Texas Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Grand Prairie, Texas

Population: 135,000

Located in Dallas County

Greetings from Grand Prairie
Brightly colored sails glide across the glass surface of Joe Pool Lake. An early morning foursome swings against a backdrop of emerald fairways. Neighbors greet neighbors as they garden, walk and bike. Generations gather at Grandma's for a Sunday picnic. Fathers, mothers, kids and teachers cheer for Friday night high school football. All of this goes on in the heart of one of the nation's busiest and most prosperous urban centers, all in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Conveniently located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Grand Prairie offers relaxation, family fun, friendly neighbors and a smart place to live and do business. Nearly 135,000 people live in Grand Prairie. We call more than 4 million people "neighbor" in the Metroplex. Generally speaking, our residents are 30 something, dual income homeowners. In Grand Prairie, families who have lived here for generations welcome newcomers who choose to move to Grand Prairie for the same reasons the natives don't leave--location and hometown atmosphere.

Schools
The majority of Grand Prairie kids attend schools in the Grand Prairie Independent School District, which recognized its 100-year anniversary in the 2002-2003 school year. The 28 campuses of the Grand Prairie Independent School District are working to provide for the needs of more than 19,500 students in an effort to lead the way into the 21st century. The GPISD was recently named a Recognized District.

GPISD is a 58-square mile district serving more than 21,000 students within the Dallas County portion of Grand Prairie. The district boasts 33 campuses, including 21 elementary schools, six middle schools, two ninth grade centers, two high schools and two alternative education schools. The District has a student/teacher ratio average of 18/1 and offers a variety of services and programs designed to help students radiate success.

Students who reside in Tarrant County and Grand Prairie attend Arlington Independent School District, which has 48 elementary, 12 junior high and seven high schools. Of these, five elementary schools are actually in Grand Prairie. Small portions of town lie in other school districts such as Cedar Hill ISD, Irving ISD, Mansfield ISD, and Midlothian ISD.

Recreation
With more than 4,800 acres of parks, well-established and new neighborhoods and lively, competitive athletic programs, Grand Prairie makes businesses and residents feel right at home. The Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation Department offers various activities and classes, including Tae-Bo, league basketball, yoga, and coaching clinics for volunteers wishing to become NYSCA certified.

Fifty-two parks include a senior center, the Ruthe Jackson Conference Center, three recreation centers, four public swimming pools (including one indoor pool), one extreme skate park, two beaches on Joe Pool Lake, a campground, five softball and baseball complexes, 32 tennis courts and 18 soccer fields (four lighted adult, six lighted youth). With a ΒΌ cent sales tax devoted to park improvements, a $125 million, 20-year Parks Master Plan will improve every park in Grand Prairie and add valuable new park land on an ongoing basis. In addition to private golf courses and a country club, the city's two public golf courses offer great golf at a great price. The city's Tangle Ridge Golf Course ranks 9th best in the Metroplex by The Dallas Morning News and Prairie Lakes Golf Course offers one of the best golf values in the area.

One of the newest lakes in Texas, Joe Pool Lake is set among the rolling hills of south Grand Prairie. Fishing, boating, swimming and skiing are popular here. The lake's Lynn Creek Park features boat ramps, picnic sites, beaches, volleyball, restrooms and loads of natural beauty. Loyd Park offers wooded camp sites, trails, showers and restrooms. On the north shore, just off Lake Ridge Parkway, Lynn Creek Marina features boat slips, rentals, boat ramps and fishing supplies for the angler. Adjacent to the marina, the Oasis, a floating restaurant, overlooks the waters of the lake and serves up delicious fare and beverage.

Healthcare
A variety of healthcare services are available in Grand Prairie and the immediate area. A variety of physicians, surgeons, dentists, orthodontists, optometrists and ophthalmologists have offices in Grand Prairie. The Dallas-Fort Worth area offers more than 65 hospitals, with specialties ranging from asthma to pulmonary rehabilitation, pediatrics to geriatrics, sports medical to psychiatry, cancer to cardiovascular surgery.

Entertainment
In terms of other entertainment, Grand Prairie is a gold mine. With unique museums such as the Palace of Wax, Ripley's Believe It or Not! and Trader's Village (a 106-acre flea market). New is 2002 is the concert and entertainment venue - NextStage at Grand Prairie, offering a multitude of live concerts and plays. You have to see what a find this city really is.

Home of several popular tourist attractions, Grand Prairie is located in the center of the Metroplex with something for everyone: horse racing, shopping, outdoor recreation, museums and a variety of restaurants.

Traders Village, a Texas-size flea market, attracts more than 3 million people to the city each year.

Louis Tussaud's Palace of Wax & Ripley's Believe It or Not! brings visitors face to face with characters from history, religion, the Wild West, Hollywood and fantasy.

Experience extreme in-line skating, skateboarding, biking and in-line hockey at GPX Skate Park and Entertainment Center.

NOKIA Theatre offers the best features of today's performing arts centers and live entertainment theaters.

Joe Pool Lake has camping, boating, fishing and a full service marina.

Have a great golfing experience at one of the Grand Prairie public golf courses. Tangle Ridge Golf Club is one of the top 20 courses in the state.

Splish, splash your way to fun in the sun at the Splash Factory at Grand Prairie's Charley Taylor Recreation Center.

Grand Prairie, only minutes to just about everything in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, One Exciting Place!