Murphy Tutors Come To You

Ranked as the number one suburb for families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by the real estate website Movoto, the city of Murphy is about 20-miles northeast of downtown Dallas and right next door to its much larger neighbor Plano, Texas. Movoto boasts that Murphy is a “close-knit community” with a low crime rate and award winning schools. Settlers began arriving in what is now Murphy in 1846. Originally named Old Decator and then Maxwell’s Branch, the area was eventually named Murphy after William Murphy who gave land to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway. For many years Murphy was simply a shipping point for farmers and cattlemen. It even ceased to have mail service in 1954, but in the 1970’s the population increased, mostly because of business growth in nearby Plano. The opening of the George Bush Turnpike in 2000 also stimulated economic growth and residential development in the area.

Mostly comprised of residential neighborhoods, Murphy is also home to a large green belt through the middle of the city. A Murphy tutor will be able to get you caught up with your studies so you can get outdoors and enjoy nature. Murphy Central Park features 52 acres of parkland with a pavilion, picnic areas and an amphitheater hosting live entertainment. The park includes a pond stocked with fish and a half mile trail connecting to the longer Maxwell Creek Trails. The trail system, still under construction, will ultimately include hiking and biking trails stretching the entire length of Murphy extending north to Parker and south to Wylie. Water’s Edge Park to the east is a large grassy area with room for four separate soccer fields.

Sponsored by the Murphy Parks and Recreation Department the annual Murphy Maize Days is a community get together highlighted by live music and entertainment as well as food and snacks from a variety of vendors. Held in late September, the celebration features a Pet Adoption Spot, Classic Car Show, the Karaoke Corn Idol Contest and the A’Maize-ing 5k and 10k runs. For kids, the event hosts a Kid Zone with rides and inflatable bounce houses.

Murphy benefits from its proximity to Plano. With a population approaching 300,000 there are numerous attractions and activities available in Plano. TripAdvisor.com ranks the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve as the number one thing to do in Plano. The preserve features a park, pavilion, playground and over six miles of hiking and biking trails, both paved and unpaved. The preserve’s website notes that Arbor Hills is truly natural with a variety of wild animals and venomous snakes. Made up of three different ecosystems Arbor Hills is at the same time Blackland Prairie, Riparian Forest and Upland Forest. Blackland Prairie features the rich black clay soil which is abundant in this part of Texas. Riparian Forest grows along creeks or rivers and includes Oaks and Willows as well as a tangle of vines such as Poison Ivy. Upland Forest is found at higher elevations away from creeks with a variety of flora, especially Cedar Elms and smaller flowering trees such as Redbud and Eve’s Necklace which bloom in the spring.