Cirque du Soleil is leaving Fair Park, heading to Frisco? Say it isn't so! (Dallas: high school, living)

[dallas90210]

Last Thursday I was driving down Malcolm X, MLK and 2nd Ave on business...and my god that place is a rathole. The trash on the streets, boarded up houses and immense amount of homeless people strolling around would probably make most suburbanites quite scared. LOL! My business activities take me to the best and worst parts of DFW - all parts - and Fair Park is no doubt the dumpiest area in the Metroplex. Its too bad really - as its proximity to downtown, uptown and Deep Ellum is superb. If some mega-rich guy like Mark Cuban could come in and buy up entire blocks of that area, mow down the drug houses and build something else ... high end apartments, retail, whatever would work ... they could make a fortune AND help attract people to the Fair Park venue(s)

[Overcooked_Oatmeal]

Originally Posted by TXTwizter

If the City of Dallas would clean up the neighborhood Fair Park is in than maybe more things would stay and be attracted. Who wants to open a show or event in an area as dangerous as Afghanistan?

I wouldn't say that it's as dangerous as Afganistan, but it's bad. I know ignorant suburbanites with no clue and only know what's going on by looking at the 10:00 news tend to exaggarate though.

But as Dallas increasingly becomes a sanctuary city for illegals, the middle class will find ways to avoid the city. Middle class White, Latino, and Asian families avoid Dallas altogether, middle class Black families are fleeing Dallas for the southern burbs, and the creative class that major cities attempt to woo tend to bypass Dallas for other southern cities like Austin, Houston, or Atlanta. Hell, even New Orleans has a better scene for the creative class, and we all know that city is mostly a crime-ridden dump with all kinds of problems and issues.

So where does that leave the city of Dallas? A city consisting mostly of poor, undereducated immigrants and poor, undereducated blacks who didn't have the means to leave for the burbs like their middle-class counterparts plus a smaller upper-class who will carry the tax burden for city services and an ever-shrinking middle class - many of whom will flee for the burbs when their crotchfruit reach school age.

Y'all better wake the hell up in the Big D! Losing events such as Cirque is just the tip of the iceberg, not to mention a reflection of a bigger problem that Dallas has.

The Queen has spoken

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by TXTwizter

If the City of Dallas would clean up the neighborhood Fair Park is in than maybe more things would stay and be attracted. Who wants to open a show or event in an area as dangerous as Afghanistan?

HA HA HA HA HA Its not that bad.

[Dallaz]

South Dallas wasn't always that bad. If you look at the history of South Dallas it was majority white. Forest Avenue High School (Now James Madison High School) was white, until it was changed into a "black school" in the late 50s.

[ClarenceBodiker]

Who has time for silly things like Fair Park when you've got bridges? Have you not heard of our fancy bridge with our fancy arch? Surely you've seen the giant arch of PVC pipe just south of downtown that is going to make Dallas the envy of cities everywhere! I'm not sure if you're aware, but that thing is going to be fancy one day if we can ever finish building it.

[Overcooked_Oatmeal]

Originally Posted by ClarenceBodiker

Who has time for silly things like Fair Park when you've got bridges? Have you not heard of our fancy bridge with our fancy arch? Surely you've seen the giant arch of PVC pipe just south of downtown that is going to make Dallas the envy of cities everywhere! I'm not sure if you're aware, but that thing is going to be fancy one day if we can ever finish building it.

Yes, build coat-hanger bridges to nowhere and Dallas will become the equivalent of Milan! Can't you see it?

[Dark Serge]

Originally Posted by TXTwizter

If the City of Dallas would clean up the neighborhood Fair Park is in than maybe more things would stay and be attracted. Who wants to open a show or event in an area as dangerous as Afghanistan?

Heh. Afghanistan. South/East Dallas ain't that bad. It's rough in parts, and a bit rougher than average, but it's not a war zone by any stretch.

As a student at a university with a high number of suburbanites who ain't never been to areas like Pleasant Grove, Oak Cliff, the Fair Park area, etc and have similar ideas, I make it a point to convince the ones I befriend to get on the train with me and go visit them. 90% of the time, they come back realizing that it ain't as bad as they thought, and are actually pretty good places in a lot of aspects.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by Overcooked_Oatmeal

But as Dallas increasingly becomes a sanctuary city for illegals, the middle class will find ways to avoid the city. Middle class White, Latino, and Asian families avoid Dallas altogether, middle class Black families are fleeing Dallas for the southern burbs, and the creative class that major cities attempt to woo tend to bypass Dallas for other southern cities like Austin, Houston, or Atlanta. Hell, even New Orleans has a better scene for the creative class, and we all know that city is mostly a crime-ridden dump with all kinds of problems and issues.

I think were making a bit much out of this. As its been mentioned, this event is not even playing in inner city Houston, but rater a suburb just as far out as Frisco.

I agree with you but disagree as well. Dallas has a problem, but Dallas also has a substantial creative class. Dallas' problem is that some of its main events centers are surrounded by neighborhoods that remind me of how Crenshaw Blvd. was in the early 1990's. Statistically, the neighborhood just to the South and East of Fair Park is the worst in the state of Texas and one of the worst in the US. Can you blame people for not wanting to go there at night?

I also disagree that this has anything to do with the fact that the city has taken a huge Hispanic turn in the last 10 years. Dallas' crime rate has actually dropped the more Hispanic its gotten. I dont think race plays a part.

However, if you think Dallas has no creative class. I suggest you come back for a visit and take a look at Lowest Greenville, the M Streets, and the Bishop Arts. Pound for pound, I dont think it is as substantial as Austin, but its on par with Houston.

[Overcooked_Oatmeal]

Originally Posted by justme02

I agree with you but disagree as well. Dallas has a problem, but Dallas also has a substantial creative class. Dallas' problem is that some of its main events centers are surrounded by neighborhoods that remind me of how Crenshaw Blvd. was in the early 1990's. Statistically, the neighborhood just to the South and East of Fair Park is the worst in the state of Texas and one of the worst in the US. Can you blame people for not wanting to go there at night?

Hell no, I don't blame them! I carry a peacemaker in my purse at all times, and even I didn't like messing around in that part of town either! That's why Im still trying to see the point of building those bridges, when there are way more important things to worry about. Priorities are screwed up big time.

I also disagree that this has anything to do with the fact that the city has taken a huge Hispanic turn in the last 10 years. Dallas' crime rate has actually dropped the more Hispanic its gotten. I dont think race plays a part.

Fair enough. But i'm talking about perception. Obviously, the reality is a bit different, but to the folks than an event such as Cirque wants to attract seems to think otherwise. It doesn't help that the hood that Fair Park is in is pretty damn awful. I wasn't trying to play a race card, believe it or not

However, if you think Dallas has no creative class. I suggest you come back for a visit and take a look at Lowest Greenville, the M Streets, and the Bishop Arts. Pound for pound, I dont think it is as substantial as Austin, but its on par with Houston.

I never said Dallas didn't have any creative class whatsoever. I personally found it to be small to be such a large city though. Dallas is more known to be a corporate city rather than one that appeals to the creatives. Maybe it's increased in time from a few years ago. I do need to go to Dallas to take care of some business, maybe I'll be surprised this time.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by ClarenceBodiker

Who has time for silly things like Fair Park when you've got bridges? Have you not heard of our fancy bridge with our fancy arch? Surely you've seen the giant arch of PVC pipe just south of downtown that is going to make Dallas the envy of cities everywhere! I'm not sure if you're aware, but that thing is going to be fancy one day if we can ever finish building it.

It will be completed October 2011.