Garland is only a short drive away from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but it’s a wonderful and vibrant city in its own right. It’s often been ranked as both on the Top 100 Places to Live List, and as a Best City for Working Parents. Home to over 200,000 happy residents, it’s a thriving and diverse town that offers plenty for everyone to see and do, as well as many job opportunities, and welcoming neighborhoods to choose from. Find out for yourself why so many think Garland is great!
A Look at Garland’s History
As early as the mid-1800s, settlers began arriving in the area that is now known as Garland. The town was officially named shortly thereafter, Augustus Garland, who was president Grover Cleveland’s Attorney General, and a well-known man in that part of the country. In the early 1900s, Garland began to become industrialized, and many manufacturing facilities were built there. Today, Garland remains one of the largest manufacturing cities in Texas with more than 300 manufacturers located in the city. Additionally, beginning in the latter part of the 20th century, Garland became a cultural center for the North Texas area. The Garland Landmark Society has for many years been dedicated to preserving and promoting the area’s history, and the area also has a thriving arts and culture scene as well. Garland is a very culturally diverse city with a rich history and a welcoming spirit, and a growing and thriving LGBTQ community.
A Few Fun Facts About Garland
Read more fun facts about Garland here.
Garland’s LGBTQ Community
Resource Center is an LGBTQ community resource center serving the North Texas area that focuses on empowering, educating, and helping the LGBTQ community be an active, celebrated, and supported part of the area. Its goals are to improve health and wellness, strengthen families and communities and provide transformative advocacy and education.
Gay for Good is a group that seeks to mobilize and energize the LGBTQ community in North Texas to interact with their communities by volunteering time to various social projects and charity organizations. Each month, Gay for Good chooses a different non-profit to benefit from its service. It’s a great way to meet new friends, have some fun, and do good!
A Look at Garland’s Weather
Garland residents should be prepared for plenty of warmth and sunshine in the summer months, with the high in July averaging around 95°F. The trade-off, however, is that winters typically do not get extremely cold with the average low in January normally around 35°F. Spring and fall are typically mild and pleasant in Garland and are a great time to enjoy outdoor activities and all the natural beauty of the area offers. Garland receives an average of 40 inches of rain per year which is slightly more than the United States average of 38 inches per year, and very little snow.
The Best Events in Garland
Dallas Pride is one of the biggest LGBTQ pride celebrations in the North Texas area each year, and it's one you'll want to put on your calendar. Since the 1970s, Dallas Pride has been celebrating all of the diversity that the LGBTQ community adds to the North Texas area, and doing its part to encourage and support the community's continued growth. Whether you enjoy parades, parties, networking events, family-friendly activities, or all of the above, there's something for everyone to enjoy at Dallas Pride.
This free, 3-day festival is not in Garland itself, but it’s still one that’s well worth making the short drive to Dallas. This festival is the perfect combination of music and art, typically offering over 200 booths of artists from across the country, as well as around 100 original bands and musicians on 6 stages. You won’t want to miss it!
Where to Live in Garland
If you’re thinking of moving to Garland and you’re looking for a “gayborhood,” you might find one on the same scale that you might find in a bigger city. Not to worry, though – this doesn’t mean that you won’t find plenty of neighborhoods to love. Even better, living in Garland is very affordable – in fact, it has one of the lowest property tax rates in the United States. Depending upon the style of home you’re interested in, you’ll have a wide variety to choose from, most in a very reasonable price range. In fact, there are over 59 neighborhoods in the Garland area, each with its own unique character. Prices range from $54.9K to $2.5M, with the median list price around $237,000.
Arts and Entertainment
The Granville Arts Center is a well-known and highly popular arts complex in Garland. The center has two auditoriums as well as other beautiful spaces used to host concerts and a wide variety of shows and productions throughout the year. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a show or concert yourself!
Since the 1940s, the elegant Plaza Theatre has been a beautiful and well-known landmark in Garland. It has recently been completely refurbished in its original art deco style, and visitors are sure to enjoy its spacious domed lobby area, including a stunning chandelier, and 350-seat theatre area where a wide variety of shows are offered each year.
Parks and Recreation
Spring Creek Forest Preserve is a beautiful natural sanctuary in Garland. It is known for its unique beauty – in fact, it has trees that are over 300 years old as well as more than 650 plant species. It’s a wonderful place to enjoy nature’s splendor on a sunny Garland afternoon.
It's no secret that summers can be pretty hot in Garland. Why not cool off at one of the best waterparks in the area? Whether you enjoy water rides, slides, the lazy river, or simply cooling off in the 16,000-foot wave pool, it's a great place to enjoy a hot and sunny Garland summer day.
Nightlife in Garland
The Hidden Door is a popular and long-standing LGBTQ bar in Garland, known for its welcoming patio area, its excellent selection of cocktails and draft beers, pool and darts, and the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones. It’s truly a great spot for a night out in Garland.
This popular LGBTQ sports bar in Garland is known for its many TVs showing a wide variety of sports events, its spacious covered patio, its friendly bartenders, and its welcoming crowd.
Contact a Garland Realtor Today
If you’re ready to make a move to Garland, the first thing you’ll need to do is find a realtor who knows and loves the community, and who can help you find the perfect home in a neighborhood you’ll love and that will fit your needs. We would love to help you do exactly that. Contact a Garland gay realtor today for a free, no-obligation consultation!
