One of my neighbors is riding in style! This older-model (but well maintained) Rolls Royce was parked near the hazardous neighborhood traffic jam spot.
Some of my neighbors clearly have very fancy tastes, and I’m here for it. ✨
Posts about Dallas, Texas – the best city in the world!
One of my neighbors is riding in style! This older-model (but well maintained) Rolls Royce was parked near the hazardous neighborhood traffic jam spot.
Some of my neighbors clearly have very fancy tastes, and I’m here for it. ✨
I am thrilled by the new coffee shop on Oak Lawn Avenue & Congress Ave. They are quick, friendly, and it is really easy to hitch up the dogs while running in to get a mobile order.
However, walking up to the coffee shop during the mornings is cringe-worthy because I see near-miss traffic accidents several times a week in front of the store.
We’ve had a gallery wall in almost every apartment since our last stint in Dallas, and this time around it is no different.
The latest iteration of the gallery wall has a hodgepodge of new wall art, vintage album covers, diplomas, and even a family photo or two.
The dogs don’t seem to mind it, so I guess it’s a success?
Dallas sidewalks are notoriously bad — either filled with junk, deteriorating, or, filled with plants apparently.
Sidewalks in Oak Lawn in Dallas.
Sidewalks in Oak Lawn in Dallas.
It’s by the far the most pleasant nuisance in the neighborhood. And, not many people walk in this area so it probably doesn’t bother many people.
I am not sure if this bulk trash day, a hoarders situation, or a particularly rude eviction — but there was recently a huge mess in the neighborhood in front of one of the many vintage apartment buildings.
Surely it’s not an eviction, which have been banned during the outbreak, but who knows? Also, why would a landlord trash their own property like this? Seems odd.
Trashed yard in Oak Lawn, Dallas.
It’s not the strangest or even most unsightly thing in Oak Lawn right now, but pretty strange nevertheless. 🤷
One of the most jarring things about moving from Washington D.C. to Dallas during a pandemic is how differently the cities approach the virus.
The social norms surrounding physical distancing and mask wearing are very different in Dallas. We’ve actually had neighbors say, “Oh, so you’re mask queens?” In the same condescending tone that you’d use with an anti-vaxxer.
The Texas heat was not kind to the beautiful, supposedly-resilient Haworthia succulent plants that I brought from D.C.
The plants died, and they died quickly on my new balcony. After a string of 100-degree days, the plants shriveled despite daily watering.
Apparently Dallas also has crickets, who are totally unbothered by the heat. I found my already-suffering plants devoured one morning after they became a midnight buffet for those little terrors.
It was time to toss the plants and start over.
This weekend we went to a new drag brunch in Uptown Dallas and it was fabulous!
TNT Tacos and Tequila drag brunch is a sprawling afternoon show hosted by Mayra D’Lorenzo. There’s good food, a rotating drag cast, and lots of crowd interaction.
I’ve had my biking desk and faux green wall for a few weeks now and I love my new WFH setup.
The inspiration for the green wall was this post from “A Beautiful Mess,” but I did some modifications.
Specifically, my green wall has lighting, which means that I needed to modify the installation process so the apartment doesn’t burn down. If you want to build your own green wall, I highly recommend consulting an electrician or omitting the lighting element.
Here’s what I used to make the wall.
A new rainbow gateway sign was installed this week in the gayborhood, near the intersection of Oak Lawn Avenue and Cedar Springs Road.
The sign is immediately in front of the Centrum office tower and right by the Legacy of Love monument that was erected about 15 years ago.
The new Oak Lawn sign is… interesting.
Dallas must have heard that the drag brunch critics are back in town because a new event just launched this week!
“The Last Virgin Drag Brunch“ is a new Sunday show at The Commons Club in Dallas’ new Virgin Hotel — only blocks away from the gayborhood.
The inaugural cast consisted of Jenni P., Nicole Michell, Layla LaRue, and Kenya Blue.
It was lovely to see some Dallas legends get back in the game as the other drag venues in town remain shuttered due to the pandemic. The Commons Club is also a gorgeous venue with very generous lighting for the queens.
One new addition to Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighborhood is this beautiful mural featuring LGBT rights activists Martha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera on the side of Cedar Springs Tattoo.
The quote on the Martha P. Johnson side of the mural says, “Pay it no mind,” which is what the “P.” in her name stood for (and also the name of her documentary).
I always remind my friends that Dallas is a major American city and not the rural, oil-rig dotted cow town from TV, but there is randomly a “ranch” of sorts right outside of downtown.
The “Fuel City Ranch” is attached to a gas station with a 24/7 street taco stand on the banks of the Trinity River. The small ranch has longhorn cattle, a donkey, and a zebra.
The zebra and longhorns were thoroughly disinterested in us (probably because it’s 100 degrees), but the donkey came over in hopes of getting some illicit snacks. He was disappointed.
Ingrid the labradoodle was surprisingly not freaked out by Mr. Donkey (unlike the Deep Ellum sculptures). The donkey sniffed Ingrid, double-checked for treats, and then trotted off.
Ingrid the labradoodle at the Fuel City Ranch in Dallas, Texas.
Zebras and Longhorns at the Fuel City Ranch in Dallas Texas.
Tacos from the Fuel City gas station outside of downtown Dallas.
At least the tacos were good. 🌮
You can visit Fuel City Ranch at 801 S Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207.
Micromobility vehicles are a welcome addition to Dallas’ transportation options because the public transit here is famously-inadequate. However, I think they are going to have to come up with a docking solution for some parts of the city because the sidewalks are becoming quite the obstacle course during the morning dog walks.
It’s official — the labradoodle is terrified of the bird sculptures in Deep Ellum. I think it’s something about the curved reflective surface.
After some barking and growling, she eventually got over it, but it was hilarious.
Ingrid the labradoodle and a creepy bird sculpture in Deep Ellum, Dallas.
There’s a barbershop in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District with a Lee Harvey Oswald mural. It’s an unexpected shock tactic, but it definitely an attention grabber.
Bishop Arts changed a lot since my last visit three years ago — there are many new boutiques, bars and restaurants, plus numerous One-Plus-Five apartment buildings.
One surprise is the lack of major chains like Starbucks, but I suspect those are coming soon.
The Lee Harvey Oswald mural in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District.
One thing that I did not miss about Dallas is that Texas summer heat.
Gunter the chihuahua is faring way better than Ingrid, my labradoodle, but neither lasts very long if the weekend dog walk starts too late. The Dallas heat is less of a problem during the weekdays however, when I spend most of my time cycling while working.
Fortunately, the low humidity here makes the heat tolerable, but my freshness is still constantly compromised. We are getting a much-appreciated break from the 100-degree days tomorrow thanks to some toss-off storms from Hurricane Laura. It’s strange that it takes a literal hurricane to break this heat wave, but I’ll take it.
The heat and related pit-stains return this weekend though, which is why we are setting our alarms earlier this time around. ⏰
My work from home desk looks a little different in Dallas — I figured since I stare at a screen for 10+ hours a day, I might as well get some exercise while doing it.
I rigged a DYI bike desk and decided to decorate the wall a little bit…
Almost exactly three years after leaving Dallas to earn my Georgetown Tax LL.M. degree in Washington, D.C., I was headed back to Texas.
The pandemic triggered an exodus from the District among my social network. Despite the ubiquitous “diversity and inclusion” marketing among D.C. employers, LGBT and brown people are still the first ones to get fired when there’s economic uncertainty. Many of my friends working in politics, nonprofits, and the service industry got the chop pretty early. They abandoned their apartments and moved back to their hometowns at the beginning of the summer.
Then a larger group of people started trickling out of the District as months ticked by and leases came up for renewal. With fully-virtual office environments and most amenities shuttered, why pay a premium to live in the District?
I recently had the opportunity to return to Dallas to speak at a tax conference. It was a great way to meet existing and potential clients. This was also my first time giving a formal presentation on State and Local Taxation, which is not something every law firm allows first year associates to do.