Appearance of Dallas - Native Dallasites want to comment? (Houston: apartments, hotels)

[texas7]

Okay - I am from Houston and whenver I travel anywhere I find something I love about every city. I went to Dallas last week for business - however on my quick whirlwind though - it just appears that overall Dallas looks much cleaner than Houston. Is it actually cleaner or did I just not see the bad and run down areas? I really stayed on LBJ Freeway - went up 114 to Southlake and a bit up 35E. So on the outside looking in, it appears to be a very clean city.

Would love some comments from some native Dallasites - and preferably not those who "hate" Houston and can't find any good about it. Everyone loves their hometown (and I love mine, flaws and all) just as you love yours, but I would like to hear an unbiased opinion. From the outside looking in - your city looks wonderful.

[ctrres]

Yeah, however LBJ is your West Loop South; both are pretty relatively updated places. But it would square with commentary made on Dallas for a number decades--that the city has an antiseptic look.

If the entertainment and nightlife was well matched over the years, for a long time Houston was still doing far edgier, eccentric and adventurous other spaces than anything Dallas would risk (or any other city for that matter), as if the money in Dallas wouldn't allow for deviation from the bland and tested. Even Fort Worth had the Basses.

We never had a Rothko Chapel, or for a long time anything approaching the rakish Post Oak towers. Still really don't.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by texas7

Okay - I am from Houston and whenver I travel anywhere I find something I love about every city. I went to Dallas last week for business - however on my quick whirlwind though - it just appears that overall Dallas looks much cleaner than Houston. Is it actually cleaner or did I just not see the bad and run down areas? I really stayed on LBJ Freeway - went up 114 to Southlake and a bit up 35E. So on the outside looking in, it appears to be a very clean city.

Would love some comments from some native Dallasites - and preferably not those who "hate" Houston and can't find any good about it. Everyone loves their hometown (and I love mine, flaws and all) just as you love yours, but I would like to hear an unbiased opinion. From the outside looking in - your city looks wonderful.

It doesn't sound like you really ever visited Dallas, you were out in some suburbs. But most of Dallas is clean compared to no-zoning Houston (I lived there for a bit as a landman) also the Dallas you missed has many trees, interesting architecture, unique shops, world-class restaurants and hotels, a huge range of night clubs and bars, lakes, creeks and top-shelf shopping.

[MaryS80]

It all depends on what part of town you are in. South Dallas tend to get neglected, and there are potholes that will just about swallow a small car.

All in all though the area is clean. People take pride in where they live, and in most areas code enforcement does their job.

I think another key thing in keeping the area looking nice is either redeveloping or tearing down vacant, aging retail centers and apartments. Such things when left to stand are on eyesore, drawn in crime, and drive down property values. Abandon supermarkets have been converted into churches and schools.

Houston offers more culturally.

[cityconvo]

I would have to agree with Lakewooder. Not to knock the areas you visited, they are clean and new, but in my opinion areas such as Lakewood and Oak Cliff are much more scenic and beautiful.

[texas7]

Yeah that is what I was getting at - I just sort of got a peripheral view and not the real Dallas but what I saw just had this really clean look to it - even the older area I was doing business in off of Forest Lane looked cleaner than comparable areas in Houston so that made me pose the question about the entire city. Planning to go back for a real visit - what should I see? Not really into the bar/club scene anymore so what other things should we see in Dallas?

[cityconvo]

There are a couple of threads in here about "Things to do in Dallas." Give them a look. I always recommend the Arboretum next to White Rock Lake and the Sixth Floor Museum. I should mention that I am a complete nerd though. =)