Long Commute? No Problem

Park Cities life makes lengthy travel times worth it, Caveys, Ungermans say

Some working couples commute surprising distances while maintaining their Park Cities homes.

It’s worth it for so many reasons, explained Dr. Matthew and Sara Cavey, who run a medical practice 38 miles away but value what University Park offers their family.

“There’s lots to do here no matter what age you are, and it’s very community-based,” noted Sara, who met Matthew at SMU.

“One thing I like is everybody bikes here,” he said. “It’s not transient like a lot of communities. Here, it’s multigenerational families.”

However, Matthew, a radiation oncologist, took a job in Fort Worth after completing his residency in 2006 and has practiced there ever since.

They lived in Southlake for a dozen years before moving east, but Matthew felt he needed to keep working in Fort Worth, even when they opened Texas Radiotherapy in 2021.

“Once you have a referral base in a town, you’ve got to stick to the town,” Matthew explained.

Launching a practice is a massive undertaking, he said. “Sara, being a consultant and having experience in various sectors, I asked her to…” 

“Help him,” she interrupted, chuckling. “So we went into practice together.” 

She handles the business side and the technology.

“We know all of our patients and their families by name and face,” he said. But their neighbors are the Park Cities.

“We like the schools, the accessibility to everything in town, the restaurants,” Sara said. “Most people here just stay in the neighborhood. You don’t have to travel far to do anything. You can do it all right here.”

They have a sophomore and senior at Highland Park High School. 

“I’ve always wanted the kids to go to public schools for the sense of community,” Matthew said. “In Fort Worth, everybody goes to private schools, where your friends could be all over the place as opposed to down the street.”

As for that commute: “We’re used to it,” Matthew said, “but we’ll be happy when the Arlington express lanes project is done.”

For another Park Cities couple, Drew and Kelly Ungerman, the challenge isn’t a commute: It’s constant travel, a requirement of their work as management consultants for McKinsey & Company.

He specializes in health care while she focuses on consumer digital and leading the Dallas office. 

“We both have in-town and out-of-town clients,” Kelly said.

Their schedule is back to around 80% travel after COVID, making proximity to relatives and having community connections critical.

“When our twins reached kindergarten age, we decided to move from North Dallas to Highland Park for the schools,” Drew recalled.

“We love the community, the proximity to our office, the schools, and the lifestyle around here,” she said. 

“What’s funny is, when we’re not traveling, we like to stay close to home,” he said. “We love walking around Highland Park, all the trails and parks.”