Top Ten Things to Do in Dallas, Texas
Lots of people like to say Dallas is boring and that Austin is more fun. You're entitled to your opinion but you're wrong and I hate you. Dallas has feelings, too.
{This doesn’t really include shopping because I didn’t shop in Dallas.}
Klyde Warren Park + the DMA. First off Klyde Warren has a DOG PARK! It also has tons of happy arts students from the art high school right down the street, and tons of food trucks. There’s often live music, too. Spend an afternoon here eating, walking, petting puppies, and play frisbee. It’s a lot of fun and not expensive. Then you can cross the street and go to the DMA, or the Nasher Sculpture Garden; this area is considered the Dallas Arts District.
White Rock Lake! You can walk around it, bike around it or—the most fun part—canoe! This spots also great for picnics with your friends and family. There’s a lot do around this area, as well, like the Buffalo Exchange clothing store across the street. This is considered East Dallas.
The Angelika Film Center. My absolute favorite movie theater hands down, bar none. It will have my heart forever. This place plays the most beautiful, obscure films that you never knew you needed in your life. There’s also a location in Plano, a suburb just outside and north of the city.
Dallas Botanical Gardens, which is located right near the White Rock Lake. There was a Chihuly exhibit here in 2012. It was fabulous. They also do amazing breathtaking Christmas shows. These gardens are just wonderful: highly recommended for the plant enthusiasts in your life.
Deep Ellum! The bars. The art. The food. I once went to a Tamale Festival in Deep Ellum and let me tell you, those were some amazing tamales! I used to like to go to Lizard Lounge when I lived in Dallas; but it’s only fun if you’re into dancing to EDM music. For more mainstream/less sweaty bars, there’s Prophet Bar and Black Swan Saloon.
Catch a show at the HOB in Dallas. There’s something for everyone here: burlesque shows, huge national bands, and small underground artists, too. Plus, it’s less expensive than other major cities and parking is way easier. There’s just something I love at the House of Blues, Dallas.
Bar Hop in Lower Greenville. There’s lots of bright eyed, bushy tailed yuppies who are friendly and fun to drink with! Also there’s great food down here, too, like Velvet Taco, which serves gourmet tacos to hipsters in man buns. I would just like to note that Lower Greenville is not considered Uptown…It’s a bit more dressy + expensive in Uptown, so I never went out in Uptown personally.
Go on a coffee adventure (my favorite kind of adventure) My personal favorite is Crooked Tree, which is in this lovely, quaint house from the 1920s. There’s lots of studious, friendly people there and some coffee snobs, too. But that happens in fancy coffee houses and…it happens in Uptown sometimes. There’s also a place called Coffee House Café but that’s on the outskirts of the city, close to UTDallas.
Catch a show at the Winspear Opera House, which is located in the Dallas Arts District. Not everything there is Opera; one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen was here. The Dallas Opera is located just across from the Klyde Warren Park and is one of the main blood vessels in the heart of Dallas, plus it’s a dramatic blood red.
OK so technically I haven’t done number ten, but I hear it’s a MUST….Bishop Arts District. I never got to explore here before I moved, but there’s tons of trendy dining and shopping, just like Deep Ellum and Uptown.
This is included because it’s not technically in Dallas, but it's very fun….Rangers Games! They’re located in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys stadium is out there, too. Be just beware, this is not Dallas. It’s about 45 minutes from Dallas. It is very hot at Rangers games, too so be very careful not to have a heat stroke.
