Your Expert Guide

Lakewood Heights: Where the architecture is as diverse as the residents

Agent Bess Dickson

Photo courtesy of Kuper Sotheby's International Realty

There are so many great places to live in North Texas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Throughout her years in real estate, Bess Dickson has learned to always expect the unexpected in Lakewood Heights.

"It has a groovy mix of 1920s cottages and midcentury Texas ranches, sprinkled with modern new-builds and a bit of the odd choice," says the Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty agent. "A stroll through Lakewood Heights is a treat for the eyes and soul."

Lakewood Heights is bounded by Abrams Road to the east, Skillman Street to the west, Monticello Avenue to the north, and Richmond Avenue to the south. A little east of Lower Greenville and west of White Rock Lake, this "shoulder neighborhood," as Bess calls it, is a favorite place of hers to bike, run, and make new friends.

"Lakewood Heights is a hive of neighborly experiences," she says, "from the spontaneous July 4th trunk picnic in the Whole Foods parking lot and the holiday parades down Belmont Avenue, to 'First Nights' at Tietze Park and wagonloads of kids being pulled from house to house by their parents on Halloween — the list is endless."

Bess offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in Lakewood Heights. Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
Start the day off right with delicious diner food from Goldrush Cafe, or a true New York staple from Benny's Bagels. You can find Bess at Goldrush nearly every Friday at 7:30 am — stop in and say hi, and she'll buy you a cup of coffee.

"Friday night pizza from Scalini's is never boring," Bess says, referencing the restaurant's cafeteria tray-size pies and reasonably priced wine. Prefer to dine at home? Stroll — or bike — over to Whole Foods and head home with whatever catches your eye.

Where to play
In the summer, take a dip in the newly refreshed Tietze Park community pool or ride your bike down to White Rock Lake.

"Strolling down — or rolling down — Swiss Avenue Historic District's tree-lined esplanade is a must," Bess says. "On Sunday mornings, Lakewood Village Farmers Market — hosted by Good Local Markets, at the corner of Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Road — is always full of fresh surprises from local purveyors, like mushrooms (Lion's Mane, anyone?), sourdough bread that's to die for, and local honey, just to name a few."

An annual must-do in May is the Swiss Avenue Historic District Mother's Day Home Tour, a weekend-long tribute to one of Dallas’ most architecturally significant neighborhoods.

For an unforgettable host gift, pop into beloved neighborhood boutique Talulah & Hess.

Where to live
The wide array of home styles that defines Lakewood Heights ensures that if you have a favorite architecture style, you're more than likely to find it here.

"Purple homes, hundreds of gnomes scattered in a yard, white picket fences, and the most modern of modern homes may all be seen while meandering down the streets of Lakewood Heights," Bess says. "Mature, 100-year-old oak trees give shade as you pass a 1920s bungalow, a Spanish Renaissance gem, a just-completed modern, and a Prairie-style home with a wraparound porch. The larger-than-average lots lend themselves to all sorts of backyard setups, including chicken coops!"

One of Bess' favorite homes in the neighborhood, for which she represented the buyer, is 6115 Richmond Avenue, a recently built Craftsman that honors the heritage of the past.

"The Lakewood Heights vibe is one that hums with happy," says Bess. "Your neighbor could be an artist, writer, director, lawyer, surgeon, or retired sea captain — or just a young couple trying to figure out life together. Lifelong friendships are made by rocking on your front porch and simply saying 'howdy' to the passersby."

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Bess Dickson works and runs with her dog, Truman, in Lakewood Heights. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email bdickson@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-736-3921.

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The Boom Continues

Booming DFW ZIPs among 10 fastest-growing new neighborhoods in U.S.

Overhead view of a neighborhood in Keller, Texas

Photo by Braden Egli on Unsplash

Dallas keeps on growing.

As Texas' ever-growing population generates more demand among regional housing markets, two Dallas-area ZIP codes have seen more growth than nearly all other ZIPs in the state — and in the country.

75078 in Prosper and 75454 in Melissa respectfully ranked as the ninth and 10th in RentCafe's new study that analyzed the 50 fastest-growing "new neighborhoods" in America "that barely existed a decade ago." One more North Texas ZIP in Fort Worth also made the top 10.

The study reviewed housing inventory and population growth across 32,000 U.S. ZIP codes and narrowed down the search to the top 50 locales that experienced a 51 percent minimum surge in new housing units from 2014-2023.

Overall, Texas dominated the list with 17 of the nation's 50 booming new neighborhoods.

The report's findings revealed Prosper has more than tripled its housing inventory to 14,409 units, up from about 4,200 units in 2014. The area's population has also more than tripled, from 13,229 to 46,857 residents as of 2023.

Melissa's population has surged 211.2 percent over the last decade, from 6,471 to 20,137 residents, and housing inventory soared 222 percent to keep pace with the growth. A recent boom in apartment construction is a major factor that contributed to the suburb's expansion, the report said, which has showed no signs of slowing as more than 1,300 new apartments were built in Melissa in 2024.

"Here again, proximity to Dallas and accelerated development activity are driving growth," the report said. "Looking ahead, Melissa is slated for more housing projects to accommodate new residents."

Dallas suburbs like Prosper and Melissa also "offer easy access to Dallas jobs and provide newly built schools and quality urban services," according to the report.

RentCafe's separate ranking of the best "up-and-coming" communities ranked Prosper and Celina, another rapidly growing Dallas suburb, among the top three in the U.S.

Fast-growing ZIPs in Dallas-Fort Worth
North Fort Worth's 76177 ZIP code ranked as the seventh fastest-growing ZIPs in the U.S. over the last decade. RentCafe determined this northern region saw a 266 percent surge in housing inventory in the last decade to keep up with the area's 302.1 percent population growth over the same period.

In 2014, there were just 6,003 residents living within the bounds of 76177, which stretches as far north as the area surrounding Texas Motor Speedway and as far south as the Chisholm Ridge neighborhood. During that same year, there were only 2,774 housing units in the area, which has since spiked to 10,140 units as of 2023. The ZIP code now boasts a population of more than 24,000 residents, the study found.

"[ZIP code] 76177’s growth was stimulated by the overall economic expansion of the Dallas-Fort Worth area," the report said. "Like many places in Texas, this enclave attracts residents due to a mix of accessibility, community and opportunities."

Celina's 75009 ZIP ranked just outside the top 10 as the 11th "newest" neighborhood in the U.S. Celina experienced a 229 percent increase in population over the 10-year span, and a 211 percent increase in housing inventory. In 2023, the suburb had a population of more than 30,000 residents, up from about 9,200 in 2014.

The top 10 "newest" neighborhoods in the U.S., says RentCafe, are:

No. 1 – Chino, California (91708)
No. 2 – Timnath, Colorado (80547)
No. 3 – Colorado Springs (80927)
No. 4 – Fulshear, Texas (77441)
No. 5 – Ponte Vedra, Florida (32081)
No. 6 – Jersey City, New Jersey (07311)
No. 7 – Fort Worth (76177)
No. 8 – Colorado Springs (80924)
No. 9 – Prosper, Texas (75078)
No. 10 – Melissa, Texas (75454)

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