According to Vishaan Chakrabarti’s essay in last Sunday’s Dallas Morning News Points section, America has an addiction to suburbs that isn’t sustainable, and as more young people move back into the urban core, the federal government will need to de-emphasize its policies that have propagated suburban sprawl:
For all of the attention showered on hipster enclaves like Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and Portland, Ore., America is only in the beginning stages of a historic urban reordering. After over a half-century of depopulation, cities have been filling up — and not just with young millennials, but with families and even with older workers and retirees.
This reordering, should it continue, will have dramatic consequences for our politics and society — but only if the federal government undertakes its own historic reordering and shifts its priorities away from promoting the suburbs.
Interesting thoughts. A lot of the “reordering” Chakrabarti describes is illustrated well by Dallas’ booming inside-the-loop neighborhoods, places where you can buy a home inside the city limits and have only a 20 minute commute to downtown. But these are places where you can still enjoy things like a lawn, great neighbors, and some room to breathe. It’s a contrast to Chakrabarti’s vision of city life, which is dense, mass-transit-infused, and walkable.
But make no mistake, these areas are still very much Dallas, and there are some benefits to living inside LBJ despite the suburban feel that crosses into anathema for those new urbanists. Take University Terrace, for example.
A friend and former colleague of mine lived in this neighborhood, which is just south of Northwest Highway and inside the Lakewood Elementary attendance zone. He walked to the White Rock DART Rail station and took a train every day — a car-less commute that ended up saving him some serious money and frustration, no doubt. And still, this area has fantastic traditional homes, many in fantastic condition, and a quiet neighborhood that is close-knit.
If this sounds like the perfect blend of city and suburb (Cit-burb? Sub-ty? We’ll workshop it …) then you should check out 6933 Wake Forrest. This is a super cute three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath traditional with 1,353 square feet. It’s listed by Nathan Grace Realtor Amy Timmerman for $259,900.
Now, this home has been freshly renovated to work for a new owner who wants formals and room to entertain, as well as a fantastic kitchen for family dinners. It’s a cozy house, that’s for sure, but many young families move to this area for the great schools and close proximity to White Rock Lake, as well as fantastic shopping and ease of commute.
So, what do you think of this home? Does it bridge the gap for those who want suburb-like amenities but an inside-the-loop address?
