Allied Van Lines, one of the world’s largest moving companies, has identified the Best Places to Raise a Family in 2023. The Dallas suburbs of Frisco and McKinney are ranked right near the top, at No. 2 and No. 4 respectively, out of the top 25 U.S. cities on the list.
To calculate the city rankings, Chicago-based Allied analyzed 10 metrics including population, cost of living, unemployment rates, median household income, violent crime rates, property crime rates, child and dependent care costs, walk and bike scores, and public-school performance scores. Cary, North Carolina, came in at No. 1 on the list.
“When families choose to relocate, there are many factors they must consider when deciding which city is best for their family,” Steve McKenna, VP and GM of Allied Van Lines, said in a statement. “This list was created to simplify that decision for these families.”
Rendering of the “one-of-a-kind” theme park aimed at families with young children that Universal Parks & Resorts is bringing to Frisco. [Image: Universal P&R]
One thing that’s coming to Frisco could make families in both side-by-side cities even happier in the future. The Frisco City Council approved zoning this week for a “one-of-a-kind” kids theme park and adjacent hotel to be built by Universal Parks & Resorts.
You can see the full Best Cities list and learn more about the rankings by going here.
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HBCU HUB, a startup focused on connecting students to recruiters at historically Black colleges and universities, is moving its headquarters to McKinney with the aid of grant funding from the McKinney Economic Development Corporation’s Innovation Fund.
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Slated to break ground next year, Firefly Park will add "a significantly different, cool vibe to Frisco," says the city's mayor. Developer Kyle Wilks of Wilks Development hired Amsterdam-based UNStudio to develop the master plan in collaboration with Sasaki Associates. That European influence is showing up in the 230-acre project's walkable, park-laden layout—and in the architecture's future-forward look. The Dream Hotel will be designed with hints of the region, with a design philosophy “both surreal and contemporarily chic."
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Last year, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport partnered with Dallas-based Turn Compost to collect and haul food waste from terminal concessions. Since March 2021, 60 tons have been composted. Community farms and gardens including Bonton Farms, F.A.R.M., Misty Moon Farms, and many others benefit from donated animal feed and compost.
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Universal Parks & Resorts is planning a new theme park concept "unlike any other in the world"—and it aims to build it right here in North Texas. The proposed park will be sited within 97 acres of land Universal recently purchased in Frisco, and will target "a whole new generation of fans" on a more intimate scale than larger Universal parks. An adjacent themed hotel will be also be part of Frisco's newest attraction.
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Gearbox is an award-winning creator and distributor of transmedia entertainment, including hit video games and franchises like Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Brothers in Arms, and Borderlands. Captured Dimensions has done 3D capture and scanning for numerous Hollywood movies, and produced video game titles for 2K Games and Electronic Arts. Captured Dimensions founder and president Jordan Williams called the merger "an incredible runway for growth an opportunity."
