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| My apartment building, The Vineyard was located in the northern part of Uptown, Dallas. Most necessities were within comfortable walking distance, even under the bright, hot Texas sun! Other needs were still easily a bus, rapid transit railway, or streetcar ride away... |
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| U p t o w n |
| U p t o w n |
| 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 |
| Uptown occupies some 500 acres to the immediate north of Downtown Dallas and the Arts District. It is one of Dallas' oldest neighborhoods, and when first established, was an affluent area populated by prominent Dallas businessmen residing in elegant Victorian, Queen Anne and Prairie style homes (several of which have been successfully conserved). Nonetheless, up until two decades ago, Uptown suffered from most, if not all, symptoms of urban blight: crime, decaying infrastructure, abandoned structures and lack of investment interest. |
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| But it was in fact this weak real estate market in the 1980's that helped the resurgence of Uptown. The low land prices made the development of residential use close to Downtown economically viable. Post Properties, a developer known for creating walkable, sustainable, mixed use communities, partnered with the City of Dallas and began redeveloping tracts within proximity of the existing McKinney Avenue development corridor. A portion of the taxes collected for the area funded the rehabilitation and replacement of decrepit infrastructure, including roads, power lines, water lines and sewage systems. |
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| The redevelopment of Uptown was always geared towards the creation of an urban residential area, with stoops, storefronts, parks and streets for pedestrians as much as for cars. Ample, shaded sidewalks connect apartments with offices, restaurants, bars, restaurants, galleries, a supermarket, a drugstore, gyms, a florist, a post office and other specialty shops. |
| In mid 2002, a new urban development, West Village, (bottom left and right photos) opened in the north-eastern portion of Uptown. West Village mixes residential use with brand name and boutique shops (Ralph Lauren, Gap, etc.), restaurants, an art house movie theater and a multi-storey car park structure. |
| Favorite hangouts include the Ginger Man (a bar with over 80 beers on tap), Tin Star, Primo's Bar and Grille, Breadwinners, Cafe Express, Martini Ranch, S & D Oyster Co. and Gino's Vino. Having lived in Hong Kong, and then New York, I wanted to maintain a certain level of urban living and car-independence. That was a tough prospect since this was Dallas after all, a city ruled by petroleum and big gas guzzlers. But living in Uptown permitted that. Even if larger apartments were available for less rent in other areas such as North Dallas, the suburban feel and prospect of a long commute were not appealing. In contrast, Uptown tends to attract young professional singles or young couples/families seeking a vibrant, active neighborhood. Besides, riding the McKinney Avenue Trolley to and from work was both fun AND cool! |
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| Photo credit: Steve Hinds |
| Click here for an interactive map of the Dallas area. |
| Photo credit: (Middle Row, Left) lightrailnow.org |