So, just how beautiful is Dallas, Texas? (Houston, Paris: 2013, neighborhoods)

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by Willsson

Yeah, but you can't see Hawaii or the PNW from anywhere in Texas so there's really no comparison. And I did live in the PNW for a while. Usually all I could see was pine trees. I did hike to the top of Tiger Mountain, but then I had to hike back down. Yet, I can roller blade the Katy Trail in Dallas anytime. And I can get to Summit County faster from DFW than from the PNW. As a comparison, the slopes in the PNW don't qualify.

If one has to compare with one's imagination then it's probably time to consider the alternatives.

Well, I woke up wioth a view of Mt. Hood outside my window*, and I could walk to school through a gorgeous state park, so it wasn't just hypothetical. Dallas can't match most of that IMHO.

That being said, winters were overcast and dreary, and surprisingly enough I missed thunderstorms (which the PNW doesn't have, at least not where I was). So again, to each their own. And although Texas flatland dryish prairie is not my cup of tea, it is kinda cool when you get that "Big Sky" effect in certain parts of the Metroplex.

I'd also add that if we're talking urban areas, Chicago (my former hometown) blows the doors off Dallas (and most cities in the country) architecturally, if we're talking skyline and such. (Of course in terms of "scenic beauty" Chicago is also flat as a board with limited "forest" in its environs).

But yes, there's the Katy Trail, and Lakewooder or someone will probably talk up the Great Trinity Forest, and there are certainly some very pretty areas within the entirety of DFW, and a lake, man-made or no, offers plenty of recreational opportunities. It ain't Kauai, but what is?

*- well, when it wasn't so overcast that you couldn't see the mountain, which pretty much knocked out the months from October thru early March.

[BigDGeek]

DFW is sorely lacking in natural beauty. There are some pretty pockets here and there, but mainly it's ugly roads, highways, and strip malls. Sorry.

[TheOverdog]

There are 3 or more natural springs in Dallas proper, but in typical Dallas fashion they are mostly ignored and the natural beauty has mostly been paved. For example, the road Keller Springs is named after a natural spring just off the N Dallas tollway. For one near downtown, they want to put a bunch of stables and compost piles next to it, I guess that in hopes they can foul the groundwater. Dallas could have it's own version of Austin's Barton Springs if anyone had cared 30 years ago.

[Willsson]

There's a small park at Lemmon Ave @ DNT that does or had a natural spring. It was the original Cedar Springs community. There's a marker to explain the history.

CEDAR SPRINGS, TX (DALLAS COUNTY) | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

...the local spring formed an attractive watering spot that pioneer travelers believed had medicinal properties.

[Carlito Brigante]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

DFW is sorely lacking in natural beauty. There are some pretty pockets here and there, but mainly it's ugly roads, highways, and strip malls. Sorry.

Hell, isn't that MOST major U.S. cities and metros that are not located on the West Coast or the coast of Florida? Where do you think the term "concrete jungle" comes from? And speaking of which, do you think NYC has "natural beauty"? Of course not. It's the epitome of a concrete jungle, but that still does nothing to nullify its charm and appeal.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Carlito Brigante

Hell, isn't that MOST major U.S. cities and metros that are not located on the West Coast or the coast of Florida? Where do you think the term "concrete jungle" comes from? And speaking of which, do you think NYC has "natural beauty"? Of course not. It's the epitome of a concrete jungle, but that still does nothing to nullify its charm and appeal.

I think London and Paris have a lot more beauty than DFW, even though both of them are 'urban jungles'.

[DitsyD]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I think London and Paris have a lot more beauty than DFW, even though both of them are 'urban jungles'.

And they are centuries older than Dallas.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by DitsyD

And they are centuries older than Dallas.

Some parts of them, yes, but not every part of those cities is old. Some buildings are brand-new, and they're still more attractive than Dallas.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I think London and Paris have a lot more beauty than DFW, even though both of them are 'urban jungles'.

From an architectural stand point, of course. But really, have you ever spent time in the areas surrounding London or Paris? They are mostly farm and ranch land too. Not a whole lot of inspiration to be had on the natural surroundings alone. The charm comes from the age of the areas and the small towns and cities that are centuries old and the culture that comes with that.

However, I do agree on one point. I dont think this area is pretty at all. Its pretty bland as far as natural beauty is concerned. Then again, so are most places. Outside the lake Chicago is even less inspiring than DFW. Illinois is pretty much all flat farm land outside of Chicago. Much like DFW, you have to drive a couple of hours to get to places you can actually do stuff.

I love living here, but the natural beauty isnt really the selling point.

[homeinatx]

Originally Posted by Carlito Brigante

Hell, isn't that MOST major U.S. cities and metros that are not located on the West Coast or the coast of Florida? Where do you think the term "concrete jungle" comes from? And speaking of which, do you think NYC has "natural beauty"? Of course not. It's the epitome of a concrete jungle, but that still does nothing to nullify its charm and appeal.

I would make a case that NYC has one of the most spectacular natural settings in the United States: sometimes enhanced by man - many of the bridges highlight the considerable natural beauty of the area - sometimes not - the beaches of the most southwestern tip of Long Island from the Rockaways to Coney Island are basically the same beaches of the Hamptons- they have just been over and insensitively developed. Still they are better beaches than any in Texas, including SPI: Bluer waters, whiter sands, reliable waves.

Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx have quite dramatic elevation differences. Walk through Fort Tyron Park to The Cloisters, Morningside Park, along the Hudson in Riverside Park, around the reservoir in Central Park and you will see some of the most beautiful natural scenery in any city. New York is blessed by its wonderful natural location: huge harbor, rivers, bays, ocean, hills, cliffs, beaches, ancient trees. Dallas has a few niceish lakes, but is generally impoverished in the natural environs department. And within an hour from NYC, you can be in towering mountains, on pristine ocean beaches and hiking in huge forest wildernesses. Within an hour of Dallas . . .