First Time Visit to Dallas....OBSERVATIONS! (Fort Worth: home, live, shop)

[NewYorkBorn]

Returned from a visit to Dallas yesterday and just some observations as a first time visitor.

Spent the majority of my time in the downtown Dallas area so what I am about to say mainly concerns that area.

• Crickets were everywhere on the streets of downtown Dallas! I have never seen so many crickets on the walls of buildings, falling out of trees and hopping around on sidewalks in all my life. What is up with the cricket problem in Dallas?
• Very pretty city (reminded me a little of Manhattan), but the heat is ungodly.
• Never seen a city with so many one way streets!
• Traffic on the interstate in the middle of the day! Expected to see traffic (just like other cities) during rush hours but there is traffic in Dallas in the afternoon.

[hbdwihdh378y9]

The cricket thing is just temporary. Once in a while (annually or perhaps less often) they show up in huge numbers downtown for a short time.

[NewYorkBorn]

Originally Posted by hbdwihdh378y9

The cricket thing is just temporary. Once in a while (annually or perhaps less often) they show up in huge numbers downtown for a short time.

Interesting, wonder what attracts them to downtown Dallas in such large numbers. They are quite annoying!!

[R1070]

Originally Posted by NewYorkBorn

Returned from a visit to Dallas yesterday and just some observations as a first time visitor.

Spent the majority of my time in the downtown Dallas area so what I am about to say mainly concerns that area.

• Crickets were everywhere on the streets of downtown Dallas! I have never seen so many crickets on the walls of buildings, falling out of trees and hopping around on sidewalks in all my life. What is up with the cricket problem in Dallas?
• Very pretty city (reminded me a little of Manhattan), but the heat is ungodly.
• Never seen a city with so many one way streets!
• Traffic on the interstate in the middle of the day! Expected to see traffic (just like other cities) during rush hours but there is traffic in Dallas in the afternoon.

The city will be changing some one way streets to two way by the end of the year. The 24 hour freeway traffic here has nothing on LA.

Downtown has it's charms and is finally starting to develop. The Uptown area draws a lot of development from the area that is considered the actual downtown, but the two areas are continuous and essentially function as one urban core. It will be interesting to see what the expansion and upgrade of the trolley system and the new deck park will do with the uptown/downtown connection. As for the heat, that's an unfortunate thing we have to deal with in Texas and because of it will keep this area will be more AC/Car friendly. We love our AC around here!

[NewYorkBorn]

Originally Posted by R1070

The city will be changing some one way streets to two way by the end of the year. The 24 hour freeway traffic here has nothing on LA.

Downtown has it's charms and is finally starting to develop. The Uptown area draws a lot of development from the area that is considered the actual downtown, but the two areas are continuous and essentially function as one urban core. It will be interesting to see what the expansion and upgrade of the trolley system and the new deck park will do with the uptown/downtown connection. As for the heat, that's an unfortunate thing we have to deal with in Texas and because of it will keep this area will be more AC/Car friendly. We love our AC around here!

Yeah changing those one way streets would be a good thing for downtown Dallas. Very confusing for someone who is driving and does not know their way around the city well. The traffic is not what shocked me......it was the fact that it was like that in the early afternoon.....can understand it being that way in the mornings (people going to work) and the evenings (people coming home from work) but not in the middle of the day. After experiencing the heat I feel sorry for you guys....the only way to enjoy the city is to stay in air conditioned buildings.....walking around becomes a chore with that kind of heat.

I have visited all kinds of places and have never experienced that kind of heat.....was sweating just standing still!

[R1070]

Originally Posted by NewYorkBorn

Yeah changing those one way streets would be a good thing for downtown Dallas. Very confusing for someone who is driving and does not know their way around the city well. The traffic is not what shocked me......it was the fact that it was like that in the early afternoon.....can understand it being that way in the mornings (people going to work) and the evenings (people coming home from work) but not in the middle of the day. After experiencing the heat I feel sorry for you guys....the only way to enjoy the city is to stay in air conditioned buildings.....walking around becomes a chore with that kind of heat.

I have visited all kinds of places and have never experienced that kind of heat.....was sweating just standing still!

It will get even hotter than this. It hasn't hit 100 yet.
This summer has already been cooler than last year which was bad. Outside of the summer months we have many months of sunny pleasant weather, despite a few cold snaps in late January to early February. We just tend to do our shopping in malls, hang by the pool with a nice cold drink and make the most of it.

[DitsyD]

Originally Posted by NewYorkBorn

Returned from a visit to Dallas yesterday and just some observations as a first time visitor.

Spent the majority of my time in the downtown Dallas area so what I am about to say mainly concerns that area.

• Crickets were everywhere on the streets of downtown Dallas! I have never seen so many crickets on the walls of buildings, falling out of trees and hopping around on sidewalks in all my life. What is up with the cricket problem in Dallas?
• Very pretty city (reminded me a little of Manhattan), but the heat is ungodly.
• Never seen a city with so many one way streets!
• Traffic on the interstate in the middle of the day! Expected to see traffic (just like other cities) during rush hours but there is traffic in Dallas in the afternoon.

Yes, Dallas gets its plague of crickets just about every year. They are everywhere. You are lucky that the warm winter brought them out early so you could experience them.

The heat is one reason that Dallas/Fort Worth didn't grow a lot until AC was available and affordable. Yes, this is a mild summer so far. It will be getting above 100* this week.

Never thought much about the one way streets. They just are.

Traffic is a way of life here. Wasn't there to see it, but it is probably worse during rush hour.

I do hope that you enjoyed your visit and will come back again when it is cooler.

[NewYorkBorn]

Originally Posted by DitsyD

Yes, Dallas gets its plague of crickets just about every year. They are everywhere. You are lucky that the warm winter brought them out early so you could experience them.

The heat is one reason that Dallas/Fort Worth didn't grow a lot until AC was available and affordable. Yes, this is a mild summer so far. It will be getting above 100* this week.

Never thought much about the one way streets. They just are.

Traffic is a way of life here. Wasn't there to see it, but it is probably worse during rush hour.

I do hope that you enjoyed your visit and will come back again when it is cooler.

I sure do intend to go back for another visit but as you mentioned when it is cooler. Those crickets are another matter though.....had to watch everywhere I stepped because I did not want to step on them....so gross!

[mami2emily]

Originally Posted by DitsyD

Never thought much about the one way streets.

Me either! Have lived in three big cities and all have had their fair share of one way streets. I find the roundabouts in New England much harder to get used to if you are a driving tourist than one way streets.

I'll take crickets over the greenhead flies in the northeast any day!

[SunnyTXsmile]

Originally Posted by NewYorkBorn

Returned from a visit to Dallas yesterday and just some observations as a first time visitor.

Spent the majority of my time in the downtown Dallas area so what I am about to say mainly concerns that area.

• Crickets were everywhere on the streets of downtown Dallas! I have never seen so many crickets on the walls of buildings, falling out of trees and hopping around on sidewalks in all my life. What is up with the cricket problem in Dallas?
• Very pretty city (reminded me a little of Manhattan), but the heat is ungodly.
• Never seen a city with so many one way streets!
• Traffic on the interstate in the middle of the day! Expected to see traffic (just like other cities) during rush hours but there is traffic in Dallas in the afternoon.

Wow! That is enough to scare the bejesus out of me. Thank you for sharing for those of us that haven't yet experienced it.