Hello all, looking for some guidance. My wife and I are moving to Dallas from Seattle... she really does not care for suburbs where all the houses look the same. Her favorite area in Dallas is Lower Greenville but most of the homes for sale are either too small or too expensive (our max price is $700k)... I've been trying to convince her that we can afford a lot more house outside of the the city but she does not want to be stuck in a development where every house looks the same... are there any neighborhoods in DFW area that you'd recommend for a person who dislikes suburbs? 

M Streets area in Dallas, Oak Cliff (Southern Dallas), Oak Lawn Heights area of Dallas, Lakewood area of Dallas...Argyle NW of DFW area, Lucas and Fairview (East of McKinney)

What part of town are you working?  Any kids in school?  Any other requirements?

My Dallas RE knowledge is more limited to the areas Bruce mentioned (aside from Argyle, Lucas and Fairview) so I may not be of much help.  M-Streets, Lower Greenville, and Lakewood are all basically in the same expensive area.  I live in North Oak Cliff and it’s becoming increasingly gentrified but still has its share of sketchy areas.  Kessler is an awesome neighborhood but also very pricey.  You could get into a house there for $700k depending on the location.  Winnetka Heights also has historic and unique homes and is located next to the booming Bishop Arts district - and again, relatively expensive.  All the neighborhoods I’ve listed including Oak Lawn are all urban, in my opinion.  When you say suburbs, I imagine you’re speaking outside of the 635 beltway and generally North. You are right, you get a lot more for your money out there and yes, much of the suburbs are preplanned communities with a lot of similar styles.  But if your wife is stuck on unique or mixed style historic, check out the neighborhoods I’ve listed.  There are many factors to consider including proximity to your work so try those out on google maps and see what strikes your fancy.

Another place you might look is the area around old downtown Mckinney.  There are some really cool houses around it and the downtown is very vibrant with shops, bars, restaurants, and businesses.

Thanks Bruce and Andrew! Really appreciate the info! I'll take a closer look at the neighborhoods you mentioned. 

Plano near Toyota Hq, Addison near Galleria, Bishop Arts (still reconverting), Arts district, Casa Linda.

Canyon Creek in Richardson has a lot of custom houses that don't feel cookie cutter. Plus lots of windy hilly streets with mature trees you don't easily find anywhere else

I am biased but for my money the three best zips in Dallas are 75218, 75228, and 75227. I am originally from California and White Rock lake and the Dallas Arboretum have been essential to my mental health and general well being since moving to DFW (which is not particularly known for its abundance of natural beauty)! Those three zips are older suburbs that have lots of new construction and rehabs happening because of their proximity to the lake and downtown. It would be a great area to start your tenure and if you decide you really have to move out to the neither regions you could hold your home as a rental and it will stay occupied because of its location.

North Oak Cliff / 75208 zip is rapidly gentrifying (some portions have always been a destination address in Dallas) but it is an area in transition in the gentrifying areas and crime should be considered. (I live there so I speak with experience). Most of the housing is pre WWII and you should be able to find a house in your budget depending on size and amenity requirements. 

The zip is absolutely the coolest and hippest location in Dallas at the moment - I like to call it Dallas's Williamsburg - but there is still plenty of development ahead of it, if you have any interest in urban living.

 Regrettably Dallas ISD is not great, but some of the elementary schools in the area are highly rated. If education is a priority be sure to investigate and budget for private education. 

I am also invested in the McKinney area - the downtown area is charming and has a fair amount of original pre wwII housing stock in its historic district. However keep in mind that politically the climate there is deeply conservative, if that matters to you. It is a relatively diverse community in terms of ethnicity and income, which to me is a positive - definitely not cookie cutter. Schools vary in caliber but are consistently an order of magnitude higher quality than Dallas. 

Please feel free to DM me with any other questions, best to you! 

Try South of I-20. For your budget, you can definitely find a nice place south of I-20 that's not in a cookie cutter neighborhood. There's a custom neighborhood in Cedar Hill/Grand Prairie called Lake Ridge. Parts of Desoto and Duncanville are incredible, and filled with timeless, treed neighborhoods that aged really beautifully, like Greenbriar or Greenway Estates. You can explore areas in Lancaster like Calument Farms or Southwood Estates. Or even venture to the Waxahachie area for some unique homes.

Try Arlington, definitely not suburbia and you can get anything from older estate to newer village living.  Viridian has a neat village feel. Las Colinas too.