Speaker 1: 0:00

This episode brought to you by KidBiz and the Biz. To learn more, visit KidBizUSAcom. And Kathy L Wall State Farm Agency Learn more at KathyLWALLcom. And Stuart Orango Oral Surgery Learn more at SAOralsSurgeonscom. Welcome to the Bubble Lounge.

Speaker 1: 0:25

I'm Martha Jackson and I have been noticing there are a lot of newcomers to the park cities. There's a lot of people thinking about moving here, there's a lot of people that have moved here, and we had two sisters from Chicago who literally moved to the park cities after listening to the Bubble Lounge podcast and they loved everything that this wonderful community had to offer. And it occurred to me that we haven't done a newcomers episode in a couple of years, so we felt like we were due for a new one. So I invited my friend, jackie Converse of Allie Beth Alman, and also an expert to Allie Things Park Cities, to take us along on an audio journey of everything in the neighborhood. She walks us through each section of the neighborhood and tells us what makes each part unique and what they have to offer from shopping to restaurants, to the types of homes, to the schools, to everything you need to know. So if you're thinking about moving to the park cities, this is the perfect episode for you to listen to, jackie. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 2: 1:19

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 1:20

So I don't even know your story. Why did you move to the park cities and how long have you lived here?

Speaker 2: 1:25

I have lived here since 1996, and I came to go to SMU. I grew up in Naples, florida, builder daughter and decided SMU. I wanted a school where I was going to probably stay, and not stay in Florida, so I loved the change of seasons. I love the traditional buildings at SMU and it was a great experience.

Speaker 1: 1:46

Well, I think a lot of SMU students end up staying here because they love it so much.

Speaker 2: 1:51

I think so. Well, and it's in this. To me it's funny. I used to call Naples Florida the bubble and I moved from one to the next. So there you go.

Speaker 1: 2:02

Yeah, I think every community has its own little bubble, but our neighborhood, everyone knows it as the bubble, because people are born here, they graduate from high school A lot of times, they go to SMU and then they move right back. They never leave the place, you know Right. I mean, there's really no reason to we have everything we need right here. We really do.

Speaker 2: 2:20

It's such a safe and close-knit community. It's a city within a city, it's close to downtown, it really has everything and I've loved it.

Speaker 1: 2:30

Well, what I like about it is there's just so many local businesses, you know, like there's not a lot of chains, and that's what I think really sets it apart is so many families have their own businesses right here in the park cities.

Speaker 2: 2:41

There are a lot of entrepreneurs here in Dallas and in the park cities.

Speaker 1: 2:45

Well, like you were saying, it feels safe. I mean, bad things can happen anywhere, so definitely don't let your guard down, but it's definitely a very safe environment.

Speaker 2: 2:53

It's still a city, so for sure You've got to watch where you are and be aware of your surroundings wherever you go. But I think, where there's so few places, it seems like that would be in an urban area where you can be confident that, yeah, your kids can go ride their bike to the local coffee shop and they're going to be okay, right, right.

Speaker 1: 3:12

Well, speaking of your kids riding their bikes to the coffee shop, I always tell my kids you can't get away with anything in this neighborhood because there's always people watching. I mean, we're everywhere, you know, and if you run a stop sign on your bike, you're going to hear about it.

Speaker 2: 3:26

You will hear about it. There are those Facebook groups that you will hear about it.

Speaker 1: 3:31

I know you always see these posts, these, and it's always the eighth graders. It seems like these eighth grade boys were on their e-bikes and they were doing this and that and running stop signs and so yeah, just be aware you can't get away with anything around here.

Speaker 2: 3:43

You cannot, and I think my kids may have taken like the opposite direction of that and mostly stay home and hang out with their friends at home so that they can't get in trouble.

Speaker 1: 3:53

Yeah, nobody can see them there. Well, there's a lot of ways to get involved here, and I would say just like jump right in. I'm a little bit reserved or shy when I get into a new situation, and so I want everyone to like learn from my experience. Don't be that way. It's like just jump right in, Don't wait for formal invitation and just get involved with your preschool associations. Every one of the five elementary schools has their own preschool association, and that was really the key to me getting plugged in and, to this day, most of the people I know I met in the preschool association. That's very true.

Speaker 2: 4:27

So we lived in Preston Hollow first and then that's where Charlie was born, and then we moved into the Park Cities and truly the minute that we moved is when I joined the Armstrong Broadfield Preschool Association and have been plugged in since and getting involved at Broadfield Elementary and then doing cafeteria duty and just as much as you can getting involved. I can remember when I first started my real estate career I was doing a tennis lessons once a week and at some point I realized I actually have to get to work. So let's use the connections that I've made and just focus on work for a while and show up to work, show up to this volunteer, dress ready to go and show. Yeah, hey, I'm here and I have some knowledge to impart, and let's. If you're ready to sell a house, let's do it.

Speaker 1: 5:17

Yeah, for sure. Well, I think it's funny because at the elementary school level they want you to volunteer for everything, Like you are up at that school all the time for cafeteria, the library, artwork yes, I mean anything and everything. And then as you get to middle school kind of lowers definitely want you for cafeteria.

Speaker 2: 5:37

Then high school, they don't want to see you except for the cafeteria except for the cafeteria which, I'm embarrassed to say, I have yet to do. At the high school, have a sophomore, but I do my duty at the middle school still. So oh, wow well, that's great.

Speaker 1: 5:51

Well, anyone out there? They definitely need extra help because those lines really get backed up. So please do it. Yes, you can find the time. If we can do it, you can do it Absolutely. So something you and I both have in common we came all the way from Preston Hollow I mean, it's literally just right over the Northwest Highway, but something drew us over here. But what I think is interesting is literally the park cities which encompasses Highland Park and University Park. It's just an eight mile radius. But even within that little bubble, I tend to stay around Snyder Plaza and I'm up and down lovers lane all day, every day. But come to find out there's actually more parts of the park cities. There are. Well, and I live close to Highland Park Village, so that's my sure.

Speaker 2: 6:36

So no, I get it and you know we're going from the middle school to the high school down to back to Highland Park Village. That's kind of my route Right, unless I'm going outside to for work. But no, so I love I do live in Highland Park and I have loved doing that. I love we've got the Blue Zone news that we receive. And then the police station did a DPS 101 where you can the city you have to be a citizen of HP and you can. It was quarterly, every each quarter you meet for a couple of hours and you learn about the three departments within the police station. So you learn in town hall does their own thing. Where you learn about construction and I've done that too the construction department, the judiciary, you know, with the jury, they have their own jury and judge and jail they do. They serve Babas.

Speaker 1: 7:31

Yes fun fact, that is true.

Speaker 2: 7:35

But back to the police station. This DMS, the Highland Park police, are all three their EMS, their police and their fire, which is very unique for a police station to have all three. When you do the DPS 101, I got to put on a firecoat and hat and put out a small fire behind, close by here actually, and then with the police section of it I got to do they have these life size video simulation where you can go in and you take one of their guns and you simulate a domestic violence situation. I did get killed, but I killed her first, and then you get to see the 911 call center. You got to and then you know tour the ambulance and go on a speed chase with the police officers in their car. It's very cool to see the inner workings of our police and you know they sometimes get a bad rap for being overprotective. But you know, living here, even in UP or HP, there's a two minute call If you need help they are there.

Speaker 1: 8:48

So that is so true. I mean, we've had our alarm go off accidentally and they are there so quickly before you can even cancel it. Basically.

Speaker 2: 8:55

Over Elzer's worst nightmare setting off a home owner's alarm in the park cities because they will arrive immediately.

Speaker 1: 9:01

I would imagine that's probably their biggest call, that they get all day, every day. I just I feel for them. But I think that's so great that she went through that program and I'm pretty sure UP has something very similar and I would love to look into that. But it's so important, especially in a small town like this, just to kind of know how it all works it really is.

Speaker 2: 9:19

It was cool to see the inner workings and I need to put a little collage of photos that I have from it together and just show it off, because it was me.

Speaker 1: 9:29

I would love to see that that's really cool.

Speaker 2: 9:30

It was fun. Another another thing about the HP police is they're one of the. There are only 670 police stations in the US have this gold standard in public safety accreditation. It's called the Kalea accreditation. I hope I'm saying that right, but they have to do 480 standards and safety compliance in order to qualify, so it's one of the top. I think it is the top accreditation that you can get for a police force, so I think that's really cool.

Speaker 1: 10:02

That's very impressive.

Speaker 2: 10:04

And, of course, when you're moving here, property taxes are the lowest in Dallas County HP, I think, has the lowest, and then UP and then Dallas. So even though our property values might be, a little high we do have the lowest property taxes in the county, so that's always a good thing. Yeah, I've always found that fascinating.

Speaker 1: 10:23

But what I love is there's just so many little sections to it. There's Preston Center, there's Inwood Village, snyder Plaza, highland Park Village all these neat places to visit.

Speaker 2: 10:33

I love that there are those little different sections of town where any given night you can say, well, where are we going to dinner this night? And you can pick something completely different from steak to barbecue, to sushi, to just American, to pizza.

Speaker 1: 10:48

We have everything? Yeah for sure. And I always tell newcomers just like each week pick a different little area and just kind of hone in on that and get to know the businesses and try the restaurants and pop in and go shopping and all that.

Speaker 2: 11:01

And there's always new ones coming too.

Speaker 1: 11:03

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Speaker 1: 12:05

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Speaker 1: 13:04

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Speaker 1: 13:46

So if you want the best of Big D caliber oral care, come see the friendly staff at Stuart and Orango To learn more about them or book your appointment. Visit SAOrealsurgeonscom. That's SAOrealsurgeonscom. So, jackie, I know that you work with a lot of newcomers to Dallas and the Park Cities and I was wanting to know, like how do you describe the different areas to them? I'm sure they are kind of specific what they're looking for, and then you probably plug them into the different area that matches their needs.

Speaker 2: 14:17

Well, I try to, and so there are. As you know, we have five elementary schools in the Park Cities.

Speaker 1: 14:22

I think that's amazing. I mean eight miles, five elementary schools. It's crazy.

Speaker 2: 14:28

But it's cool at the same time and each one is so unique in their own little culture. So it's trying to help a newcomer figure out what personality for the elementary school fits them best. What is it close to? Lake Boone is up close to North Park Mall. You've got homes up there that people love to be in and it's walking distance to so many different things up there. You've got churches and you've got the North Park Mall. You've got there's a grocery store, there's Tom Thumb, there's Barnes Noble bookstores.

Speaker 2: 15:03

In other spots you've got higher elementary and that's close to Preston Center, and Preston Center has two different sections to it across Preston and you've all the different restaurants and shops, great shopping, so much to do there. And you've got jewelry stores. You have banks, you have the UP libraries up there. You have amazing restaurants, um florist shops and there's Suzies and Suzy Cakes and for some you know national brands and um um. Then, for University Park, you've got Snyder Plaza, of course, and I know y'all have talked a lot about Snyder because y'all live there but so much is changing there and it's getting so cute too.

Speaker 2: 15:52

I love the changes. I love Ramble Ram and I love Foxtrot and I love, I love the Demore still there. I think it's pretty sure it is. It is, and you've got a gas station right there too, and then the bike shop you've got, and then obviously, I feel like there's a coffee shop in every one of these little sections of town.

Speaker 1: 16:11

And another Tom Thumb.

Speaker 2: 16:12

I feel like each section almost has its own Tom, Its own Tom Thumb yes, except Hallam Park Village got rid of theirs, but we do still have the coffee shops, which is great. And then, like Siddles, you can go in and Hallam Park Village and grab some breakfast to go. And then, of course, hallam Park Village is like in Beverly Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills with all of the high end shops.

Speaker 1: 16:39

And right now it's especially beautiful. During the holidays, every tree is lit up and it is breathtaking.

Speaker 2: 16:45

It's beautiful and that's also and you know, another reason why I love the Park. Cities is like last Sunday UP had their tree lighting and then HP will have their tree lighting tomorrow night with the old Pekong tree. So that's also Bradfield Elementary over there and then Armstrong Elementary is in Old Hallam Park and Old Hallam Park has SMU kind of straddles, that with UP a little bit, but it's also down by Knox Henderson. You've got all the shops and restaurants down in Knox Henderson which has completely changed in the last few years. You have amazing new restaurants down there and restoration hardware has completely shifted gears and created there A beautiful gallery for furniture and then the rooftop restaurant and Katie Trail.

Speaker 1: 17:31

You've got Katie Trail and walking trail.

Speaker 2: 17:33

Yes, which used to be a train track, isn't?

Speaker 2: 17:37

that crazy, it is crazy. And now it's this beautiful trail that is perfect for walking your dog or riding your bike or running and dropping off and grabbing lunch along the way. So there's so many great opportunities here in the Park Cities. Another thing we both each have our own community pool. You can join in the summer. Up has the slide and the kiddie pool and then you've got HP. We're kind of lucky, spoiled maybe, because we have the old, like 1950s looking resort type pool that is just quaint and quiet and is one big pool and then a small kiddie pool and then there's also the snack shop there, but you've got the lifeguards, but it is pretty much one big lap pool when. So we get the opportunity to also be able to go to UP, but UP can't come to HP pool.

Speaker 1: 18:32

Okay, that's rude, so there's always perks. Both pools are a great place, especially when you have young kids, to get plugged in and meet other moms and other kids, because in the summertime that's what you do with the young kids.

Speaker 2: 18:46

One of our favorite things to do. My kids have said if we ever move, we would rather just move around in HP because we love going to the HP pool so much because that's where the friends do go and it's quieter there. But on the other hand, if there's a big group of friends they love going to the UP pool for the slide and hanging out and being a little bit more rowdy.

Speaker 1: 19:10

Two areas that I don't ever seem to get to, even though they're not that far, are South Highland Park and West Highland Park. Can you talk to us about those two areas?

Speaker 2: 19:18

Sure, it's mostly regarding the houses and what you would want and what you're wanting to move into. And because you know, east, in South Holland Park, you have gorgeous homes on third to half acre lots. Sometimes people have made double lots to where they have an acre. There's a 32 million dollar home in that area. Okay, that's the one I want, right, um.

Speaker 2: 19:44

And then you move a little bit further west and you've got a little bit more reasonable home pricing around four to nine million maybe that's a bargain, right. And then a little bit even further west towards Whole Foods, you have multi-family and you there's condos and becomes a little bit more urban, but you still are in the district and you a little bit of more affordable homes as you get towards the tollway, um, great place where families really love to go if they're starting out, because it's the kind of affordable part of Highland Park. Um, lot sizes are a little bit smaller. They might be anywhere from 50 to 70 foot wide by 137 to 160 deep, um, not to get specific. Then you've got West Highland Park, which is still Highland Park, and you still have the police and town hall and all of that, but it is not in the school district okay, that is what I've always found strange, and I was literally talking to somebody who was thinking about moving here the other day about that.

Speaker 1: 20:46

I don't understand. It's literally just on the other side of the tollway right and it's called West Highland Park.

Speaker 2: 20:52

They get the police, but not the schools right, so it's divided by the tollway, as you said, and they the values are a little bit lower over there because it doesn't have the schools, but you still get the tax break on being in a town and have this town of Highland Park get snow and you still get the immediacy of the police in the fire department. So there's still the benefits of living in Highland Park, even though it's not.

Speaker 1: 21:21

HPISD and it's super close to Lovefield Airport.

Speaker 2: 21:25

Oh my gosh it's literally five minutes and I have clocked it because there's a Chick-fil-A right there and on Saturday mornings at 10.25. I have made it by 10.30 to get this chicken minis that's awesome.

Speaker 1: 21:39

So when we first got married, we couldn't quite afford to move the park cities even though I was dying to move here and so we looked over at Devonshire, which is, you know, extremely close, in a great area of town.

Speaker 2: 21:50

I love Devonshire and it has turned over quite a bit recently in value because homes have been torn down and rebuilt. So kind of the new starter home area would be Briarcliff and even that has started to turn over and get new homes built. But you know you're talking anywhere from 800,000 to two and a half million in those homes included with Devonshire. A little bit further south is Greenway Crest and the Bird Streets across Inwood. So you've got Greenway Crest is, um, it's bordered by University and Inwood in the tollway, and then also another village in Wood Village, which has its own amazing shopping. It's got its own Trader Joe's and it's got Eatsies, which is one of our gems of Dallas, um local market and then different shops and restaurants there as well. Um, you've also got a local Tom Thumb right there at Inwood and University yes, there's like one on every corner, one in every village.

Speaker 2: 23:00

So Greenway Crest, just in that little section, is a great starter home area because there still are some homes that haven't been torn down and rebuilt so it's kind of a hidden niche. That is just north of Helen Park, of West Highland Park, and then between Greenway Crest and West Highland Park is Greenway Parks.

Speaker 2: 23:23

I love that area which is such a special area. They have their own neighborhood HOA. A lot of the homes are on a green belt, so they you extend the land. Um, those lots are a little bit shallower, but then you have the green belt, so it doesn't feel like the lot is shallow because you have this beautiful park setting that you're sitting on and they have their own neighborhood watch and they've got yoga in the park every Saturday. They have their own Halloween tour every Halloween, where you know they open their homes for the kids to just do their neighborhood and it's that's another very special area yeah, I think that area is just beautiful, but I've never understood why it's not considered Highland Park, right?

Speaker 1: 24:06

it's just like this little pocket thrown in it is.

Speaker 2: 24:09

It's just the other side of the tollway, but it's, you know if you don't, and it is City of Dallas. All those Devonshire, greenway, crest, bear, cliff, bird Streets, those are all City of Dallas. But that helps, sometimes helps people if they are looking to start their family and move into the park cities. Those are some great areas where there are opportunities to purchase a home that is still a little bit more affordable a little bit more affordable.

Speaker 2: 24:37

Yeah, then and then you know, build your nest egg and then use that equity to move into the park cities when you're ready.

Speaker 1: 24:43

Yeah, that sounds like good advice. You know what area we missed Volca States.

Speaker 2: 24:47

Oh my gosh, not affordable whatsoever at all an amazing area, amazing area so those properties, they can go anywhere from an acre to two acre to. I think there might be one that's four acres and those obviously think about 32 million dollar home. Um, I know for a fact one of those sold for 19 million a couple years ago and that was at the time one of the highest price homes to sell and they're beautiful and one of the best places to go for any of the holidays to visit those homes, because they go all out for Halloween, for Christmas, for I think even Valentine's Day, I mean, you name it Any excuse.

Speaker 1: 25:33

Yeah, definitely drive through there during the holidays because the Christmas lights are amazing, it's phenomenal and don't miss the Turtle Creek Lane.

Speaker 2: 25:41

Ladies, home Turtle Creek Lane and lovers, she is amazing with all the decoration that she does.

Speaker 1: 25:47

Yes, every single holiday. You can count on her yard to be really over the top and beautiful, completely so. Most of us move here for the schools because there's some of the best in the country and that's what brings us here initially. But as our kids get older like I'm on my last kid who's a freshman in high school, so he'll be done with the schools here in a few years. What do most people do when they become empty nesters?

Speaker 2: 26:11

A lot will either stay in the home where they were, but just because they want their kids to come home from college or their grandkids to come home and be able to see where their kids were growing up. And some will downsize. And I've had so many people looking for a master bedroom downstairs because as they age, they don't want to have to deal with stairs. Stairs are awful, right For the older people. They are so like um you know, they may downsize just to have a smaller house and stay in the park cities. Some have sold and gone downtown. There's some amazing condos downtown that you can their luxury. They have their valet, they have their you know concierge service where they'll go and run to the grocery store for you. So there's some huge benefits to that. Sometimes those people do move back.

Speaker 2: 27:05

They get the urban life and the condo life and they're like you know what we miss the park cities. We're going to move back and then they just might find something smaller with a you know, the primary bathroom, bedroom downstairs there is a pull, I think, even for young and old, to find something a little bit smaller and more manageable than a McMansion is. Sometimes they're called because, um, just with a little bit more organization, just thinking that it might be a little bit more affordable but at the same time keeping the family close. You're not all sprawled out across an acre property, but I love those smaller homes that maybe 3,000 to 4,500 square feet.

Speaker 1: 27:49

Obviously, everything we've talked about today. We both love this community so much. I mean, how many places can you find within a large major city that has all the amenities that we have here, that community feel? So many options, starter homes up to empty nester options. I mean, this place is pretty amazing, it's pretty amazing.

Speaker 2: 28:08

It may cost a little bit more than the city of Dallas to move into, but once you're here your property taxes are the lowest in Dallas County and you can get really anywhere. You've got a big city like Dallas, but then you have University Park and Highland Park, which is still a very small town. Feel there's, I think last count, 8,000 residents in Highland Park. I want to say there's 20,000 in UP. I could have that completely wrong. I think you're about right. But you can get anywhere. You can get to Frisco in 25 minutes. You can get to DFW Airport in 30 minutes, depending on traffic. You can get to Love Field in five, to at the closest in five minutes and then from the furthest section, 20 minutes of the Park Cities, You've got the Dallas Galleria Mall. You can get there in 15 minutes 10 if I'm driving.

Speaker 1: 29:07

That's impressive.

Speaker 2: 29:11

You can get to downtown in five minutes. It's just a very great small town feel, community feel, and if you need anything, this community will rally around you. They say it takes a village to raise your kids and this community really truly becomes a village if you are in need and I've seen that time and time again where they rally around their own and so when you move here you become part of us and it's it's a great feel you you end up loving walking the tree line streets, all the mature trees and seeing all the beautiful homes and the sidewalks and curbs, and then you can get from one village to the next and enjoy all the restaurants and shops and and all the events, like tomorrow night, if you're in town, go to the Holland Park tree lighting ceremony. It's from six to eight. Santa will be there on his fire truck and the HP choir will be there and you can get your hot cocoa and see all your friends and just enjoy a beautiful night that they do annually.

Speaker 1: 30:19

Absolutely. It's the perfect community event. Well, Jackie, how can people find you?

Speaker 2: 30:25

I am on Instagram. My Instagram is at jacksyconv it's kind of complicated J-I-C-K-S-I-E, c-o-n-v, or at JackieConversecom. You can email me and call me.

Speaker 1: 30:41

Perfect. Well, thank you so much for being here today and sharing all your wisdom about the park cities. Thank you for having me. This was fun, of course. Well, that's been another episode of the bubble lounge. I'm Martha Jackson, and we'll catch you next time.