Grand Prairie is a small city of 156,000 located between Dallas and Forth Worth. The town's first settlers arrived in 1863 and called it Dechman. The town was incorporated as Grand Prairie in 1909. The Grand Prairie Independent School District turned 100 in 2002-03. Because it is a historic town and not just another cookie-cutter suburb, Grand Prairie is known for its home town feel and friendliness.
This charming town has just about any desirable amenities you could want. In addition to its proximity to the Metroplex, Grand Prairie has plenty of attractions close to home. Fifty-four parks in 81 square miles include a senior center, a conference center, three recreation centers, four public swimming pools, numerous sports complexes, two public golf courses, and much more. The Splash Factory at Grand Prairie's Charley Taylor Recreation Center features ground sprays, water falls, a magic mist, fountains, a spraying cannon, a power geyser, and magic touch water gun. Shopping and dining abound. Trader's Village is a Texas-size flea market spread over 120 acres, with more than 3,000 dealers every weekend. Over 3 million people visit each year. Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Lone Star Park for horse racing, and the Palace of Wax can entertain your house guests.
For those with a taste for the finer things in life, Grand Prairie is the home of The Winery in Grand Prairie, the world famous Greenhouse Spa, and one of the most flexible and advanced indoor performance spaces in the United States, the NOKIA Theatre, which hosts a wide variety of live performances.
The average age of Grand Prairie residents is 32, the median household effective buying income is $43,616 (2005) and the average value of a new home was $164,807 in 2005. Some of the city's largest employers include the Grand Prairie Independent School District, Lockheed Martin, Lone Star Park, Poly-America, Inc., City of Grand Prairie, and Bell Helicopter Textron. Recent efforts in 2006 have attracted about 1,600 jobs.
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