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Living in Dallas West End

by Heather Carr
for About.com

Overview:

Dallas's West End is best known for its abundant nightlife, but there's plenty to see and do during the day as well. With museums, restaurants, and a DART light rail stop, the West End is a prime location for young urbanites.

About seven million tourists visit each year. The tidy, well-kept streets and buildings keep locals visiting every night, but especially on weekends.

Dallas had its beginnings in the West End. John Neely Bryan built his cabin where Dealey Park is now. Others settled nearby and opened stores and Dallas grew from there. Part of the West End is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Boundaries:
The West End is roughly bounded by I-35 on the west, Woodall Rodgers Freeway (366) on the north, Griffin on the east, and Commerce on the south.
Living There:

Condos in the West End have all the amenities one might expect: pool, covered parking, fitness centers, and more. A one-bedroom condo (870 square feet) starts at $140,000; a two-bedroom (1500 square feet), $240,000. The same-sized condos cost $1200 and $2000 per month to rent.

The area is served by the Dallas Independent School District.

DART light rail's Red Line and Blue Line both stop at the West End station, putting much of Dallas, Fort Worth, and the suburbs within easy reach.

Restaurants and Nightlife:
With upscale lounges, mid-priced dining, live music and shows, and nightclubs, it's difficult to be bored in this neighborhood. Atomic Sushi, Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse, West End Pub, Cadillac Bar, Gator's Croc & Roc are a few of the many restaurants.
Shopping:

Groceries: There are no grocery stores in the West End, but downtown has a few.

The Dallas Farmers' Market offers a fresh selection of local and imported produce and meats, as well as flowers, handcrafts, live music, and cooking classes.

Urban Market, in the ground floor of the Interurban Building, has a cafe, a cocktail bar, a florist, a Dallas Credit Union branch, oh yeah, and groceries.

Other Shopping: Wild Bill's Western Store, one of the best in the United States, is at 311 N. Market Street. Other smaller shops are scattered about. Downtown shopping is just a few minutes walk away on Commerce Street.

Recreation and the Arts:
Dallas World Aquarium, Sixth Floor Museum, the Holocaust Museum, and the Old Red Courthouse and its museum are located within the West End. Some say the House of Blues is also in the West End -- some say it's in Victory Park -- it's certainly within easy walking distance. Many of the restaurants and pubs have live music.
Other Necessities:

The nearest post office is at 1201 Main Street, about a ten minute walk away. The J. Erik Jonsson branch of the Dallas library system is at 1515 Young Street, about a twenty minute walk and right across from City Hall.

In emergency, dial 911 to reach police, fire, or ambulance. Emergency call boxes are scattered about the downtown area in case you have no phone with you.

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