Welcome to the Neighborhood
Far North Dallas, which lies north of (you guessed it) North Dallas, is hemmed in by Plano, Richardson and Addison via four of Dallas’ major highways, a major bonus for parents commuting north or south. Locals love the country clubs, luxury shopping, and kidfriendly cafes and other hangouts that this quiet stretch of suburbia offers—while still being just minutes from family destinations downtown. The shining star for many families is the Galleria, where Mom can do some shopping while the kiddos glide around the mall’s ice skating rink. Considering this area for your family? Check out the North Dallas Neighborhood Alliance, the go-to resource for everything from real estate developments to local crime stats.
Education
Dallas ISD
152 elementary schools; 40 middle schools; 42 high schools
972/925-3700; dallasisd.org
Plano ISD
44 elementary schools; 13 middle schools; 8 high schools; 4 senior high schools
469/752-8100; pisd.edu
Richardson ISD
41 elementary schools; 8 junior high schools; 5 high schools
469/593-0000; risd.org
BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS
Dallas (private)
All Saints Catholic School, 2006; 2015
Parish Episcopal School, 1993-94
Dallas (Richardson ISD)
Brentfield Elementary School, 1993-94
James Bowie Elementary School, 2000-01
Parkhill Junior High School, 1992-93
Prestonwood Elementary School, 1996-97
Westwood Junior High School, 2011
Libraries
Dallas Public Library System
dallaslibrary.org
Fretz Park
Monday–Saturday, open till 8pm Monday–Wednesday
6990 Belt Line Road, Dallas, 214-670-6421
Renner Frankford
Monday–Saturday, open till 8pm Monday–Wednesday
6400 Frankford Road, Dallas, 214/670-6100
Timberglen Branch Library
Open daily; Tuesday–Thursday open till 8pm
18505 Midway Road, Dallas, 214/671-1365
Health & Fitness 101
Dallas Recreation Centers
dallasparks.org
Campbell Green Recreation Center
16600 Park Hill Drive, Dallas, 214/670-6314
Fretz Recreation Center
6950 Belt Line Road, Dallas, 214/670-6203
Timberglen Recreation Center
3810 Timberglen Road, Dallas, 214/671-0644
Katie Jackson Park
Dust off your mountain bike for the off-road bike trails west of White Rock Creek and through this 45.5 acres of woods including the NorthBark Dog Park.
4900 Haverwood Lane, Dallas; dallasparks.org
Ruibal's Rosemeade Market & Greenhouse
A brick-and-mortar grocery store and greenhouse stocking fresh local produce and plants.
3646 Rosemeade Parkway, Dallas, 972/306-2899; rosemeademarket.com
Family Factor
Campbell Green Sprayground
16600 Park Hill Drive, Dallas; dallasaquatics.org/132/Spraygrounds
Coffee House Cafe
The warm ambience, frozen hot chocolate and eclectic menu—everything from french toast to tacos to beef tips—go a long way toward making this breakfast, lunch and dinner spot family-friendly.
6150 Frankford Road, Dallas, 972/232-2333; coffeehousecafe.com
The Cove at Fretz Park
The Cove is one of the city’s three new aquatic centers debuting in late summer 2018, each featuring a children’s play area, slides, a lap pool with a diving board and more.
14778 Hillcrest Road, Dallas; dallasaquatics.org
Crossroads Diner
Signature dishes at this roomy diner include quiche, mac and cheese and their famous sticky buns coated in caramel and pecans.
(With a day’s notice, you can order a tray of these to go.) Be aware—you may have a wait if you go for weekend brunch.
17194 Preston Road, Suite 101, Dallas, 214/346-3491; crossroads-diner.com
Galleria Dallas
One of Dallas’ premier shopping destinations also has plenty to entertain kids—most notably the state-of-the-art skating rink and the American Girl store, which regularly hosts crafts, tea parties and other events for kids and their dolls. Don’t miss the Galleria during the holidays, either—the center places a great big Christmas tree in the middle of the skating rink and christens it with a holiday show featuring Santa on skates.
13350 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, 972/702-7100; galleriadallas.com
Norma's Cafe
This upbeat diner puts dessert front and center on their menu—take home a slice of pie piled high with meringue or a rich cup of cobbler. The rest of the menu (and the kids’ menu) is just plain good homestyle cooking; check the board for daily specials. We recommend sharing a Big Ole Cinnamon Roll—trust us, it lives up to its name.
17721 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 130, Dallas, 972/380-8646; normascafe.com
Watermark Treefort
This is not your average backyard treehouse—the multistory fort has ropes, bridges and lots of stairs for littles to climb. While they play, you can sip a cuppa from the coffee shop on-site. Free and open daily; check the website for hours.
7540 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, 214/361-2275; watermark.org/dallas/treefort
Mom Groups
Hyer Preschool Association
Connects parents of young children in the Hyer Elementary attendance zone through meetings, family events, playgroups and more. New members can join anytime.
hyerpreschoolassociation.org
Mocha Moms, Inc. North Dallas Chapter
Meets the third Thursday of the month at Natural Grocers at 10am. Membership is $50 per year. For inquiries, email mochamomsnorthdallasinfo@gmail.com.
677 W. Campbell Road, Suite 100, Richardson; mochamomsnorthdallas.net
North Dallas Mothers of Twins Club
This organization for mothers in North Dallas and beyond meets the first Thursday of every month at Methodist Richardson Medical Center.
2831 E. President George Bush Highway, Richardson; ndmotc.org
Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) of Bentwood Trail
Meetings take place every second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 9:30–11am at the Bentwood Trail Presbyterian Church.
6000 Bentwood Trail, Dallas; mops.org/groups/bentwoodtrailmops
Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) of Bent Tree
Meetings at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship are held select Thursdays at 9:30am; check the church website for more information and to register.
Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, 4141 International Parkway, Carrollton; benttree.org
North Dallas Early Childhood PTA
Members get access to a private Facebook group, plus family outings, playgroups, moms night out, service projects and more.
ndecpta.com
