Plano, Texas

Plano is the ninth largest city in Texas; according to the census of 2007 Plano has grown to 260,796. Making this city the 69th most populous cities in the United States. There is a wonderful blend of singles, married couples, and unmarried families living in Plano, Texas with the largest percent being married families with children at home. Almost half of the Plano population consists of married couples with roughly 30% of the overall population having children under the age of 18.  Plano has become more diverse, with various cultural populations increasing over the last several years. Most of the population falls between the ages of 25 and 65 with a very small comminity in thier retirment years.  The folks in Plano are mostly in the upper middle to upper incom brackets.

Plano, Texas is an ideal city to kick back and party in Dallas, Texas. Whether you are going out with family and friends, having a date night with that special person or a night of fun and flirt, all this can be found in Plano.

There isn't much of a club scene in Plano, and with the exception of a few places (such as the Ye Shire Tavern and Fillmore Pub) most places in the city are a combination bar and restaunts.  The slight lack of nightlife is is made liveable by the number of outstanding restaurants as well as fantastic bar sections inhabiting each one.  The main strip of restaurants can be found around Preston Rd. but an equal number of upscale eateries can be found throughout the city. 

How about dinner and a movie at the same time, the Studio Movie Gill is located on West Park Road. and of course nothing says Texas like a great plate barbecue ribs. a bevy of barbeque joints can be found scatered about the city.  Some great places to stop are Red ,Hot, and Blue, Dickeys,  and of course Love and War on Plano Pkwy. For more upscale fair check around the George Bush Tollway.  Happy hour like you've never seen with hardwood floors, elegant interior design, and wonderful food, the Geisha Hibachi Grill Sushi Lounge is located at 3801 West President George Bush.  Both Roy's Restaurant and Tin Starare equally excellent for something a little different  The wonderful thing about Plano is the variety of choices, most of them at really reasonable prices for the area.

Of course expect to see a large number of national chain favorites, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, McDonalds, Chili's, etc.  They are located at most every corner in town.

Apartment living in Plano has come down a lot in the last few years. There are some fantastic deals for plenty of complexes with rent stqarting inthe $500 a month range, with options continuing up to $1200 a month for more upscale places. Since most of the cities wealthier residents have migrated nrtoh into McKiney and Frisco, Plano has become a lot more livable for those in the middle income bracket. This works to great benefit as the deals on most of the aprtments in Plano are the best value for the mony in DFW. Many of the apartments in Plano, Texas, have sports leagues and exercise classes that residents can join. Rental prices range depending on the location and the amenities.

Apartments ranging from $500-$700 have the basic following amenities: On-site laundry facilities, 24-hour emergency maintenance, washer/dryer connections, fully equipped electric kitchens,water and gas furnished, swimming pools/hot tub, vaulted ceilings, curbside trash pickup, and internet/cable read. Most of the basic stuff you would expect for rentals of the price range. For apartments ranging from $700-$900, some added ammenitys often include three bedrooms, dry heat sauna, garage/extra storage, gated community, covered parking, fireplaces, and boat parking.

For those looking in the $1000 a month range expect to find some niceties that are unheard of in simliarly priced rentals in msot of the metroplex. Some perks include custom-built and bookshelves, business/video library, hardwood floors, granite countertops, marble fireplaces/custom mantle, pets park, and sometimes concierge service.

There is no doubt that you get a lot for your money in the Plano area, and with economic times as they are, plenty of apartment complexes are scrambling for tenants. Plano is a great place for a great price.

Plano, Texas local Residents commute time is an average of about 20 minutes to work, however the city offers public transportation through DART.

Dallas Area Rapid Transits aka DART operates the city buses, light rail, commuter rail, and HOV lanes in Dallas and 12 suburbs. DART is the largest light rail operator in the State of Texas. The rail system covers 48.6 miles between two lines, the Red and the Blue line.

For $50 a month, you can get a Local Pass that gives you unlimited passes on the local buses, Dart Rail trains, and TRE (from Union Station to West Irving Station). The Local Pass is only for travel in the Dallas metropolitan area.

 For $80 a month, you can get a Premium Pass that gives you unlimited passes on all DART buses and trains, DART On-Call, TRE Trains, and the T in Fort Worth. The Premium Pass is a bonus pass that allows you to travel in both Dallas and the Fort Worth metropolitan area. For your connivance you can purchase passes online at www.dart.org. The Dart Stations that server’s Plano, Texas is located at 805 E. Parker Road Plano, TX 75074

The Plano area is losing a lot of thier residents to Frisco and McKinney, so now is a fantastic time to get a great deal on leasing specials.  There really arent too many bad areas in Plano, so safety isn't as big an issue as it may be in other areas of DFW.  There are plenty of options for you to continue service with your existing telephone or electric companies as most of the cities apartments are serviced by Verizon and SBC Global.  Because the telephone companies have been deregulated, residents now have the ability to choose services from over 20 competitive telephone companies. If Verizon and SBC are not the telephone companies of your choice, log on to www.switchboard.com to locate a telephone service provider.

For your power needs Direct Energy, Reliant Energy,  and Star Tex Power are all great companies that most apartments allow you to choose from.  Of course most will have a preffered vendor, but most places will give you at least one other option.

For your Internet and cable provider there are several companies to choose from.  A few local providers are Qwest, Time Warner, Cox, and Verizon.  Many of these companies will offer a combination package of phone, internet, and cable service, which can save you a good deal of money and is definetly worth checking out.

If you're looking for fun and entertainment Plano, Texas, has it all. Plano has something for everyone adults, children, singles and couples. Below is a list of some of Plano’s recreation and entertainment spots to help you plan a fun filled afternoon and a night out on the town.

The Main Event Entertainment Center has bowling, billiards, laser tag, giant arcade, Café, full service bars, and meeting rooms.  For more information visit www.maineventusa.net.  For mini golf, batting, cages, and arcades check out Adventure Landing on Coit Rd. Plano is also one of several locations in DFW that offers Whirleyball, an amazing fusion of go-karts, lacross, and basketball.  You can find the Plano Whirleyball location off of West Parker Road towards the center part of Plano.

The city is also home to several fantstic shopping options. The Collin Creek Mall is a two level mall with a JCPenney's, Dillard’s, Macy's, Amazing Jake's, Sears and several other stores.  This is located on the South end of town on I-75.  More information is available at www.collincreekmall.com. The Shops at Legacy have a surprising nightlife with cinemas, concierge service, and shopping like you have never seen before.  The Shops are some of the newest options available in the Plano area and are located just south of the Tollway and 121 junction.  More information at www.shopsatlegacy.com.  The Shops At Willow Bend is an upscale shopping mall with over 125 stores and more anchors stores. Dillards, Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.  This complex is a few miles south on the George Bush tollway from the Shops at Legacy towards the southwest corner of Plano.  More information at www.shopwilliowbend.com.

The urban sophisticated part of Plano, with mostly single-family homes, apartments, high-rises and a few condos are located near the Preston Road and Plano Parkway area as well as the Coit Rd and Hedgcoxe Rd. Whether you are interested in a suburban Dallas neighborhood or a more urban lifestyle, Plano is large and diverse enough to offer something for everyone. The west side of Plano is home to several neighborhoods including Cypress Point, Kings Gate, and Kings Ridge, and is known for having modern and luxurious subdivisions. The neighborhoods on the east side of Plano are within walking distance of downtown, and tend to be older and more established. Whether you are a young professional, raising a family, or a retiree looking to settle down, homes in Plano are some of the best real estate in Dallas Texas. 

There are plenty of grocery stores in the Plano area, most of which are Tom Thumb  and Kroger.  Due to the income level over the last few years, there arent as many budget consious options such as Sack-n-Save, but there are Walmarts at the north and south end of town.  There is a Central Market towards the south end of town and a Sprouts  to the north, keeping foodies all over the area happy and well stocked with 30 different kinds of olives.  There is at least one grocery store at all of the major intersections across the city.

With a little over 100 banks throughout the city, there probably is not a major banking branch that is not present in Plano.  Wells Fargo, Wachovia, Frost, Bank of America and many others along with a bevy of private banks and credit unions are located 2 and 3 to an intersection making sure that all of your banking needs are more than covered.

There are roughly 70 gyms in the Plano area, with the large majority being privately owned and operated.  Ther isnt the volume of large gyms in Plano suchas 24 Hour Fitness or Ballys.While they can be found int he nearby area there are plenty of options in Plano to cater to your specific fitness goals using a variety of traditional and non traditional training.

There are 5 Post Offices in Plano with 3 of them on Parker Rd towards the center part of Plano.  There are 6 libraries equally distributed throughout the city, with one located towards the north,west, east, and south of plano, with 2 in the central area on Parker Rd.

Plano, Texas has excellent employment opportunities.  There are several major companies and corporate headquarters located in Plano, as well as restaurants, convenience stores, electronics stores, and manufacturers.  For employment opportunity in Plano, Texas, log onto www.indeed.com

Plano, Texas is home to several nationally known companies and corporate headquarters, including Frito-Lay, Cadbury Schweppes, Cinemark Theaters, Ericsson, Rent-a-Center, Perot Systems, Electronic Data Systems, Dr Pepper, Crossmark, and UGS, Texas Instruments and

JC Penny. In addition to its own job market, Plano's light rail system allows residents to quickly and easily commute to downtown Dallas.

Plano Independent School Districts was voted by their employees as one of the best places to work in Dallas.  The Texas education agency rated Plano ISD “exemplary.” Plano, Texas has one of the best school districts in the Metroplex, 24 schools in Plano was Given the National Blue Ribbon Schools Of Excellence honor, awarded by the US Department of education.  For more information about Plano ISD logon to www.pisd.edu

A few years ago, Plano, Texas was a farmland, now it is the ninth largest city in Texas.  Forbes.com chose Plano, as one of the top three “Top Suburbs To Live Well.” Plano has so much to offer making the city, a great place to live whether you are renting or buying a home. 

You will enjoy crisp winter temperatures of 43°F, cool, spring temperatures of 63°F, hot summer days of 83°F and comfortable fall temperatures of 65°F throughout the year in Plano, Texas.