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Moving to Plano (1 Viewer)

Kenneth

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Well, I just got a job offer in Plano so I will be moving to Dallas next month. Any natives with helpful feedback, like the best home theater shops :) or other helpful information. Right now I am looking at apartments online in Plano and Richardson, since those are close to my employer.

Kenneth
 

BrianW

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Ultimate electronics is on US75 just North of Parker, and Fry's is on the corner of US75 and the Turnpike (formerly TX190).
 

Steve Tannehill

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Actually, Fry's is on Plano Parkway, east of 75 and north of 190 (a.k.a. President George Bush Turnpike (the first one)). (Bush Turnpike is pretty much interchangable with 190, just as LBJ is with 635).

Best Buy is also along 75, north of Park, south of Parker. Costco is further north of Ultimate Electronics (not home theater, per se, but some great DVD prices).

Welcome to Texas summer!

- Steve
 

Keith Mickunas

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There's a few Tweeters, and there's another place in Plano called The Home Theater store or something like around Preston and 635, or maybe that place was consumed by Tweeter's also, along with Hillcrest. Anyways, there are a few good places along 75 and on Preston.

Where abouts in Richardson/Plano will you be working? I work in Richardson off 75 and live out in Wylie and used to be in Plano, I'm pretty familiar with the area.
 

Kenneth

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I just accepted a job with Flextronics. They are located at 600 Shiloh rd in Plano. I am calling apartments today to check on prices and availability and then making the drive from New Mexico on Tuesday to visit the candidates this week. At least the internet makes apartment shopping a lot easier now with floorplans being online. Finding that home theater friendly floorplan always eliminates a lot of candidates. Before I start my calls I have about 9 different complexes and 18 apartments I have found HT friendly in layout and located within 10 miles of 600 Shiloh so I don't have to spend too much time in commuting.

Any really good Pizza places in Plano or Richardson?

Kenneth
 

Keith Mickunas

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I know exactly where Flextronics is, I drive through that area everyday on my way to work.

If you haven't found them yet, contact Ashley Park Townhomes, I used to live there. It's on the southwest corner of Ave. K and Park. That's just two or three miles from where you'll be working and located near a Best Buy (one has to keep these things in mind). You could look up my old address, 2308 Ashley Park, 75074, to find it on a map. I had a two story corner unit, and while I couldn't really let the sub loose, I never had too much trouble enjoying my HT.

I used an apartment search company, I believe called Star Apartment Search or something like that, which was pretty handy. This guy who runs it is a former real-estate agent, and he drove me all around the area and represented me like an agent to the apartment complexes. One thing he showed me was that most places offered deals, like discounts on rent and such, to new renters. So be sure and ask if they have any specials or deals in case they don't offer them up.

I've only found one interesting pizza place, and that's Campizzi's (or maybe Campisi's, or something like that). There's one in Richardson at Campbell and Coit, and another in Plano well west of 75 on Parker I believe, right across from Half Price Books. There was a place south of where you'll be working called Pranzo's that had good pizza, but I hear they just closed. There's also a great Italian restaurant around 14th and 75, on the east side off the access road, called Pasaeno's. It's great Italian food.

You ought to get a mod to change the title of this thread to "Moving to Plano". There's a lot of folks on here from this area, and I'm sure you can collect lots of info. I believe that from what I've seen in the past there could be more SVS's per capita in the Plano area than anywhere else.
 

Kenneth

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I have Ashley Park on my list. I am also looking at High Point Townhomes, The Fairway, Green Valley (in Richardson), and Cross Creek. I will be in Plano/Richardson on Wednesday/Thursday for my apartment hunting trip.

The summer temps in Dallas shouldn't be too much of a shock since I lived 15 years in Phoenix, 1.5 years in Malaysia, and 1 year in Thailand. Hopefully they all prepared me for the summer in Dallas ;)

Any good Asian food places in Plano or Richardson? I love good Thai and Indian food.

Also, how is Comcast? I was going to get them for cable and high speed internet.

Kenneth
 

Steve Tannehill

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We lost my favorite Indian restaurant along the telecom corridor, Rasoi, last year. Our fallback, Kebab & Kurry, had a cockroach scramble across the table last week, and we won't be going back for awhile.

Asian food? There's plenty, although I never really got into Thai. There's a great Chinese/Vietnamese place called Arc-en-ciel in Garland. They do dim sum for lunch, and have some great dishes.

There's some good pizza at Napolis, which is at Park and Los Rios (among other places in town). That location is a few minutes from where you will work.

Be careful using apartment locating services...they do receive incentives for directing you towards specific locations. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but buyer beware.

AFAIK, Hillcrest and Tweeter are the same company now. Home Theater Store is separate (although near the Hillcrest on Preston). Hillcrest always tended towards high-end. The salespeople were more interested in telling me what people like Don Henley bought from them rather than get any of my business.

What kind of work will you be doing at Flextronix?

- Steve
 

Kenneth

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Flextronics is hiring me as a procurement engineer to manage their lead free conversion for 2006. I was doing some commodity work at Intel before I got downsized in late 2002 (I spent 14.5 years at Intel). It sounds like it will be an interesting, if busy, job.

I have some good apartment choices I pulled off the net so far. They all appear to have home theater friendly layouts but I will be checking that out on Wednesday. Just the apartment agent, me, and my tape measure. What fun. I plan to move into a new place on July 9th and start my new gig on the 12th.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, keep em coming. I have been in New Mexico the last year and a half while I looked for work so I am looking forward to being back in the big city.

Cheers,

Kenneth
 

Keith Mickunas

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I don't like Asian food, but a lot of my friends down here seem pretty pleased with the selection. I went to a Thai place down south of 635 on 75 one time that some friends of mine love. There's an Indian restaurant at Parker and 75 that some of my Indian friends seem pleased with, although the service is lousy.

There's another high-end HT shop on the south end of the parking lot at Collin Creek mall. I forget the name, but they have some sweet stuff, last time I was there they had a 3chip DLP projector that was truly amazing. They're right near a real nice Italian restaurant called Campari's that's worth checking out.

You're going to be in a pretty nice area. There's just so much stuff on 75 that you'll never have to travel far to get whatever you want. Just about every major electronics/computer chain is in a few mile stretch there. And you'll be able to stop by the new Fry's at lunch anytime you want. They've been celebrating their grand opening for the last four or five weeks and considering they opened 6 months ago I'm guessing this grand opening sale will still be happening when you move here.
 

Kenneth

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cool, great news about the sale. My DVD player just died so that will be one of the things I need to buy for my new digs. I was toying with the idea of adding a TIVO to my system also. I will definitely check them out. I've been wanting to add an LCD TV to my system so I don't have to use my projector all the time but I don't think I'll find one in my price range, even with a sale.

Kenneth
 

Bob Graz

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Lead free conversion shouldn't be too bad. Component suppliers are working to meet the new requirements. Might be a bit of a logistical nightmare keeping track of old product vs new product and managing the inventory turnover. Good luck with the new job.
 

BrianB

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Be brave & venture south-west to the Mayari in Las Colinas. Very, very good. In Addison, there's the newer & much less traditional Clay Pit too. Good, but not as good as the Mayari, my favourite restaurant in the area.
 

Kenneth

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We won't tell my significant other that I have that link :) On the other hand, she might be happy to learn I have moved from the 7th city to the 12th. Our kids were happy to learn that my new employer helps make the x-box.

I gather the lead free conversion will be tough because of the number of suppliers and part numbers affected at my new employer. I think logistical nightmare is the correct word. But I love a good challenge. Especially one that pays a monthly salary to support my DVD habit ;)

Kenneth
 

Lew Crippen

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The best pizza in the north Dallas suburbs is Pazzo in Flower Mound. It is probably 20-30 minute drive from Plano.

There are plenty of Indian and Pakistani restaurants in Richardson, especially around Main Street and North Central Expressway. Also Chinese is very big here—you can get reasonably decent dim sum for example.

Outside of this area of Richardson, there are a lot of well-known Indian places around Dallas, but the food is variable if you know much about Indian food. And for this cuisine, you really can’t trust the local reviewers, as I don’t think that they know authentic Indian or Thai food.

Since you have lived in SE Asia, there is a place in Plano that you should check out, Lion City, located in a shopping center on the Northwest corner of Parker and Custer. You will probably get handed the Chinese menu, but ask for the Singaporean one—it often have laksa, fish head curry and other dishes from Singapore.
 

Lew Crippen

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Mango Thai on Park in Plano is pretty good, though it is a bit more fusion than straight Thai. They also put out chopsticks, though if you ask for a fork and spoon, you get the correct utensils with an appreciative nod.

Even though this is Texas, where presumably people are used to eating some spicy food, I have never been in a Thai or Indian restaurant that had the proper seasoning level.

If you talk with the staff, you might get something approaching the correct heat levels, but you will probably have to mention that you lived in SE Asia and know what you want.
 

Kenneth

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Jul 31, 1997
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Do any of the Indian places serve a good Vindaloo curry? Chicken Vindaloo is one of my favorite curry dishes. Hard to beat a good order of vindaloo, garlic naan, and some nice saffron rice.

Also, how is the Tom Yum soup in the Thai places? Do they have Tom Kha soup also? How about the Penang curry's? I also enjoy northern Thai food. Any places that serve that?

Sounds like I'll have to do some exploring after I get moved down. My trip this week will be a whirlwind. The following weekend won't be much better with the move and setting up my home theater and the rest of the apartment. Hopefully the weekend after that I can start exploring. At least everyone is giving me lots to look into. Should keep me busy into the Fall.

Cheers,

Kenneth
 

Kenneth

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Jul 31, 1997
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757
A quick update. I got my apartment all arranged on Wednesday. I'll be living in Plano, about 7 miles from my employer. I'm busily packing and stacking boxes now and trying to arrange all the last minute things before I leave New Mexico. I'm looking in good shape for my move on Thursday. Unfortunately I won't have internet or cable until Monday night when Comcast comes to do their install. So I guess I'll just have to watch DVD's when I'm not packing ;) Thanks for all the helpful ideas.

Kenneth
 

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