Downtown Dallas wasn't built for people to live in. It was built for people to work in and then go home to the burbs. Changing that is much harder for this large city than a smaller one.
Without even reading it I can tell you the answer is that it was first really built up as a large city downtown during the time period when everyone owned land-boats and gas cost essentially nothing. It’s why the newer areas like up-town, Greenville, etc are much more walkable, though they are slowly trying to change that in downtown too
I mean it makes some good points, most importantly making Griffith st into a grand walkable boulevard, but most of it is propaganda for this developer.
That last paragraph is 100% spot on, problem is those things fail. It's a chicken and the egg, you build things for people to patronize, but you need the people to do it, but you need the thing first for the people, but without the people there's no demand for the thing. I saw that because I had an acquaintance who did promotional work, new restaurant/bar/business opening. He'd organize local media, possibly a couple B list celebs for appearances, get some radio spots going, print ads, etc. He did one for a restaurant/grocery store in Downtown, I remember it was by the Magnolia Hotel? This was close to ten years ago. From what I remember the restaurant was pretty decent, like a higher tier Cafe Express, the grocery store was like a scaled down Sprouts. It was pretty nice, the owner was a good guy, from Iran, had been running Dallas restaurants for a bit, ventured out. I think this place was maybe open a year, sadly, I never heard anything negative about it, the few people I knew who went there liked it. Just didn't have the business, not enough to support that business model. Would have been a goldmine in NY or San Francisco, more walkable areas, where people walk to the grocery store, or walk for breakfast, everyday. Dallas doesn't have enough of that, at least in 2008 it didn't, might have changed.
There’s plenty of business. If that guy opened a bonafide market or bodega, he’d still be open.
If I remember correctly his inventory was all vegetarian and vegan products. Nothing but all natural and organic frozen entrees. Only vegan cheeses, vegan mayonnaise, and only gluten-free and vegan cookies.
I went In there looking for pastrami, lays chips and Pepsi. They didn’t carry any normal soft drinks or chips. Thats why the place closed.
We’re normal people and we like normal food. Give us a real store with real stuff and we will shop there.
But if all you’re gonna carry are paper straws and recycled paper towels, I’ll drive to Tom Thumb or Walmart.
And this is where planned economies beat market economies.
China builds a city first, entirely using government funds, entices private industry to move to the city along with their workforce and then the people from the surrounding villages also move to the city creating a population boom that the city is able to fully absorbed because the government planned for enough housing for everyone with all the perks and services.
We already do this in the United States, only in reverse. We use government money and influence to get people into planned developments away from city centers.
Downtown Dallas is surrounded on nearly all sides by thriving, lively neighborhoods, yet it’s barely connected to them. This isn’t just about the highways that physically cut off these neighborhoods. The distances are usually too far to walk no matter what’s along the way. Getting to downtown from these places can often be quite a hassle. Decent bus service? 🫤 Streetcars? 😂 Light rail? 🤣 Car? 🅿️ Ride share? 💰Getting between these neighborhoods without a car is even trickier.
A Dallas-only transit system heavily focused on connecting the core Dallas neighborhoods to downtown and one another would be a major shift in the right direction. There would be more businesses downtown if there were more pleasant, inexpensive, car-free options for those of us in neighboring areas to get there. It’s not like all of those people downtown in those videos from the 1950s actually lived there.
A Dallas-only system could also be designed to support the development of affordable housing and vibrant neighborhoods on the frankly astonishing amount of vacant land south of downtown.
It might not be such a bad thing for Dallas if the suburbs blow up DART. As a Dallas resident, I’m not so enthusiastic about a system that builds more light rail stations in Richardson (pop. 119,000) than Oak Cliff (pop. 310,000).
I’ve lived in downtown (Elm and Akard) and Uptown (State Thomas) for the last 6 years. I kind of agree with most of what was said. Shocked that nobody mentioned the chaos of Elm, Main, and Commerce from around 7pm on Friday until around 4am on Sunday where folks are drag racing, reving engines at every stop light, etc. I mean, some folks say “that’s normal downtown life”, but maybe they haven’t lived in other cities where this seems to be more of a Dallas issue.
Walkability is ok, but I still think downtown needs major help in stepping up their game by stop building specific areas that are disconnected. Like the article points out, the convention center to Klyde Warren is a hike. Look at photos from Elm St. in the 1950s. Hell, look at most any photos from around that time frame and Dallas seemed like it was amazing.
Working_Succotash_41@reddit
If they are going to hype up the convention center they need to do a total overhaul on the west side of downtown.
Arts district is pretty cool and the east quarter has a lot of potential.
llehctim3750@reddit
Downtown Dallas wasn't built for people to live in. It was built for people to work in and then go home to the burbs. Changing that is much harder for this large city than a smaller one.
ekimmd24@reddit
Gotta subscribe to read it. That is not gonna happen. What is the article about in a couple of sentences?
YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit (OP)
Dang, loaded for me just fine without a subscription. Try this: 12ft.io/https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/whats-wrong-with-downtown-dallas/
ekimmd24@reddit
That worked, thank you, good read.
Large-Vacation9183@reddit
Without even reading it I can tell you the answer is that it was first really built up as a large city downtown during the time period when everyone owned land-boats and gas cost essentially nothing. It’s why the newer areas like up-town, Greenville, etc are much more walkable, though they are slowly trying to change that in downtown too
onlinealias350@reddit
I’ve lived downtown since 2005. Bought my car in 2010. It has 32K miles on it. There’s your proof that downtown is walkable.
onlinealias350@reddit
That makes sense. Downvote the person that lives downtown and actually walks it.
ByronFerrari@reddit
Those walkable neighborhoods like Uptown aren’t more walkable because they’re newer. Quite the opposite.
Agitated-Wonder6793@reddit
It’s Dallas…
Agile_Definition_415@reddit
I mean it makes some good points, most importantly making Griffith st into a grand walkable boulevard, but most of it is propaganda for this developer.
AbueloOdin@reddit
The only real important part surrounds this sentence:
Dallas doesn't do that. We have a giant eyeball. We have fancy cala-whosit bridges that are all probably named Marge. But not a grocery store?
Build things in downtown for the people in downtown. People will follow.
arlenroy@reddit
That last paragraph is 100% spot on, problem is those things fail. It's a chicken and the egg, you build things for people to patronize, but you need the people to do it, but you need the thing first for the people, but without the people there's no demand for the thing. I saw that because I had an acquaintance who did promotional work, new restaurant/bar/business opening. He'd organize local media, possibly a couple B list celebs for appearances, get some radio spots going, print ads, etc. He did one for a restaurant/grocery store in Downtown, I remember it was by the Magnolia Hotel? This was close to ten years ago. From what I remember the restaurant was pretty decent, like a higher tier Cafe Express, the grocery store was like a scaled down Sprouts. It was pretty nice, the owner was a good guy, from Iran, had been running Dallas restaurants for a bit, ventured out. I think this place was maybe open a year, sadly, I never heard anything negative about it, the few people I knew who went there liked it. Just didn't have the business, not enough to support that business model. Would have been a goldmine in NY or San Francisco, more walkable areas, where people walk to the grocery store, or walk for breakfast, everyday. Dallas doesn't have enough of that, at least in 2008 it didn't, might have changed.
onlinealias350@reddit
There’s plenty of business. If that guy opened a bonafide market or bodega, he’d still be open.
If I remember correctly his inventory was all vegetarian and vegan products. Nothing but all natural and organic frozen entrees. Only vegan cheeses, vegan mayonnaise, and only gluten-free and vegan cookies.
I went In there looking for pastrami, lays chips and Pepsi. They didn’t carry any normal soft drinks or chips. Thats why the place closed.
We’re normal people and we like normal food. Give us a real store with real stuff and we will shop there.
But if all you’re gonna carry are paper straws and recycled paper towels, I’ll drive to Tom Thumb or Walmart.
Agile_Definition_415@reddit
And this is where planned economies beat market economies.
China builds a city first, entirely using government funds, entices private industry to move to the city along with their workforce and then the people from the surrounding villages also move to the city creating a population boom that the city is able to fully absorbed because the government planned for enough housing for everyone with all the perks and services.
ByronFerrari@reddit
We already do this in the United States, only in reverse. We use government money and influence to get people into planned developments away from city centers.
Agile_Definition_415@reddit
Which is stupid cause it's all expensive sprawling suburbs without amenities or businesses.
Quality-Think1219@reddit
Are you talking about Evergrande?
Agile_Definition_415@reddit
I'm talking about Chinese ghost cities
onlinealias350@reddit
Written by someone who doesn’t live downtown. Where are you Plano? Addison?
ByronFerrari@reddit
Downtown Dallas is surrounded on nearly all sides by thriving, lively neighborhoods, yet it’s barely connected to them. This isn’t just about the highways that physically cut off these neighborhoods. The distances are usually too far to walk no matter what’s along the way. Getting to downtown from these places can often be quite a hassle. Decent bus service? 🫤 Streetcars? 😂 Light rail? 🤣 Car? 🅿️ Ride share? 💰Getting between these neighborhoods without a car is even trickier.
A Dallas-only transit system heavily focused on connecting the core Dallas neighborhoods to downtown and one another would be a major shift in the right direction. There would be more businesses downtown if there were more pleasant, inexpensive, car-free options for those of us in neighboring areas to get there. It’s not like all of those people downtown in those videos from the 1950s actually lived there.
A Dallas-only system could also be designed to support the development of affordable housing and vibrant neighborhoods on the frankly astonishing amount of vacant land south of downtown.
It might not be such a bad thing for Dallas if the suburbs blow up DART. As a Dallas resident, I’m not so enthusiastic about a system that builds more light rail stations in Richardson (pop. 119,000) than Oak Cliff (pop. 310,000).
Pale-Succotash441@reddit
I’ve lived in downtown (Elm and Akard) and Uptown (State Thomas) for the last 6 years. I kind of agree with most of what was said. Shocked that nobody mentioned the chaos of Elm, Main, and Commerce from around 7pm on Friday until around 4am on Sunday where folks are drag racing, reving engines at every stop light, etc. I mean, some folks say “that’s normal downtown life”, but maybe they haven’t lived in other cities where this seems to be more of a Dallas issue.
Walkability is ok, but I still think downtown needs major help in stepping up their game by stop building specific areas that are disconnected. Like the article points out, the convention center to Klyde Warren is a hike. Look at photos from Elm St. in the 1950s. Hell, look at most any photos from around that time frame and Dallas seemed like it was amazing.
MarioV2@reddit
Revitalize the area or make the former DMN HQ a data center - which is it?
Illustrious-Ad5575@reddit
As someone who has lived downtown for 15 yrs, this article made me roll my eyes continuously.
Texas Monthly. I love you. You are (much) better than this.