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Dallas is a young city with all the vigour of youth. Effigies of modern architecture rise like glass trees out of the downtown area. In 1841, it was simply a plan of 20 streets on the 256 hectares (640 acres) of south central America, claimed by a Tennessee lawyer, John Neely Bryan. Today, it is the ninth largest city in the USA, and including its western neighbour of Fort Worth, it is the nation's fastest growing metropolitan area.

Dallas will always be remembered for one, if not two, shootings. The first and most shocking occurred on 22 November 1963, when President J F Kennedy was assassinated in downtown Dallas. The second shooting may only have been fictional but, when J R Ewing was shot by an unknown killer in the TV series Dallas, fans across the world were devastated.

Today the city is a mecca for dining, shopping, arts and entertainment. Large scale developments of urban lofts, apartments, condominiums, retail and both indoor and outdoor recreational facilities are springing up across the city. An impressive new Dallas Center for the Performing Arts opened in October 2009 to vie with New York's Lincoln Center.

Dallas offers true Southern hospitality, be it in a humble apartment or in the Mansion on Turtle Creek, recently ranked as one of the world's top hotels. And with a 10th of its workforce in the hospitality industry, Dallas is always a welcoming city.

Getting Around

Airport

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Tel: (972) 973 8888.
Website: www.dfwairport.com

The airport is 30km (18 miles) from Downtown Dallas, about 30 minutes by road. It has five passenger terminals (A, B, C, D and E) that carry around 60 million passengers per year. From here, any major US, Canadian or Mexican city is only four hours away.

Airport facilities: All the terminals are well served by a range of eating and drinking outlets, gift shops, bureaux de change, a barber's shop and ATMs. Of greatest interest are the retail shops, restaurants and spectacular art exhibitions inside the new, ultra-modern Terminal D, the international terminal. Tourist information is available, as are major car hire firms, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National and Thrifty.

Transport to the city: Visitors should remember that the Dallas-Fort Worth conurbation is locally referred to as the ‘Metroplex'. Taxis are found on the upper terminal level. All other ground transport is found on the lower level, where there is a general transport information office (tel: (972) 574 5878). Several shuttle services operate from the airport including Yellow Checker Shuttle (tel: (214) 841 1900 or (817) 267 5150; www.yellowcheckershuttle.com), City Shuttle (tel: (214) 760 1998; www.cityshuttle.net), SuperShuttle (tel: (817) 329 2000; www.supershuttle.com) and Suvana Dallas DFW Airport ShuttleService (tel: (267) 390 4122;  www.suvana.com/dfw-airport-shuttle.html). Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Fort Worth's The T provide rail service to the airport via the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) (tel: (214) 979 1111; www.trinityrailwayexpress.org), Monday to Saturday. A shuttle bus connects with the TRE station at CentrePort, five minutes from the airport. DART provides express service to Remote North Parking via bus 310 (tel: (214) 979 1111; www.dart.org). Many hotels operate their own courtesy shuttle service.

Dallas Love Field (DAL)
Tel: (214) 670 6073.
Website: www.dallas-lovefield.com

Located 10km (6 miles) from Downtown, this was the sole city airport until DFW opened in 1974. Today, it is a regional airport served by national airlines, including Southwest, American and Continental.

Airport facilities: These are limited to eating places and basic shops. Car hire is available from all the major providers, including Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National.

Transport to the city: All ground transport is found at the main terminal lobby and baggage-claim area. DART (tel: (214) 979 1111; www.dart.org) bus 539 goes to downtown Dallas 0600-2230. Taxis are also available. Several shuttle services operate from the airport, including City Shuttle (tel: (214) 760 1998; www.cityshuttle.net), SuperShuttle (tel: (800) 258 3826; www.supershuttle.com) and Yellow Checker Shuttle (tel: (972) 222 2000; www.yellowcheckershuttle.com).

Approximate flight times to Dallas: From London is 9 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 4 hours 15 minutes; from Los Angeles is 3 hours 15 minutes; from Toronto is 3 hours 35 minutes and from Sydney is 17 hours.

Trains

A good standard of service, with modern networks and rolling stock, is provided by Amtrak (tel: (214) 653 1101 or 1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com), which uses Union Station, 400 South Houston Street (tel: (214) 653 1101), on the western side of Downtown. Facilities are limited to a cafe, ATMs, vending machines and car hire.

Rail Services
The two major routes out of Dallas are northeast to Chicago and southwest to San Antonio with connections available to other destinations.

By Road

The motorway (interstate and freeway) network in America is very good. The general rule for numbering on US freeways and interstates is that the odd numbers go north-south and the even numbers go east-west over their whole length, although at any single, localised point it may seem different. Interstates are indicated by the letter 'I', while 'S' and 'L' stand for 'spur' and 'loop' respectively.

Driving is on the right. The speed limits on the different motorways can vary - the general maximum is 90kph (55mph) but some rural interstates allow limits of 110kph (70mph). Town residential areas can be as slow as 30kph (20mph), with specifically posted limits near schools. It is illegal to pass a yellow school bus when it is stationary with its lights flashing. It is possible to turn right on a red light, after stopping to check that it is clear, unless otherwise indicated. Seat belts are obligatory for front seat passengers. Prosecution for drunk-driving is severe. The maximum legal alcohol-to-blood ratio is 0.08%.

The minimum driving age is 16 years. A British driving licence is valid but a temporary International Driving Permit is also a good idea, as it carries a photograph. Third party insurance is mandatory, although it is highly recommended for driving visitors to ensure that they have adequate travel medical insurance, as the cost of medical treatment in the USA is huge. Petrol ('gas') is two to three times cheaper in the USA than it is in Europe. Virtually all petrol stations are open 24 hours a day on main roads and operate a prepay system, using a credit card at the pumps - otherwise, it is necessary to make yourself known to the cashier.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) (tel: 1 800 222 1333; www.aaa.com) provides information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries. It is necessary to report a serious accident to the authorities. To do so, call the Dallas Police (tel: (214) 744 4444). For any other traffic information, call the Dallas Police Traffic Unit (tel: (214) 670 6955).

Emergency breakdown services
AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357/AAA HELP).

Routes to the city
Dallas is encircled by a motorway link road - to the north and east it is the I-635 (the LBJ Freeway); to the south of the city, the east-west interstate is I-20; and to the west it is L-12 (north part) and S-20 (south part). Various interstates meet this beltway and pass on towards the city centre. The ones that go right across the city are the north-south I-35, which goes to Austin and San Antonio in the south, and the east-west I-30, which goes to Fort Worth in the west. The other major highways are US75 (the Central Expressway) from the north, the US67 from the southwest, the US80 from the east, the US175 and the I-45 from the southeast, which links to Houston.

Coach services
Greyhound Buses (tel: 1 800 231 2222; www.greyhound.com) operate out of the bus station at 205 South Lamar Street (tel: (214) 849 6831). The facilities are limited to a cafe, ATMs, vending machines and toilets with disabled access. Greyhound operates coaches throughout America.

Local Transport

Public Transport

It is impossible to enjoy Dallas without some form of transport, partly because the city is too spread out but also because the heat is oppressive for much of the year.

Public transport buses and trains are operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) authority (tel: (214) 979 1111; www.dart.org). The urban light railway and the commuter line, which are separate lines in the south and north, combine to form a single route in the downtown area. The system operates 0400-2400.

Bus tickets must be purchased with exact change in cash. Alternatively, prepaid tickets and day passes can be purchased from vending machines at the station. Day passes may be purchased in advance online at www.dart.org.
DART has joined forces with the volunteer-run McKinney Avenue Transit Authority to operate the historic M-Line Streetcar, providing free, daily transit service in downtown and to connect downtown with the uptown neighbourhood. Schedules and detailed route information are available (tel: (214) 979 1111 or (214) 855 0006; www.mata.org).

Taxis

Taxis operate 24 hours. Three of the main cab companies are Checker Cab and Yellow Cab, both at the same depot (tel: (214) 426 6262), and Terminal Cab (tel: (214) 350 4445). A tip of 10% is expected.

Driving in the City

Driving in downtown Dallas at the weekends is feasible for the visitor, since the streets are relatively quiet. Morning and evening rush hour in the week is just the opposite and very frustrating - this is to be avoided by anyone who isn't familiar with the city.

Downtown Dallas is essentially on a north-south grid layout, although north of Pacific Avenue, the grid is skewed slightly and angled more on a northwest-southeast axis. The same happens south of Young Street. Circling the whole Downtown is a freeway, known as the Central Expressway at the northeast corner and east side, the Thornton Freeway at the southern edge, becoming Stemmons Freeway up the west side and then Woodall Rogers across the northern edge.

There are three toll roads in Dallas. One is the North Tollway, which goes from Downtown up into Collin County. There are tolls at various points along it. Exact change is necessary and can be thrown into a wide coin-catching basket. Locals will have automatic toll smart-cards attached to their windscreens, so they appear to be going through without paying. The other toll road is the Mountain Creek Bridge in southwestern Dallas County. The third is the George Bush Turnpike, an east-west route across the northern suburbs, with Garland at the east end and Irving at the west.

There are meters and parking lots all over Downtown, which can be expensive, except at weekends. Visitors should read meters carefully as timings will be enforced.

Car Hire

A foreign driver's licence, provided that it is in English, is valid in Dallas, although an International Driving Permit is also a good idea, as this carries a photograph, unlike old versions of the British driver's licence. Insurance will be part of the hire arrangement, although drivers should check what this entails. The minimum age for hiring a car is usually 21-23 years.

Car hire is available from Alamo (tel: 1 800 327 9633; www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: 1 800 230 4898; www.avis.com), Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 3665; www.dollar.com), Enterprise (tel: 1 800 261 7331; www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; www.hertz.com) and Thrifty (tel: 1 800 847 4389; www.thrifty.com). For something with a real local flavour, visiting drivers should try Exotic Car Rental of Texas (tel: (800) 979 2585 www.rentexoticcars.com/dallas.html).

Bicycle Hire

Although Dallas is not the ideal city in which to cycle, bikes are available for hire from Richardson Bike Mart's White Rock Lake location, 9040 Garland Road (tel: (214) 321 0705; www.bikemart.com). Riding around the lake is wonderful in good weather.

General Information

Location

State of Texas, central southern USA.

Time zone

GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November).

Electricity

110 volts AC, 50Hz; flat two-pin plugs are standard.

Average January temperatures

6.5ºC (43.5ºF).

Average July temperatures

29.5ºC (85.5ºF).

Annual rainfall

856mm (33 inches).

Things to do

Sightseeing Overview

Dallas' most unfortunate distinction for more than 40 years has been that of owning the place where one of the most popular presidents in history was killed, so it's not surprising that one of the most popular sites to visit in the city is Dealey Plazaand theSixth Floor Museum (see Key Attractions).

But there are also many happier places to visit Downtown, the heartbeat of this vibrant commerce centre and home of the Arts District. The Dallas Museum of Art is the perfect place to begin a cultural exploration, followed by a tour of the Nasher Sculpture Center. Consider taking in a concert at the Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center or a touring Broadway show at the Majestic Theater.

Tourist Information

Visitor Information Center of Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau
Old Red Courthouse, 100 South Houston Street
Tel: (214) 571 1000 or 1300 or 1301 (24-hour events hotline) or 1 800 232 5527.
Website: www.visitdallas.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700; Sat and Sun 0900-1700.

Passes

No tourist attraction discount passes are currently available.

Attractions

Nasher Sculpture Center
Downtown Dallas' cultural wealth got yet another boost in late 2003, when the Nasher Sculpture Center opened near the Dallas Museum of Art. Here you'll see what is essentially an indoor-outdoor art museum and a serene oasis of visual beauty that serves as home to the collection of 20th-century sculpture belonging to Dallas developer Ray Nasher. There is a lovely flow between interior galleries and the garden, opening to the sky and filled with dramatic installations and native foliage. Among dozens of artists whose work is featured are Claus Oldenburg, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, Joan Miro, and Jeff Koons.
2001 Flora Street
Tel: (214) 242 5100.
Website: www.nashersculpturecenter.org
Opening times: Tue-Sun 1100-1700, Thu 1100-2100.
Admission charge.

Afternoon Tea at The Adolphus hotel
The Adolphus (see Hotels), with its baroque splendour, is the place to seek respite amidst Downtown's hubbub. The epitome of old-style southern refinement, the hotel was built in 1912, by Adolphus Busch, the Missouri beer magnate. In its day, it was not as imprisoned by modernity as it unfortunately is today, hemmed in by other buildings. Inside, however, the city may as well be on another planet. High tea, in the English style, includes the hotel's own scones topped with Devonshire cream and raspberry marmalade, finger sandwiches, fruit tarts and hand-dipped chocolate truffles.
1321 Commerce Street
Tel: (214) 742 8200.
Website: www.hoteladolphus.com
Free admission.

Restaurants

Gastronomic

Craft
The menu changes seasonally at Tom Colicchio's restaurant, where fresh ingredients come from local ranchers and growers. Brunch is perfect for lighter fare, with a complimentary sampler of freshly baked muffins. Buffalo seasoned with rosemary and blueberries, quail and golden raisins, or Nova Scotia halibut on the dinner menu are best followed with one of the pastry chef's exotic desserts paired with port or a dessert wine.

W Dallas - Victory Hotel
2440 Victory Park Lane
Tel: (214) 397 4111.
Website: www.craftrestaurant.com/craft_dallas_style.html
Price: $$$-$$$$ 

Kiepersol Estates Restaurant
Experience fine dining at its best in old-world rustic elegance on this winery estate. Mahogany woodwork, tile, tropical fans and mood lighting set the stage for intimate dining. Winner of the Wine Spectator's Award for Excellence from 2001-2008, sample perfect wine pairings from the hand-selected cellar to match USDA prime steaks and the freshest seafood. Begin with rich lobster bisque, a choice of hand-cut, perfectly aged beef or sea bass with pistachio and white wine butter sauce, and finish with a Godiva chocolate cake and liqueur. The adjacent Bed & Breakfast (see Hotels) may be the ideal ending to a memorable evening.

21508 Merlot Lane
Tel: (903) 894 3300.
Website: www.kiepersol.com
Price: $$$

The Mansion Restaurant on Turtle Creek
Best Sunday Brunch in Dallas, in the ornate 1925 version of a 16th-century Italian villa built by cotton magnate Sheppard King as his family home. The personal collection of hunting trophies, paintings and lithographs belonging to the hotel's matriarch, Caroline Rose Hunt, decorates the restaurant and bar. Champagne brunch is a mixture of delicate flavours and exquisitely presented dishes in the old-world elegance of the Rosewood Mansion.

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
2821 Turtle Creek Boulevard
Tel: (214) 559 2100.
Website: www.mansiononturtlecreek.com
Price: $$$

Business

Abacus
The deft touch of executive chef Kent Rathbun and his stunning wine list has earned glorious praise from national press, thanks to such pleasures as lobster and spring onion shooters, John Dory with roasted veggie orzo in charred tomato butter or grilled lamb with jalapeño-coriander oil and blue cheese grits. For an extra treat, guests should try the chef's selection of nine small courses and luxuriate in the palate pampering and the soothing, sumptuous interiors.

4511 McKinney Avenue
Tel: (214) 559 3111.
Website: www.kentrathbun.com/abacus.html
Price: $$$-$$$$

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House
Satiny cuts of prime beef head the list of palate pleasures at this clubby, leather-and-polished wood corner of luxury. Clientele typically includes the expense-account business crowd and the moneyed gentry who enjoy supping on said steaks, as well as luscious crab fishcakes, fresh fish and enormous à la carte side dishes that could be meals in themselves. Lavish evenings end with brandy and a cigar.

5251 Spring Valley Road
Tel: (972) 490 9000.
Website: www.delfriscos.com
Price: $$$$

Trendy

Cafe Madrid
Dallas' first authentic Spanish restaurant and tapas bar, this casually cool hangout has evolved with sophistication over the years. The lengthy list of tapas ranges from the traditional potato omelette tortilla with a dollop of garlic-parsley aioli and roasted duck breast with sliced, sherry-laced carrots, to empanadas filled with shredded tuna steak and green olive.

4501 Travis Street
Tel: (214) 528 1731.
Website: www.cafemadrid-dallas.com
Price: $-$$

Fireside Pies
This is certainly not the usual pizza joint, but it's where you'll find spectacular pizzas. Inside a handsome, casual stone-and-wood building, you'll find a hip crowd hanging out over starters, wine and pies. Pizzas are baked in a wood-burning oven, topped with a fire-roasted tomato sauce, liberally garnished with four kinds of cheese, then decorated with such add-ons as meatballs, balsamic-roasted chicken, truffle oil and rocket salad. Weather permitting, the patio is divine.

2820 North Henderson Avenue
Tel: (214) 370 3916.
Website: http://firesidepies.com
Price: $$

Trece
Upscale Mexican hacienda setting in the Knox-Henderson district brings fashionably-attired patrons out for lively food and cocktail scene. Start with the sensational guacamole, prepared with flourish at your tableside, then indulge in a lobster crepe with green and red salsas, all particularly good when paired with a cucumber-lavender mojito. Ask for a tasting to acquaint you with some of the 120 tequilas stocked at the bar.

4513 Travis Street
Tel: (214) 780 1900.
Website: www.trecerestaurant.com
Price: $$$

Budget

Primo's Bar & Grille
A long-time hangout in Uptown, this wonderful spot only gets better with age. The Sunday brunch is heavenly, but any day of the week is perfect for top-rate margaritas and a plate of the delicious tacos camperos filled with beef fajita meat. Pile on jalapeno, cilantro, a slice of avocado and a spoonful of the tomato salsa on the table. It's a good spot to take a break from shopping; relax on the patio or in one of the rooms inside the hundred-year-old building with creaky wooden floors.

3309 McKinney Avenue
Tel: (214) 220 0510.
Website: www.primosdallas.com
Price: $-$$

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse
A family business dating from 1910, this hometown favourite has won a James Beard Award for regional classic food. The tiny, no-frills location opened in the 1950s, and serves deeply smoked turkey, ham, pork ribs, sausage, pulled pork, sliced brisket, ranch beans, potato salad and very cold beer. Sonny Bryan's is an old smoke shack, with little in the way of décor other than a few beer signs, which add to the overall charm of the place.

2202 Inwood Road
Tel: (214) 357 7120.
Website: www.sonnybryans.com
Price: $

Personal Recommendations

La Duni Latin Cafe
It is impossible to ignore the front table laden with lavish sweets. A hefty wedge of Venezuelan chocolate truffle cake is highly recommended, perhaps after savouring the grilled Argentinian-style Picanha steak with chimichurri mojo or the Brazilian-style roasted chicken bathed in champagne and juice from green oranges. The divine mint-spiked mojito cocktail is the best in town, while the warm setting and leisurely pace are soothing.

4620 McKinney Avenue
Tel: (214) 520 7300.
Website: www.laduni.com
Price: $$

Patry's Bistro & Wine Bar
An intimate dining experience in a quaint old converted house is the perfect backdrop for fine French cuisine. Daniel Patry has taken over the tradition from his father George, who ran a Dallas legend in French fine dining for over 30 years. Rack of lamb herb-crusted in port sauce, or soft shell crabs Provencal sautéed in garlic butter are some of the delicacies produced by award-winning chef Hamid Kalantar.

4601 West Lovers Lane
Tel: (214) 352 2489.
Website: www.patrysbistro.com
Price: $$$

Stephan Pyles
Widely known as one of the architects of Southwestern cuisine, Pyles, the much-loved native of West Texas, returned to the Dallas dining scene with a roar after taking a sabbatical for extensive food study around the world. Quickly, his namesake restaurant was hailed the nation's best by Esquire magazine, thanks to such ‘New Millennium Southwestern cuisine' features as a tasting of exotic ceviches, duck confit empanadas, wood-fired whole fish, and coriander-cured rack of lamb. Special drinks include Pisco Sour and smoky-apple Martini. A lovely update of a 1960s office building provides a warm, inviting setting in which to feast.

1807 Ross Avenue
Tel: (214) 580 7000.
Website: www.stephanpyles.com
Price: $$$$

Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse
Dine on some of the best wild game, prime aged beef or fresh seafood found in Texas. The restaurant is casual Texas style with décor and recreated model of a 100-year-old barn from its namesake Y.O. Ranch, one of the oldest cattle and game ranches in the world. Photos of Texas ranching, Longhorn cattle and cowboys from the original ranch add to the flavour of moist and tender buffalo filet, spicy venison roll ups or juicy top sirloin. Voted best steaks in the nation by the Food Network.

702 Ross Avenue at Market Street
Tel: (214) 744 3287.
Website: www.yoranchsteakhouse.com  
Price: $$$-$$$$

Night Life

The bars, restaurants and clubs in Dallas run the gamut of styles (be that musically, gastronomically or sartorially), which is hardly surprising from the city where both the frozen margarita and spicy Tex-Mex were invented. You'll also find cowboy boots, big hats, country ballads, barbecues and massive sides of steak.

Being adjacent to the Deep South, there is plenty of jazz, blues, rock 'n' roll, heavy metal and piano bars, as well as international cuisine, vegetarian food, huge sandwiches, burgers and ribs. With over 5,000 restaurants, Dallas claims to have four times as many eateries per person as New York.

The main areas to explore in and near Downtown are: Victory Plaza, the new US$3 billion complex on the north end of Downtown, with Ghostbar (www.n9negroup.com) among its white-hot nightspots; and the booming uptown district on McKinney Avenue, also just north of Downtown and near Greenville Avenue.
A club labelled as ‘private' may well simply be in a ‘dry' part of town and so nominal membership is required to allow them a ‘liquor' licence. Most bars are open until 0200, with the minimum drinking age being 21 years.

The weekly DallasObserver (www.dallasobserver.com), the weekend entertainment sections in the DallasMorningNews (www.dallasnews.com) and the FortWorthStar-Telegram (www.star-telegram.com) all provide listings information on nightlife in Dallas.

Bars: Greenville Avenue's contrast in bar styles is shown by the sophisticated cocktail atmosphere of Mick's (located at 2825) and ironically - since Mick is usually a name associated with Ireland - the darts-throwing, raucous, Irish-owned ambience at The Dubliner (located at 2818; www.dallasdubliner.com). Pubs are often spots that offer good eating as much as drinking. The Old Monk, 2847 North Henderson Avenue (www.oldmonkdallas.com), (voted Best Beer Joint by The Dallas Observer in 2007) is a few minutes from Downtown and offers simple, wholesome dishes, such as steamed mussels and fish and chips.

The bar scene has become especially lively at Uptown cocktail lounges such as Urban Oasis, a lounge at the luxurious Hotel ZaZa, 2332 Leonard Street (www.hotelzazadallas.com); and Downtown at cool cocktail settings like that at Fuse, 1512 Commerce Street (www.fusedallas.com), posh Purgatory, 2208 Main Street (www.purgatorydallas.com), and the sleek Living Room Bar, with music, a cool terrace and a wall of cowboy and horse art, off the lobby at the W Hotel, 2440 Victory Park Lane.

Clubs: As well as nightclubs, Dallas has quite a tradition of ‘Gentlemen's Clubs', which can range from the cabaret style of Cabaret Royale, 10723 Composite Avenue (www.cabaretroyaledallas.com) to the Million Dollar Saloon, 6848 Greenville Avenue (www.milliondollar.com), with happy hour, sports broadcasts on big-screen TVs, full dinner menu, cigar selection and wine lists.

The dance scene thrives at such places as Obar, 1602 Main Street (www.obar.com), an exclusive nightspot with speciality drinks, VIP table and bottle service, guest star DJs from the East and West coasts, valet parking, a fabulous outdoor patio and glitzy style; ClubOne, 3025 Main Street, singles bar and home to dancing divas and unisex bathrooms; and Lizard Lounge, 2424 Swiss Avenue (www.thelizardlounge.com), with varied music styles and star DJs.

LiveMusic: Many ordinary bars have live music and the Deep Ellum is a good area to head for. Don't be fooled by the names of some venues: Gilley's, 1135 South Lamar Street (www.gilleysdallas.com), is home to country music shows; and Trees, 2709 Elm Street (www.treesdallas.com), is one of the oldest live music venues with a rock ‘n' roll penchant in a warehouse-style interior. The favourite pick for jazz, Latin beats and world music is Sambuca, 2120 McKinney Avenue (www.sambucarestaurant.com).

Shopping

For many people, Dallas means shopping. The city's motto, after all, is 'if it can't be found in Dallas, it can't be found anywhere'. This is where Neiman Marcus, 1618 Main Street, began its fashion business in 1907, as an 'exclusive woman's ready-to-wear store'. Today, all manner of big names have gravitated around it, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Rodier Paris, Tiffany & Co and Lord & Taylor. The huge department store chain JC Penney also originated in Dallas.

Not content with numerous huge malls and shopping centres containing all kinds of individual and chain shops, the Dallas Market Center, just to the northwest of Downtown, either side of the Stemmons Freeway (I-35), is one of the biggest wholesale trade complexes in the world.

Other malls to indulge in some retail therapy are Galleria, modelled on Milan's Vittorio Emanuelle and even housing an ice rink, at the north side crossroads of the Dallas North Tollway and the beltway I-635; NorthPark, an elegant sprawl with stores including Barneys New York, Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors and Oscar de la Renta; and Highland Park Village, with its Spanish-inspired design.

Others to look out for near the downtown area are Crescent, Inwood Village and Snyder Plaza. At DFW airport, there is the enormous Grapevine Mills outlet mall.
Open daily, these huge malls are, of course, packed full of restaurants, fast-food outlets, entertainments and coffee shops.

Markets
On a more human-scale approach to shopping, there are antiques and crafts shops scattered throughout Downtown, as well as in the uptown neighbourhood along McKinney Avenue, which is also good for general browsing. There is a large Farmer's Market, just west of Downtown, at South Harwood Street and Marilla Street.

Given Texas' Wild West image, anything to do with cowboys, rodeos and cattle ranching is a typical local gift. Otherwise, the latter day image of the town is big business, especially oil. The two come together in the abiding icon of Southfork Ranch and its infamous resident, JR.

Tax information
Sales tax is 8.25%.

Events

North Texas Irish Festival
March
Largest music festival in Texas with more than 47 different bands.
Fair Park
Website: www.ntif.org 

Deep Ellum Arts Festival
April
Street festival with art, free music and food and drink.
Deep Ellum
Website: www.meifestivals.com/deepspr.html

USA Film Festival
April
This eight-day film festival is dedicated to the recognition of excellence in film and video arts.
Glen Lakes Theater
Website: www.usafilmfestival.com

Cinco de Mayo Celebration
May
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the defeat of the French at the Battle of Puebla in Mexico. Dancers, artists and performers gather to celebrate the city's rich Mexican heritage.
Fair Park

African-American Festival
June
Features African-American composers and musicians.
Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center
Website: www.dallassymphony.com

Hispanic Festival Concert
June
Features Latin American composers and musicians.
Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center
Website: www.dallassymphony.com

Shakespeare Festival of Dallas
June-August
The ‘Shakespeare in the Park' series provides entertainment under the stars throughout the summer.
Samuell-Grand Park
Website: www.shakespearedallas.org

Annual National Championship Indian Pow Wow
September
Tribes from around the nation celebrate a weekend of dance, arts and crafts and tribal council meetings.
Traders Village, Grand Prairie
Website: www.tradersvillage.com

Greek Food Festival
September
Greek food tasting, dancing and tours of the church.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Website: www.greekfestivalofdallas.com

State Fair of Texas
September-October
Annual State Fair features agricultural exhibits, livestock shows & auctions, parades, evening light shows, concerts and entertainment for all the family.
Fair Park
Website: www.bigtex.com

Cotton Bowl Classic New Year's Eve Parade
December
Arts District to the West End Community
Website: www.attcottonbowl.com

History & Culture

Dallas lays claim to the biggest urban Arts District (tel: (214) 744 6642; www.thedallasartsdistrict.org) in the USA. Founded in 1983 and located on the north side of the town, the district includes the Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North Harwood Street (tel: (214) 922 1200 or 1803; www.dallasmuseumofart.org - see Key Attractions), the Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center, the major performing arts venue in Dallas, 2301 Flora Street (tel: (214) 670 3600; www.meyersonsymphonycenter.com), and the Dallas Theater Center, 3636 Turtle Creek Boulevard (tel: (214) 522 8499; www.dallastheatercenter.org).

To obtain tickets to cultural events, visitors should contact the individual venues. Useful information points include the weekly DallasObserver (www.dallasobserver.com) and the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs (www.dallasculture.org).

Music: The Dallas Opera (www.dallasopera.org) plays at the Music Hall at Fair Park, Fair Park, 909 First Avenue (tel: (214) 565 1116; www.liveatthemusichall.com), all year. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (www.dallassymphony.com) is based at the Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center, (see introduction above), but also gives free performances in various parks throughout the summer. Also based at the Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center is the Dallas Wind Symphony (www.dws.org) and the men's chorus, the Turtle Creek Chorale (www.turtlecreek.org). The range of classical music performances available is represented by the Dallas Bach Society (www.dallasbach.org), the Dallas Chamber Orchestra (www.dallaschamberorchestra.org) and the Allegro Guitar Society of Dallas (http://dallas.guitarsociety.org).

Theatre: The Dallas Theater Center (see introduction above) is based at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Boulevard. Theatre Three, 2800 Routh Street (tel: (214) 871 3300; www.theatre3dallas.com), and the Majestic Theater, 1925 Elm Street (tel: (214) 880 0137; www.liveatthemajestic.com), a restored 1920s movie palace and vaudeville hall, are other options. The type of theatre presented ranges from mainstream shows to fringe theatre.

Dance: The Texas Ballet Theater (tel: (214) 369 5200; www.texasballettheater.org) performs, along with the opera, at Music Hall at Fair Park (see Music above) and the Majestic Theater (see Theatre above). The Dallas Black Dance Theatre, 2627 Flora Street (tel: (214) 871 2376; www.dbdt.com), performs highly acclaimed modern dance. For a Hispanic flavour, there is the Anita N Martinez Ballet Folklorico, 4422 Live Oak Street (tel: (214) 828 0181; www.anmbf.org).

Film: Apart from the usual range of mainstream cinemas, there are also two specialist venues: The Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Avenue (tel: (214) 824 9933; www.granadatheater.com), a 1940s ‘movie theater' with a dinner menu and drinks, and the IMAX Theater, 11819 Webb Chapel Road (tel: (800) 326 32646; www.cinemark.com). The Inwood Theater, 5458 West Lovers Lane (tel: (214) 764 9106; www.landmarktheatres.com), Angelika Film Center, 5321 East Mockingbird Lane (tel: (214) 841 4713; www.angelikafilmcenter.com), and The Magnolia, 3699 McKinney Avenue (tel: (214) 764 9106; www.landmarktheatres.com) show art house movies.
Movies that have been filmed in Dallas over the years include Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Places in the Heart (1983), RoboCop (1987), JFK (1991), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Boys Don't Cry (1998), The Rookie (2002) and Bewitched (2005).

LiteraryNotes: It is not easy to find specific references to Dallas in literature. Most writers speak more generally of Texas. One early example is Amelia E Barr's RemembertheAlamo (1888), in which a mixed Anglo-Mexican family in San Antonio overcomes its own cultural differences while tensions mount between revolutionary Texans and the Mexican government. The short story, LastoftheTroubadours, by O Henry (first published in the July 1908 issue of Everybody'sMagazine) deals with a strolling minstrel in turn-of-the-century south Texas and divides the world into three types of people - the barons, the troubadours and the workers. 

Again taking the wider Texan theme but this time from a child's perspective, is Janice Jordan Shefelman's AParadiseCalledTexas (1983), about searching for a better life when Mina and her parents leave Germany in 1845 and travel to Texas.

Dallas has also been celebrated in song. A favourite tune heard at cowboy bars around the state is by Texan singer/songwriter Joe Ely; in Dallas, he sings, ‘Did you ever see Dallas from a DC-9 at night?' The long-time standard from 1956 is BigD, by Frank Loesser (1910-1969), composer of Baby, It'sColdOutside.

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