Things to Do in Dallas

Dallas has a bad rep among Texas cities, not all of it undeserved. The school district has been a shambles for years, the old class strata of affluent whites vs everyone else still runs deep and strong, and materialism has never gone out of style. Despite that, there are strong communities of every type, a low cost of living, and cultural resources that you just don't find in the 'burbs. In this article I'm focusing on the parts of the Dallas area otherwise known as Dallas, and the neighborhoods you'll find within it's limits. When people say Dallas, DFW, the metroplex, or "Dallas area" they usually mean any place in north Texas except the Big D. It's time someone stood up for this little guy.

You can't talk about Dallas without talking about three things: shopping, sports, and restaurants. The shopping and sports most people have some idea about but we have a culinary scene that's a little less legendary. That's slowly changing. It's often said that Dallas has more restaurants per capita than New York City and more than any major city. Of couse quantity doesn't always equal quality (wonder what the results would be sans major chains) but amidst all the choices there are a few gems.

On the spendy side there's the new Craft at the super-spendy W Victory Hotel ( W stands for Westin ). An average dinner at this restaurant, who's star chef opened Gramercy Park and the original Craft in NYC, as well another in Las Vegas,, costs $50 and up. That seems almost reasonable if you've ever been suckered into springing for The Melting Pot, which involves nowhere near the artistry. Over $100 to treat my sister there for her birthday - for raw meat and cheese! But I digress. Celebrity chefs aside -like Dan Fearing at the Mansion on Turtle Creek is a legend, Wolfgang Puck's company just took over the museum café at the Nasher Sculpture Center - there are a dozens of small restaurants good enough to make a habit.

Shopping is a sport in Dallas. You can start with the flagship Nieman Marcus store downtonwn if you like to gawk at expensive, glittery things. Or you can start at Sam Moon on Harry Hines and fight hand to hand over the cheap, glittery things. Sam Moon is known for designer looking women's accessories at cheap prices. He's been quoted as calling it "The Home Depot of women's accessories." You can check out a sample of what they have online, but there's nothing like the bazaar like atmosphere with all the goodies laid out on tables. The ritzy enclaves of Highland Park and University Park in the middle of Dallas mean there's plenty more upscale shopping in the area. Which also means there's plenty of upscale resale in the area. Thrift and consignment stores make Dallas a budget shoppers paradise.

We have a better sports sceene than any other Texas city. Professionally there's the Cowboys, Star's hockey, Dallas Desperados (arena football) , Dallas Sidekicks, soccer, and Dallas Mavericks. Two minor league baseball associations are currently looking at Dallas as a host city for a new team. And if none of those keep your interest there's the Assasination City all female roller derby league, or the Dallas Dodgeball League (from their site - "WArning! Do Not hit girls in the face with dodgeballs! They will fight back!") You can even make your way to amateur wrestling if that's your thing. Yes, Dallas has it all.

I'll sum up the rest of the citiy's highlights with a few points -

Contrary to popular belief - there IS a music scene in dallas. It's made up of the artists that don't flee to Austin. Deep Ellum and Lower Greenville are home to many great artists

For local entertainment, the Dallas City Council is always good for a laugh. Besides that, there are several comedy clubs and enterntainment districts to choose from.

In Dallas you get more culture for your cash. The is a large and continually evolving arts district downtown,. An indoor/outdoor sculpture center, the Nasher, and the Asian Arts museum both opened in the last few years, and a new opera house is in the works. .

Dallas has one of the best mass transit systems in the south and southwest. It isn't entirely practical to go car-free in the city, but it's a lot more doable than in San Antonio or Houston.

We haven't bulldozed all the history. Neighborhoods such as Bishop Arts, Swiss Avenue, and Old East Dallas remind us of the beauty of our past. Fair Park, just south of downtown, is a national historic landmark. The neighborhood surrounding the fairgrounds is in the first stages of rebirth.

Dallas' position as the epicenter of the region makes it a good launching pad for other cities. The phrases North Texas and Northeast Texas have come to mean a huge area stretching practically to the Oklahoma border. This leads to a wide variety of jobs and attractions for people. You don't have to completely pull up your roots to move to a more fitting area if you do decide to try something new.

Those are just a few of the reasons Dallas doesn't suck. Yes, it's part of a sprawling metropolis, was named most dangerous city once or twice, lacks many major employers, and the schools are dismal (which can be avoided through charter schools, free state supported schools). If you can get past all of that you can see it's a place to build connections and find community while remembering the past and looking forward to the future.