Living in Southlake, TX

Southlake is a city of about 31,000 just west of DFW Airport, mostly in Tarrant County with a small part in Denton County. It's best known for Southlake Town Square, its trails along Grapevine Lake and its upscale neighborhoods, and it's one of the luxury markets in the Metroplex buyers ask me about most.

Getting around

SH 114 runs along the north side of the city and connects east to DFW Airport and Dallas and west toward Alliance and I-35W. Southlake Boulevard (FM 1709) runs east and west through the center of town, Downtown Fort Worth is about 25 miles southwest and downtown Dallas about 30 miles east. The nearest TEXRail stop, Grapevine-Main Street, is about 4 miles from Town Square.

Things to do

Southlake Town Square, opened in 1999, with more than 100 shops and restaurants, a boutique hotel, Town Hall, the public library and Rustin Park
Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve, with more than 20 miles of trails through woods and along Grapevine Lake
Grapevine Lake, on the city's northern edge, for boating, fishing and lakeside trails
Bicentennial Park, one of the city's main parks
Downtown Grapevine, a short drive east for Main Street shopping, dining and the TEXRail station

Schools

Most of Southlake is served by Carroll ISD. Parts of the city fall in Keller ISD and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, and a small area in Denton County is in Northwest ISD. With several districts in the city, I always confirm the school assignment for a specific address.

Homes and neighborhoods

Southlake has around 50 neighborhoods, and most homes were built from the 1980s on, when the city grew quickly after DFW Airport opened. You'll find large custom and semi-custom homes, and estate properties on bigger lots, along with a smaller number of townhomes and homes near Town Square. Since Southlake spans two counties and several school districts, I check the county and tax rate for each home.

A little history

Southlake grew from the rural settlements of Whites Chapel, Dove, Union Church and Jellico. Residents voted in 1956 to form their own town rather than be annexed, and the name came from its location just south of the newly built Grapevine Lake.