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You're right, I didn't live in Dallas, but I spent a fair amount of time there (anything to get out of boring ol' Arlington lol).
The neighborhoods you mentioned have a neat vibe to them, but they still can't really compare to a college town with a downtown area where everyone is going to the bar/club and where there are tons of local restaurants and shops. Austin comes to mind here, as does Madison. And downtown Dallas is a complete dead zone after working hours (honestly, the Chicago Loop is too). Most everything closes up shop around 6-7pm.
Someone told me that Dallas or Houston is where you go when you get burnt out or outgrow partying in Austin. I think there's some truth to it.
As a whole, I don't think Dallas has a big local business scene. Sure, there are local businesses, but corporate America dominates the city.
I think Raleigh is actually a step above Dallas when only looking at the "booming downtown area" and "thriving nightlife/singles scene" because Raleigh has the NC State campus area. This area has grown a LOT over the years and expanded into downtown.
The fact you brought up Raleigh makes me think you're either trolling or are really that clueless. How could a city as small as Raleigh have more of a nightlife/singles scene than the 9th largest city (part of the 4th largest metro) in the U.S.? I mean come on, you instantly lose credibility there. Many that attend SMU live in Uptown as well. Uptown/Oak Lawn alone has around 30,000 residents and is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Texas. Compare the WalkScore between even DT Dallas and DT Raleigh. It's so laughable, you really can't be serious.
Uptown & Deep Ellum can certainly compete against Downtown Austin in terms of restaurants, bars, shops, etc. I go to Austin every so often and quite familiar with both nightlife scenes. While Austin retains more of a college vibe throughout the week, Dallas does turn into the de facto nightlife destination on weekends for college students from all over the area. It's not uncommon to see someone from UTA there. I doubt you've experienced Uptown or Deep Ellum on a Friday or Saturday night. Uptown Dallas is certainly not a place where people "settle down." Deep Ellum in general wouldn't be adding new bars every few weeks if central Dallas was a place to "settle down." Deep Ellum is packed on Saturday and Sunday afternoons with people hanging out at the bars, riding a beer bike, or listening to some music. Lots of hotel pool parties throughout greater Downtown area as well.
Those are only 2 neighborhoods though. There's Henderson Ave. and many other smaller bar districts scattered around such as Lower Greenville. There are lots of clubs and music venues that are not necessarily on a walkable strip, but within a 3-5 mile radius of the Uptown/Downtown area. Just because you don't know of them, doesn't mean they're non-existent. There's no way that even Austin, TX has more bars and clubs than the entire city of Dallas.
For a 21 year old, Austin is probably a better choice if you want a weekday college bar scene. At age 25-26 when you're starting your first job but still want a vibrant weekend nightlife scene, then Dallas would be better. Although I know of several weekday places here that are packed. Dallas has a great after work happy hour vibe for young professionals. Deep Ellum is quickly becoming Dallas's de facto entertainment district, with a new hotel on the way. So unless you've lived in Dallas and have experienced it all (weekday, weekend, all of the diff. neighborhoods etc), you really have no room to talk and probably should discontinue writing stuff you know nothing about.
The fact you brought up Raleigh makes me think you're either trolling or are really that clueless. How could a city as small as Raleigh have more of a nightlife/singles scene than the 9th largest city (part of the 4th largest metro) in the U.S.? I mean come on, you instantly lose credibility there. Many that attend SMU live in Uptown as well. Uptown/Oak Lawn alone has around 30,000 residents and is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Texas. Compare the WalkScore between even DT Dallas and DT Raleigh. It's so laughable, you really can't be serious.
Uptown & Deep Ellum can certainly compete against Downtown Austin in terms of restaurants, bars, shops, etc. I go to Austin every so often and quite familiar with both nightlife scenes. While Austin retains more of a college vibe throughout the week, Dallas does turn into the de facto nightlife destination on weekends for college students from all over the area. It's not uncommon to see someone from UTA there. I doubt you've experienced Uptown or Deep Ellum on a Friday or Saturday night. Uptown Dallas is certainly not a place where people "settle down." Deep Ellum in general wouldn't be adding new bars every few weeks if central Dallas was a place to "settle down." Deep Ellum is packed on Saturday and Sunday afternoons with people hanging out at the bars, riding a beer bike, or listening to some music. Lots of hotel pool parties throughout greater Downtown area as well.
Those are only 2 neighborhoods though. There's Henderson Ave. and many other smaller bar districts scattered around such as Lower Greenville. There are lots of clubs and music venues that are not necessarily on a walkable strip, but within a 3-5 mile radius of the Uptown/Downtown area. Just because you don't know of them, doesn't mean they're non-existent. There's no way that even Austin, TX has more bars and clubs than the entire city of Dallas.
For a 21 year old, Austin is probably a better choice if you want a weekday college bar scene. At age 25-26 when you're starting your first job but still want a vibrant weekend nightlife scene, then Dallas would be better. Although I know of several weekday places here that are packed. Dallas has a great after work happy hour vibe for young professionals. Deep Ellum is quickly becoming Dallas's de facto entertainment district, with a new hotel on the way. So unless you've lived in Dallas and have experienced it all (weekday, weekend, all of the diff. neighborhoods etc), you really have no room to talk and probably should discontinue writing stuff you know nothing about.
I have disagreed with you in the past on a lot of posts but come on the nightlife in Dallas is amazing one of the best nightclub and bars scenes in the country and the women in Dallas are gorgeous, one of the major pluses for living in the Metroplex. Totally agree with your post. This guy is dead wrong but we all have own opinions on things.
I have disagreed with you in the past on a lot of posts but come on the nightlife in Dallas is amazing one of the best nightclub and bars scenes in the country and the women in Dallas are gorgeous, one of the major pluses for living in the Metroplex. Totally agree with your post. This guy is dead wrong but we all have own opinions on things.
Considering it's shortcomings as a sprawling sunbelt city and the fact it isn't a tourist destination like NOLA/Vegas/Miami, I think it does pretty well in that category. Not the best of the best, but certainly offers a lot. I definitely don't expect everyone to like it. We all have our different tastes and preferences, but the Raleigh comparison is just absurd though. I can see someone at 21 preferring Austin and would still recommend it. But Raleigh over Dallas? I just don't see it.
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