I lived in Dallas for 4 years from 2003 to 2007. For the first year, I lived way north in a suburb called Lewisville. I would not live there again, because then I moved into the central part of the city in an apartment complex just east of the North Central Expy. and just off Lemmon Ave. It was a mixed neighborhood, but my complex was safe.
I would live there again, because of the great cultural areas and events, the wonderful food all around (a good friend of mine has a very fancy restaurant downtown), the gay nightlife, and the many wonderful friends I still have there.
If you’re looking for a good area for real estate, you can’t go wrong with many areas in Oak Cliff, which is just south of the I-30 freeway. I have 3 friends who have done quite well there. The houses are older and often quite charming. The streets are treelined and beautiful.
If you have a family, then the best schools are in the Park cities, but Richardson also has excellent schools and is a nice place to live. My sister lives in Richardson.