Guide to Dallas

If you’ve had occasion to visit Dallas in the past, unless it was on a business trip, it’s likely you skipped downtown altogether.

For years the area’s had the feel of a cemetery. Its visitors mostly wore dark suits, tall landmarks marked the passing of corporate tenants, and a living soul was rarely seen after dark.

However, standing in the middle of Pegasus Park on the north side of the Magnolia Hotel, you might get the impression that this part of Dallas is rising from the dead.

Across Main Street, Jeroboam, one of Dallas’ newest restaurants offering modern French cuisine, occupies the bottom floor of the historic Kirby Building, the former home of A. Harris and Co. A great place to stop for an upscale lunch or a nice dinner, this “urban brasserie” is well on its way to becoming Dallas’ signature restaurant like Morton’s in Chicago.

Perhaps you’re looking for a more laid back dining experience? Head down the street to Stone Street Gardens, the centerpiece of this urban renewal. A pedestrian mall with tastefully landscaped red-brick walkways that amble past potted light posts, the gardens make a laid-back, yet still stylishly urban setting for outdoor eating. There you’ll find Campisi’s, a Dallas original, offering a thin crust pizza to end all.

For a bit of post-ingestion shopping, turn the corner onto Elm and check out Mark & Larry’s Stuff. As these purveyors of trendy knick-knacks will tell you, items such as the hand-shaped chair and the martini glass lamp with a red olive bulb are not things you need for decorating that room in the residence halls or new apartment, but they sure do look cool.

For shopping that’s always in style, don’t miss the flagship Neiman Marcus store still in its original building at 1618 Main St.

While many of these attractions may exceed the confines of a typical student budget, the area is a great place to spend an afternoon with the folks.

But once they’ve hit the road, come back downtown at night. Spots like Euphoria, the urban pioneer’s outpost for sushi and dancing and the swank Metropolitan bar are drawing people onto the downtown streets in record numbers.

And that long line of leather and exposed flesh? They’re waiting to get in to Umlaut, an under-ground nightclub where Dallas’ young and beautiful mimic the big-city feel of clubs like Harry’s Velvet Room in Chicago.

So eat, drink and dance through the night until it’s time to head back north in the hazy glow of thumping bass beats and headlights reflected off pavement. There’s still more to do downtown, tomorrow!