West Plano

West Plano

The Shops at Legacy are a great West Plano shopping destination, says  dynamo Realtor Sunny Chaparala of DFW Realties

When people are looking to buy a home in Plano, educated buyers look in West Plano first.

Why, you ask? Location, location, location, says Sunny Chaparala of DFW Realties.

“West Plano is a great suburb with location being an advantage,” Chaparala says. “It is close and easily accessible to three highways — Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, and State Highway 121 — making it easier to get to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport or downtown Dallas.”

Even if you’re not looking for a home for sale in West Plano because of its proximity to DFW Airport or downtown Dallas, it’s a prime place for relocation. West Plano is close to many corporate headquarters, including Alliance DataCinemark Theatres, Dell ServicesDr Pepper Snapple GroupEricsson, Frito-LayHP Enterprise ServicesHuaweiJC Penney, Pizza Hut, Rent-A-Center, Traxxas, and Siemens PLM Software.

West Plano is also popular because it offers a diversity of home prices, with the average single-family home costing $456,000. From $200,000 to more than $1 million, West Plano real estate market has a home for most budgets. There are several upscale developments, including Normandy Estates, Pointe West, and the  Greens of Gleneagles.

This enclave within the popular Dallas suburb is best known for its award-winning schools. Plano West Senior High School consistently ranks high within the state and throughout the nation. In fact, many of the West Plano schools are Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, one of the highest designations awarded by the United States Department of Education.

“West Plano has great schools and is one more reason why most people desire to live here,” Chaparala says. “Plano West Senior High is ranked No. 63 in Newsweek’s America’s Best High Schools.  Last year, it ranked No. 98, and they moved up in the ranking this year.  Exemplary Elementary schools are Brinker, Barksdale, Centennial.”

If you’re looking for amenities, West Plano has them in spades. Consider that the community is home to the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, a 200-acre park with plenty of room for outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. Additionally, says Chaparala, there’s a top-shelf recreation center for West Plano families.

“The Tom Muehlenbeck Center is a Recreation Center so fabulous that it has indoor lap pool, indoor leisure pool (with slides), gym, weight room, game room, indoor track, outdoor swimming, etc.,” Chaparala says. “This center also has child care services.  The center is available for pool parties by reserving in advance and paying a fee.”

If shopping til you drop is your preferred method of exercise, West Plano shopping will keep your pulse racing. The Shops at Willow Bend at the Dallas North Tollway and West Park has tons of upscale shopping, with stores including Neiman Marcus, Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, H&M, Banana Republic, and the Apple Store.

“For serious shopping, Willow Bend is the place,” Chaparala says.

For a more leisurely place, the Shops at Legacy is an excellent choice. Only five minutes from Willow Bend, the Shops at Legacy is more of a “Main Street” shopping experience, Chaparala says.

“This is where I go to dine out, walk around, have ice cream, and you see people all around, and sometimes musicians are playing some music. It is great,” she added.