Dallas’ thriving food scene includes clandestine hotel bars, multiple spins on traditional steakhouses and more. It also boasts a new wing at the Museum of Biblical Art, featuring numerous works inspired by scripture.
It’s the city where Doc Holliday turned from dentist to gambler, and Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow fashioned themselves into fairy-tale bandits. But despite its glamor, Dallas has a troubling underbelly.
History
In the early years of the 20th century, the city’s growth was fueled by cotton, banking, insurance and oil. The Dallas Cotton Exchange was one of the world’s largest. Locally produced grain, leather and cotton-ginning machinery also helped the economy.
In 1855 Victor Considerant led 200 Europeans to a 2,000-acre tract west of town to establish a Utopian colony. The land was ill-suited for farming, and the venture failed. But the citizens of Dallas embraced the colonists, who became part of the growing community.
In the 1900s, Dallas grew into a large urban center with a bustling business district and national reputation for retail. In the 1960s, the city gained international fame when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, near Dealey Plaza during a motorcade parade.
Economy
The city has one of the fastest-growing economies in the country, aided by its diversified mix of industries. It is a major center for telecommunications, computer services, and wireless communication equipment, as well as an important regional fashion and women’s apparel centre, and it has significant manufacturing activity in food processing, automotive, and leather products.
Oil and gas exploration companies have also historically been strong economic factors in Dallas, and a large number of drilling-equipment supply firms and geophysical-exploration firms are still located there. Other major sectors include insurance and financial services, with many national and international firms based in Dallas.
Dallas has a highly skilled workforce and is a prime location for technology businesses, especially those focused on data and analytics. Other key areas of strength include a thriving leisure and hospitality sector, and a burgeoning health care industry. However, some of the city’s suburban neighborhoods continue to lag behind the economic dynamism of downtown and northern Dallas-Fort Worth, particularly in Southern Dallas.
Nightlife
Dallas’s nightlife is diverse and has something for everyone. It has clubs for dancers and casual bars for those who prefer to sit back and sip a drink. There are also many restaurants that serve mouthwatering food. The city also hosts a number of comedy shows. These include improv jams and comedic sketches.
There are a number of clubs in Dallas, including Bottled Blonde and Stereo Live. These venues feature electric dance floors and heart-racing music. They also have huge televisions for sports fans to watch.
The city also has many dive bars. Some of these bars are upscale and cater to an older crowd, while others offer a more laid-back atmosphere. For example, the Rattlesnake Bar is a popular hangout for locals. Its upscale ambiance features leather-clad banquettes and shelves filled with rare bottles of booze. The drinks are expensive, but they’re delicious. They also serve a selection of Southern-style dishes. Guests can even enjoy a meal while watching their favorite sports team play.
Attractions
A cosmopolitan city, Dallas is home to museums, zoos and theatres. Its restaurants offer food from all over the world and the downtown Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza commemorates President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. The Dallas Museum of Art and the Crow Collection of Asian Art cover thousands of years of art, while the sleek Nasher Sculpture Center showcases contemporary sculpture.
The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum explores the history of the area’s Jewish community as well as modern human rights issues. The exhibits include a European box car, suitcases and belongings of survivors and video testimonies.
The 561-foot-tall Reunion Tower, with its unique round top, is one of the most recognizable attractions in Dallas. It is topped with a geodesic ball that lights up spectacularly at night and offers an amazing view of the city. The nearby Perot Museum of Nature and Science offers exhibits on energy, evolution and Earth sciences in a stunning architectural masterpiece.