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| Dallas is located pretty much in the center of the United States, and is part of a larger urban region comprising several other cities and counties, collectively known as the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex. The Metroplex is the largest landlocked urb in the U.S.. |
| Dallas, Texas |
| S E N E N M E L C H O R A M P I L A N T O N I O |
| Other architects represented in Downtown include I. M. Pei (Meyerson Symphony Hall [Top Far and Near Left], City Hall, Fountain Place [Bottom Far Left], Energy Plaza), SOM (Trammell Crow Center, Chase Tower [Bottom Near Left - where I spotted Elizabeth Hurley and Matthew Perry shooting 'Serving Sara']), Philip Johnson (Bank One) and of course HOK (Renaissance Tower). |
| D o w n t o w n |
| D o w n t o w n |
| The Trammell Crow Center also boasts of its own superb museum, the Crow Collection of Asian Art, as well as an outdoor collection of sculptures by the French Masters. The Nasher Sculpture Center, designed by Renzo Piano, is currently under construction. |
| When John Neely Bryan set up his trading post on the banks of the Trinity River, little did he know that his little cabin would rapidly multiply and grow into the leading business and financial center in the southwest. Today, Downtown Dallas blends commerce, art, entertainment and leisure, compacted into stately old buildings and flash world-class skyscrapers. |
| HOK's offices are located in the Arts District, on the 28th floor of the Trammell Crow Center. Next door is the Dallas Museum of Art, one of the largest museums in the U.S. and home to the most extensive collection of art from the Americas (click here for a virtual view). Admission was initially free when I first moved to Dallas; |
| The Dallas experience would not be complete without a visit to the site that gave Dallas its greatest infamy, one with a stretch of road, a Book Depository and a grassy knoll: Dealy Plaza. The Depository has since been converted into the Sixth Floor Museum, which contains immensely moving exhibits not only on the circumstances surrounding John F Kennedy's death, but on his personal and political histories as well. Click here for more links to sites about JFK. The JFK Memorial stands nearby, in front of the Old Red Courthouse. Designed by Philip Johnson, the memorial is a simple enclosure of six sound-proof walls that open to the sky. A simple black marble slab inscribed with the slain president's name lies in the middle of the serene, meditative space. |
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| they now charge a nominal fee, but one can still get in free on Thursday evenings and on the first Tuesday of each month. |
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| A short DART ride from central Downtown is the West End Historical District. Formerly a derelict warehouse area, it is now alive with shopping, dining and entertainment. Though I find it too touristy, it remains a popular destination for both locals and visitors, and is a great example of adaptive reuse with pedestrian-friendly design. It also benefits from being near several historic sites, including the John Neely Bryan Cabin and Old Red, the old County Courthouse (in Romanesque Revival style, clad in red Pecos sandstone and now home to the Dallas Visitors Center. Click here for a virtual view.). |
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| Other places of interest near the Downtown Dallas include Deep Ellum (Click here as well for an alternative Deep Ellum site), Greenville and Lakewood. Deep Ellum takes its name from ther peculiar way locals pronounced "Elm Street". Similar to West End, it is a renovated warehouse district; unlike West End, it is less touristy |
| and has a stronger local, alternative culture. The district mixes trendy shops, tattoo parlors, unique restaurants, bars and loft residences similar to the Greenwich or East Villages of New York. Deep Ellum holds an annual arts festival in April, where street stalls featuring works by local artists are appreciated with daily featured bands and lots of beer. My favorite Ellum haunts include the Copper Tank Brewing Co. (a bar that featured its own house brews), St. Pete's Dancing Marlin, Sol's Taco Lounge and Gypsy Tea Room/Ballroom. Gypsy was one of the more popular hangouts, where up-and-coming and alternative music acts perform, including a pre-MTV John Mayer in August 2001. Greenville in northeast Dallas is a street lined with restaurants and bars mostly frequented by students and local yuppies. Great places to hang out include Liberty Noodles, Stan's Blue Note, Genghis Grill and the Blue Goose (a Mexican joint popular with the biker crowd). Finally, Lakewood has Lakewood Landing, a small dive bar opened by Jack Ruby's girlfriend, and Tipperary Inn, an Irish pub and restaurant popualr with the SMU coed crowd. |
| Photo credit: (Near Right) Gypsy Tea Room, (Far Right) johnmayer.com |