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VISIT PLANO
IT’S ALL HERE
Whether you go for a visit or to stay, Collin County is the place to be.
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Premier shopping and dining. Top-ranked schools. Familyfriendly neighborhoods. Collin County has it all. If it’s been awhile since you’ve ventured north, you’re missing out. Collin County is home to some of the area’s largest business centers and major corporate headquarters, a burgeoning arts scene, entertainment hot spots, top medical care, and—of course— some of the area’s most coveted shopping. Collin County’s larger cities, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and Allen, each claim their own unique charms—old and new—and their growth continues, giving families and business even more reasons to call them home.
Legacy West
The Boardwalk at Granite Park
PLANO Just a 30-minute drive from most anywhere in the Dallas area, Plano continues to blend modern luxury with historic charm. Plano has become a destination in its own right, with more than 55 hotels, nearly 1,000 restaurants, shopping, a lively arts scene, and plenty of recreation. It’s no wonder so many people who work at Plano’s largest company headquarters—Toyota North America, Hilti, Liberty Mutual, HP Enterprise Services, JCPenney, The Frito-Lay Company, and FedEx Office—choose to raise their families here. One of the most significant additions to Plano in recent years is the development of Legacy West. Opened in 2017, this “city within a city” is the largest mixed-use destination in North Texas. Legacy West’s shopping includes fashion, CHECK OUT furnishings, cosmetics—even luxury cars. 1 It’s where you go to LEGACY WEST shop Lululemon and legacywest.com Neighborhood Goods, 2 then pop in for a marDOWNTOWN PLANO garita and queso at visitplano.com Mesero or a sushi 3 dinner at KAI, topped THE SHOPS off with a Sprinkles AT WILLOW BEND shopwillowbend.com cupcake or a scoop of
PLANO
THE BOARDWALK; VISIT PLANO
GUIDE
gelato from Amorino for dessert. This urban village is anchored by the new Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel—15 stories of luxury with a high-energy lobby and bar, restaurant, and third-floor amenity deck with a pool. Legacy West is also home to Windrose Tower, a 27-floor high-rise situated within walking distance to all of Legacy West’s shopping and dining, which includes Legacy Hall, a 55,000-squarefoot, three-story food hall that houses bars, 22 food stalls, a live music stage, and craft brewery. Then there’s Plano’s signature shopping mecca across the Dallas North Tollway, The Shops at Legacy, featuring a wide variety of upscale shopping, from clothing and jewelry to home furnishings and specialty items. The center also houses the Angelika Film Center & Café, a stylish five-screen boutique cinema devoted to independent specialty film, as well as the famed Bob’s Steak & Chop House. And there’s more to look forward to. Collin Creek Mall is undergoing a total redevelopment, The Boardwalk at Granite Park board has added a music pavilion, and The Shops at Willow Bend has been undergoing an impressive renovation that includes the second location of Knife, the highly awarded restaurant created by nationally acclaimed, James Beard-nominated, and Bravo’s Top Chef contestant, Chef John Tesar. dmagazine.com January 2020
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Plano’s historic downtown, with charming brick-lined streets, quaint restaurants and boutiques, art studios, and restored historic homes, is another popular destination. The Downtown Plano Arts District claims the Courtyard Theater, the Cox Building Playhouse, McCall Plaza, and the Interurban Railway Museum, and the Heritage Farmstead Museum is nearby. Plano also offers ample recreational opportunities with the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve and more than 4,300 acres of public green space; 82-plus miles of hike and bike trails; recreation centers; public golf courses, tennis courts, and swimming pools, as well as public soccer, football, baseball, and softball fields. Plano has long been synonymous with success, says Visit Plano director, Mark Thompson. “Plano came into its own years ago due to a confluence of factors,” he says. “We had the land and the vision for what Plano could become. We also had leadership that believed in a planned community that could serve the needs of those who wanted to be a part of this city and its future. Over the past few years we have welcomed regional and national offices of companies like FedEx, Toyota Motor North America, Liberty Mutual Insurance, JPMorgan, Boeing, and many others, including Intuit, Ericsson, MacAfee, and NTTA DATA. These companies chose Plano for a number of reasons, chief among them its location, school system, educated workforce, public safety, housing, and family-friendly attitude.” Plano has raked in plenty of awards through the years, including Seventh Best City to Live by Niche, Fourth Best Suburb to Live in Dallas-Fort Worth Metro by Niche, Hottest Suburb on the Dallas Morning News’ Hot List, Safest Big City in the U.S. by Reward Expert, and Best Place to Live in Texas and No. 3 Best Place to Live in America by Money magazine. “Plano is not built out yet,” Thompson says. “The Legacy West area continues to develop, and Legacy Central has recently opened. All the companies moving to Plano are creating a synergy that people naturally gravitate toward. What’s good for Plano is good for all of North Dallas, and the growth is spurring the rejuvenation of several parts of the city.”
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FRISCO Change and progress are constant in Frisco with seemingly endless construction progress of businesses, retail, and homes. After all, something must be done to house and entertain the more than 190,000 residents who call it home. Frisco nabbed the top spot for Best Places to Live in America in 2018 by Money magazine and was named the Fastest Growing City in the Country by the U.S. Census Bureau. Smartasset.com also named it the Best Place to Raise a Family in Texas. “Frisco has seen substantial growth in regard to development and population in recent years,” says Marla Roe, executive director of Visit Frisco. “However, the city has maintained and preserved its sense of community by focusing efforts on projects, such as the redevelopment of the Rail District, new opportunities for small businesses, and continuing the success of the publicprivate partnerships. CHECK OUT These collaborative efforts have been suc1 cessful for the city for FLEA STYLE fleastyle.com many years, and while new faces and part2 THE STAR IN ners have come along, FRISCO the concept has not thestarinfrisco.com changed for the city.” 3
FRISCO
Flea Style, The Star in Frisco
It’s difficult to mention Frisco today without its newest crown jewel, The Star in Frisco, coming to mind. This one-ofa-kind development is not only home to the Dallas Cowboys new world headquarters and training complex, but also a wide range of mixed-use elements, including dining, shopping, and the Omni Frisco Hotel. The Star now houses 20 restaurants, including Dee Lincoln Prime, Common Table, Cane Rosso, Wahlburgers, and Trophy Park. VIP guided tours of The Star are a hot ticket for Dallas area residents and tourists. These tours offer the chance to experience the place where America’s Team trains and works 355 days of the year and to get to see Super Bowl memorabilia, the Ford Center, Nike Star Walk, and the War Room. Also new to The Star in Frisco is Flea Style and Heirloom Haul, founded by Dallas retail entrepreneur, Brittany Cobb. Flea Style’s Dallas location in Deep Ellum is a retail store and studio event space located in a beautifully renovated 5,000-square-foot historic warehouse filled with unique vintage finds and handmade, one-of-a-kind wares from more than 80 local makers and collectors. Flea Style has a new, second location inside The Star filled with unexpected, handmade clothing, art, jewelry, home decor, culinary goods,
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KIDZANIA kidzania.com
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a sought-after bridal shop and other local dining favorites, such as Randy’s Steakhouse, Frisco Rail Yard, Eight 11, and The Heritage Table. On the horizon is the revitalization of old downtown with The Tower at The Rail, The Patios at The Rail, The Calaboose, and Nack Theater. Frisco is also home to the largest KidZania private collection of international art, all owned by Craig Hall, on display in Hall Office Park at Gaylord and the Dallas North Tollway. Most of the 160 works of art, including 40 sculptures in the Texas Sculpture Garden, were created by international artists still living and working around the world. Then there’s the big retail. A shopper’s dream, Frisco offers more than 9 million square feet of retail space. Stonebriar Centre, IKEA, Frisco Square, and The Centre at Preston Ridge are among the offerings. Frisco’s planning commission has approved the Lesso American project, a 77-acre development on U.S. Highway 380, which will include a half-millionsquare-foot shopping mall, a wholesale trade mart and high-rise office, hotel, and some 1,200 apartments just west of the Dallas North Tollway. Stonebriar Centre now claims the brand-new KidZania, an 80,000-square-foot family entertainment concept where children ages 2 to 14 learn to become even better global citizens by by assuming the role of firemen, construction workers, police officers, and fashion designers, among others. Through ultra-realistic role-play, children learn about different careers, the inner workings of a city, and the concept of managing money. Spectator sports are now commonplace in Frisco. Catch a baseball game with the Frisco RoughRiders, watch FC Dallas take on some of the best soccer players in the world at Toyota Stadium, cool off inside Comerica Center for a Stars practice session, or enjoy an NBA G League game with the Texas Legends. The National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco’s Toyota Stadium opened its doors to the public in late 2018. The 19,350 square-foot NSHOF complex is comprised of a main museum and exhibition
space, the Hall of Fame Club, the Open Cup Club, a media center, locker rooms and retail store called Soccer90. PGA of America has announced it is moving its headquarters to Frisco and is currently under construction. “The presence of PGA of America will have a national and international impact for Frisco and will continue to enhance our city’s reputation as one of the most sought-after sports destinations in the country,” Roe says. “Not only will Frisco’s high school golfers have access to all three courses, as well as practice areas, for practice and tournaments, but the project will bring more jobs, numerous professional tournaments, and visitors to Frisco, all contributing to the growth of our city and positively impacting the economic base.”
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and more. Heirloom Haul, nestled in Flea Style’s Frisco location, is a modern take on the classic tearoom. Under the direction of Chef Ryan Wooley, Heirloom serves scratch-made sandwiches and salads in a pretty setting with a unique vintage style. The striking fast-casual dining concept specializes in dishes that utilize ingredients and products from local farms and American small businesses. Guests can enjoy fresh, farm-to-table food inside the main dining hall, the sprawling patio, or in Flea Style’s studio space for private parties and small gatherings. Although it’s a large, rapidly growing city, Frisco has continued to maintain a charming neighborhood feel, thanks to small businesses who promote a familyfriendly community, like Community Grill. It’s is a casual restaurant and tavern on Main Street with a strong neighborhood vibe serving up comfort food with a culinary flair. Owners John and Shelly Kinch moved to Frisco 17 years ago to raise their kids, now 15 and 13. Although John has worked in the restaurant industry for 30 years, he and Shelly decided to open a restaurant in Frisco two years ago to give their own neighbors a special place to dine and celebrate. “I love the neighborhoods in Frisco,” John says. “Yes, Frisco is getting big, but there is a culture built into every neighborhood here. Frisco was built on the backs of small businesses. We display pictures of the high school kids that families give us and all the school posters, and we host school spirit nights. Customers always pop in to say hello and talk when I’m in the kitchen. It’s fun—like a neighborhood tavern should be. “ Frisco’s downtown has a variety of oneof-a- kind shops and boutiques, including
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McKinney, the county seat of Collin County, continues to experience growth and has soared in population from just 53,000 in 2000 to more than 190,000 today. McKinney has thrived as a center of commerce since it was first established in 1848. McKinney’s significant commercial and residential historic districts have been carefully preserved as the community continues to develop new technologies and unique destination niches throughout. Residents and visitors often common that there’s a sense of place and authenticity McKinney offers that is difficult to match. McKinney can claim plenty of awards as well. It was ranked the No. 1 Best Place to Live by CNN and by Money magazine in 2014, and BestLife Magazine lists McKinney as one of the top 100 places to raise a family and was recently named the safest Texas city of its size in 2018. It also been named one of the fastestgrowing cities in the U.S. Whether it’s for a night out on the town, an antiquing adventure, or a weekend escape, people from throughout the Dallas area head to
VISIT FRISCO
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McKinney for its charming downtown historic district with more than 1,400 historic buildings and surrounding beautiful historic homes. Downtown McKinney, recently designated a Cultural District in Texas, is one of the oldest authentic downtowns in Texas, with homes, commercial buildings, museums, and bed and breakfasts dating back to the mid-1800s. On the second Saturday of every month, Downtown McKinney transforms into Second Saturdays on the Square. Downtown businesses have partnered to stay open late, offering a theme each month with drinks, snacks, and entertainment for shoppers in search of high-end décor and upscale boutiques. Although McKinney is rich in historical charm, it is also a forward-thinking city. It is home to new high-tech developments in the downtown area, namely Playful Inc. Its CEO was one of the cocreators of the Words with Friends app. The company’s state-of-the-art headquarters is now located in downtown McKinney where virtual reality gaming programs, such as Lucky’s Tale, Super CHECK OUT Lucky’s Tale, Star Child, and some 1 yet to-be released HISTORICAL projects are being DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY created.
CITY OF MCKINNEY/BRAD CLAWSON; CITY OF ALLEN
MCKINNEY mckinneytexas.org 2
MCKINNEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER mckinneytexas.org 3
SECOND SATURDAYS ON THE SQUARE secondsaturdaymckinney.com
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ALLEN Allen takes live, work, and play to the next level with its exemplary public schools and abundant amenities. The city has experienced many growth spurts during the last 60 years, bringing the population from a one-time low of only 400 to its current population of more than 106,000. Today, Allen is a magnet for families who want a secure, modern, and clean city to call home, complete with affordable homes, recreational opportunities, shopping and dining, and easy access to everything in the Dallas area, which isn’t a problem with its location just off North Central Expressway. Allen has nearly 800 acres of developed park land and more than 60 miles of hiking and nature trails. With more than 180 restaurants and plenty of shopping—particularly Allen Premium Outlets, the Village at Allen, and Watters Creek—residents and visitors aren’t short on entertainment options. Pinstack, Top Golf, and the Allen Event Center—home of the Allen Americans
professional hockey team and Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team— plus parks, golf courses, and skate parks are just the beginning of things to check out. In 2019, Allen welcomed Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center—the largest convention space between Dallas and Oklahoma. Allen was named CHECK OUT the No. 2 Best Place to Live in the U.S. by 1 Money in 2017 and WATTERS CREEK was named the No. 2 watterscreek.com Safest City in Texas by 2 Safehome.org in 2019. ALLEN PREMIUM D Magazine ranked OUTLETS premiumAllen among the Daloutlets.com las Top 10 Dallas Sub3 urbs in 2012.
ALLEN
VILLAGE AT ALLEN thevillageshopping.com
Downtown McKinney
VISIT FRISCO
Allen Americans Hockey
Village at Allen
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