Painted Tree Lake is as close to Zen as you’ll find in North Texas. Not just because of its shimmering silvery surface but because of what’s happening just below. It’s a place to both watch the sunset and watch the fish rise. So bring a picnic and your fishing rod for catch-and-release fun, because this lake is stirring with a variety of aquatic life.
Cast for Largemouth Bass, which will feed both on the surface or down deep, depending on the time of day.
Blue Gill, are fun to catch and can be found around sunken tree limbs, reeds, or other shallow bottom structures.
Crappie (or Calico Bass) can be caught with a minnow dropped about two feet below a bobber. They’ll also take small artificial lures like spinners and streamers.
In Texas, Channel Catfish will go for live bait like shad, worms, crickets and crayfish and they put up a good fight as you reel them in. But watch out for the four sets of barbells around their faces.
Happy fishing and remember to take pictures.
When is a home more than a home? When you use it for activities that, until recently, were expected to take place exclusively outside your home. Like work, school, and even entertainment.
“Suddenly your home isn’t only your place to decompress,” says Tom Woliver, Co-President of Oxland Group, Painted Tree’s Developer. “It’s your fitness place. It’s your classroom. It’s everything.”
All of which are activities that need their own space. Introducing the humble yet versatile porch. Your home’s everything room. A flexible space where just about anything can happen. A place to take morning coffee, catch afternoon Zoom meetings, and enjoy the evening breeze.
Porches kind of fell out of vogue for a while. We’re not sure why. Once upon a time they were essential to an active social life. Where a good porch swing meant a good conversation. Friends would gather for a cocktail and some music. A simple “howdy” and a wave to your neighbor brought the community a little closer together.
At Painted Tree, porches are back. And front. Adding an architectural smile to your home. And a flexible space at a time when there is renewed importance on the need for versatile living spaces.
So come on out, kick your shoes off and set a spell. Everyone’s welcome.
It’s a modern-day absurdity that one should have to go for a drive to go for a hike. Put a bike on a car before putting it on a trail. Or use a sidewalk to go for a run. At Painted Tree we’ve rethought the way we get around. Instead of a trail that goes from here to there, we’ve got lots of trails that go everywhere.
Which, in turn, will lead to interesting places … into the woods, along the water’s edge, around town … with interesting things to see and do along the way. Like artful installations inspired by the creative vibe found in McKinney, Texas. Places to sit and take a video meeting. Places to get lost with a friend or simply get lost with your thoughts.
“The nature trails in particular have been carefully curated,” says Jay Hoeschler, Design Director at Avid Trails, a national trail planning, design and construction firm creating the trails at Painted Tree. “The way we design trails, we look for the best views along the lake, we look for the tallest trees in the forest, we look for the most interesting places on the creek to incorporate into the path.”
“Along the way,” Jay continues, “ some trails will have obstacles to climb up, over and through, and surprises to discover … maybe a teepee or a treehouse or a sculpture in the woods. There’ll be fun little spots just to stop and have a picnic and explore nature. Places where kids are encouraged to just be kids.”
That is to say, homes in Painted Tree come with generous attached garages. The perfect place to park your car and leave it parked for an indeterminate amount of time while you go exploring. And new homes are now selling at Painted Tree. Learn more about the homes here from each of our builders, including Normandy Homes, Highland Homes and David Weekley Homes. And many more to come.
Painted Tree’s embrace of nature provides places to get away. Yet, the importance of places to get together will always be part of the story. Starting with our hometown. Just a couple miles down the road (soon, down a wide, paved bike path) is historic downtown McKinney, Texas. Known for its creative vibe, live music, festive events and foodie culture.
“In a lot of ways, this isn’t just main street McKinney, it’s main street America,” according to an article in Daytripper, of the bustling hamlet.
The culinary delights are too many to list, suffice to say a self-guided tour through the restaurants and cafés here will keep you busy, and extremely satisfied for years to come. Instead, here are a few places you’ll want to explore after dinner.
The cherry atop your dessert is the garnish in your cocktail. Cocktail Creamery mixes “super-premium artisanal ice cream and spirits into some extremely tasty concoctions. Located inside The Pantry Kitchen, their alcohol-infused treats are the coolest cocktails in town.
In their tap room and restaurant, Guitars and Growlers pairs 30 different craft beers with great food, like sandwiches and charcuterie. While, in the adjoining shop, matching handmade instruments created by skilled artisans around the world to local and aspiring musicians.
So are you nostalgic for old-school video games from the golden age of gaming? Pinball. Nintendo and Sega consoles. The owners of Arcade 92 have curated all the classics and created a place where family and friends can play them together while enjoying adult beverages and good food. It’s retro chic at its most enjoyable.
One thing that has become abundantly clear is that we humans need nature in abundance. Time in nature the antidote to our over-scheduled, over-digitized, over-the-top lives. Painted Tree is designed around 255-acres of head-clearing preserved and recreational open space, providing parks, trees, trails, a lake and a daily dose of vitamin N. The good stuff. True nature is what makes Painted Tree such a special place. And it is what people need more than ever.
A chance to breathe.
“The design of this community is anchored in the realization that nature is a necessity,” says Tom Woliver, Co-President of Oxland Group, Painted Tree’s Developer. “We conceived the vision in the middle of a pandemic, seeing just how people’s lives have changed.”
In fact, doctors have begun prescribing time in nature as a powerfully effective therapy for lowering stress, blood pressure and anxiety. Studies have even concluded that time in nature strengthens the immune system, boosts energy and improves emotional wellbeing.
“We have an incredible natural setting,” Woliver continues, “which is pretty unusual for North Texas. With topography, trees and a lake right in the heart of the community. “We understood from the land that we needed to engage and embrace it, allowing people a place to get out of their homes and into nature.”
In other words, take two miles and call us in the morning.
Georgia-based Davis Development will construct 600 apartment units at Painted Tree in McKinney, making the master-planned community one of the most diverse in North Texas when it comes to housing options.
“The inclusion of multifamily housing at Painted Tree allows us to offer a broad range of home options that best accommodate what our residents are looking for in North Texas,” Tom Woliver, co-president and founder of Oxland Group said.
One of Collin County’s biggest new residential communities, the 1,100-acre Painted Tree development in McKinney, is getting a major apartment project.
Painted Tree developer Oxland Group has done a deal with Atlanta-based builder Davis Development for a 600-unit luxury rental community planned to open in phases starting next year. Plans for the new rental community include a clubhouse featuring lounge areas, a two-story fitness center, a golf simulator, a pet spa, a movie theater and a conference room and private offices.
The team from Avid Trails were recently onsite, boots on the ground, charting each step of Painted Tree’s trail experience. Jay Hoeschler and Justin Lax are founding partners of Avid Trails, a nationally-recognized leader in trail planning, design and build. They trudged through the woods and over the creek searching out those truly special opportunities to engage with nature along the 25 miles of planned trails.
Avanta Residential and Curve Development announce plans to build single-family rental home neighborhoods within Painted Tree. Curve Development will be introducing Cyrene at Painted Tree, which will offer 304 single- and two-story home designs and a mix of three- and four-bedroom plans featuring modern farmhouse-style elevations. Each home is planned with a two-car garage and fully-fenced backyard. Avanta plans to build 276 rental homes and townhomes along with a clubroom, fitness center, swimming pool and other outdoor spaces for these residents to enjoy.
To learn more about Avanta Residential’s plans – Denver builder targets McKinney community for new rental home project (dallasnews.com)
To learn more about Curve Development’s plans – Cyrene at Painted Tree – Curve Development
The city of McKinney has purchased a large tract of land in one of its biggest new developments for a public park. The 230 acres just acquired in Painted Tree is planned to include athletic fields, recreational facilities, and future community and economic development projects.
“Collaborating with the city of McKinney in creating a mix of amenities only adds to the variety of options ‘in nature’ for residents of this outdoor-centric community,” Tom Woliver, co-president and founder of Oxland Group, said.
