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Old 04-05-2016, 05:19 PM
 
286 posts, read 292,905 times
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i know dallas is flat and does not have any mountains and cliffs to hike and explore but overall does the city have a lot of trails to run and bike on? i forget the name i want to say katy trail? i read about is a large running trail in the downtown area and it is the place " to see and be seen" in dallas and has bars and stuff along side parts of it.

basically what are my outdoor exercise options in the city?

are the people of dallas relatively health conscious? can i fit in to a city where people like to take care of their figure run outside when its nice out and bike and are there places to eat healthy in the city ( gluten free, organic, farm to table?)


i come from a city where i have mountain ranges, forests and water in every direction and like to enjoy them when it is nice out so just want to see what my options were in Dallas
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Old 04-05-2016, 06:48 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tfriss92 View Post
i know dallas is flat and does not have any mountains and cliffs to hike and explore but overall does the city have a lot of trails to run and bike on? i forget the name i want to say katy trail? i read about is a large running trail in the downtown area and it is the place " to see and be seen" in dallas and has bars and stuff along side parts of it.

Dallas proper does have quite a bit of trails to run and bike on. Here's a great site listing all the city trails.

Major Linear Trails | Dallas Parks, TX - Official Website

The one you're thinking of near Downtown is called the Katy Trail. It's a very popular one for all the young professionals that live in the Uptown area. There's a popular bar along it with a big outdoor patio called the Katy Trail Ice House.

KATY TRAIL ICE HOUSE

It's a great place to grab a drink, watch a game, and scope out some hotties . Loads of young, single people there. You can spot some of Dallas's finest on the Katy Trail alone. It can be kind of crowded though. Another popular one is the White Rock Lake area, which you can see on the site I shared with you. Extensive trails and decent size lake for kayaking and other boating activities. Not for swimming though.



basically what are my outdoor exercise options in the city?

Lots of trails for cycling and running, as well as some large lakes throughout the area which are good for boating, kayaking, jet skiing, and depending on the lake, swimming. Not much for hiking, although the Cedar Ridge Preserve/Joe Pool Lake area in Southwest Dallas has some nice hills. Not like the Adirondacks though

are the people of dallas relatively health conscious? can i fit in to a city where people like to take care of their figure run outside when its nice out and bike and are there places to eat healthy in the city ( gluten free, organic, farm to table?)

Mostly Dallas proper south of 635, north of I-30 with some exceptions is where you'll find quite a bit of health conscious types. There's more walkability and young professionals in general in that area, especially Uptown. I wouldn't say this is a Mecca of outdoor runners and cyclists, but definitely loads of people that go to the gym. No shortage of gyms or shopping malls in Dallas. The people here tend to be a bit more image conscious in general, which extends to health & fitness. There's also a vibrant restaurant scene with many places offering gluten free, organic, and farm to table options. I know of many on Lower Greenville alone.


i come from a city where i have mountain ranges, forests and water in every direction and like to enjoy them when it is nice out so just want to see what my options were in Dallas

I'm also originally from the northeast, so I know all about the lushness there. There are plenty of outdoor activities here, but it depends on what you like to do. You won't find skiing here, but we have a much longer season for kayaking, fishing, cycling, and swimming. Don't have to worry about nasty snow or ice. Or frequent rainfall for that matter. You won't be disappointed by the health conscious culture here, I promise you. It's a lot more image conscious than the northeast, I can guarantee you that.
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Old 04-05-2016, 06:57 PM
 
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Dallas is not anyhing like Austin- Denver- etc as far as being an active, outdoorsy city. However, there are a ton of health conscious people here. I have friends who do competitive triathlons, friends who run marathons, friends who mountain bike, friends who are in swim clubs and tennis leagues, friends who Cross Fit, and friends who are class crazy for Pilates/ Yoga/ Spin/ etc.

As for outdoor locations, the Katy Trail is 4-5 miles long and while it gets crowded, it's good for running/ cycling/ blading. It will soon connect to White Rock Lake which has a 9 mile loop and is popular with runners and cyclists. You can't swim at White Rock, but you can row and sail. White Rock Lake connects to the Santa Fe Trail which goes to Deep Ellum and also to the Whte Rock trail which goes north into Lake Highlands. Dallas is in the middle of building a fantastic extensive trail system. Google it.

North Oak Cliff has an active cycling community (both road & mountain) and that neighborhood is close to the Oak Cliff nature preserve. It's also about 15 minutes from Joe Pool Lake where there are more off road trails. The Trinity Audobaun Center has a few nature trails worth checking out, too.

Food-wise, plenty of natural and organic grocery stores between multiple Whole Foods flagships, Sprouts, the big farmer's market downtown and smaller ones in various neighborhoods. Many East Dallas neighborhoods have vegetable garden coops, and it's not uncommon for people to raise their own chickens. Farm to table restaurants are so popular that it's almost cliche- Bishop Arts District, Lower Greenville, and Deep Ellum will have plenty of choices for you. Gluten free is fairly mainstream and available on a lot of menus.

You'll be fine here. We don't have mountains or beaches and tend to dress up more than the crunchier cities (Dallas women DO have a reputation to uphold! ), but it's super easy to live healthy here and find like-minded friends.
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Old 04-05-2016, 07:06 PM
 
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thank you very much for all the input guys, i had no idea there was that many trails to hike run and bike, not that i am surprised dallas is a great city, every time i am in town for work i never want to go home, but quite haven't taken the plunge of relocating making sure it is for me, i don't want to get into one of those situations where i like being there but not to live there, much like my relationship with vegas


so for the most part i would have to live in some of those trendier young professional areas downtown to the advantage of the outdoor health conscious? it may not be feasible i don't know if downtown is affordable for me at this time. can you find one bedroom places in those areas for say 1200 or less?
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Old 04-05-2016, 07:08 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
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Will you find other health-conscious people in Dallas? Sure. You'll find them just about anywhere, but is the population of DFW as a whole generally health-conscious? No.

The obesity rate of the Metroplex is anywhere from 28-30%, and the percentage of people who report no physical activity at all is roughly 25%.

I think Katy Trail is just ok. Compared to, say, the Cherry Creek Trail it's nothing special. Decent amount of shade, heavily used, but at 3.5 miles it's very short. Still, in an outdoor-starved city like Dallas it's a start.

Dallas is never going to be on the same level as an Austin or a Denver, but leaders are at least trying to shed the stigma of being one of the fattest cities in the US.
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Old 04-05-2016, 07:19 PM
 
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Dallas is an "Image is Everything" city with a very competitive dating/mating scene. There are a lot of fit types in the young, unmarried people areas in the central corridor (south of 635, north of downtown). Uptown is the prime example.
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Old 04-05-2016, 07:44 PM
 
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Originally Posted by bluescreen73 View Post
Will you find other health-conscious people in Dallas? Sure. You'll find them just about anywhere, but is the population of DFW as a whole generally health-conscious? No.

The obesity rate of the Metroplex is anywhere from 28-30%, and the percentage of people who report no physical activity at all is roughly 25%.

I think Katy Trail is just ok. Compared to, say, the Cherry Creek Trail it's nothing special. Decent amount of shade, heavily used, but at 3.5 miles it's very short. Still, in an outdoor-starved city like Dallas it's a start.

Dallas is never going to be on the same level as an Austin or a Denver, but leaders are at least trying to shed the stigma of being one of the fattest cities in the US.
There's more than just the Katy Trail! And those obesity stats are useless if you're including the entire 7 million Metroplex. The OP was wondering about the health conscious culture of "Dallas," not Plano, Fort Worth, Arlington, etc. Did you even live in Uptown or any of the neighborhoods within 5-10 miles from Downtown?

I do agree Dallas is no Denver. There's more of a diversity of outdoor activities there than here. You'll find more of your gym rats here. Whether or not a city is "outdoor-starved" will depend on what an individual likes to do outside. In Dallas, a skier would absolutely be disappointed. Kayaking? They should be fine.
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Old 04-05-2016, 08:30 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
8,592 posts, read 14,762,224 times
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Originally Posted by DTXman34 View Post
There's more than just the Katy Trail! And those obesity stats are useless if you're including the entire 7 million Metroplex. The OP was wondering about the health conscious culture of "Dallas," not Plano, Fort Worth, Arlington, etc.
Ok, I'll get a little more granular then - but you're not gonna like it. According to this Dallas County is one of the least healthy in the Metroplex. The healthiest? The county you seem to dislike the most - Collin. The home of Plano, Frisco, and McKinney is healthier than Dallas County (and by their metrics is the healthiest county in the entire state).

Quote:
Originally Posted by DTXman34 View Post
Did you even live in Uptown or any of the neighborhoods within 5-10 miles from Downtown?
I lived in Denton County and had a side gig near Turtle Creek for a few years. So no, I didn't live "inside the ring." That being said, I'm sure I'll be mocked accordingly.

Last edited by bluescreen73; 04-05-2016 at 09:12 PM..
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Old 04-05-2016, 10:08 PM
 
2,134 posts, read 2,097,450 times
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Originally Posted by bluescreen73 View Post
Ok, I'll get a little more granular then - but you're not gonna like it. According to this Dallas County is one of the least healthy in the Metroplex. The healthiest? The county you seem to dislike the most - Collin. The home of Plano, Frisco, and McKinney is healthier than Dallas County (and by their metrics is the healthiest county in the entire state).



I lived in Denton County and had a side gig near Turtle Creek for a few years. So no, I didn't live "inside the ring." That being said, I'm sure I'll be mocked accordingly.
My point was you were citing rather broad stats in a metro of over 7 million. I wasn't trying to say that Plano had a higher obesity rate than Dallas. Dallas County also includes Irving, Garland, Mesquite, Desoto, etc. Dallas city alone has around 1.2 million and most of the southern half of the city (south of I-30) has abysmal poverty rates and is literally a retail and health food desert. I wouldn't be surprised if that area has high obesity rates. The OP appears to be in his 20s and is most likely looking for areas of Dallas with people his age that are health conscious (whether that be for social reasons or dating). A few posters, including myself, have indicated that there's a large concentration of young, single, and health conscious types within the 635 loop, particularly north of I-30.

Working in a place isn't necessarily the same experience as living in one. Turtle Creek is not like Denton County. Heck, Turtle Creek isn't even like Deep Ellum, even though it is way closer to there than Denton County. Denton is a nice town though with UNT there.

Last edited by DTXman34; 04-05-2016 at 10:52 PM..
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Old 04-05-2016, 11:04 PM
 
537 posts, read 593,134 times
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If you're into physical fitness, you'll fit in well in Dallas. There's not much in the way of good outdoor activities (and what is there has been posted already), but adult athletic activities here are pretty big. Sometimes it almost seems like half the men between the ages of 20 and 40 here body build (so fair warning to any single guys - you'll have a lot of competition here!). Crossfit, martial arts, powerlifting, yoga, etc are all very big here.

Dallas county is generally less healthy simply because it's a less affluent county than Collin and Denton county, but the middle class and youth in Dallas county tend to be very health conscious.
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