What activities do you do in Dallas? (Houston, San Antonio: how much, neighborhoods)

[rdfw]

Originally Posted by aceplace

You mean Dallas does not have movies? Or football and basketball games to watch? Or live theater? Or poetry readings in Deep Ellum? Or... <you name it>?

Movies are at the shops. I did leave out watching sports out, but except for actually going to a game, that's mostly just a product of shopping. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with the content of my post.

My real point is: there's nothing really you can do here that you couldn't do in any other generic city in the US. But there are a number of things you can't. I don't feel quite right inviting friends from CA/FL/NY to come here and visit, I like seeing them, but aside from visiting people, there's little left that is interesting. This is a very fine place to work and live, just not a very interesting place. Strictly in my opinion, of course. Others will have different views.

[Lakewooder]

You are so apathetic. Are you from California by chance?

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by rdfw

Movies are at the shops. I did leave out watching sports out, but except for actually going to a game, that's mostly just a product of shopping. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with the content of my post.

My real point is: there's nothing really you can do here that you couldn't do in any other generic city in the US. But there are a number of things you can't. I don't feel quite right inviting friends from CA/FL/NY to come here and visit, I like seeing them, but aside from visiting people, there's little left that is interesting. This is a very fine place to work and live, just not a very interesting place. Strictly in my opinion, of course. Others will have different views.

Where in California will you see the King Tut exhibit?

I could turn the question around and ask what does San Francisco have that Dallas does not? Sure, it has some historic sites that are specific to SF, such as the Hyde Street Cable Car, or the Sutro Bath ruins... but so what? It is also true that each city has activities that are specific to its climate and terrain. In Dallas, you can water ski and swim in a lake beach, which you cannot do in SF.

By virtue of its vast population, Dallas will have activities that other smaller cities do not offer, if only because it takes a minimum number of people to support an activity, and Dallas is more likely to provide that minimum than a smaller metro of, say, 1 million people. Conversely, a metro of 12 million, such as LA, or 20 million, such as NYC, will have more to do than DFW.

There are about 300 defined metropolitan areas in the US, and Dallas is the 4th largest. Only NYC, LA and Chicago are more populous than DFW. It's just that much more of a diverse nexus of human activity compared to the 23rd largest, or the 57th largest...

I honestly mean it. If you cannot take advantage of what Dallas has to offer, you are defective in your enjoyment of life. Believe me, other people do not have your problem.

[ebuch]

Great info, I have heard a lot of good things about this Joe Pool Lake so I will have to do some research on it.

Also how is the traffic around the DFW area, and what places would you recommend living for a single guy who would be working for Dallas PD (So don't want a very long commute to work).

[zatires]

Originally Posted by aceplace

Where in California will you see the King Tut exhibit?

I could turn the question around and ask what does San Francisco have that Dallas does not? Sure, it has some historic sites that are specific to SF, such as the Hyde Street Cable Car, or the Sutro Bath ruins... but so what? It is also true that each city has activities that are specific to its climate and terrain. In Dallas, you can water ski and swim in a lake beach, which you cannot do in SF.

That is hilariously funny.
I mean, so funny...

Let's start with the most obvious;

There is a fricking OCEAN for GOD's sake.
And then there are the beautiful mountains, the whole nature scene.

C'mon!
Don't let the love of Dallas occupy all the existence of reality.

What SF has that Dallas does not, is so huge that it is not even worth discussing.

And regarding the funny where will you see King Tut in California.

Well appereantly in San Francisco

http://www.kingtut.org/home
DE YOUNG MUSEUM (SAN FRANCISCO)


JUNE 27, 2009 - MARCH 2010

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by zatires

And regarding the funny where will you see King Tut in California.

Well appereantly in San Francisco

King Tut and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs Exhibition
DE YOUNG MUSEUM (SAN FRANCISCO)


JUNE 27, 2009 - MARCH 2010

So thery're getting the King Tut exhibit. Good for them. Of course you can't see it now. We have it now. As far as museums go, DFW has a better selection than the Bay Area.

Sure, the Bay Area has an ocean, Dallas has lakes. Dallas has swimmable beaches, SF does not, SFO has mountains to climb, Dallas does not. Dallas has plenty of jobs and ample affordable housing, and San Francisco does not.

That's not the point, however. This issue is that DFW and the Bay Area have roughly equivalent urban activity, things to do in cities. That's because they are roughly equal in population. True, there are some activities that are to be found in only one or the other, but both DFW and SFO have movies to see, museums to visit, Broadway roadshows to attend, sports to watch, neighborhoods to explore, live theatre to attend, universities to enroll in, night clubs to get wasted in, bingo games in churches, comedy clubs to laugh in, exclusive shops to lose your money in, a long list of stunning restaurants to enjoy, art galleries to browse in, churches to attend, choral clubs you can join, transit lines you can ride, people you can meet, foreign shops to browse in... etc., etc., etc.

The urban activity in a city is pretty much correlated with its absolute amount of population. The more people that live in a metro, the more diverse and extensive the urban activity. It's strictly a numbers game. That's why New York has more to do than Dallas... it's bigger. The only thing that would modify that rule would be a diversity of population, and Dallas has that as well.

[CGGirl]

Washington DC is smaller than Dallas and has way more to do.

That other poster made an interesting post about the inviting friends to visit. I have one friend who I've talked with about coming to visit and the only things we really talked about doing was shopping and drinking.

Back in DC, when I had friends come to visit, my list of things to do was usually too long. Usually had a list of about 6 must see museums, the Zoo, the bar scene in Adams Morgan, shops in Dupont Circle, pubs in Chinatown, weekend flea markets, Georgetown, and so on and so on.

Same with NYC. Also with Chicago, where I didn't live but visted a friend. We went down Michigan Avenue, went to several museums, went to 2 or 3 ethnic neighborhoods and ate the local foods, and I still had a long list of stuff that I didn't have time to do.

I've been here 2 years and the only unique thing that I can think of is the State Fair. I had never been to any kind of State Fair before and so that was pretty cool.

[TrueDat]

Originally Posted by CGGirl

Washington DC is smaller than Dallas and has way more to do.

That other poster made an interesting post about the inviting friends to visit. I have one friend who I've talked with about coming to visit and the only things we really talked about doing was shopping and drinking.

Back in DC, when I had friends come to visit, my list of things to do was usually too long. Usually had a list of about 6 must see museums, the Zoo, the bar scene in Adams Morgan, shops in Dupont Circle, pubs in Chinatown, weekend flea markets, Georgetown, and so on and so on.

Same with NYC. Also with Chicago, where I didn't live but visted a friend. We went down Michigan Avenue, went to several museums, went to 2 or 3 ethnic neighborhoods and ate the local foods, and I still had a long list of stuff that I didn't have time to do.

I've been here 2 years and the only unique thing that I can think of is the State Fair. I had never been to any kind of State Fair before and so that was pretty cool.

Not to dismiss Chicago or DC, which do have lots to recommend them, and admittedly Dallas doesn't have grand canyons or crashing ocean waves. But your summation isn't fair to Dallas at all. Here's what I try to do when visitors come to town:

1) The Sixth Floor Museum, an attraction that's very unique to Dallas

2) Other North Texas museums -- especially the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and the Modern, the Kimbell, and the Amon Carter in Fort Worth -- which are quite good, unique and nationally recognized.

3) Southfork Ranch (cheesy maybe but still. . .)

4) Fair Park (aside from the State Fair), the largest collection of Deco exhibition buildings remaining in the US. In addition, there are the African-American Museum and the Women's Museum, both quite good and under-utilized.

5) This area does a poor job of marketing/branding its ethnic neighborhoods and there are few kitschy architectural cues so residents and visitors alike think they don't exist. But there are some worthy Asian/Middle Eastern shops/restaurants/markets throughout Carrollton and Richardson. Granted, they tend to be in mini-malls and not in "cute," crowded neighborhoods as in the Northeast. But this is similar to newer "Chinatowns" you might find in car-oriented places like Orange County, Calif. or Houston (granted, the Asian areas are much more expansive in those regions). That doesn't make the food here any less tasty or the shops any less interesting. Heading in the other direction, head down to Oak Cliff for a tour of taquerias along Jefferson and/or Davis.

6) The Stockyards in Fort Worth

7) Highland Park Village, built in 1931, and is generally recognized as the first shopping center in America

8) Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral downtown. That 19th-century cathedral serves the second-largest Catholic church membership in the US and is absolutely beautiful, especially now that it's been restored.

9) Deep Ellum. Yes, it's often deserted now but it's history is still there for those who want to explore it. As the home or home-away-from-home for such blues legends as Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson (whose "Deep Ellum Blues" became a Grateful Dead standard), the area's buildings are rife with this country's musical/racial history. It's still worth a visit if you're a tourist as there are still some good restaurants/galleries/clubs down there despite the reputation.

10) Now, you can eat/drink your way down Knox/Henderson, from Momo's on one end to Barcadia on the other. (Yes, you'll have to drive between them though). Or take the free trolley up and down McKinney, stopping off at West Village for something to eat/drink. Or walk around the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff. Or go to a gallery night in the Dallas Design District.

And beginning next year, with the opening of Park Lane Place (with the largest Whole Foods in the country), the new Performing Arts Center (which supposedly will give Dallas the largest arts district in the US), the new Cowboys stadium (perhaps the most state of the art stadium in the country), and, with luck, the redevelopment of Deep Ellum thanks to the opening of the new DART Line, there will be more places to go.

Does this compare with DC or Chicago? Maybe not, but to say there's nothing here worth visiting/enjoying is just not correct.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by CGGirl

Washington DC is smaller than Dallas and has way more to do.

That other poster made an interesting post about the inviting friends to visit. I have one friend who I've talked with about coming to visit and the only things we really talked about doing was shopping and drinking.

Back in DC, when I had friends come to visit, my list of things to do was usually too long. Usually had a list of about 6 must see museums, the Zoo, the bar scene in Adams Morgan, shops in Dupont Circle, pubs in Chinatown, weekend flea markets, Georgetown, and so on and so on.

Same with NYC. Also with Chicago, where I didn't live but visted a friend. We went down Michigan Avenue, went to several museums, went to 2 or 3 ethnic neighborhoods and ate the local foods, and I still had a long list of stuff that I didn't have time to do.

I've been here 2 years and the only unique thing that I can think of is the State Fair. I had never been to any kind of State Fair before and so that was pretty cool.

Hmm, there is PLENTY to do that sounds just like what your describing here in the Dallas area.

1. Museums - check, Dallas and Ft Worth have those. Some very nice ones I might add. The Nasher Sculpture Garden is AWESOME and NOT something one can find in just any old city. Dallas is really coming along in the fine arts scene.

2. Zoo - hmm, last time I looked Dallas & Ft Worth BOTH had a zoo. The Ft Worth Zoo is really cool and has always been considered the better of the 2 but Dallas has come a long way.

3. Bar Scene - check. In Dallas there are several areas to hit for this. Uptown, Victory Plaza, McKinney Ave, Deep Ellum (not as alive as it once was), Greenville Ave, Addison or just your local "dive" that are scattered about all over the place.

4. Shops - so there is not enough shopping in the Dallas area? I'm kinda lost on this one. You just said there was nothing to do but shop & eat and now your saying that there isn't? Anyway, there are PLENTY of areas to go shopping at in the Dallas area. My gosh, if someone can't find what they are looking for here....... it just doesn't exist. We Dallasites LOVE to shop . Preston Center, Highland Park Village, McKinney Ave, NorthPark Mall, The Galleria, Addison, Southlake Town Center, NUMEROUS malls all over, Snider Plaza, Knox-Henderson, Lakewood....... the list never ends.

5. Pubs - there are some out there. But like ANY city your local pubs are NOT going to be right out there front and center for all the world to know exactly where they are. You gotta get out and about and find them.

6. Flea Markets - HELLO, CANTON! First Monday is like an INSTITUTION! If you can tell me honestly that there is another flea market LARGER than First Monday..... I'd pass out. Heck, even McKinney has a monthly flea market. Grand Prarie has Traders Village as well.

7. Ethnic neighborhoods - last time I looked we had PLENTY of those. Just gotta get out and about and find them. Again, they don't have billboards plastered all over announcing where they are. There is PLENTY of good food in these areas as well.


Just like in those other cities it is up to YOU to get out and find these places. They are not going to come knocking on your door. There is PLENTY to do that does not involve eating and shopping in suburban strip centers. Give it a chance and actually get out there and EXPLORE these things. Did you by chance take advantage of the Neiman Marcus, Adolphus Childrens Christmas Parade recently? If not then you missed ANOTHER fine event that happens here in Dallas. To tell someone that MIGHT like to come visit you that there is NOTHING here to do but eat and shop is not only doing yourself a disservice but it is your friends as well. There are PLENTY of things to do. Stop living like this is only a place to "live, work, eat, sleep". Live like a tourist on the weekends and go out and explore.

[DaveG99]

You can do anything you want in Dallas.

Fishing, hunting, shopping, boating, biking, restaurants, museums, car racing, marathons, off roading, bars, clubs, zoos, rodeos, live music venues, historic attractions, and many many more.

San Francisco is a little "fruity" for me. And the ocean there is FREEZING cold and has great white sharks!