With a metropolitan area that ’s bigger than some state ( all in good order , Connecticut , still pretty big though ) , it ’s a no brainer that the Dallas suburbs have sprawled and thrived . Notorious for chain stores and backyards equipped with trampolines or above - ground pools by law , suburban area sometimes unfairly get a bad tap . So what exactly stool our outlying suburban town stand out from Lame - O , USA ? We ’ve profile the top ' burbs that ’d give the Dallas modus vivendi a tally for its money .
Richardson
Located straight up US 75 from Downtown Dallas , Richardson suffice as the gateway from Dallas to the dozens of northerly suburbs . Richardson is also a food lover ’s paradise , with offerings ranging from hole - in - the - wall Thai to gamey - end comfort food for thought such as Jasper’s . aloofness from Downtown Dallas:15 milesPublic shipping : DART bus and sluttish railFood shot : solid to very substantial with an vehemence on Asian and in-between Eastern cuisineBest local bars : Richardson Food Truck Parkfeatures a Browning automatic rifle built into an quondam trailer . It ’s frump friendly and features a wide sort of local brewage as well as prosecco on tap . toll of subsist ( $ -$$$$ exfoliation ): $ $ ; Downtown Richardson features affordable , mid - century houses while North Richardson is more apartment - focused to cater to the students who attend nearby University of Texas . Local entertainment value vs. run into the city ( 1 - 5 scale):4 ; With Alamo Drafthouse , theEisemann Performing Arts Centerand hundreds of affordable dining options , it ’s entirely possible to experience corking intellectual nourishment and refinement without ever hold to leave Richardson .
Plano
The king of the DFW suburban area , Plano will soon become home to even more out - of - country transplants as Toyota relocates their US headquarters to the city . Plano has come a long means since its brush with infamy in the 1990 ’s as the focus of an MTV documentary about teenage addicts . It ’s now the golden standard for suburban success in the metroplex . Distance from Downtown Dallas:22 milesPublic transfer : DART heap and lite railFood scene : From barbecue to sushi , if there ’s a high - ending eatery in Dallas that you sleep with , there ’s a very good opportunity that tell restaurant has a Plano outpost . Best local bars : It ’s tough to beat the tone of sitting on the rooftop barroom of Plano ’s beloved pizzeria Urban Crust and sipping a cool beer or full - bodied drinking glass of cabernet . monetary value of living:$$$ ; Living in Plano does n’t come cheap . With thousands of Californians relocating to Plano , you should be ready to compensate a pretty penny for a firm or apartment . Local amusement economic value vs. going into the city:3 ; With plenty of dining and movie option , Plano leave enough of the entertainment basics but music devotee will still find themselves making the trek in the south to Dallas for their concert mending .
Frisco and The Colony
The far northerly suburbs of Frisco and The Colony are growing more rapidly than any other suburbs in the area . The Cowboys have even relocated their exercise facilities to Frisco , joining baseball game ’s pugnacious Riders and soccer ’s FC Dallas . It ’s not chintzy but it ’s also definitely not dull . Distance from Downtown Dallas:30 milesPublic transportation : None presently but part of DART ’s northern enlargement planFood scene : chophouse , steakhouses , chophouse . While there are also Tex - Mex , Italian , and Thai offerings , gamey - end nutrient is king in Frisco and The Colony . So if it ’s an expensive steak or a luscious sushi roll that you ’re look for , you ’re in the good part of town . Best local bars : The soccer watching view atThe British Lion Pub , located outside Toyota Stadium , is lively and strident . monetary value of living:$$$$ ; Famous for some of the highest price real estate in the city , aliveness in Frisco and The Colony is not for those who are weak in the pocketbook surface area . There ’s not a stack of options for doing Frisco or The Colony on the chintzy . Local entertainment time value vs. belong into the city:4 ; If you ’re a sports fan , Frisco has plenitude of amusement options for you . rooter of theater or lively music may find Frisco and The Colony lacking , however .
Southlake
This suburb , located near DFW Airport and Battle of Midway between Dallas and Fort Worth , is best recognize for its Southlake Town Center . resident physician let in dozens of current and former Dallas Cowboys and no other suburban area gives residents the chance to run into Terry Bradshaw at the grocery computer storage . But it ai n’t tacky . length from Downtown Dallas:30 milesPublic transportation : Ha ha ha , you ’re joking , right ? Did you not get the memoranda about every resident of Southlake being require to buy a Range Rover?Food aspect : Much like Frisco and The Colony , Southlake is all about high - end food offering . From pricey seafood joint to DFW staples such asMi Cocina , this is definitely not Mecca for the hole in the wall foodie type . Best local bars : The citizenry watching in Southlake Town Center is 2d to none . And there ’s no better blank space to do that people watching than from a barstool atThe Ginger Man , the beloved Dallas bar which has expanded into Southlake . price of living : $ $ $ $ ; Over 75 % of the occupant of Southlake make $ 100,000 or more a year . To be capable to yield the spacious and tremendous mega mansions of Southlake , you need to bring some major cash to the table . Local amusement value vs. going into the city:2 ; While the mass watching is top notch , Southlake ’s entertainment selection for free or gimcrack natural process are extremely circumscribed . What else would you wait in a city where almost everyone has their own in - house picture show field of operations ?
Garland
A declamatory and straggle suburban area spread from the north and eastern United States from the sphere near White Rock Lake , Garland is low-cost , funky , and closer to Dallas than you may bring in . Plus , it ’s paradise for the budget - conscious epicure . Distance from Downtown Dallas:18 milesPublic transportation : DART bus and light railFood shot : With a large immigrant population , Garland is a hotbed of low-cost cuisine from all over the world . Pho and barbecue are two of the most democratic players . Best local bars : It ’s awfully hard to beat the $ 5 beefburger and a deliciously unsporting martini fromBar Louiewhen the garage threshold are open and there ’s a Rangers double header on the TV.Cost of living:$ ; One of the most low-priced suburbs in the metroplex , Garland offers a great suburban life starter experience for young professionals and those wanting to tardily research lifespan outside the feverish city . Local amusement value vs. going into the city:3 ; It should be noted that Mike Judge , creator ofBeavis and Butt - Head , Office Space , King of the Hill , andSilicon Valley , is a Garland native . So if you ’ve ever want to meet the breathing in for Boomhauer and Dale Gribble , question to any alleyway or sports bar in Garland and grab a cold Alamo beer .
Carrollton-Farmers Branch
Once a relatively anonymous and somewhat indistinguishability - less suburbia , Carrollton ( and Farmers Branch ) have carved out a repute for their nutrient scene and affordable caparison . length from Downtown Dallas:19 milesPublic transportation : DART jitney and idle railFood scene : Middle Eastern and Cuban nutrient done right is one of the vocation cards of Carrollton . It ’s also home to the universally lie with and often recommend Babe ’s Chicken Dinner House . Best local bars : Sports bar master the drinking scene in Carrollton and Farmers Branch . Chopshop Sports Garageis an auto mechanic store - themed gastropub with mint of craft beer on offering as well as an opportunity to look out any give Mavericks , Cowboys , Stars , or Rangers games with like - minded passionate fans . Cost of living:$ ; low-cost older homes and mid - priced apartment are ample in Carrollton and Farmers Branch . Easy accession to public transportation makes it childlike to get to the city quickly and cheaply for date nights as well . Local entertainment value vs going into the city:2 ; There is n’t a tremendous amount of alone entertainment options in Carrollton and Farmers Branch themselves . However , being situate on I-35 within a 30 minute cause to Dallas to the Dixie and Denton to the north makes for a short drive from all kinds of cultural event .
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Southlake|Flickr/Steven Martin
Eisemann Center|Flickr/A Davis
Eric Urquhart/Shutterstock
Flickr/John Tornow
Flickr/Southlake Texas
Flickr/Mark Collins