| Welcome to Dallas in Texas, home of the
Cowboys (actually Irving), the
Rangers (actually Arlington), the
Dallas Stars (they're in Dallas),
the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Burn
(now in Frisco) and the Dallas
Desperados and six million other more important people. Dallas is a
convention city. There's very little cool interesting tourist stuff, unless
you count special events, like the state fair, holiday items, chili cook
offs, taste of Dallas, the Ewing Ranch, important places in US history, the
Aquarium, etc. Basically all you can do is people watch and drink. Beer
works at this altitude as well as anywhere. But don't expect to see many
cowboys. Unless you go to one of the huge country dance places, which is
highly recommended if you're from far away.
There's a lot of adult entertainment for men. There are some huge
churches. Once you're in Dallas, you're reasonably close to Fort Worth where
you can go visit Sundance Square or the stockyards. You won't see much in
the way of cowboys at those places either. Dallas is more cosmopolitan. Land
is cheap in Texas, and Dallas has no natural boundaries to stop its growth,
so new development tends to happen wherever land is cheapest. This leads to
somewhat of a boom-bust cycle as people enter, leave, and move on from the
different areas. This is simultaneously one of the best things and the worst
things about Dallas. There is a lot to do here like any big city, but unlike
New York, there is nothing to force these things (attractions) to be close
together, making it difficult to find a serious "concentration of coolness".
Plan on making friends or renting a car.
Get around
The best way to get around Dallas is in a car. There is public
transportation in the form of buses and trains (light rail), but again,
these best serve the local needs (commuting to work, etc), and are very
difficult to get good timings if you are trying to get anywhere exotic. The
transportation system is called DART,
and they do an excellent job of catering to special events (Cowboys games,
State Fair), or special places (Dallas Zoo, West End, Arboretum) and will
instantly give you a trip plan if you call them up (214-979-1111) . You will
usually want to get a day pass, since it will probably take you a lot of
buses to get where you need to go. The bus system, not unlike in many large
cities, can be quite confusing. Because mass transit is still far behind in
popularity than that of other countries, foreigners may be surprised that
Dallasites will be unable to help direct them very well. The train system is
easiest to understand, and connects to several suburban areas. Therefore, if
it is at all possible, try to get an automobile. Prices are relatively
cheap, especially for train travel. On DART, bus drivers check tickets at
the door, but on the trains, there is almost no checking of tickets. Use
caution when riding in some areas of downtown
Activities
Night Life - See:
• http://www.dmagazine.com
• http://www.dfwnightlife.com
• http://www.guidelive.com
• Downtown - mostly dead after hours. http://www.dallascvb.com/visitors/
, http://www.downtowndallas.com/
• West End - the Disneyland of the Over-21 set. See
West End Marketplace. The West
End is slowly becoming less popular, with UpTown, McKinney Avenue and even
Knox/Henderson attracting the crowds for hipper entertainment.
• Deep Ellum ... slightly
shady. Lots of police patrols, but watch yourself. Generally good music. See
Trees. Parking is expensive and difficult to find.
• Lower Greenville ... also slightly shady, but less-so than Deep
Ellum. Generally caters to a slightly older crowd.
• Uptown
• Mockingbird Station
...features one of Dallas's best arthouse/independent cinema theaters: the
Angelika, some nice shopping (Victoria's Secret, Virgin Megastore, etc.) and
restaurants (Dublin Pub, Noodles Kitchen, etc.), all just off the train
tracks.
• First Saturday ...a
must for geeks. Hint, it begins at midnight. Be prepared to find more
FleaMarket-style garbage than actual computer equipment.
• Addison ... most
restaurants per-capita in the U.S. (I think official statistic). Check
Flying Saucer & Duke's Roadhouse for pubs. |
|
• Get In
• Lodging
• Dining
• Attractions
Education
• Southern Methodist University (Dallas).
• University of Texas at Dallas.
• University of Dallas.
• University of Texas at Arlington.
• Texas Christian University (Fort Worth).
Stay Safe
Rule number one is "Don't be Stupid". If you are downtown after dark, try
not to be alone. There is a fair amount of homelessness in the Downtown
area, but in general I've very rarely felt "unsafe" in most parts of
Downtown. South Side is generally a little bit more rough around the edges
than the north sides. No visible drug or gang problems, but then again, I
don't live directly in the city.
Links
• Dallas Convention and
Visitors Bureau
• Dallas Metropolis Urban
Forum
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