Comments on: Obituary for the American Neighborhood http://renegadebusdallas.com/2009/10/08/obituary-for-the-american-neighborhood/ Culture and the curious in Dallas, Texas Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:32:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Robbie http://renegadebusdallas.com/2009/10/08/obituary-for-the-american-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-1952 Robbie Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:40:08 +0000 http://renegadebusdallas.com/?p=3113#comment-1952 I live in Lowest Greenville and have found the Newflower Grocery to be an outstanding community environment. You really find such a great variety of people there. The Lakewood Whole Foods certainly has a great communal feel to it, albeit a bit more homogenized and less boho than Newflower. The Pearl Cup opened up to alleviate the loss of Gachet. It has already become a beloved spot for local neighbors. Mornings at John's Cafe, Char Bar, Libertine, Gold Rush, Vickery Park and even Barcadia are always a great local event. The ultimate Third Place in East Dallas is White Rock Lake, hands down. White Rock enlivens my spirits absolutely every time I go, regardless if I actually communicate with others or not. Just having that sense of shared space is wonderful. Another, probably, overlooked spot is Swiss Avenue. Yesterday on my bike ride, I saw black, white, brown, rich and poor all intermingling and connecting in some way. All on this roughly two mile stretch of road. I love East Dallas and have found no greater sense of community in the entire city. Although Oak Cliff is getting close...very close. I live in Lowest Greenville and have found the Newflower Grocery to be an outstanding community environment. You really find such a great variety of people there. The Lakewood Whole Foods certainly has a great communal feel to it, albeit a bit more homogenized and less boho than Newflower.

The Pearl Cup opened up to alleviate the loss of Gachet. It has already become a beloved spot for local neighbors. Mornings at John’s Cafe, Char Bar, Libertine, Gold Rush, Vickery Park and even Barcadia are always a great local event.

The ultimate Third Place in East Dallas is White Rock Lake, hands down. White Rock enlivens my spirits absolutely every time I go, regardless if I actually communicate with others or not. Just having that sense of shared space is wonderful.

Another, probably, overlooked spot is Swiss Avenue. Yesterday on my bike ride, I saw black, white, brown, rich and poor all intermingling and connecting in some way. All on this roughly two mile stretch of road.

I love East Dallas and have found no greater sense of community in the entire city. Although Oak Cliff is getting close…very close.

]]> By: Carl http://renegadebusdallas.com/2009/10/08/obituary-for-the-american-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-1866 Carl Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:36:15 +0000 http://renegadebusdallas.com/?p=3113#comment-1866 Another now-defunct neighborhood cafe: The local chain of Java Jones coffeshops - there was one in the OakLawn area and one in Lower Greenville near Mockingbird. Apparently displaced by the big chain. Another now-defunct neighborhood cafe: The local chain of Java Jones coffeshops - there was one in the OakLawn area and one in Lower Greenville near Mockingbird. Apparently displaced by the big chain.

]]> By: Carl http://renegadebusdallas.com/2009/10/08/obituary-for-the-american-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-1864 Carl Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:49:06 +0000 http://renegadebusdallas.com/?p=3113#comment-1864 It’s good to know there are still a few “third places” around the Dallas area. A few that no longer exist come to mind: Torrefazione Italia coffeeshop, which was bought up by a big chain and shut down. Gachet espresso bar was an artsy hangout in Lowest Lower Greenville. Both were spaces for artists to display and market their productions. There was a breakfast-and-burger joint near the Granada Theatre – the location is now apparently occupied by a bank branch. There’s a breakfast-and-burger joint near the corner of Ross and Greenville – the name eludes me. And, of course, there’s the GoldRush Café. The Highland Park drug store reminds me a lot of the one in downtown Irving. Last I visited, one could have breakfast and read the paper there. Irving’s got Joes Coffeeshop, and a Mama’s Daughters Diner outpost. In Lakewood, Matt’s and the Balcony Club in the Lakewood Theatre have a neighborhood feel. It’s good to know there are still a few “third places” around the Dallas area. A few that no longer exist come to mind: Torrefazione Italia coffeeshop, which was bought up by a big chain and shut down. Gachet espresso bar was an artsy hangout in Lowest Lower Greenville. Both were spaces for artists to display and market their productions. There was a breakfast-and-burger joint near the Granada Theatre – the location is now apparently occupied by a bank branch. There’s a breakfast-and-burger joint near the corner of Ross and Greenville – the name eludes me. And, of course, there’s the GoldRush Café.
The Highland Park drug store reminds me a lot of the one in downtown Irving. Last I visited, one could have breakfast and read the paper there.
Irving’s got Joes Coffeeshop, and a Mama’s Daughters Diner outpost.
In Lakewood, Matt’s and the Balcony Club in the Lakewood Theatre have a neighborhood feel.

]]> By: Teresa http://renegadebusdallas.com/2009/10/08/obituary-for-the-american-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-1842 Teresa Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:48:34 +0000 http://renegadebusdallas.com/?p=3113#comment-1842 Downtown Irving, located in South Irving, not the Irving of sub divisions and mega vehicles, has a pharmacy with a soda fountain inside that has been there for over fifty years. While I have been there a few times I wouldn't say it is my hangout, but I get the impression that it is for a lot of Irving residents. Let's hope with Irving's new city planning and renovations this local spot stays, and maybe we can even hope for some more gathering places to fill in around it. Downtown Irving, located in South Irving, not the Irving of sub divisions and mega vehicles, has a pharmacy with a soda fountain inside that has been there for over fifty years. While I have been there a few times I wouldn’t say it is my hangout, but I get the impression that it is for a lot of Irving residents. Let’s hope with Irving’s new city planning and renovations this local spot stays, and maybe we can even hope for some more gathering places to fill in around it.

]]> By: Joan http://renegadebusdallas.com/2009/10/08/obituary-for-the-american-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-1841 Joan Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:45:10 +0000 http://renegadebusdallas.com/?p=3113#comment-1841 Over here in the Bishop Arts, there seems to be some of those third places. Residences next to businesses and retail surely creates community. Two things that would make it better: a pharmacy (either of the Mom and Pop variety or of the chain store variety but in a less obnoxious incarnation than the Walgreenses and CVSes surrounded by parking lot) and a grocery store. Without either a pharmacy or general grocery store in walking distance, segments of the diverse population in the Bishop Arts don't necessarily mingle. Boutique shops on one street run parallel to lower-income housing on another. Preventing spaces where individuals from all income brackets can intermingle ends up creating a false sense of neighborhood. There is one place here, though, where neighborhood happens--the Honduras Tire Shop on Davis and Cedar Hill. When I pulled up today to get a hub cap and some air, I asked if they took Visa, etc. Nope, only cash. I said I'd have to go get some. Don't worry about it, they said. And they filled up the tires and put an old hub cap on my clunker in two minutes. I was good to go. That's what I call community. Over here in the Bishop Arts, there seems to be some of those third places. Residences next to businesses and retail surely creates community. Two things that would make it better: a pharmacy (either of the Mom and Pop variety or of the chain store variety but in a less obnoxious incarnation than the Walgreenses and CVSes surrounded by parking lot) and a grocery store. Without either a pharmacy or general grocery store in walking distance, segments of the diverse population in the Bishop Arts don’t necessarily mingle. Boutique shops on one street run parallel to lower-income housing on another. Preventing spaces where individuals from all income brackets can intermingle ends up creating a false sense of neighborhood.

There is one place here, though, where neighborhood happens–the Honduras Tire Shop on Davis and Cedar Hill. When I pulled up today to get a hub cap and some air, I asked if they took Visa, etc. Nope, only cash. I said I’d have to go get some. Don’t worry about it, they said. And they filled up the tires and put an old hub cap on my clunker in two minutes. I was good to go. That’s what I call community.

]]> By: bill holston http://renegadebusdallas.com/2009/10/08/obituary-for-the-american-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-1840 bill holston Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:45:07 +0000 http://renegadebusdallas.com/?p=3113#comment-1840 Used to, the Tipperary Inn was exactly that sort of spot. People dropped in, to have a beer. My friend and I started going there, when our mutual friend was dying in the fall of 2001. If someone drove past and saw your car, they stopped. We brought our kids, then our kids went off to college, and then they started coming again. Its a Grind is trying hard to be that sort of community, at Baylor Green line stop. A couple of years ago, Club Dada was like that on Thursdays. Now, I don't really have a specific place. Most of my friends live inside 635/75, but North of Mockingbird, although most of us work closer to downtown. We now pick several spots to have a beer: Trinity Hall, Uptown Pub, and my favorite Meridian Room. It's nice to have a neighborhood spot. Used to, the Tipperary Inn was exactly that sort of spot. People dropped in, to have a beer. My friend and I started going there, when our mutual friend was dying in the fall of 2001. If someone drove past and saw your car, they stopped. We brought our kids, then our kids went off to college, and then they started coming again.

Its a Grind is trying hard to be that sort of community, at Baylor Green line stop.

A couple of years ago, Club Dada was like that on Thursdays. Now, I don’t really have a specific place. Most of my friends live inside 635/75, but North of Mockingbird, although most of us work closer to downtown. We now pick several spots to have a beer: Trinity Hall, Uptown Pub, and my favorite Meridian Room.

It’s nice to have a neighborhood spot.

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