Last week we spoke to Clare, a renter who lives in Dallas, and she gave us the details on her fine city.  Here, direct from Clare, the best things about living in “Big D”!

1. Youthful community

Clare’s favorite thing about living in Dallas is that she feels like she’s living in the center of a huge community of peers and there’s always more people to meet.  It’s a vibrant town that attracts young professionals from all over the country and all over the world to come together and settle there.  

And because they’re from everywhere and don’t necessarily have a deep network in the area already, folks who move to Dallas are always excited to meet new people and build new relationships.  Easy to make new and wonderful friends!

2. Great neighborhoods 

Lower Greenville was the first neighborhood on Clare’s mind as she thought about places to live in Dallas – she describes it as very new, up and coming and an arty community.  The nearby Uptown & Knox / Henderson areas bring a different vibe – much more like a downtown area, with lots of bars and restaurants and a college feel.

Further south and getting close to Dallas’ historic downtown is Deep Ellum, where many of us at Dwellsy have spent time over the years and which continues to be the place to bring out of town friends when they come to Dallas to visit, according to Clare.  Much less gritty than it used to be, but it still brings the nightlife that it’s always been known for.

The Bishop Arts district is another favorite of Clare’s.  She loves all the new restaurants and the down to earth feel in the neighborhood.  

3. Green spaces

While Clare is quick to share that Dallas doesn’t have as many green spaces as she might like, the ones she told us about sound wonderful.  She’s a big fan of the Katy Trail, which has both paved and soft trails for runners, cyclist and rollerbladers.  And, it looks like there’s tons of expansion plans for the trail to make it even more of an incredible resource for everyone in Dallas than it already is.

A little further outside of central Dallas, Clare also recommends White Rock Lake, a 1,000+ acre lake with trails, wetlands, dog parks, event facilities, kayak rentals and more.  Sounds like a great weekend destination to us!

4. The food

Even from all the way over here at Dwellsy HQ, we know about the food in Dallas.  They have an incredible restaurant scene, and Clare is an avid fan. While she could have gone deep on all of the great options there, she was good enough to pick her big three:

• Tex Mex.  All across Texas, Tex Mex and Mexican food are amazing, but in Dallas it’s been raised to an art form.  In Clare’s opinion, it’s hard to find bad Tex Mex options in Dallas.
• Sushi.  It’s a long way from the coast, but Dallas is a big hub city for the catch coming into the U.S. from all over the world and as a result, the access to great fish is remarkable and the sushi chefs of Dallas have made the most of that.
• Steakhouses.  We don’t know about you, but when all of us at Dwellsy think of food in Dallas, we think of the apex steakhouse culture.  Amazing steaks, delicious sides and every atmosphere you can imagine from fancy to super-relaxed.  

Clare did make a plea to the powers that be: apparently Dallas needs some more Italian options.  So, budding italian food restaurateurs – you’re on notice that Dallas and Clare could use your services!

5. Trinity Groves 

Continuing on the food theme, Clare filled us in on Trinity Groves, which sounded amazing to us!  Trinity Groves is a restaurant incubator – a place where new chefs and restaurateurs can get access to capital, a storefront and everything else they might need to help them launch a restaurant concept.  As a result, Trinity Groves has turned into an amazing restaurant destination. This place is booming with great ideas being tested and a range of wonderful experiences, all in one spot. Sounds like it’s worth a move to Dallas just for this!

6. Lakes and boating

If you’ve visited one of the Texas lakes, then you likely join Clare in her appreciation of boating.  Lake Ray Hubbard and Grapevine Lake are her favorites, and she recommends a little wakesurfing while you’re out enjoying the sun and water.    

7. Great getaways 

With so many friends and so much to do in Dallas, Clare doesn’t head out of town too often, but when she does, she recommends Enchanted Rock for hiking, Fredericksburg for wine country and Austin for more outdoorsy adventures.  Plus, she reminded us that Oklahoma is only about 90 minutes north of Dallas and has a ton of great hiking and some neat towns to explore.

Loving Dallas but not sure it’s the place for you? Consider taking a look at Austin and check out our other local guides here. The right home for you is out there, and we’ll help you find it.