SO WHAT’S WRONG WITH RICHARDSON?

People Newspapers had a luncheon yesterday for numerous top realtors. Afterwards, a few of the hard-working women came up to me to ask why we didn’t have a newspaper in Richardson. I replied, “Because no one can agree on what Richardson really is.” For the next 40 minutes, two different groups of women, all of whom had lived or worked in Richardson, debated that question. Here’s what they came up with (which totally proved my point):

1. Most people think of Richardson as “that place off Central Expressway.”
2. Lake Highlands High School is in the Richardson I.S.D., but no one in Lake Highlands wants to be associated with Richardson.
3. Richardson has identity issues because it borders six different cities, and 2/3 of it is in Dallas County and 1/3 is in Collin County.
4. Richardson has really great arts programs at its civic center and the Eisemann, but doesn’t get credit for its arts emphasis.
5. Richardson High School, now an Arts, Science & Law Magnet School, is getting rave reviews and will even help the other RISD schools get better.
6. The nicer homes are being built in East Richardson but West Richardson is still the best place to be [see what I mean?!]
7. The City of Richardson would be better off if it could determine its own future, but it shares resources with Dallas and Garland and there are always territorial squabbles.
8. If they can keep the quality of RISD schools high, then property values will continue to rise. But right now, it’s still a “mixed bag.”