James W.

The insurance battles after the tornado were brutal. Some families waited 2+ years for claim resolution. If you own a home in Rowlett, review your homeowner's insurance annually. Make sure you have replacement cost coverage, not actual cash value. The difference matters.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it — some blocks look rough. But the renovation trend is real and the area is improving visibly year over year. Drive through and you'll see fresh siding and new roofs on every block.

We're in the RISD-zoned section of Bayside. That was the deciding factor for us. Amy Parks-Heath Elementary is outstanding. The combination of RISD schools and Sapphire Bay proximity was too good to pass up.

Parent of a Lakeview band kid here. I know this is a sports post but I just want to note that the Patriot Band outperformed both football teams at their respective competitions this year. State semifinalists. Just saying.

My son plays soccer at Rowlett HS. The boys soccer program is underrated because everyone talks about football. But coach Martinez has built something real. The team culture is excellent and the players actually enjoy being there.

Liberty Grove route parent here — confirming it's consistently the worst. Our elementary bus was more than 20 minutes late at least twice a week last semester. I started documenting and calling GISD Transportation. It improved slightly but not enough.

The bridge across the lake is genuinely beautiful, especially at sunset. Say what you want about NTTA but that's an impressive piece of infrastructure.

The DART station is so underutilized. I take the Blue Line to work downtown and there's maybe 30 cars in the parking lot most mornings. A walkable neighborhood around it would change that.

hot take: take a week off. completely off. dont watch BJJ content, dont think about techniques, dont do anything martial arts related. when you come back you will be refreshed and honestly you might roll better because your subconscious has been processing everything without the pressure

Sorry to see you go. You guys were great neighbors. I will stop by Saturday for the bookshelf and maybe the kids books for my daughter.

The evening commute is the only downside. Standing from Akard to Garland is not fun after a long day. But once you pass the Garland stations, it empties out and you get a seat for the final stretch.

The package lockbox on my porch has paid for itself ten times over. I have the Yale Smart Delivery Box. The delivery driver puts the package in, closes it, and it auto-locks. No code needed for delivery, code needed to open. $130 on Amazon.

Rowlett PD actually followed through on the tips. I have lived in Garland and Dallas where you file a report and it goes into a black hole. Rowlett is different — they actually investigate property crime.

I bought a 1950s bungalow near Main Street in 2019. The house needed everything — new roof, kitchen, bathrooms, HVAC. But it's on a quarter-acre lot with massive pecan trees. After renovation it appraised at 180% of what I paid. The land value alone is appreciating.

I moved to Rowlett two years ago and Sammy's was the first restaurant a neighbor recommended. The meatball sub was obscene in the best possible way. Already miss it.

Interesting development. Want to see how this plays out.

the 16 year old blue belt who explained the submission while applying it is peak jiu jitsu. thats a kid who has been training since he was 8 and has more mat time than adults with 5 years of experience. age means nothing. time on the mat means everything

Interesting development. Curious how this plays out for Dallas-Fort Worth.

Does anyone know if there's an update on this? Asking for my neighborhood.

LFA shows in DFW are cant-miss events if you are an MMA fan. the production quality is great and the fights are high level. way better value than paying $80 for a UFC PPV

greco for the clinch is underappreciated. when fighters are on the cage and fighting for position, thats pure greco-roman technique. Randy Couture built a hall of fame career on greco in MMA

This is exactly the kind of conversation I come here for. Real local takes.

This hits different if you've been in DFW for 10+ years.

if you have any aspirations of fighting professionally in MMA, Fortis is the gym in DFW. full stop. the coaching, the training partners, the connections to promotions — its all there. nowhere else in the metroplex comes close for that specific goal

Important for Houston residents to be aware of this.

Been thinking about this all week. Good timing on the post.