I grew up in Dallas, so I love getting to be a “hostess” for my hometown. I hope this page will give you some ideas of what you can do while you’re there, whether it’s for a weekend or a long-term basis.
Out And About in the City
- The Park: I’m so jealous they put this in after I moved away. This park is a giant, green oasis in the middle of downtown. They created a pedestrian walkway through the arts district, linking together the Nasher Sculpture Center (one of my favorite museums), the Dallas Museum of Art, the new opera house, and some super-trendy lofts they’re building at one end. The Park also includes two botanical gardens, “oak groves,” a restaurant/eatery area, a children’s garden, and several performance areas and stages for events.
- Nasher Sculpture Center: As I mentioned in the paragraph above, this is one of my favorite museums. The building itself is beautiful: a specially designed ceiling lets in natural light, making it “green” as well as providing better lighting for the artwork. But in addition to a lovely, inviting setting, the collection of art is impressive (it includes works by Giacometti, Claes Oldenberg, Jeff Koons, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol and Picasso, just to name a few).
Shopping
- Northpark Center: They updated this entire mall a couple of years ago. New stores (Urban Outfitters, American Eagle, Delia’s, Lush, and a really cool green energy store called Current Energy) offer a plethora of options. And to recharge, you can visit the upscale food court (they have Paciugo’s Gelato there) or watch a movie (this is my favorite theater in Dallas because it’s clean and has lots of screens, so therefore lots of options… plus, it has the fold-up armrests
). - Mockingbird Station: A trendy, small outdoor shopping area. Shops include chains, like Gap, Victoria’s Secret and Starbucks as well as a couple of boutique shops. There are a couple of restaurants and a Coldstone here, too. And, the DART Rail has a stop here! So you can be green while you shop in style.
