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Dallas is the most mythical
city in Texas, with a
past and present rich
in all the stuff of which
American legends are made.
In the materially minded
USA, Dallas stands tall
as a paragon of conspicuous
consumption, a city known
for its business acumen,
its restaurants and its
shopping.
Endlessly and notoriously preoccupied with growth and status, the 'Big D' is also famous for its contributions to popular culture - from the Dallas Cowboys football team and its cheerleaders to the long-running Dallas television soap opera.
When To Go
Dallas' summers are hot and its winters cool, making spring and autumn months the best times to visit. Spring and autumn are also the peaks of the festival season in Dallas and neighbouring towns, offering hearty Texan helpings of art, barbecue, music, rodeo and tall tales.
Places to See
A presidential assassination and a TV series are Dallas' main tourist attractions. Those not yet obsessed with conspiracies of the JFK or JR Ewing variety can check out the Cotton Bowl stadium, Texas State Fair and the art deco wonders of the 111ha (277-acre) Fair Park.
Dallas has something like 5000 restaurants serving up everything from lightning-speed sushi to langourous, multi-course fine dining. You'll find the main restaurant strips in Uptown, on Greenville Ave northeast of downtown, and in the hipster-haven of Deep Ellum.
Places to Sleep
If you're on the hunt for a bargain, you may be tempted by the dives on Fort Worth Ave, but they aren't particularly clean or friendly, so try to spring for a standard chain instead. The best areas to stay are Downtown and Uptown, although these are also among the most expensive. Hotel tax in Dallas is 15%.
Places to Shop
Shopping in Dallas is varied and plentiful; you can flit from dime-store craft shops to the high-end designer clothes emporiums. For serious mall action there's Northpark Mall or the Galleria. Head to Highland Park Village for Prada and Chanel, the West Village for fashion's hippest, and Knox and Henderson Sts for chic antiques.
Transport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is one of the world's busiest airports, with more than 2000 scheduled flights arriving or leaving daily from an airfield bigger than Manhattan island. Most flights are to other US cities, but there are also many Canadian, Mexican and European connections. Love Field (DAL), the area's secondary airport, is served almost exclusively by regional US carriers.
DFW is 26km (16mi) northwest of Dallas; Love Field is 11km (7mi) northwest of the city. Buses, shuttles and taxis run between the airports and the city, and car rentals are available.
Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains will get you overland to Dallas. |
