Plano Apartments for Rent

Searching for apartments in Plano, TX?

The city of Plano straddles U.S. I-75 just 30 minutes north of downtown Dallas. Another major corridor, the Dallas North Tollway, borders the western edge of the city, making this North Dallas suburb one of the most popular for downtown commuters. In fact Preston Rd., the main north-south drag for West Planonites headed for the George Bush Turnpike, ferries more than 60,000 cars a day. The population of Plano is now a brisk 273,611. Not bad for a quiet little burg that started life as a cattle stop on the Shawnee Trail.

According to the Plano Economic Development Board, "Plano is the fourth largest City in the Dallas-Fort Worth region with over 265,000 residents. And, it is a young population with Plano residents between the ages of 25-44 accounting for nearly one-third of the population."

East Plano is easily accessible to downtown Dallas via a DART line that runs the length of I-75 with stops at Park Blvd. and Parker Rd. Plano is sometimes called the "All American City," a name that stuck since its crowning in 1994. Is also sometimes referred to as a "master planned city," since most of its development came post-1980s. Plano represents city planning its finest, with wide comfortable roads, superblock layouts, and attractive landscaping. In the spring, cherry blossoms decorate the medians along the main intersection of Park and Preston. Commercial real estate lives comfortably side by side with residential areas.

Some of the biggest employers in Plano include HP Enterprise Services (EDS), Bank of America Home Loans, JC Penney, Dell, Alcatel-Lucent, Frito-Lay, mobile phone maker Ericsson, Capital One, Medical Center of Plano, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Together, these employ more than 30,000 people. In West Plano, residents are never more than 10 minutes from the nearest hospital or shopping center. In addition to Medical Center, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, Cook Children's, and Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano all have a presence. The three main malls are Stonebriar Center, Collin Creek Mall, and the Shops at Willow Bend, which form a triangle on the north, east, and west sides of the city respectively. In Plano, "shopping is a competitive sport."

Anyone searching for Plano apartments will have a dizzying variety to choose from. There are more apartments in Plano, TX than almost anywhere else in the metroplex. Plano apartments vary considerably from east to west across the city, and also from north to south. There's preppy urban living at the Eastside Village development, within walking distance of the DART line along I-75. Bring your own Hush Puppies.

West Plano (home of Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman) is primarily a bedroom community, where $1 million mansions rub shoulders with upscale multifamily communities. West Plano, TX apartments include urban developments like Legacy Town Center, with its "pedestrian-friendly streets, upscale boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, theaters [The Angelika Cafe & Bar], coffee shops, a town square, a hotel, and apartment living within walking distance to corporate campuses" like Intuit and McAfee.

Apartments in Plano, Texas come in both modern and retro styles. Plano, TX apartments include the homey Heritage at Lakeside, modeled after New York brownstones. Or the more art deco Lakeside at Legacy with its infinity pool. The city boasts 117 different apartment communities offering 25,608 individual apartment homes for rent. The average rent for apartments in Plano, TX is $1,085. One advantage of having so many apartments in Plano is competition; great spaces can be had at reasonable rates.

Restaurant-goers can cozy up to Fireside Pies with its wood-burning brick oven pizzas and patrons with "gaping mouths full of crusty flatbreads, roasted meats and sausages." Or chef Kent Rathbun's flagship Jasper's on the west side.

Plano is anything but plain.

• www.plano.gov
• www.planotexas.org
• www.artsofcollincounty.org