A Weekend in Dallas

Dallas is an artsy city - get inspired

Spend half a day or a full day downtown in the Dallas Arts District: the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Garden, the Crow Museum of Asian Art and Thanksgiving Square are a must see. (Thanksgiving Square is a short walk from the DMA and the Nasher, but is a gem. The Thanksgiving Chapel, built by Philip Johnson, includes 73 stained glass panels that are just WOW.) When you're in the area, check out Klyde Warren Park, a green space added over a highway underpass that has food trucks and views of Dallas! (While not in the Dallas Arts District, the Meadows Museum is also worth a visit — on the SMU campus. It houses one of the largest collections of Spanish art outside Spain.)

Dallas' unique history

It might not be the most upbeat part of the weekend, but visiting the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is a must do if you're visiting Dallas for the first time. After you've learned all about Dallas' infamous history of JFK's assassination, walk across the street to visit the JFK Memorial (designed by Philip Johnson).

Visit Bishop Arts District

Drive over to West Dallas (stop for a photo of Santiago Calatrava's Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge that crosses the Trinity River) to this walkable, hipster neighborhood. Try some cider at Bishop Cider; shop at The Wild Detectives (bookstore, coffeeshop and bar with a great patio); get a slice of pie at Emporium Pie; shop at Dude, Sweet Chocolate; and eat at any of the great restaurants in the area.

Explore Deep Ellum

Once a Black and immigrant commercial district, then a divey neighborhood with music venues and tattoo parlors, Deep Ellum is different now but still worth exploring! Great bars (my favorites are Ruins, a Mexican/Oaxacan-inspired bar, and Dot's Hop House and Cocktail Courtyard, a great courtyard when the weather is nice); great food (another location of local pie shop Emporium Pie and the vibey Hungarian Armory DE are some of my favorites); breweries (Deep Ellum Brewing Company taproom is my absolute fav - don't miss trying their classic Dallas Blonde); and lots of stores, too!

Other highlights

We're not normally one to recommend a mall, but NorthPark Center is the only mall we've ever visited that we do recommend to people. It's huge, gorgeous, with luxe stores, great food (and an Eataly location) and an amazing art collection (there are pieces by Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol around the mall). White Rock Lake (a little out of the way depending on where you're staying) is a great urban lake - a great place to stretch your legs and people watch (including the people sailing on the lake). The Dallas Farmers Market is worth a visit, too - a market, shed and additional shops...there's a ton to see and eat and try!

Day Trips:

Fort Worth is a great option for a day trip from Dallas! There is the Fort Worth Stockyards (of course), but there are also the Water Gardens and a ton of museums - some of them world-class: Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Kimbell Art museum (one of my favorites in the US), National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame... They also have great food and drinks (I'm a big fan of Heim Bar on Magnolia Avenue - lots of great shops and other restaurants in that area of Fort Worth, as well)!

Denton is also a good day trip - cute main square with shops, restaurants and bars!

A city the size of Dallas has a lot of great food/drink options! It's Texas - so try to take in the major cuisines: Tex-Mex and Mexican (Taqueria La Ventana is great if you're near the Arts District/Downtown), BBQ (there are lots of options (The Slow Bone is a great option if you're around downtown/Design District) and fancy/foodie (Sister, Uchi and Lounge.)

There is a strong Jewish community in Dallas - so there are some great options for Jewish cuisine if you're as into that as I am: Beverley's Bistro and Bar is a vibey brunch spot serving dishes like smoked whitefish dip, latkes and caviar, and schnitzel (and has the best espresso martini I've ever had to boot); while Cindy's NY Deli & Restaurant is a more retro, informal spot for Jewish deli cuisine that I've been going to for years.

Dallas also has a vibrant Ethiopian community and a lot of Ethiopian restaurants (Yenat Guada is a great spot if you want to check out one of Dallas' Ethiopian restaurants).

All the drinks

Dallas has great bars, breweries and cocktail bars. If beer is your thing, I recommend a brewery crawl of the Design District (Cidercade - cidery and arcade, Peticolas Brewing, Pegasus City Brewery and more)!