Southern Dallas Buyer’s Guide: DART’s Lawnview Station, Top of the Trinity Forest

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Lawnview Station at top center, right

Looking at the maps, you may wonder what all the empty space is south of the Lawnview station. You wonder why the DART Green Line swings around this patch from the Lake June Station to reach Lawnview. At least that’s what this former Chicagoan was wondering before visiting the area.  Dallasites probably know it as being part of the Great Trinity Forest where White Rock Creek meets the Trinity River. Believe it or not, these hundreds of acres of forest once stretched all the way to Florida.

Today, it’s a sea of green with the ghosts of roads visible between the trees. It was once housing that sprouted in the post-WWII building boom into a neighborhood called Roosevelt Heights.  It was also during a time of drought that dried out these normally floor-prone wetlands. Magical thinking convinced builders that the typical cycle of flooding would never return. Of course it did.  In 1957, the flooding returned. After multiple floods that resulted in the City of Dallas buying the land, the last residents left in the early 1970s.

In those ensuing years, what had been clear-cut into residential blocks, has seen trees and wildlife return, with the naturalists and hikers who love them.  There is a patchwork of semi-maintained trails that snake throughout the area. The City of Dallas also maintains Roosevelt Park as well as Keeton Park and its 18-hole golf course that’ll run you about $20 a round. If you want to read more about the Trinity hiking trails, check out this blog by Ben Sandifer.  It’s not been updated since 2015, but it’s still a great read and the pictures are amazing (to see what’s in our backyard).

Because of all these wonderful trees, we’re looking north of Parkview Station into Parkdale, and Piedmont/Scyene.

Typical Parkdale Street with large-lotted ranch homes. Imagine leaves on the trees.

Parkdale

I got nothing here. Looking around the neighborhood directly north of the Lawnview Station and south of Military Parkway and there’s zip for sale.  That could be because the well-maintained 1950s and 1960s ranch homes are sitting on some sweet land and get snapped up fast.  Residents are also bracketed by Lawnview, Parkdale, Bisbee, and Glover parks. And some of the lots around here are waaay deep.  Cruise along James Drive, Hollis Avenue, Rich Street, and others and you may be rewarded with a lot 225 feet deep. Whoo-hoo!

Finally, for the DART-ers, even the most exercise-averse can quickly walk to the station and be all over the city PDQ.  Those with kiddies will appreciate the parks and forest lands to the south and the nearby schools

Have a whirl around and if you like what you see, have your Realtor setup an alert for when something does come on the market.

Former Prairie Flower Trail model by David Weekley. 3,254 square feet for $350,000

If you want a jumbo new-ish home and don’t mind going a pinch north across Military Parkway to the edge of Buckner Terrace, look for listings on Prairie Flower Trail.  David Weekley had a little project there with large square foot homes running around $100 per square foot! Look here and here. Some of them even back up onto a heavily-treed feeder to White Rock Creek.

2310 Waycross

Piedmont/Scyene

Bounded by Jim Miller Road, Buckner Blvd., Bruton Road, and Scyene Road lies Piedmont/Scyene. It’s literally across the street from Gateway Park and the Grover Keeton Golf Course. The Piedmont GLOBAL Academy (Junior High) is also within its bounds. In a prescient change, students voted in 2016 to change the name from Confederate General John B. Hood Middle School. This DISD school has been recognized by the state for its achievements in science, student progress, and post-secondary readiness.

The post-war ranch at 2310 Waycross Drive is a 1,544-square-foot, three-bedroom, 1954-built home with one full and one half bathroom.  The half is in the master bedroom.  It’s listed with Danny Perez with Keller Williams Rockwall for $150,000, or $97 per square foot.

It’s well maintained and has original hardwoods throughout.  Oh, and notice, the popcorn revolution didn’t hit these 1950s houses. From the entry there’s living and dining areas. For bearings, through that green wall is the two-car attached garage. To the right of the dining area is the eat-in kitchen.

I’m going to say these are the original cabinets. If someone is into midcentury details, here ya go.  The bulky fridge is in the wrong place.  You can just make out a cubby home to the left of the fridge that is where it should be.  The problem is that in 1954, fridges were smaller and today’s models don’t fit.  If you like the retro cabinets, it’s a simple fix to expand the opening for the fridge and put it where it belongs. This will open the kitchen back to the way it should be and restore the kitchen triangle.

The full bath has been redone and looks pretty good. Clean, mostly white with some bead board.  Plenty of vanity counter space that would have been lost with a double sink.  Decisions, decisions. The master half bath needs the same kind of loving with a new vanity, otherwise it’s OK.

As an unexpected bonus, there’s a large covered patio for Dallas’ shoulder seasons of nice weather.  Backyard is plenty big with enough space for Junior or Rover to prance about.

7625 Blossom Lane

You know I couldn’t let you go without a renovation candidate. This three-bedroom, 1955-built home has two full baths and 1,692 square feet. It’s listed with Larry Colgrove from Dealmaker Realty for $137,500, or just $81 per foot.  But I warn you, someone really liked metallic grid wallpaper.

The living room shows original hardwood floors and some big window space.  Refinish the floors and replace the blinds.  Through the doorway is the dining room and in back of that wall is the kitchen.  Open ‘er up.  If it’s load-bearing, open it a little. Even if you were able to open that wall a few feet, it would make all the difference.

The kitchen has its problems.  Namely the wallpaper. I’m not sure who thought 1980s metallic wallpaper went with a 1955 knotty pine kitchen, but there you are. Steam away.  See what I mean about the walls though?  Open that doorway where the range is and pull back the side wall where the fridge should go and ta-da you have open concept.

Like the pine? Clean it and keep it – it will refinish beautifully. That hole in the wall?  That’s the backside of one of those little telephone niches you see in homes built when there was only one landline for the whole house. The other side is in the front hallway (where there’s more of this wallpaper).

Both bathrooms retain their original tile and it’s in good shape (even the green hex floor tile).  Don’t put away your wallpaper steamer yet. Replace the light and sink and you’re home free. The other bathroom is peach with equally frightening wallpaper.

Not to pry, but do you have a sex slave? Perhaps you film murder mystery movies for YouTube? Next to the garage you have a box referred to as (shiver) “guest quarters”.

Not very guest-y.  However I must say I think the Reynolds Wrap foil wallpaper may just be better than what is in the house, right?  Anyway, DCAD doesn’t know about it, so I’m doubtful it’s permitted. Wave burning sage around to cleanse whatever happened here and demolish it.

And that rounds out my glance at the neighborhoods near the Lawnview DART station. Many of you may be wondering about Buckner Terrace just north of these areas.  Sure, it’s a Jim Dandy place with many great homes that have either been well-cared for or renovated, but you knew that, right?  The point of this series is to take you to less-explored places you haven’t been. Places on the upswing. Places you can get a home for quite a bit under $200,000.

Nest time we’ll cross White Rock Creek and Parkdale Lake and see what’s what around the Hatcher Station on Highway 352 otherwise known in these parts as Scyene Road. We’re talking about the neighborhoods of Frazier, Dolphin Heights, Sunny Acres, and Bertrand.  Happily there’s a Church’s Chicken across from the station … a spicy lunch for me!

 

Remember:  High-rises, HOAs and renovation are my beat. But I also appreciate modern and historical architecture balanced against the YIMBY movement.  If you’re interested in hosting a Candysdirt.com Staff Meeting event, I’m your guy. In 2016 and 2017, the National Association of Real Estate Editors has recognized my writing with two Bronze (2016, 2017) and two Silver (2016, 2017) awards.  Have a story to tell or a marriage proposal to make?  Shoot me an email [email protected].

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Jon Anderson is CandysDirt.com's condo/HOA and developer columnist, but also covers second home trends on SecondShelters.com. An award-winning columnist, Jon has earned silver and bronze awards for his columns from the National Association of Real Estate Editors in both 2016, 2017 and 2018. When he isn't in Hawaii, Jon enjoys life in the sky in Dallas.

1 Comment

  1. US Navy Veteran on January 12, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    Great job. Personally I’m more focused on Oak Cliff these days but my family lived on Ashbrook for a few years growing up. Some these listings are not far from some old memories.

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