I Object!

D Magazine ranked Euless 45th out of 62 on their list of top suberbs in the metroplex. Southlake was picked as the best, followed by (in order) Parker, Highland Village, University Park, Highland Park, and Colleyville. The rankings were based on schools, home values, safety, and ambience.

I must admit that I was more than a bit surprised by our low ranking. I moved here a little more than 10 years ago and fell in love with Euless almost immediately. Therefore, I feel the need to defend this great little city.

As far as home values go, we will never be able to compete with cities like Highland Park. One of their cheaper homes is probably worth more than several of our most expensive homes. We are a city made up primarily of the middle-class and working-poor. A good portion of our residents (including myself) are apartment dwellers. So I can see how home values could keep us from a high ranking.

Our schools should, in my opinion, give us a much higher ranking. I know we're not at the top of the list on statewide exam scores, but we're not anywhere near the bottom either. I think our multi-culturalism should rank us among the best. Many nationalities, races, and religions are represented in our schools, creating fairly tolerant students. Such a diverse setting can in itself create a rich learning environment, if the schools wish it to be, as ours here in Euless do. Anyone who is willing can learn a lot about the world outside the USA by simply starting a conversation with their fellow students.

On the subject of safety, I'm sure there is room for improvement. I certainly don't feel unsafe in Euless, but one look at the Sunday paper shows that we have our fair share of crime. However, there are cities in the metroplex that are far worse off than ourselves in that area. I can't imagine that it was crime that gave us our low score.

Ambience? OK, I'll give in on that one. We could definitely improve there. It's the kind of thing that's really a matter of opinion though, so no matter how much we do work on it, we could still come out the losers.

Maybe we really did earn our spot at 45th on the list. I just hope it won't put a bad taste in the mouths of those who are considering making Euless their hometown. We're a cozy little city with many different races and religions. We've put a lot of money into infrastructure improvements lately, and it shows. We're beautifully located (right between Ft Worth and Dallas) and we at least attempt to be environmentally friendly.

I count myself lucky to be a Euless resident and wouldn't even consider moving to one of the 44 cities ranked above us. Of course, I'm extremely biased when it comes to my beloved hometown.