iLume Park Archives - Page 2 of 2

Winter in Dallas is absolutely amazing.

The temperature is perfect – about 60 to 70 degrees every day.

iLume Park’s large dog park in Dallas, Texas.

Gunter at Ilume Park’s small dog park.

Perry Heights neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, in February.

The Harwood District of downtown Dallas, Texas

That is one of the reasons why I am not thrilled to go to Minnesota tomorrow.

Thomson Reuters is flying me back to Minnesota for an awards dinner and training.

It’s going to be cold as hell, but I get to see some of my friends and my company is putting me up in the Mall of America hotel, so things could be worse.

That doesn’t mean that I won’t miss the warmth…

I always thought my mother was dramatic about hating the cold (she still lives in Miami) but now I fully understand.

Brr.

Oak Lawn

The conversation about hiring security guards was one of the strangest things about last month’s epic apartment building meeting.
“I can give you a daily happy hour, or I can give you security guards,” the building president said. “But I am warning you, armed security guards are going to change the vibe around here.”
She was right.

Now I routinely run into packs of 2 to 4 security guards when I leave my building. Most of the security guards just glare at residents without saying anything, so it is highly awkward.

Oak Lawn

How My Mother Saved My Apartment Building

January 6, 2016

Visits from mom are great.

In addition to the joy of seeing family, and an excuse to do touristy things, visits from my mother also have very practical benefits – like preventing my apartment from burning down.

When my mother was in town, she noticed a very odd smell coming from my laundry closet.
“You know it’s not supposed to have a burning smell when you dry clothes, right?” she said. “There’s not supposed to be lint everywhere either.”

Oak Lawn

The Come to Jesus Meeting

January 3, 2016

My neighbors and I just had one of the most awkward meetings ever.

Apparently the mass tenant exodus, police drama, and middle-of-the-night fire alarms culminated in the building manager being fired.

The iLume Park management company then called a “member meeting” of all of the residents to announce the changes and clear the air.

It was a shit show.

The meeting was led by the management company president / general counsel (who coincidentally reminds me a lot of Donna Shalala). She gave a short speech about how things are going to change and a brief overview of her plans.

She also pointed out that the most recent 3 a.m. fire alarm was due to some drunkards who set off the hour-long alarm by hopping a fence and intentionally tampering with the fire equipment.

Then came tirade time.

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Dallas / dogs / LGBT / Life / memories / Minneapolis-St. Paul / Thomson Reuters

From Minnesota to Texas: 2015 in Review

December 31, 2015

The Dallas Skyline as seen from Reunion Tower

I celebrated last New Year’s Eve in Minnesota and now I am ending the year as an official Texan.

2015 was wonderful, but exhausting.

James Sanna and Aaron Kraemer getting married in Boston.

A bloody Mary and the New Yorker Magazine at the Washington DC airport.

Alyssa Edwards at the Dallas Gay Pride iLume block party.

Dancers at the iLume block party.

A dramatically lit mansion in Highland Park.

dogs / Oak Lawn

Night Party

December 22, 2015

We all walked the dogs at 3 a.m.

I’ve alternatively described my apartment building as a dog-friendly residential hotel, Melrose Place, and an adult dorm.

In true dorm fashion, my neighbors occasionally trigger the fire alarm in the middle of the night. This happened today at 3 a.m.

Oak Lawn

New Neighbors

November 30, 2015

I typically find out about the departures during happy hour.

My building is modeled after a hotel, so we have breakfast and happy hour in the lobby. It’s one of the reasons why it can feel like Melrose Place at times and also why it is so easy to stay on top of what’s going on.

Oak Lawn

Notes from iLume Park

July 31, 2015

Welcome to Melrose Place

It’s Saturday and I’m walking my dog around the front of my apartment complex. I notice police lights and see a thin blond woman getting arrested by two bored-looking Dallas PD officers.

It’s only 11:30 a.m.

A group of residents appears outside.

Everyone seems to have a unique horror story about her prior scenes and blowups.
Me: “What kind of ratchet-ass building did I move into that someone is getting hauled off by the cops before noon?!”

Neighbor: “Oh, it’s really just her. This isn’t the first time she’s been arrested either.”
Charming.

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Oak Lawn

The Monster Above

July 28, 2015

I don’t question my decision to live in the gayborhood at all.

This is fabulous.

There are about two dozen gay bars and restaurants within 3 blocks of my apartment building.

This means that I don’t have to drive at all to go out.

Nothing beats always having drag show sidekicks.

After a recent bar trip, I came back home to a nasty surprise.

Oak Lawn

First Impressions

July 21, 2015

My first week in Dallas was amazing.

Gunter and I have finally settled in.

My new apartment in Dallas, cowhide rugs included.

I moved to Oak Lawn, which is the local gayborhood (and best gay neighborhood in the country!)

Oak Lawn is very similar to Boystown, Wilton Manors, or San Francisco’s Castro District.

In the heart of Oak Lawn is a street with more than a dozen gay bars and restaurants. At the end of “The Strip” are the iLume buildings, which are the gay dorms: two massive new developments mostly populated by gay men and single women.

iLume Park

Winter in Dallas is absolutely amazing.

That is one of the reasons why I am not thrilled to go to Minnesota tomorrow.

Visits from mom are great.

My neighbors and I just had one of the most awkward meetings ever.

Then came tirade time. Continue Reading

We all walked the dogs at 3 a.m.

I typically find out about the departures during happy hour.

Welcome to Melrose Place

I don’t question my decision to live in the gayborhood at all.

After a recent bar trip, I came back home to a nasty surprise.

My first week in Dallas was amazing.

Then came tirade time.

Continue Reading