to be the dividing line for Allen and Plano - Allen is north of it and Plano is south of it - I live directly south of it. My house is within 1 block of an elementary school, 3 blocks of a middle school, and I have 3 parks that all within less than 1/2 mile walking distance. I absolutely love my neighborhood. We bought our house 6 years ago and just had our first child - who will attend the elementary school in 5 years - we're here for good! :) So you might reconsider North Plano. I think the kids across Hedgecoxe that live in Allen may even actually go to the middle school near my house - I recently heard some neighbors discussing that (truly don't know that for sure though). Allen is beautiful as well - I just couldn't let the North Plano 'unsafe' comment go without telling you about my experience - best of luck to you!

T.:
We moved from McKinney to Allen this past summer and LOVE IT! We moved to Watters Crossing mainly for the elementary school but love everything that Allen has to offer- shopping, restaurants, the small town feel. The Watters Crossing neighborhood has wide sidewalks, large trees, walking trails and wonderful parks for the kids to play at. It is close to 75 and so easy to get around. We loved McKinney but could not be happier than we are in Allen. Good Luck on your search!

We have lived in the Plano/Allen area since 1989.....actually the same 3-5 sq mile area. In 2000 we built this home in West Allen (Plano ISD) schools. We love our home backing up to the park with a large wooded lot, privacy, lots of wildlife and quiet where we are. Our neighborhood is Suncreek. I dislike HOA's but I will say that ours does a good job at trying to help families get to know each other with several socials yearly. It is family friendly. The schools are great as well.

There are several $$$ options depending on what you are looking for. If you are in the heart of Suncreek and looking at a smaller lot/house you are probably looking in the $200's to $300's, the Brookwood III, Oak Knoll, and homes on the park property are larger, pricier and many with no alley. Homes on the park area rarely go on the market, if they do, they are not on the market long. We actually get solicitations from realtors asking if we would be interested in selling because someone is interested.

We did not select this specific section of Allen for the Plano schools. We LOVE the Plano schools we are in, however, we have no issue with Allen schools and they also are recommended highly.

We are about 5 minutes or less from Watters Creek ( I love that place) and 75.

Twin Creeks is another very nice develpment which is also family friendly. We have friends who live there and love it.

Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy!

I moved to Allen from Chicago 4.5 years ago. The schools are outstanding and there really isn't a "bad" part of town. There is an older part of town and amore wealthy part of town. The older part of town is right in the middle of downtown Allen at Main and Greenville. Also in general the East side is older and less affluent than the west. Twin Creeks is a highly desireable area but can also be pricey. There is definitely a demographic difference in the school and population make-up between the east side and west side schools. I don't know where you fit in so just do your homework on that.

The city is where Plano was 20 years ago - booming! We are so lucky to have all the new retail and restaurants that have come in the last 3 years. OUr Event center is awesome - even has a skating rink. The parks are beautiful and the city is so proud of itself. It has a smaller city feel with having under 80K population so you frequently see the same people. I can't say enough positive things about Allen. Your choices will be unlimited right now in real estate. Just do your homework on areas and neighborhoods as there is all levels available.

Good luck!

T.,
We have lived in McKinney for 11 years. We love it overall, but are disappointed in our school. McKinney High School has been rated unacceptable. They say it is because they had students that transferred that were listed as dropouts. But there are lots of problems-poor teaching, lack of discipline, fights, etc.
Our friends in Lovejoy and Allen isds are much better off.
The new neighborhood off Watters Drive west of 75 is very nice.
Victoria

Allen is a very good area with great schools. We happen to have our house for sale. We're only selling it to down size.
Here is the website for more information and pics.
http://www.yjingram48.webs.com
Y. I.

Hi T.,
I have lived in Allen for a little over 4 years. There is not an "unsafe' part of Allen. There are some neighborhoods that are older and have many rent houses, so they aren't as stable, but certainly not unsafe. If you can pay $150k or more for a home, you will be living in a very nice, stable neighborhood with homes built in the last 20 ( or newer) years.
If you need to spend less than that, you will have to do more looking. The best thing to do is to sit down with a realtor in Allen and look at what is available in your price range.

I really love living here, and I moved from a "cool" part of Dallas, so at first I was put out.But now I love living on the prairie. The park systems, amenities and great schools are a big draw for most folks.

good luck!

We live in the historic district of McKinney, and love love love it. We can walk to downtown, so the library, restaurants, coffee shops, yoga studios, etc. The neighborhood is mixed, which I think is an advantage--you hear both Spanish and English on the playground, and DD will grow up speaking both. The neighborhood social group is really active, as well, so we know lots of our neighbors. I'm also a sucker for old houses and big trees (I grew up in New England), so if that's what you like, this is the place to be!

We have lived in Allen since 1986 and we love it! As others have said, there are no unsafe or bad areas of Allen. There are several neighborhoods that are older and have more rental houses on the East side, but I wouldn't say there were unsafe or bad. We have always lived on the east side of Allen and love it. Twin Creeks (on the west side) is probably the "premier" place to live, but it is more expensive. When you take Twin Creeks and the handful of older neighborhoods out of the equation, everything else in Allen is pretty equal. Plus everyone goes to the same high school. We live in Lost Creek Ranch (between Stacy and Exchange) and love it. Our elementary school is exemplary (as are most in Allen), there are 5 parks and trails within easy walking distance, and a community pool.

I absolutely love Allen and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Its a "small town" atmosphere with ALL the shopping/dining you can ask for. My husband is currently looking for a job right now but we won't even consider moving b/c we LOVE the school that our son is in and can't imagine pulling him out of such a loving and wonderful atmosphere. We have lived on the south east side and now on the north east side and both are great. I don't think there are any "bad" areas. Good luck in your search.

Hi, my name is A. Martin and I am a local realtor with NorthStar Realty Group. I live in McKinney but service Allen, Frisco, Plano, all over really. Allen is a great place to live. Where you live will depend upon what your criteria are for a home and your price range. With your husband working in Addison, depending on his route to work, that will also impact where you live. Parts of McKinney are great because of the access to 121 and 75 and you get a lot of home for your money.

I understand you are not wanting to buy for a few months but it would be a good idea to decide which area you'd like to buy in. So, if you would like to email me your criteria for a home, I would love to send you a list of properties and I can take you to see them to help with your decision. My email address is ____@____.com and my phone number is ###-###-####. Thank you!

There us an area in McKinney that is located in Frisco ISD (which is rated very well).....It is safe and a lot of new homes.....actually DR Horton is building some nice houses close to a golf course and I think the subdivision is called Greens at/on Westridge....look it up.....it is pretty central to several hwys which should make it easy for your husband to travel into addison

Have you concidered McKinney? It is absolutely beautiful & very family / kid friendly. We currently live in Frisco to help with our work commute, but have a beautiful home for sale/lease available in April. Please e-mail me if you'd like additional info... ____@____.com

Allen is a great area. I would suggest finding an area close to 121 (Sam Rayburn Tollway) rather than 75 since the traffic to Addison is better than on Hwy 75. In Allen, there is really no "bad" areas. The "east" side sigma is more for McKinney and Plano. Allen also has a great school district and so does Frisco if you want to go further west along 121. McKinney is fairly good, but they start busing at the middle school level (even if you are really close to another middle school or high school. (This is the main reason we are looking at Allen right now after living in McKinney for 13 years).

If the drive does not bother your husband, then you may want to look into houses in the Lovejoy school district area. It's just east of Allen and has the best rated school district around.

Good luck!

Allen is AWESOME. I've owned 2 homes since movinf here in 1995 and seen a lot of growth / changes. The public school system is blue ribbon (i.e. exlemplary). There is no "bad side" but you will find more of the more established neighborhoods on the east side of 75. The newer (and sometimes more expensive) homes are on the west side of 75. Most of the growth in the last 10+ years has been north of McDermott. If you need to commute to Addison, I might look for homes that are along Exchange or Stacy which quickly connects to 121. Once you settle on a home, take time to enjoy the shops & restaurants. The best pasta/pizza in Collin County is found at Italian Villa. Don't be fooled by it's modest furnishings, you can't get near the place on Friday nights during football season! Having lunch with girlfriends or need catering for a small party? Look no further than Elke's Cafe & Market. It's a can't-miss experience. Lastly, welcome to the neighborhood!