Life in the Dallas Metro
Founded in 1841 and with a population of over 1.2MM people, Dallas by itself is the 9th largest city in the US. When you look at the broader Dallas/Ft. Worth area at 6.1MM people, the DFW metroplex is the 4th largest metropolitan area in the US. With a vibrant economy, affordable living and an almost unlimited source of entertainment and social opportunities, Dallas is one of the fastest growing cities in the US today. It is listed as one of the top ten big cities to live in by Money Magazine and three Dallas area cities made Money Magazine’s top 100 cities in the nation.
Housing
From posh high-rise living overlooking downtown to extremely affordable neighborhood housing, id Software’s offices are within a 20 minute drive to many exceptional housing options. The Dallas market did not go through the substantial increase in prices that other housing markets saw prior to 2008 and it has managed to avoid the resulting crash in those same markets as a result. Dallas recently made Forbes list of Top Ten Recession proof cities.
Local Economy
With no state income tax, excellent cost of living and a well educated workforce, DFW is home to 24 of the Fortune 500 companies including the world’s largest corporation. The Telecom Corridor, with over 600 high-tech companies anchored by Texas Instruments, has provided an engine of technology growth alongside other technology pioneers such as EDS and Perot Systems which are also headquarted in DFW. Dallas has a well diversified and growing economy that is able to perform well in a variety of economic environments.
Education
Dallas offers a wide variety of excellent private and top rated magnet schools. The Dallas Magnet school for the Talented and Gifted was named #1 in the nation from among both public and private schools by Newsweek in 2006 and 2007, while the Science and Engineering Magnet ranked eighth in the same survey. Neighboring communities both east and north of Dallas and within a convenient drive time to our offices offer great public school choices with many receiving the states “exemplary” rating. Dallas area school districts including Richardson ISD, Highland Park ISD, Rockwall ISD, and McKinney ISD have been recognized by the Texas Education Agency and Rockwall ISD was voted the number one school district in the US.
Museums and Performing Arts
DFW is home to a well established and internationally respected arts scene offering some of the top sculpture and painting collections in the world alongside excellent performing arts. The Dallas Arts District is the largest urban cultural district in the country. The Dallas Museum of Art contains over 23,000 works of art. A selection of the locations you’ll want to visit includes: The Dallas Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Nature and Science/Dallas Children’s Museum, Dallas Contemporary, Nasher Sculpture Center, Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art, Fort Worth Kimbell Museum, Meadows Museum, Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera, and the Dallas Children’s Theatre.
Dining
With more restaurants per capita than any major city in the US, you are never short on fantastic or convenient dining options in Dallas. If you are looking for the ultimate meal from some of the top chefs in the nation such as Dean Fearing, Stephen Pyles or Kent Rathburn or looking for great Tex-Mex or a perfectly cooked steak, Dallas has the cuisine to suit any tastes. Dallas also offers organic grocery and other fresh options from Central Market, Whole Foods and the Dallas Farmers Market among others.
Entertainment
Dallas offers a massive selection of entertainment options for the whole family. Popular Destinations include: Six Flags over Texas, The Dallas Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Dallas Aquarium, Dallas Arboretum, White Rock Lake, Lake Ray Hubbard, Lake Lewisville, Dallas Cowboys Football, Dallas Mavericks Basketball, Dallas Stars Hockey, Texas Rangers Baseball, FC Dallas Professional Soccer, and Texas Motor Speedway.
Music
Dallas is home to great local musicians and hosts any number of tours each week ranging from jazz to blues to bluegrass and rock. With terrific local clubs as well as major venues like NOKIA Live, Dallas Music Hall, House of Blues, Granada Theatre, Palladium Ballroom, Superpages.com Theatre and American Airlines Center there is always a place to go for great music.
Entertainment Districts
DFW is filled with popular restaurants, shopping and bars with many standout locations such as: Knox Henderson Area, West Village, Shops at Legacy, Lower Greenville Avenue, North Park Center Mall, and Dallas Galleria Mall.
