Instagram-Worthy Spots

We’ve rounded up the best locations around the Dallas Region for your Insta-opportunities that are sure to be part of your weekend bucket list.

  • Pegasus

    In 1934, this brilliant neon Pegasus icon was on the top of the headquarters of the Magnolia Oil Co., which was the tallest building in Dallas for years.  The red Pegasus stayed lit atop the Magnolia building until 1999 and was replaced by a shiny new version that was lit January 2000.  The original Pegasus was hidden in storage until 2015, when it was renovated and placed in front of the Omni Dallas Hotel downtown.  Today, Dallasites are obsessed with this winged horse and consider it as a symbol for the city.

  • White Rock Lake

    White Rock Lake is located in the northeast Dallas Lakewood neighborhood.  You can’t go wrong with this bike pedestrian trail and water oasis; it’s a great Instagram spot with lots of action. Bonus points if you can capture this beauty at sunset with the Dallas skyline as a backdrop.

  • The Purple Door

    The elusive purple door is a hotspot for pictures in downtown Denton. It’s basically a vibrant purple door halfway up a concrete wall with a ladder leading up to it.  The door is located in an alley on the south side of McKinney Street between Elm and Locust.  Keep an eye out for Dan Black’s amazing mural incorporating plant life while your there.  This spot does have local business parking, so you may have to shoot around cars. Thanks to @theprincesstino, who made it over to the purple door.

  • Klyde Warren Park

    Klyde Warren Park is a 5.2-acre urban green space built over the recessed Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Pearl and St. Paul streets in downtown Dallas.  The park is a picturesque central gathering space for Dallasites that always has something going on, whether it be food trucks, festivals or yoga – this place is totally Instagram worthy.

  • Melt Ice Creams

    Located in Fort Worth (1201 W. Magnolia Ave), this bright, cozy ice cream parlor serving creative flavor combos with vegan varieties is one of the most recognizable locations on and off Instagram.  Its bright yellow exterior makes for a great backdrop for your ice cream, one scoop at a time.

  • Graffiti Art Murals

    Just east of Downtown Dallas, Deep Ellum is an eclectic entertainment district with a funky style comprising avant-garde shops, nightclubs, art galleries, restaurants, and loft and apartment developments. The area is a hotspot to capture the perfect picture at one of the many graffiti art wall murals that are scattered throughout the neighborhood.

  • SODA Bar

    Grab your camera…er iphone…and head over to the NYLO Dallas South Side located in the South Side neighborhood of Dallas.  The hotel’s rooftop SODA Bar has stunning views of downtown Dallas and spectacular infinity rooftop pool.

  • The Star

    The Star is a 91-acre premier sports and entertainment district north of Dallas in Frisco that hosts the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys. The campus immerses fans from across the globe in the Cowboys experience, giving them an inside look into the entire operation of America’s Team.

  • Traveling Man

    A trio of statues known as the Traveling Man are spread across the Deep Ellum neighborhood east of downtown Dallas. Whether you’re looking for an Awakening, Waiting for a Train or Walking Tall, we think this Traveling Man born of polished stainless steel sheets and assembled with rivets is a ‘gram worthy shot.

  • Reunion Tower GeO-Deck

    Both tourists and Dallasites love traveling 470 feet in the air to Reunion Tower GeO-Deck.  It’s hard to resist taking pictures from this iconic landmark with the most awesome view of Dallas.

  • Mandalay Canal Walk at Las Colinas

    This old European-style waterway with cobblestone walkways and lined with shops and restaurants is located along Lake Carolyn in Irving/Las Colinas. It’s a peaceful gathering spot for those wanting to take a walk through a winding canal and capture that interesting shot.

  • Eye

    The 30-foot tall Eye is resting in a lush garden outside the Joule Hotel in downtown Dallas Main Street District. Multimedia artist Tony Tasset modeled Eye after his own, constructing it of fiberglass, and insisting that the work is meaningless. If you want to capture this beauty, it’s hard to miss: just head down to 1607 Main Street.



Denton

City of Denton

The City of Denton is a vibrant and growing community with many opportunities, no matter what your interest or passion. You’re free to be whoever you are in a friendly atmosphere with a small town vibe that’s just a short drive away from the big city. Denton’s educated and creative residents value sustainability and collaboration, as evident in the city’s cutting-edge practices, vibrant art and music scene, and popular hot spots and events. With two universities and more than 50,000 students, two hospitals, an industrial district, and a lively downtown and entrepreneurial community, Denton is one of the top 25 fastest-growing cities in the country and was ranked the No. 1 Best Small Town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today in 2012.

City of Denton

 



Oak Cliff

Bishop Arts Hidden Gems Feature: Potpourri Boulangerie - click to read our review!

After being settled in 1837 by William H. Hord, the Oak Cliff neighborhood was initially known as Hord’s Ridge. Some 50 years later, the community was thriving to the point that developers Thomas L. Marsalis and John S. Armstrong decided to purchase the land and turn it into a residential area. The name Oak Cliff was chosen, largely, because of the massive oak trees and rolling hills that were once this neighborhood’s trademark. When mentioning Oak Cliff today, most are referring to North Oak Cliff, but the district actually encompasses four unique sections—and a huge amount of real estate.

North Oak Cliff
People here are proud to represent a convergence of artists, musicians, and culture-rich, Hispanic communities. While it’s one of the older neighborhoods, in recent years, the area has seen quite the resurgence. Renovations to the Bishop Arts District and several historic districts like Kessler Park, with its hills and Tudor-style homes, and Winnetka Heights, with Prairie and Craftsman-style houses, spurred the launch of independent restaurants and shops around family-owned Mexican restaurants and mercados. It strives to retain its open-minded, diverse character in the midst of its new popularity. It’s also home to the infamous Texas Theatre, where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for shooting President John F. Kennedy.

Stevens Park Golf Course just saw a complete redesign by architect John Colligan and is open for public golfing. Kidd Springs Park offers walking trails and lots of outdoor opportunities.

East Oak Cliff
East Oak Cliff is home to the Dallas Zoo, plus two of the top 10 high schools in the nation—The School for the Talented and Gifted and the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. Just-completed Lancaster Urban Village, across from the VA Hospital, is part of the increased development encouraged by the city.

Southeast Oak Cliff
This is a haven of education with the campuses of both recently expanded University of North Texas at Dallas and Paul Quinn College. Big plans are in the works for the areas surrounding these schools.

Central Oak Cliff
Wynnewood North, named the Dallas Observer’s “Dallas’ Best Neighborhood” in 2012, is prized for its mid-century houses on gently sloping hills. The 263-acre Kiest Park is full of sports options. Oak Cliff Nature Preserve offers eight miles of trails.



That’s Entertainment

Dallas is an entertainment field of dreams. You can start with the 75-acre master-planned development that is Victory Park — packed with trendy shops and restaurants like the House of Blues; The W Hotel; and American Airlines Center, home of the Mavericks and the Stars, as well as a concert venue extraordinaire — and move on to McKinney Avenue, which teems at night with hordes of pretty people going from hot spot to hot spot stretching from The Rattlesnake Bar at The Ritz-Carlton to The Magnolia Theatre in the West Village. For something a little more laid-back (but no less entertaining), hit Greenville Avenue for its funky shops, rooftop bars, and live music at the historic Granada Theater; or bop around Bishop Arts, Oak Cliff’s repository of everything cool and home to some of Dallas’ most sought-after restaurants (Hattie’s, Lockhart Smokehouse, Lucia, Oddfellows, Stock & Barrel — to name just a few) and bars.

Beyond Dallas the suburbs have more than their fair share of things to do, too. Plano’s Shops at Legacy brims with boutique shopping, best-in-class restaurants and bars, and the Angelika Film Center, while Frisco Square has Cinemark Next Gen-XD Theater, Toyota Stadium, and amenities such as the Black Box Theatre at Frisco Discovery Center. The Toyota Music Factory is a 410,000 square feet, 16.7 acre, American entertainment complex located in the Las Colinas neighborhood of Irving, Texas. But we’re only scratching the surface here; there’s so much more to explore.

Entertainment Districts

1. Bishop Arts District: In this mecca of everything artisanal, visitors admire the cacophony of colored homes, enjoy open mic nights, discover antique furniture, snack on custom-baked pies and sip on coffee, or watch a blues band serenade the streets.

2. Trinity Groves: This recently developed center of living, dining and shopping which lies just over the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge prides itself on its ‘incubation’ concept, as restaurateurs contribute to its always-changing eclectic dining.

3. Design District: The city’s big businesses tower over Downtown Dallas, while smaller cultural spaces hold attractions such as the Dallas Museum of Art or Klyde Warren Park, an urban park with food trucks, rolling grass, and children and adults alike enjoying outdoor fun.

4. Victory Park: Neon skylights shine above when the Mavericks or Stars win a game; nearby, the Perot Museum of Science frequently opens new exhibits, the House of Blues bustles with young Dallasites when it hosts concerts, and trendy restaurants often have winding lines down the block.

5. Downtown Dallas: The city’s big businesses tower over Downtown Dallas, while smaller cultural spaces hold attractions such as the Dallas Museum of Art or Klyde Warren Park, an urban park with food trucks, rolling grass, and children and adults alike enjoying outdoor fun.

6. The West End: This crossroads of history and progress in Downtown Dallas houses shops and eateries where Native Americans once dwelled and trading posts stood, and JFK’s legacy lives on in The Sixth Floor Museum. Today well-established developers and downtown stakeholders are driving the creation of an innovation district and Smart City pilot project.

7. South Side: The country converges here for events at the Dallas Convention Center; local life is also celebrated in shops and retail, including famous Texan bar and venue Gilley’s, full of leather, music and Southern charm.

8. Deep Ellum: One of Dallas’ most beloved historic areas, it once was full of Model T Ford factories and early jazz and blues musicians; its innovative and bright past is reflected in today’s art and music festivals, rowdy nightlife, and colorful wall murals galore.

9. Uptown: Dallas’ playground for younger crowd includes West Village’s independent theater and trendy shops; The Rustic, an outdoor restaurant and music venue hybrid; and the city’s biggest nightlife scene.

10. Oak Lawn: Once known as being Dallas’ counterculture neighborhood, Oak Lawn now houses young professionals and established families alike. The area also retains its spirit of liberalism in its celebrated and large LGBT community.

11. Knox-Henderson: Named for the intersection streets with the same name, this neighborhood boasts luxe home stores and old Dallas landmarks to modern restaurants and trendy boutiques. The Katy Trail, a manmade tree-shaded running path, travels through Knox-Henderson and continues for miles.

12. Highland Park Village: This small outdoor high-end shopping center houses luxe shops, delicious food and a charming old theater.

13. Mockingbird Station: Just steps from a DART stop, this intersection of living and shopping is home to an independent theater, retail, and high-rise lofts.

14. Greenville Avenue: Dallas’ destination for hip young adults is always busy with its unique mix of rooftop bars, bohemian shops, and natural food stores.

15. North Park/The Shops at Park Lane: North Park Center, full of upscale stores and chains alike, is one of Dallas’ biggest shopping destinations. Across the highway are The Shops at Park Lane, featuring outlet stores, specialty restaurants, a modern bowling alley, and high-rise apartments.

16. Galleria: North Dallas’ massive mall includes dozens of specialty, chain, and department stores, and is topped with an expansive glass ceiling. Aside from shopping, it’s a popular hangout, too — favorites include its ice rink and its large food court.

17. Firewheel Town Center: Garland’s multi-age outdoor shopping center features rows of brick shops and restaurants circling a fountain area.

18. The Harbor at Rockwall and Rockwall Commons: On the East side of Lake Ray Hubbard, this waterfront property houses numerous shops that face vast waters and often hosts festivals and events.

19. Cedar Hill Uptown Village: Cedar Hill’s main shopping area is an open-air town-style shopping center, with in-ground fountains, and sculptures posed throughout.

20. Arlington Highlands/The Parks: Arlington’s main shopping area is Arlington Highlands, where visitors meander through roads and brightly colored shops for a true shopping stroll. At the nearby shopping center The Parks, visitors can enjoy an ice rink and mall classics.

21. Downtown Arlington: The city’s epicenter is marked by a sense of culture —  find musicians, festivals, independently owned bars and restaurants, and more as you walk through a mix of antiquated and modern architecture.

22. Arlington Entertainment District: From Cowboys Stadium to Six Flags amusement park, families flock here for innumerable ways to have Texas-sized fun.

23. Sundance Square: Located in the heart of downtown Fort Worth, adults can enjoy the sunny space’s concerts, tiny shops, and dining, while children cool down in the spray of its famed fountains.

24. Fort Worth Cultural District: Art museums stand proud Fort Worth’s cultural district, which also boasts opera festivals, community Shakespeare productions, and street artists galore..

25. West Seventh Street District: This Fort Worth favorite has grown tenfold in recent years, with both local and big-name stores taking root as well as a vivacious dining scene with ever-changing hot spots.

26. Historic Stockyards: The Stockyards in Fort Worth are a tidbit of the Wild West, where pioneers once stopped for their last bit of fuel for a cross-country journey. Today, visitors can go to a rodeo, shop for Southwestern blankets, or take in a country concert at Billy Bob’s, a true Texan line-dancing, mechanical-bull-riding venue.

27. Historic Downtown Grapevine: Walk down Main Street where history, from popular wine-tasting rooms to a vintage railroad, is preserved for culturally savvy adults to enjoy.

28. Flower Mound Parker Square: Flower Mound’s small specialty shopping area is packed with restaurants and stores you won’t find anywhere else.

29. Historic Downtown Denton: University of North Texas students flock here where the decades-old City Courthouse sits among old-fashioned ice cream parlors, modern art galleries, and live music.

30. Frisco Square: Families can enjoy a farmers’ market or live music in this constantly developing neighborhood that offers a small-town feel in an urban area.

31. Stonebriar Centre: Frisco’s biggest mall holds standard stores and features an ice rink at its center.

32. Legacy Town Center: Also known as The Shops at Legacy, this fan favorite contains both chain stores and unique shops as well as The Angelika, an independent theater.

33. Watters Creek: Allen’s outdoor mall is loved for its namesake creek that runs throughout the shopping center that is home to a vast selection of stores that echo the multi-age feel of the mall; children splash on the creek’s edge, while older crowds enjoy dining waterfront.

34. Addison Circle/Beltline Road: Named for its round traffic circle, this Addison destination provides convenient shopping options; nearby Beltline Road is home to Village on the Parkway, which has more stores and a bustling restaurant and bar and pub scene.

35. Old Downtown Carrollton: Pedestrians enjoy the charming antiquity of its old buildings containing small jewelers and boutiques, and ancient railroad tracks.

36. Southlake Town Square: This popular locale is a merging of an upscale shopping district and a family-friendly community area; its old brick buildings housing retailers surround a tree-filled park where festivals such as Oktoberfest are held.



Remarkable and Unique City

Name: Aurélie Thiele

City: Dallas

Neighborhood: Uptown

Company/Title: Southern Methodist University, Associate Professor

When did you move here? Where from?
July 2016, from Pennsylvania

Where else have you lived?
I was raised in Brussels, Belgium; went to college in Paris, France; lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for doctoral studies at MIT; and worked at a university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

What made you Say Yes to Dallas?
I wanted to go back to a big city with a booming economy and a thriving cultural scene.

How did you choose where to live in the Dallas Region?
My criteria were a short commute to work and a walkable neighborhood, while being close to city attractions. Uptown was perfect.

What is the one thing that you could have done to make your move easier?
I was lucky to find Dallas-based Arpin America to move me across the country. If I had to do the move again, I would have the movers do a full pack instead of a partial pack. They were so much more efficient than I.

How has your opinion of the Dallas Region changed since moving here?
I like Dallas even more now. Culture is really important for me, and I expected good cultural opportunities because I knew about the SMU Meadows School for Performing Arts, Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Symphony and the AT&T Performing Arts Center. I thought I’d miss New York City, where I would often go when I lived in Pennsylvania to catch a play, a concert or a Broadway show. It turns out I don’t miss New York at all. The arts in the Dallas Region have been spectacular.

I love how institutions such as the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Collection of Asian Art and the Kimbell in Fort Worth offer free year-round admission to their permanent collections. For a vibrant society, it’s important that everyone be exposed to culture, independent of financial ability to pay. And the excellent Dallas Symphony, led by New York-bound Jaap van Zweden, also has great ticket prices. It tells you a lot about an area when local institutions (helped by generous donations, obviously) make access one of their priorities. I like how so many local businesspeople have given back to the community.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to move here?
Don’t believe the clichés. Family members in Europe mentioned JFK’s assassination and the 1980s TV show when I told them about the job offer. They meant well, but those were the only two things they knew about Dallas. Acquaintances in the northeast said they’d never be able to move to such a conservative city. I think by that they meant judgmental — not realizing they were the ones passing judgment. But I have found Dallasites to be very welcoming. People haven’t asked me where I went to church or to which political party I belong — two things I had been warned I would surely be interrogated on as soon as I set foot in Texas. I’ve been stunned by how much of a gem Dallas is.

What is your passion, and how does Dallas help fulfill it?
I love everything creative. Dallas offers so many opportunities to be exposed to first-rate creative output. My passion is to write, and I have found the book-related events at the Dallas Museum of Art (Arts & Letters series) and the Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture to be inspirational. I also love art. It doesn’t get any better than having the Dallas Museum of Art, the SMU Meadows Museum, the Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Crow Collection of Asian Art nearby.

Professionally, I love making a difference. It’s exhilarating to teach SMU students; they’re bound for great things. I’m proud to make my own small contribution to that.

What would you miss most about the area if you had to leave?
I would miss the great quality of life: the restaurants, the performing arts events, the proximity to everything I like. And the people, too.

Tell us about the work environment here.
I love working at SMU. All the faculty and staff members I’ve met are committed to helping students become world changers who will cultivate principled thought, excel in their endeavors, and contribute to their communities. It’s one thing to have people tell you as much during the interview process, quite another to see it in action.

Where do you go and what do you do on the weekends or days off?
I usually go to a performing arts event at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, attend a panel discussion at the Nasher Sculpture Center or drop by the Dallas Museum of Art. I might catch a movie at the Angelika. On occasion, I go to the Bishop Arts District or White Rock Lake. At some point during the weekend, I try to catch up on Krys Boyd’s Think podcasts.

Where do you go to experience culture?
SMU Meadows School of Performing Arts, Dallas Museum of Art, Meyerson Symphony, Winspear Opera House, Wyly Theatre — I like everything creative.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Dive Dallas in Snider Plaza near SMU. Their salads and seafood are extraordinarily fresh and tasty. I also love True Food Kitchen, Mesero, Meso Maya, Bolsa Mercado and Terra Mediterranean Grill in Irving for their weekday buffet. For upscale celebrations, nothing beats Flora Street Café, across the street from the Meyerson Symphony Center. It’s worthy of a Michelin star.

What is your favorite festival/event?
Anything happening at the SMU Meadows School for the Performing Arts is my favorite event of the moment.

Where do you like to shop? Why?
I usually do my shopping online, but NorthPark is the most beautiful mall I’ve ever seen and the art on display is outstanding.

Who is your local hero? Why?
Ret. Chief David Brown of the Dallas Police Department, for his leadership

Do you travel often? Is it easier or harder to do here?
Dallas is at most three and a half hours by plane of any major city in the U.S. and is a hub for both American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. That’s hard to beat.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?
Dallas is uniquely positioned to become one of the main creative cities in the U.S. and a leading innovation hub, thanks to its mix of top universities, thriving companies across a wide span of industries, and great quality of life. I’m not sure if the people in Dallas realize how remarkable and unique the city is.

(And, thanks to Derrick Spencer of Lure Salon for styling my hair!)

Photo Credit:  Sarah Bradbury