Whoops

September 17, 2020

A bus and car accident on Cedar Springs Road in the Dallas gayborhood.

We came across an interesting scene on the evening dog walk today — apparently a bus and a white sedan had a crash in front of the S4 nightclub on Cedar Springs Road. The car got the worst part of the deal.

It appeared that there were no injuries because a woman (who looked like the car driver) was speaking with the cops. The very bored bus driver stood nearby.

A bus and car accident on Cedar Springs Road in the Dallas gayborhood.

Hopefully soon there will be something more interesting happening on the Strip than a minor car accident. Ideally, it will be less exciting that the murder that happened a few blocks down.

What happened to the low-level alcohol-related crime? 🥂

Oak Lawn

“Are you mask queens?”

September 13, 2020

Martinis at Liquid Zoo in Oak Lawn, Dallas

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.

Oak Lawn’s Rainbow Gateway Sign

September 5, 2020

The new rainbow gateway sign in Oak Lawn, Dallas.

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.

art / LGBT / Oak Lawn

The Martha P. Johnson Mural

August 31, 2020

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).

Dallas / Life / Miami / Minneapolis-St. Paul

Miami, Minnesota, and Dallas: How I spent my 20’s

August 8, 2017

A view of Bank of America Tower from the Omni in downtown Dallas.

This week I undertook the humbling task of reviewing all of my blog entries.

This blog stretches back to my freshman year of college, so there are a lot of great (and not-so-great) memories archived in these pages.

Here’s a look at how I spent the last decade or so, from Miami to Minneapolis, and then down to Texas.

We start in Miami — there were long days in the library, bad drag shows, and misadventures in Little Havana.

Then there was the move to Minnesota, where I started law school and lived in a frat house during my first semester.

dogs

Ingrid turns two

June 15, 2017

Ingrid the labradoodle explores art in Oak lawn, Dallas.

I sometimes tell people that my labradoodle is still a puppy. She acts like a puppy — hyper, uncontrollably excitable, and easily fooled. But I just realized today that Ingrid is already two years old.

I got Ingrid back in October 2015 (how time flies!) and she’s been tumbling around my apartments ever since. What a quick two years.

Ingrid the labradoodle among the flowers in Perry Heights, Dallas.

Ingrid the Labradoodle at a Highland Park fountain.

Oak Lawn

The busker

June 11, 2017

The street performers in Oak Lawn vary — from real musicians and performers to people in the middle of drug-induced episodes.

We recently came across a fabulous Michael Jackson-like performer who reminded me of Disco Stu from South Beach.

Disco Stu was this fabulous greasy-haired busker who was well-known on Lincoln Road. He had bedazzled platform shoes and an old boombox that blasted oldies. I saw him almost every weekend in college.

Oak Lawn

Crime in the Gayborhood

April 16, 2017

The gayborhood feels considerably safer than it did last year, but we still have some bizarre crime stories.

Here’s a running list of notable crime stories in Oak Lawn.

Police documenting the scene of an officer attack in Oak Lawn.

The Naked Brawler — April 16, 2016

Michael and I were walking the dogs on Easter Sunday when we noticed a bunch of police cars swarming the closed AT&T store across from Starbucks and Eatzi’s.

It was strange to see four Dallas Police cars and two Highland Park patrol cars around a closed store. We grabbed Starbucks and watched as a crime lab van pulled up.

I took a picture of the squad cars and sent it to our breaking news team to investigate. What they found out was hilarious: a Highland Park officer apparently came across a naked woman in the street around 9 a.m.

She was distraught and punched him.

Oak Lawn / Restaurants

A look at the new “Q Tacos at Machos Cantina” in Oak Lawn

April 5, 2017

Q Tacos at Machos Cantina in Oak Lawn / Cedar Springs, Dallas

We got a sneak preview of the “Q Tacos at Machos Cantina” yesterday – a.k.a. the relaunch of Quesa on Cedar Springs.

The restaurant has been open since at least this weekend, but they were still finishing up some things last night ahead of this evening’s launch party.

What’s new

Design: The décor is updated, including the removal of that hideous stretched-out picture from above the Quesa kitchen. The patio wallpaper is new as well.

An artist finishing the interior illustrations at Q Tacos at Machos Cantina in Oak Lawn, Dallas

Concept: The interior dining room (Machos Cantina) has more of a lounge feel than it did before. The kitchen (Q Tacos) now has a walk-up window where you can order and pay for your food. It also has a second window facing the patio that will be open after-hours.

LGBT / Oak Lawn

The fight on Cedar Springs

February 14, 2017

I am on hold with 911 when the second guy gets punched out.

It’s Sunday evening. My neighbors and I are on the patio of Havana’s nightclub when a fight breaks out on the sidewalk in front of us.

The chaos starts when several guys stumble out of Italia Express (a pizza place next to the bar). A heavyset guy in a purple shirt is screaming at a thinner man. Their friends are trying to hold the purple-shirted-man back when he shoves the skinny guy.

The skinny guy whacks his head on the pavement and then passes out with his hand hanging in the flooded street gutter.

Half the people on the Havana’s patio whip out their cellphones to call 911. Everyone gets a busy signal.

I run inside and ask the bar staff to call the police.

LGBT / memories / Oak Lawn

Last night, We marched

June 13, 2016

Last night, hundreds of people gathered at the Dallas LGBT Community Center to support the Pulse Nightclub shooting victims.

All of the important local politicians spoke – the mayor, the police chief, the county judge – and tried to reassure the Dallas gay community that we are safe. The crowd then marched the length of the gayborhood from the Resource Center to the Oak Lawn monument.

Cops and cameras were everywhere.

Mourners lay flowers and candles at the Oak Lawn Pulse memorial.

Cocktails / LGBT / Oak Lawn

Lessons learned on the Cedar Springs Wine Walk

March 3, 2016

Drinking at the UPS Store wasn’t on my bucket list, but it sure was fun.

Some of my neighbors and I finally made it to the Cedar Springs Wine Walk. This monthly event has been going on for a while, but this is the first time we got organized enough to actually attend.

And gurl…

The Wine Walk is outright dangerous.

For $10, you get a wine glass which the local businesses fill up for free. We made it to about 5 places before we had to start carrying people home.

Oak Lawn

My Interview with Dallas-Fort Worth Relocation Magazine

March 2, 2016

Last fall I had the exciting opportunity to be interviewed for Dallas-Fort Worth Relocation Magazine.

Well my article is finally out! Although I look haggard a little tired in my picture, I am glad that the interview has finally been published!

Dallas-Fort Worth Relocation Magazine is a publication of the Dallas Regional Chamber and D Magazine. The goal of this publication is to help introduce Dallas to new residents and show everyone what a fabulous place this is to live.

Oak Lawn

The Oak Lawn Crime Wave

November 6, 2015

It’s around 7 p.m. and already pitch black in Dallas.

The dogs and I are walking in Perry Heights, which is a tiny historical neighborhood immediately behind my apartment building.

Perry Heights has some pretty single-family homes and it is a great place to walk dogs because the area is removed from all of the gay bars on Cedar Springs road. This cute residential area is also very poorly lit at night – the few street lights that exist are dim and often covered by huge trees.

The darkness of Perry Heights makes it really hard to pick up after my dogs without using the flashlight application my phone. However, the darkness it made it really easy to notice a car slowly creeping towards us with its lights dimmed.