Deep Ellum (Dallas, Fort Worth, Greenville: lofts, condos, crimes)

[teverde]

ok its looks like i am making the move to the Dallas area _I very curious about deep ellum -i am single 33 yr old male with 2 dogs who is looking for an interesting area(read diverse,liberallyminded non chain etcetcetc.-I am more impressed with who you are as opposed to what you have-not into shallow people,fake body parts or people,etc -would also like to be able to find interesting stuff to photograph -lived on the lower east side of manhattan before it was gentrified as well as brooklyn looking for something similar if possible -thanks T

[MaryS80]

unfortunately the deep ellum that we have all come to know and love may be on its way out. developers want to come in and turn it into another white washed upscale yuppie mecca.

[TrueDat]

Deep Ellum used to be a really cool area -- and, at heart, it still is. It's bursting with history and great architecture. Some of the greatest blues performers -- Robert Johnson, Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson -- lived or worked there early in the 20th century. It was left for dead in the post-war era but was "re-discovered" by artists and the like in the '70s/80s. By the early '90s, it was the place to hang out in Dallas in terms of alternative and street culture.

But a combination of factors -- a few high-profile crimes, developments in other parts of the city for people to hang out (namely Uptown), lack of interest from the city, outdated infrastructure (crumbling sidewalks, etc.) -- ended up sapping Deep Ellum of its vibrancy and crowds. Businesses started to shutter or move, which in turn meant fewer crowds and thus more vacancies, and it's been a vicious circle the last few years.

By all rights, it should have become as well-known as, say, Beale Street in Memphis. Its history is just as colorful, if not moreso. And there still some interesting things in Deep Ellum, such as the noted art gallery Art Prostitute (ART PROSTITUTE) and clubs like Club Dada (Club Dada :: The Pride of Deep Ellum :: Dallas Texas), that do interesting things. Fair Park, supposedly the country's the largest collection of governmental Art Deco buildings and home of the State Fair, is right next door and is a phenomenal asset for the city to have.

In fact, one could make the argument that Deep Ellum is more pleasant right now as the crowds (and the criminals) have moved on. But rumors continue to swirl that developers are just waiting for things to hit rock bottom so they can swoop in and re-make DE as Uptown East. With the light rail coming through in the next couple of years, things will be changing (for good or ill) in Deep Ellum.

As far as living spaces, there are a lot of lofts available in Deep Ellum. In addition to Deep Ellum, you might also check out Lakewood, East Dallas, North Oak Cliff, or parts of Oak Lawn if you're looking for neighbors who might have similar sensibilities.

[blueskies49]

I haven't been to Deep Ellum in years but it's a dirty rotten shame that it's not being taken care of! I loathe developers who have nothing but dollar signs in their eyes. It has alot of history as the pp mentioned so well and a blues history that once rivaled New Orleans. They should make this area an historical landmark!

[txman]

A an entire block @ Elm and Hall street was torn down last week to make way for townhomes/condos. The redevelopment is beginning.

[Lakewooder]

Besides, Lakewood/Lower Greenville and Little Forest Hills you might check out Southside/Cedars/Lamar area which is pretty cutting edge these days. Certain areas of Ellum are still cool (see the even cooler Expo Park, across from Fair Park). I'm afraid with 3 new DART stations, the developers are circling Deep Ellum. A lot of people are trying to find a way to save the historic area, but it looks grim as two major developments are underway and a third giant one is trying to iron out particulars. Bishop Arts area in North Oak Cliff and Fort Worth Avenue are also up and coming...google the Belmont Hotel.

[Lakewooder]

Deep Ellum being bought up:

Dallas investor buys 3 Deep Ellum loft buildings 12:01 PM CT | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/010908dnbusdeepellum.17ca098.html - broken link)

Westdale Buys Up More of Deep Ellum

[Arcane]

Get a timemachine and set it back to late 80's or early 90's.

Well, I was a teenager back then anyways. Loved the concerts, cool shops. Haven't been there much lately. Deep Ellum Live, Trees, Dada, Moda...Memories.

[pepper131]

Let's hope the developers will fix the sewage/clay pipe problem in Deep Ellum.

Dallas - News - Up the Crick

[jabbit]

ive searched around dallas for a good sized strip of cool independent shops and bars pubs etc. a place with a nice counter culture feel or scene and the only area i have found that is close to this is lower greenville. other areas... ceaders, oak clif, lamar etc. have some real good choice select spots but not a a good portion of condensed cool yet. i hope im wrong... and i hope in the future things get beefier there in those areas. while lowergreenville is pretty decent it doesnt come close to rivaling what deep ellum had in the 90s.

exposition street area of deep ellum is interesting by the way.