Parker

If you ever watched the opening credits of the 1970s hit television series “Dallas” and wished you could live in the same neighborhood as the Ewing family, your wish can come true in Parker. This small city in Collin County is home to several large ranches, including Southfork Ranch, which was used to shoot exterior scenes of the iconic TV drama and is as green and picturesque today as it was during the series’ heyday. However, you don’t have to be as wealthy as the Ewings to live in Parker; the city boasts charming single-family homes with lots of land in a range of price points.

Those homes are primarily large, custom estates with elegant brick facades and stonework. Most are new two-story builds from the 2000s and 2010s in architectural styles, including Colonial, Tudor and French Provincial. If you're looking for something more retro, you can also find traditional single-level ranch-style homes from the 1970s, with low-pitched roofs and big, front-facing windows. Lot sizes are large, many boasting an acre or more of space, so front and back yards are roomy, and many homeowners opt to include pools, barns and stables on their properties. Leafy green trees are abundant, dotting front yards, as is shrubbery and other local flora. The residential streets that wind through each subdivision are wide and provide an optimal place for bike riding or walking with friends. Prices range from $425,000 for 2,000 square feet to $3.9 million for 10,000 square feet.

Neighborhood children may start school at Hickey Elementary, which serves kindergarten through fifth grade and has an A rating on Niche. For sixth through eighth grade, they head to Bowman Middle, which has an A-minus on Niche. For high school, they begin at Williams High, which serves ninth and 10th grade and has a B-plus on Niche, then finish at Plano East Senior High, which has an A-plus on Niche. Plano East is the only senior high school in the district to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, and students from neighboring high schools who want to participate are allowed to transfer to East Plano without forfeiting their University Interscholastic League (UIL) eligibility.

While Parker's residents have plenty of space in their neighborhoods to get outside in the fresh air, when they want a more traditional park experience, they often head to City Park and Preserve. Located in the city’s center, this sprawling green space is surrounded by tall, mature trees and is the place to be when you want to get one with nature. Take the mile-long, sun-dappled trail that snakes through the park, and you'll find the bubbling waters of Maxwell Creek and the quiet Preserve where you might catch a glimpse of some of its wildlife inhabitants like birds, armadillos, rabbits, skunks and squirrels.

To cross everything off your weekly to-do list, head to the retail hub at the intersection of East Bethany Drive and Angel Parkway. You'll find Walmart, where you can pick up groceries and all your daily essentials; Walgreens, where you can drop off a prescription; and services like salons, an urgent care center and a Bank of America branch. While there, you can grab lunch at familiar favorite restaurants Chipotle, Wendy’s or Taco Bell.

Parker is about 15 miles from Garland and just seven from Plano, which offers additional shopping and restaurant options. If you’re commuting for work or looking for a bit of excitement, Dallas is about 30 miles south, which you can access via US-75.

Written By

Sara Huffman

Photography Contributed By

Aaron Fisher

Video By

Francesco Basti