Dallas Like You Never Seen Before On a Dreary Winter day, The Good, Bad, & Ugly.

ChrisLA · #1 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 2:05 PM**

Here is the first of two threads on my recent visit to Dallas. These are mostly from my journey on a trip via the commuter rail (Trinty Express) to Fort Worth to visit a relative.

Okay, here I'm heading out the door from my cousin's cozy and warm home in the city of Dallas. Yes that is my laptop.

My employers new HQ. A recent move from Detroit, isnt she pretty

Dead Mans Curve

The start of my trip from Union Station. I just remember it was so freaking cold and windy I could barely put the cash in the machine to purchase my ticket. Only $2.50 to Fort Worth, man thats the cheapest of any commuter rail anywhere

It doesn't take long before its began to sprawl. In defense for Dallas there was a dense corridor on my left, but I was on the wrong side of the train to capture this . The other side had plenty of highrises along what I believe was the I35 corridor. Actually its quite impressive from the freeway coming into the city from DFW Airport.

These are the same model double decker train I was on. Pretty much simlar to the ones in Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Yep its true. They make everything big in Texas as you'll see in the next few photos

Ah Fort Worth there you are.

The next few photos are of some brownstones in the suburbs just outside Fort Worth in a city name South Lake. Probably the best I've seen outside the NYC & Chicago region. Just a mere $800,000 in 3600 sq feet, elavator, and a guess studio apartment above the garage. You can't get something for this cheap, not even in inexpensive Chicago

The Next Day with Downtown Fort Worth in the background. Again some recent development in the area. For some odd reason my cousin thought seeing how inexpensive these homes are this would convince me to move there. NOT!

My room (guest) at the relatives house of course, not bad.

Yes the one and only.

The relatives neighborhood in a new suburb.

Heading back to Dallas. Next up Part 2, bright sunny days ahead. Also more of downtown Dallas, the north side of the city, and even some from the hood

Chelsea Spy · #2 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 2:35 PM**

Very interesting tour, really enoyed it, thanks! I like those handsome brownstones, otherwise a lot of sprawl... those suburban mansions are the residential equivalent of an SUV... oversized and unnecessary! And all those out of town retail strips... why why why??? A Starbucks surrounded by a parking lot is surely the antithesis of a real cafe culture.

MobyLL · #3 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 3:55 PM**

Hey Chris, thanks for the photos... i love tours like this!

I hate McMansion sprawl in general, but I gotta think even those that like it would find this fugly -- the mixture of brick at different angles with the rock (faux rock?) is just awful. Hope it's not your relatives place

.

boden · #4 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 4:59 PM**

Your cousin's place is to die for. Post was pretty good too! Thanks!

Evergrey · #5 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 5:50 PM**

Comerica's new HQ looks snazzy. How does it compare to the old HQ?

I love how all these suburban McMansions try to look like their own village with all the crazy roof designs. Disgusting.

ChrisLA · #6 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 6:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Comerica's new HQ looks snazzy. How does it compare to the old HQ?

I've never been to the one in Detroit, but I heard it was pretty nice. I did get to tour the inside of the one in Dallas. The interior is very nice, and you can tell a lot of money was spent on the building. It was once Bank One, and then Chase (they moved across the street). About the only complaint I've heard was the sigh is too small on top of the building. But nothing can be done about it because there is only a limited amount of space to put one.

ChrisLA · #7 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 6:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobyLL

Hey Chris, thanks for the photos... i love tours like this!

I hate McMansion sprawl in general, but I gotta think even those that like it would find this fugly -- the mixture of brick at different angles with the rock (faux rock?) is just awful. Hope it's not your relatives place

.

Although one of my cousins have a big home, its not this one. I did hear one of my relatives who moved to Dallas from the bay area home is about this big. I didn't make it over to their house, but I guess they made out like a fat cat when they sold their home in the SF Bay Area.

ColDayMan · #8 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 10:15 PM**

My mom just moved to Dallas (southern portion of Grand Prairie) and when I went to Dallas, she basically moved into an area that is very similar to those "McMansions" you posted.

SLO · #9 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 10:36 PM**

Great shots. Dallas/Ft Worth can be intoxicating as a relocation area, there are many pluses, but sounds like your are grounded to LA, which has many pluses as well....price not being one of them though.
I hope you made a tour of downtown Fort Worth as well, lots of good stuff happening there....
and FYI, those arent the big houses, they get much bigger and more elaborate than that....

ChrisLA · #10 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 10:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

My mom just moved to Dallas (southern portion of Grand Prairie) and when I went to Dallas, she basically moved into an area that is very similar to those "McMansions" you posted.

Yeah I've been to Grand Prairie a couple times, I have a nephew who dad's sister lives there near Joe Pool Lake. Most people seem to live very well in the metro. Still there are some ghettos, and some are pretty bad looking. I do wish I had time to get photos of south Dallas. There are some projects there that remind me of army barracks. Its some of the weirdest projects I've seen. I did capture some parts of the hood, but really its more blue collar than it is a hard core hood, but mosty decent ranch style homes.

downtownpdx · #11 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 10:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelsea Spy

all those out of town retail strips... why why why??? A Starbucks surrounded by a parking lot is surely the antithesis of a real cafe culture.

Welcome to an auto-dependent society, where even going for a latte can be like going to McDonald's.

Starbucks even has drive-throughs, so you don't have to leave your car and be exposed to other people.

ChrisLA · #12 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 10:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLO

Great shots. Dallas/Ft Worth can be intoxicating as a relocation area, there are many pluses, but sounds like your are grounded to LA, which has many pluses as well....price not being one of them though.
I hope you made a tour of downtown Fort Worth as well, lots of good stuff happening there....
and FYI, those arent the big houses, they get much bigger and more elaborate than that....

Yes I'm grounded for now, but Dallas would be one of the cities I'll consider. That is if anything happens where I could no longer could afford to live in LA. My biggest problem I would hate is the summer heat. Fall, and Winter seem to be pleasant with some cold spells here and there. But hey I survived Fresno heat for 5 years, so I guess I could manage.

I've been trying to talk my sister and her husband to consider moving there, but I'm not sure if they willing to leave friends and family. I also have an aunt who's been thinking long and hard about making the move now thats she's semi retired. The city does have a lot to offer for sure, it seems to be a progressive city. Plus the folks I know who made the move like living there, but will still say they miss many things about southern california.

ChrisLA · #13 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 10:59 PM**

Hey I'm surprised no one caught that club in the back ground. My little cousin who's in college claims she patronized the Ghetto Club (what a name) many times. Her father claim he's been there a time or two when he was younger.
Well I have yet to go, but I doubt it since my clubbing days done.

SLO · #14 Posted **Jan 6, 2008, 11:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

Yes I'm grounded for now, but Dallas would be one of the cities I'll consider. That is if anything happens where I could no longer could afford to live in LA. My biggest problem I would hate is the summer heat. Fall, and Winter seem to be pleasant with some cold spells here and there. But hey I survived Fresno heat for 5 years, so I guess I could manage.

I've been trying to talk my sister and her husband to consider moving there, but I'm not sure if they willing to leave friends and family. I also have an aunt who's been thinking long and hard about making the move now thats she's semi retired. The city does have a lot to offer for sure, it seems to be a progressive city. Plus the folks I know who made the move like living there, but will still say they miss many things about southern california.

Summer in Texas is much worse than Fresno......sorry to say....

TXLove · #15 Posted **Jan 7, 2008, 12:19 AM**

great extensive tour, look foward to more!

Tex1899 · #16 Posted **Jan 7, 2008, 12:59 AM**

My name is Sam Bass, won't you buy me a whiskey
For I have a sad story to tell
About a young man who delivered his companion
Straight to those fiery gates of hell
Just to save himself from a prison cell.

KevinFromTexas · #17 Posted **Jan 7, 2008, 1:25 AM**

Cool tour. But no downtown Fort Worth?!

Was this by any chance in South Dallas in the Oak Cliff area? This shot and the next look familiar.

giallo · #18 Posted **Jan 7, 2008, 4:18 AM**

Nice tour.
Looks like Dallas has some decent infill projects going up downtown. Is condo construction more and more common in Dallas these days? I gotta say, it was a pleasant surprise to see.

pip · #19 Posted **Jan 7, 2008, 6:02 AM**

nice compresensive tour. good to see. I'm looking foward to part two

ChrisLA · #20 Posted **Jan 7, 2008, 10:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Cool tour. But no downtown Fort Worth?! Was this by any chance in South Dallas in the Oak Cliff area? This shot and the next look familiar.

Kevin
Sorry not this time. I did take the train into downtown Fort Worth, but it was way too cold and windy to walk around. I just waited inside the train station for my cousin to pick me up.

To answer the other question regarding the photo below. No this is in East Dallas in a neighborhood called Pleasant Grove. Its not that far from the suburb Mesquite off of The 30 Expressway. Oakcliff could be reach via Loop 12, I did it once and it was a long drive. The best way from what I was told was I75 towards downtown and then onto 35.

The below shot was taken in the same neighborhood along the stretch of Bruton Road going towards I75. Behind all that vegetation is a golf course (Grover C Keeton Golf Course) and some of it also looks like wetlands to me. Once you enter I75 you're heading west and will go through parts of South Dallas after you go around Dead Man's Curve and go turns and head north.

Quote: