The Dallas View Page Links
Dallas View Archive Main Page
Dallas' Skyline
Downtown Dallas Landmarks
Trivia and Odd Facts
Places & Spaces Throughout Dallas
DART, High-5 & More
Homes & Neighborhoods
Seasonal Color
Eclectic Images
History for Non-History Majors(1)
History for Non-History Majors(2)
Government
Source Notes
GuideLive.com
Welcome to Dallas, Texas USA
And welcome to Dallas View, a compilation of images, facts, history notes, trivia, news and views. Dallas residents, expatriates, and anyone visiting or moving here will find something of interest. The focus here is the actual city of Dallas, which is landlocked by the suburbs it has spawned, and is linked cooperatively and competitively with the city of Fort Worth. "Dallas" is often used in the general sense to describe the entire Dallas-Fort Worth "metroplex," much to the chagrin of those who live in the many fine suburban cities and certainly those in Fort Worth. So here is an effort to distinquish Dallas from all its surrounding environs. I believe there are people of younger generations who were born within 20 miles of Dallas, but who rarely have actually been in Dallas and know little of what the city offers its residents and visitors. For anyone truly unfamiliar with Dallas, the city was founded on a river crossing in the early 1840s when the Republic of Texas was seeking to develop its northern regions. Over one million people now live in the city of Dallas; over two million live in Dallas County. More than five million people now live in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, and growth continues at a rapid pace.
The Quick View
Dallas is most easily visualized as a massive inland market center; the old crossroads market town model on steroids. The "crossroads" gave way to railroads, interstate highways, and international airports. Dallas civic and business leaders took advantage of these developments -- often engineering them to favor Dallas over other emerging North Texas cities.
Entering the new millennium, Dallas is once again undergoing radical change. The central city is growing at a faster rate than in many decades. Thousands of new homes, condominiums and apartment units are being constructed within five miles of the downtown central business district and are rapidly being absorbed by buyers and renters. Many older buildings are being converted into apartments in the heart of downtown Dallas. East Dallas is seeing new single family homes replacing older housing stock plus completely new developments of "zero lot-line" townhomes. North of downtown, the Oak Lawn and Uptown areas are experiencing another boom in townhomes, high-rise condos, and apartments. There is new home construction and a lot of older home renovation in Oak Cliff, the southern third of Dallas, and West Dallas is seeing new shopping and business developments that will lead to revitalizing the area south of Interstate 30 and west of Interstate 35.
There is especially high interest in city living among young professionals and "empty nesters" who may have raised families in Dallas' suburbs but now want to live closer to their Dallas workplaces or the restaurants, museums, sports arenas, and specialty shops they frequent. Re-development of close-in neighborhoods like the West Village, pictured at left, are creating much higher density mixtures of residential, retail and entertainment venues. Surrounded by upscale apartments and town homes within easy walking distance of the Cityplace DART station, West Village is home to several restaurants, clubs, high-end retail shops and the Magnolia Theatre complex which features both art house cinema and first run major releases. There is also high interest in older neighborhoods with large old trees and fine homes built in the first half of the twentieth century. Current surveys related to "lifestyle" issues find the most common complaint among North Texas residents is the hassle of daily commuting. Many find living in Dallas proper -- at the center of the "metroplex" sprawl -- makes for an easier drive out to their workplace than driving in from outlying bedroom communities.
New Challenges for Dallas
Dallas must meet three serious challenges in this mushrooming growth cycle. First, city planners and controllers must avoid creating such dense housing and business concentrations that the value of living close-in is negated by congestion. Second, Dallas must preserve, expand, and improve its open spaces -- parks and greenbelt areas need to be set aside and constantly maintained and upgraded. A major initiative to finally harness the Trinity River, which meanders through the heart of the city, seems to hold equal potential for enhancing the city or becoming a black hole for tax money while destroying thousands of acres of the Great Trinity Forest, some 6,000 acres of which are within the Dallas city limits. This natural habitat, partly ancient and partly a result of agricultural areas being abandoned 50 to 60 years ago, is unique among U.S. cities. The stakes could not be higher; the outcome of the Trinity River project may well determine if Dallas goes forward to become a truly great city in this century.
Dallas View features several images of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail system, which is well established within the central city and now reaching outward to the suburbs of Richardson, Plano, and Garland. DART is symbolic of the third major issue Dallas must deal with successfully -- meeting transportation needs more efficiently. The light rail system is a critical piece of the puzzle, as is the nearly completed expansion of Central Expressway, the major North/South route through the center of the city. Major surface roads still need expansion and improvement in several parts of the city, and routine street maintenance -- fixing potholes -- needs much more consistent attention. Dallas also must eventually grow up and make it possible to simply hail a cab from anywhere. This is not the currently the case -- you have to call for a cab or go to a taxi stand. Finally, far more effort must go toward encouraging and accommodating foot traffic...yes, walking. One foot in front of the other. More walkways linking existing shopping and residential areas are needed, and future developments need to focus on creating environments in which walking (and biking) to retail and even major employment centers is a viable option for area residents.
A Diverse and Growing City
Dallas has always been a magnet for migrating populations, but new arrivals tend to spread out into multiple sections of the city and its suburbs over a short time instead of maintaining compact ethnic communities. These communities are nonetheless discernable in churches, political groups and social organizations that continue to celebrate heritage. In the early decades of the city's development the major migration patterns involved European-Americans moving from the southern and mid-western U.S. There were also some direct migrations from Europe, including the La Reunion socialist community discussed in detail on a special Dallas View history page (see page links). The Civil War brought a significant influx of African-Americans, first as slaves moved into Texas from the deep South during the years of conflict, and then as full citizens seeking employment, business opportunities, housing and all the benefits available to free men. Many other ethnic groups have arrived in Dallas over the past 160-plus years for similar reasons, including large influxes of Native Americans, Asians, Middle-Easterners, Eastern Europeans and South Americans. In the past thirty years, the largest migration pattern has been from Mexico, Central America and even South America. The Latino Cultural Center depicted here is a new addition to the east end of downtown Dallas that brings into focus the rapidly growing Latino influences throughout the city. The center includes art and sculpture display areas, a performance hall/auditorium, and an architectural style that brings a prominent and permanent Mexican village touch to the Dallas landscape. The center is well worth a visit, and is easy to find on Live Oak Street just east of Central Expressway as it passes through downtown Dallas.
The Dallas View(point)
These observations on Dallas past, present and future are free of charge and, of course, well worth that price. I have compiled the Dallas View content over many years of personal observations and study of many sources of information available in print and broadcast media. As a 50+ years (who's counting?) resident of Dallas, I have observed the city's development closely throughout the last half of the 20th century and am keenly interested in seeing the changes sure to come in the new millenium. Your comments and questions about anything you see here are welcomed. Regarding the images used on these pages at any given time -- like this late August 2003 sunset I shot from Harry Moss Park in northeast Dallas -- over 95 percent are my own creations and are covered by the copyright statement on each page. I try my best to credit any other image sources used whether by permission or as public domain material. See my complete Source Notes page for more info on images, page construction notes, and a Dallas View "library" list.
Featured Dallas Links
In addition to the rest of the Dallas View pages linked at the top left of this page, here are some special links for those specifically interested in downtown Dallas attractions, activities and events.
Meyerson Symphony Center virtual tour
The Universities Center at Dallas
American Airlines Center Arena
And here are some additional links to special attractions located throughout the City of Dallas but outside the immediate downtown area.
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetary
Finally, here are links to some great Web sites containing additional Dallas images.
Dallas Sights (similar concept to the image side of Dallas View, but different images)