DALLAS
COUNTY
The wide variety of housing and architectural
styles also makes Dallas very attractive to
newcomers, as well as the DART transit system
and the high-rise developments that have
emerged near rail stations for convenience.
DEEP ELLUM
Located just east of downtown Dallas and
south of the railroad, Deep Ellum was originally home to the earliest African- American
community in Dallas, dating back to the
mid-1800s, when it was settled as a “
freedman’s town” after the Civil War.
In the 1920s, Deep Ellum was a thriving
retail and entertainment center for Dallas
African-Americans – a gathering place for
jazz and blues artists. The roster of now-fa-mous musicians who began their careers
in Deep Ellum include Blind Lemon
Jefferson, Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins and
Leadbelly, among others.
The neighborhood began to decline after
World War II, but was revitalized during the
1980s to become one of the trendiest neigh-
borhoods in Dallas, with numerous bars,
clubs and galleries. Now considered eclectic
and alternative, Deep Ellum is once again
considered a thriving entertainment district
and home to residents who enjoy living in a
thriving cultural area in a vibrant urban setting.
DOWNTOWN
Downtown Dallas is home to big business
and big development. Known to Dallasites as the Central Business District, the new
interest in urban living has sent downtown
bouncing back from being labeled a dead
zone after the sun goes down.
Located within the central freeway loop,
Downtown is generally thought of as
bounded by northern I- 45, the southern
edge of Central Expressway, I-35E, I- 30 and
the Woodall Rodgers Freeway, and owes its
distinctive look to nationally-known architects who redesigned the skyline during the
building boom of the 1970s and 1980s.
Later, the decision to create the West End
Historic District in the 1980s and preserve
the late turn-of-the-century brick warehouses
by turning them into swanky restaurants,
retail, office and residential spaces has
resonated, leading to even more renovation
projects.
Dallas is a cultural crossroads that prides
itself upon its cosmopolitan appeal. The
city’s slogan, Live Large, Think Big, encompasses a broad world that embraces this
larger than life motto. The ninth largest city
in the U.S., Dallas is a virtual Mecca for the
arts, with a thriving museum scene, diversity
of music, regional theatre scene, and a reputation as a top film production center.
Dallas has more restaurants per capita than
New York City, and offers a wide variety of
cuisine and cooking styles to fit every taste.
Dallas is also a shopper’s paradise, with
major malls and shopping centers that bring
the best of the world’s markets to the metroplex. It’s also a sports fan’s paradise, with
the Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas
Cowboys, FC Dallas and Texas Rangers
games nearly every night of the week during
their respective seasons.
Dallas
City of Dallas:
214-670-3111
www.dallascityhall.com
| CONTINUED PAGE 110 >
