Young Urban Professional Moving To Dallas

[futuredeveloper85]

Okay I have called Houston home all my adult life (the past 5 years). I have always wanted to live in Dallas-Ft. Worth, I decided after a year of trying to decide that I want to move to the Metroplex. I have found a apartment in Lewisville. It's off actually on Hwy 121. I am a freelance photographer, and graphic designer going to grad school at UNT in Denton. I am going to be looking for a studio in the downtown or warehouse district in the next couple of month. Any tips for me as far as my move is concerned??

[Houston19514]

Okay I have called Houston home all my adult life (the past 5 years). I have always wanted to live in Dallas-Ft. Worth, I decided after a year of trying to decide that I want to move to the Metroplex. I have found a apartment in Lewisville. It's off actually on Hwy 121. I am a freelance photographer, and graphic designer going to grad school at UNT in Denton. I am going to be looking for a studio in the downtown or warehouse district in the next couple of month. Any tips for me as far as my move is concerned??

Go to Dallasmetropolis.com

[slfunk]

I think you picked a good location when looking for being between downtown and UNT. As for where to set up shop for a studio, there a couple of places in the Deep Ellum area that are leasing small studios. You can take a look at this area around 333 first avenue. Its a little enclave of different artists in this area. 333 is a warehouse redo that I worked on for a photographer a few years ago, thats how I know about this little enclave. You also have a couple apartment communities that are setting up shop in the Design District that is just on the other side of the I-35 from Victory. They are trying to cater to 'artist lofts'. If you are looking for just a warehouse space anywhere, you could look around downtown Denton, Carrolton, Lewisville etc. They usually have small warehouses that are empty. As a side note, if you want to look at commuting options, the DCTA (Denton County Transit Authority) has a commuter bus that goes from downtown Dallas to downtown Denton and UNT. This will be up and running until DCTA connects its rail line with DART in 2011. DART will also open its next line through Deep Ellum starting this September.

[dfwcre8tive]

Lewisville isn't very exciting since it's just suburbia. Denton would have more of the art/music crowd. But, you'll be half way to Dallas which makes it convenient to both. What kind of studio are you looking for? There are some good spaces in Deep Ellum and plenty of vacancies in that area if you are wanting a larger gallery-type space. As a graphic designer myself I like Oak Cliff, which has a growing artist culture. The Bishop Arts District has a bunch of studios and gallery space (check out http://www.goodspace.com/commercial/index.html). Good luck with grad school. I'm considering UNT as well for 2009.

[strickn]

For the S. end of Denton County, have you considered Champdor?

[TxDave]

While you are in school at UNT you might want to consider finding gallery space in Denton - it is a smaller city but has a good academic arts & culture vibe, and a real historical town square.

Trying to commute between classes at UNT and downtown Dallas or Fort Worth would likely be very painful and an inefficient use of your time.

Living in Lewisville, you will be close enough to go out in Dallas on occasion, but also within a reasonable distance of school (and maybe work).

[futuredeveloper85]

Wow, thanks soo much I have taken everything into consideration, have any of you lived in Houston? I just feel Dallas will give me more to work with as far as arts are concerned. Houston is great, and I will end up here again one day, but I am really excited about DFW. I am now considering the Bishop Arts District, or The Design District. I will be going up for my spring break to check out everything! I will keep you all posted!

[TexasVines]

Wow, thanks soo much I have taken everything into consideration, have any of you lived in Houston? I just feel Dallas will give me more to work with as far as arts are concerned. Houston is great, and I will end up here again one day, but I am really excited about DFW. I am now considering the Bishop Arts District, or The Design District. I will be going up for my spring break to check out everything! I will keep you all posted!

if I was you I would totally skip going to school at UNT....I would go to just about any other university in Texas over UNT....and I have been a student at 4 state universities in Texas including UNt and 3 community colleges and worked for yeat another state university

UNT talks a good game and fails to deliver on ANY of it unless you are a mucis major....when I was a student at UNT even the art students made fun of their art programs....the advertising art program they all called "fake advertising"....you would be better served going right out there and going to work especially in any type of arts program and especially from UNT...their arts do have a decent computer lab, but that is about it

Lewisville is a LONG way to Denton especially in the I-35 traffic which can be 24 hours a day sometimes and because of spans like the Lewisville bridge that don't have feeder roads if there is a wreck (there area lot at all hours of the day and night) then traffic will just come to a stand still.....when I went to UNT I worked for a while off of Trinity Mills and gas was cheaper then and I drive like a bat out of hell and it was still 45 minutes to get to work.....parking at UNt is horrid and probably worse than even some of bad universities for parking in Texas.....you will be parking in BFE and you will be taking a bus a LOT....unfortunately UNt runs a horrid shuttle bus system as well and you will be parking out by the football field which is on 100% the opposite side of the art buildings....there is parking right near the art building....but unless you show up 10-12 minutes after classes let out (which is eother 48 to 50 minutes before yours starts or 10 or 12 minutes after it starts) and stalk someone you will NEVER get one of those spaces....you would be better off paying to park behind Rip Rocks

UNT is currently trying to move some of their arts programs to the UCD in downtown dallas....but like many things UNT does they are not doing a good job at it...so be careful you don't start in a program that then moves to another location

calling yourself a "young urban professional"....you will hate Lewisville....Denton and UNT have a pretty poor night life for a university of 30,000+ students....but it surely beats Lewisville

in short you will have a LONG commute often in traffic often both ways you will miss classes and be late to classes because of it, you will burn a ton of gas, and I don't think you will find any benefit to going to UNT unless you want a masters to teach in a HS or a community college

no real photography collection, very small art gallery, no real works or collection, nothing of significance in the program, no life in Lewisville, parking miles from the art building, poor shuttle bus, poor campus life, photographers make it based on THEIR WORK....not a piece of paper....even if a piece of paper helps....UNT is not that piece of paper

not sure where you moved to Houston from....not sure what you think you will find in dallas...not really suppose to pick on dallas in this forum.....pretty sure you won't find what you think you will find in dallas....especially in Lewisville.....pull the hype curtain back and look what is behind it.....look for a LONG time....take a good LONG look.....look again.....ask questions.....shake head....strongly consider your options