There’s plenty to like about Arlington but the most obvious are the giant attractions: the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys play here, it has massive amusement and water parks, a huge university in UT Arlington, and if they run to your taste, very large homes. Things really are bigger in Arlington and that gives the city an energy outsized for its population. While much of Arlington has a suburban feel you won’t like you’re living in a sleepy ‘burb here with all that goes on throughout the year.

Local POV on things to do here: *I've lived here my entire life and I still am able to find new things to do. There's ax throwing, river legacy, a few parks, the areas around the stadium with a studio movie grill and a bunch of retail shops and restaurants. Downtown Arlington is cute with a bunch of different restaurants and tea/coffee shops. Free play is a blast if you're over 21.*

*There's some card shops that host magic and pokemon tcg stuff. The Levitt is great and the library is also fantastic. South Arlington has the Parks which has a bunch of stuff like escape rooms and an arcade.*

 Things Are Bigger Here

The Best Thing About Arlington?

Arlington is the largest city in the U.S. without any public mass transit system. Combined with the constant events happening here it can get pretty snarled. Locals know how to get around the frequent mess but the influx of outsiders that descend on the attractions and events, make it tricky to avoid for a time.

Local note on traffic: *I moved to Arlington in March, and my only complaint is traffic on i20 sucks from 5am to 2am every day.*

Getting Around

The Worst Thing About Arlington? 

Living in Arlington is an odd mix of hardcore suburban mixed with big city attractions. The blocks are filled with suburban homes and big yards with lots of parks for play. However, you’re also surrounded by the stadiums for the Rangers and Cowboys and massive amusement and water parks so your daily activities could be as quiet or as loud as you’d like. Being 30 mins from Dallas doesn’t hurt in terms of offering more adventure than the suburban experience offers so most people who live here find they can shift back and forth comfortably between the two worlds. Downtown Arlington is also an option for a chill beer or BBQ if you find yourself without the energy to head to downtown Dallas.


Lifestyle Of Arlington

Education is the leading sector of employment in Arlington. This includes both the Arlington ISD and University of Texas, Arlington campus. Entertainment is the next largest employee base with Six Flags and the Rangers topping the list. The job market in Arlington and the DFW area is excellent. If you come here for a job and things don’t work out you are in a good position to land on your feet given how many companies are moving and expanding here. While there are no statistics available yet it is anecdotally clear that many WFH’ers are moving to the area to take advantage of the low cost of living, great school districts and better weather than much of the country.  


Workstyle Of Arlington

While Arlington is a suburb, it sits in between two bigger, more active cities in Dallas and Fort Worth. Which means that if you want to live on a quiet suburban street but be a 20 minute ride to active social or business districts then you’re going to like Arlington. Many who wish to escape dense cities these days but not get too far away from the action should put Arlington on their shortlist. 


Quiet Amidst The Storm

Why You Should Move Here Now? 

**The Best Thing About Arlington?** Things Are Bigger Here

There’s plenty to like about Arlington but the most obvious are the giant attractions: the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys play here, it has massive amusement and water parks, a huge university in UT Arlington, and if they run to your taste, very large homes. Things really are bigger in Arlington and that gives the city an energy outsized for its population. While much of Arlington has a suburban feel you won’t like you’re living in a sleepy ‘burb here with all that goes on throughout the year. 

**The Worst Thing About Arlington?** Getting Around

Arlington is the largest city in the U.S. without any public mass transit system. Combined with the constant events happening here it can get pretty snarled. Locals know how to get around the frequent mess but the influx of outsiders that descend on the attractions and events, make it tricky to avoid for a time. 

**How You Living?** Suburbia

In spite of the major attractions and University Arlington is a very large suburb. Which means you’re more than likely going to live in a suburban neighborhood. Dalworthington Gardens, Interlochen Estates, Pantego and the area of Southeast among others are all great choices within the city. Big homes, large yards, and wide family-friendly streets are all available in any of these neighborhoods of Arlington.  

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** Quiet Amidst The Storm

While Arlington is a suburb, it sits in between two bigger, more active cities in Dallas and Fort Worth. Which means that if you want to live on a quiet suburban street but be a 20 minute ride to jumping social or business districts then you’re going to like Arlington. Many who wish to escape dense cities these days but not get too far away from the action should put Arlington on their shortlist. 



Arlington is primarily a suburban family-focused city but the downtown area has been working through some commercial and cultural development. There are also a number of apartment buildings in the area for those looking to live a walk from the handful of pubs and restaurants. If you’re looking to avoid the Dallas and Fort Worth chaos but still live near somewhere you can get a burger and a beer at night you can make it work.

Downtown is also building a budding arts and music scene with local and national/international music venues, decent theatrical performances, arenas and theaters and "artrepreneurs" delivering public art throughout the area.  



Young Professionals

Downtown

Viridian is a good neighborhood to start your search for a family home if you like living a bit upscale. Parents like it here because the crime rate is very low and the school district is excellent. You also have the beautiful Viridian Lake Club, which sits on a six-acre peninsula overlooking Lake Viridian. The club has six pools, a beach, volleybal, tennis courts and plenty of outdoor performance spaces. There is also a lake sailing center that can be rented for lessons or races. It’s pretty much all here and it’s a great place to start your search.
- Viridian
- Southwest Arlington
- Vitruvian
- West Park Row


Families

Viridian

Arlington has a mix of 55+ communities and great neighborhoods for retirees. When you start with a low cost of living, low taxes, great weather and tons of outdoor activities you have all the ingredients needed for retirees. Add on two big cities within a 20 minute drive and those looking for a quiet home but access to culture and community activities makes Arlington the perfect spot. 

Arlington Plaza, Town Village Crossing and Fox Run Estates are just a few of the retirement communities within the city limits. Retirees looking for a neighborhood rather than a gated 55+ community should explore Viridian. New homes dominate the streets, so maintenance is at a minimum. Townhomes or single-family are available and the combination of family-friendly energy mixed with a beautiful lake, trails, and health clubs means mental and physical health are core characteristics of those who live here.
- Viridian
- Arlington Plaza
- Town Village Crossing
- Fox Run Estates


Retirees

Arlington Plaza/Town Village/Fox Run

Arlington

What is it like to live in Arlington, TX?

Arlington is a great city with about 400,000 people from all walks of life. There is wealth and poverty though not too severe. Greatest ethnics are Caucasian, African-American and many Hispanics(though Caucasian). Vietnamese and other Southeast Asians are represented. I’m not sure of the number of nations represented now but 12 years ago there were 134 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Arlington has no downtown the tallest building in downtown was 2 stories and unoccupied. There is newly opened apartments in the downtown.

University of Texas in Arlington enrolls more than 48,000 on campus and distance classes. It is growing in reputation for Engineering and Computer Sciences. Its moving to Tier 1 for many of its colleges including Nursing.

Arlington is in Tarrant County. It is serviced by Tarrant County College and associate degree school. TCC has one growing campus in Arlington and several close enough in Tarrant County to be convenient.

A major drawback is the lack of public transportation either light rail or buses. Several attempts to create a public bus system have failed. Reasons I’ve come up with are: Low density for the 99 square miles of the city, no central area of importance (downtown), Texans are big on cars at an early age, there are only two concentrations of employment, General Motors and UTA and the voting public does not want to foot the bill for a hardly used bus system. Now a number of our streets have been converted to half auto half bike lane for the extremely few bike riders.

What are the best aspects of living in Arlington, TX as a young adult?

I was a magician at Six Flags Over TEXAS as a teenager and years later I actually directed commercials for them. The city offers so much for young people who have aspirations. With The Rangers and Cowboys and water parks and plenty of parks there’s never a shortage of something to do for a young adult. I’m returning to Arlington this fall to teach film at UTA, whose film school is as important a film school for industry professionals as any in the country. Those from Arlington have a special love for the city and understand how nourishing that environment is for young people. I smile every time I fly out of DFW to LA, because with the prevailing Southern wind, we nearly always bank over Arlington on the way out and I can see the whole city below, both remembering how small it used to be and despite the growth, how small it still is.

What are the best aspects of living in Arlington, TX as a young adult?

Because of the recent addition of AT&T stadium, the night life is getting much better. They're adding lofts to the downtown area and making it more fun to spend the night down there. You're smack dab in the middle of two large cities so the options of stuff to do is large. DFW airport is close by so travel is easy. They're trying to get mass transit more involved in Arlington which will make it easier to get to Dallas or Fort Worth. The people here are generally friendly. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting some sort of tasty restaurant. I'm sure there are more culturally rich cities but for the amount of things to do and see here I wouldn't move for just about anything.

Thoughts on Arlington?


It really depends on what you want. The traffic is getting a bit too heavy for what is already built here and there isn't any sort of exciting night life. The big upsides though are that it's lush with options for grocery, dining, shopping, etc. since it is so large. It's also relatively quiet for its size and easier to live in than true large cities. Tied with a reasonable cost of living and a couple excellent high schools (Plant yourself in a certain area of your choice if you plan to buy a home and prepare for family making in the future) it's honestly a good place start your life. You might find yourself looking towards somewhere like Mansfield if you do start to put a family together though.

Arlington, Texas