Downtown Dallas is not as dead as you think

Tracy Yost, verified:

Every Tuesday night at Pearl (a block away from the photo), we have big band jazz and $2 domestic beers, and people actually come :-) Amazing!

Elliott Munoz, verified:

I love Downtown Dallas… I live there for two years, my girlfriend lived there for four, and right at the heart of it. This was two years ago.

Since then, a few more places have opened and closed. I think that some businesses get concessions to open shop, and should stay open after 5pm. However, lots of them do close a bit after five o’clock.

Kudos to the few restaurants and local watering holes that stay open late, who can argue with that, specially when you can get on the elevator go down to the lobby cross the street and hang out at your local bar! But businesses that have deep pockets like a “certain pharmacy” should not close early.

The more places that stay open, the more life the streets of Dallas will have. Could you imagine if every business in NY City closed at five or six everyday?

I see the great changes coming to Big D. We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful city in this great transition.

Pavel Lishin, verified:

I went there a few weeks ago, and there were actual pedestrians.

I was so confused.

Travis Bush, verified:

"But Dallas has made great strides, and to claim that it's the same downtown from five years ago is not looking at the big picture."

It certainly isn't the same downtown, but we still suffer the lack of any major retail, which would certainly keep downtown alive and more vibrant in the future.

Michael Davis, verified:

Tracy how could I forget about y'all holding down the east end of downtown! The site of PegNews' first holiday part a few years back!

It was a nearly ghost town 5 years ago, but each new place the opens seems to do well. Even the art coop space that closed near the Joule (can't think of the name) is now leased out for various events.

In talking with various people, you do need more of a critical mass before big name retailers come down. I feel that some officials could do more to get us decent retail...but you need people also and that's the chicken/egg equation. Obviously, urbanmarket isn't the solution since they've scaled back their groceries. Personally, other than the Mayor, John Crawford with Downtown Dallas, and Veletta Lill w/the Arts District (and former councilwoman) I feel kind of ignored and taken for granted by many city officials who look at us as a stat and a place to cut ribbons instead of living breathing residents that matter.

Several new buildings are about to be (or currently in the process) of renovation and I think once that happens more stores will open. It still seems that some mid-level retailers will still take the plunge and be rewarded for their efforts.

Tracy Yost, verified:

We have been here 3 1/2 years and I can tell a huge difference, not so much in retail presence, but there are more offices around us, and just more people going hither and thither.... I really think downtown needs a couple of small/medium grocers/markets, and a couple of 24hour walgreens. To have a "living" downtown, we must have places where people can buy everyday things like real food (i.e. fruits and vegs and meats), and also household and personal items. Also, people need to be able to walk or ride a local-loop bus or trolley to do these things.

Elliott Munoz, verified:

Tracy I couldn’t agree with you more!

I am very enthusiastic about the changes already taken place in Dallas and the growth in residential buildings. I’m very excited about the future changes in our city.

Mr. / Mrs. OEsophagus: I don’t think anyone here is claiming to be "an expert". People are just voicing opinions and experiences, having lived and living in down town Dallas.

Russ Vandeveerdonk, verified:

Downtown is ALWAYS abuzz with things to do nowadays! Parades, museums, shops, holiday events, operas, stage performances, movies, music and of course great restaurants and swimming pools all over the place!!

Michael Davis, verified:

DC - I still rep the hood. We just put two hot-sheet motels on the clock to be closed within a year on the east side of District Four, and closed down an illegal truck parking lot and pit bull operation in Oak Cliff.

Rick Yost, verified:

Three basic things are needed downtown. First more everyday retail- groceries, pharmacies, book stores, music stores- real places for real people to shop. Uptown thrives because of its shopping. Downtown can too.
The second thing that's needed is access and mobility- local (downtown) shuttles or trolleys, rail lines and buses that run late into the wee hours so folks can come downtown, party and still get home safely after last call. The third thing is parking. I know for a fact there are folks that refuse to come downtown simply because of the crooked/criminal parking lot businesses. If commercial parking lots would just crawl into the 21st century, and provide real secure parking, honest and obvious pricing and signage, with a receipt for payment system, you'd see more people downtown.

Mike Orren, verified:

Rick, you've got something on the parking. CityPark is a good example of what we need more of. Reasonable prices and automated machines that take credit cards and provide a receipt.

Michael Davis, verified:

For whatever reason, downtown parking lot owners got six more months to get their act together w/r/t the new receipt or attendant rule. The new parking lot rules start for Deep Ellum next week...for downtown: July.

Tracy Yost, verified:

A customer last week told me that as he was parking his car, the boot thugs approached his car with boot in hand - he hadn't even had a chance to get out of his car yet! I'd really like to know why we have to wait until July.....

Michael Davis, verified:

that's how councilwoman Hunt set it up..that's all I really know.

alexander troup, verified:

I am Down Town every day, it comes and goes the public and display, while parking should be free, they have a bad habit of not thinking..The City does, that folks don't want the problems of going to town with their wagon train in tow,,,,,Tracy and Rick have known as I observe the same...The City is really stupid having placed such restriction on small business that cater to music and drink, when that is the life and soul of an inner city, after 6..Let the folks come to town for a quick...then head em out by 11....

Back to the A/T follow up, who is running this city and running it at the same time...

Jason Rice, verified:

It's not dead yet. As a matter of fact, I think it'll go for a walk.

Rick Yost, verified:

Jason- leave it to you to reference one of my personal top 10 flicks.

Travis Bush, verified:

One also wonders why the city doesn't force to get the owners of the West End Marketplace to do something with that building.

Michael Davis, verified:

I really love the idea flow on this post.

I definitely agree on a lot of the sentiments here. The meters at night have to go. I get the 9-5 aspect of meters, but who cares if someone parks a car on Main Street at night? I don't think the city would miss the money.

Walking on Jackson Street or Canton at night is like a scene straight out of movie The Warriors. We have to bring street life to more streets other than Main. And this is coming from a person that will leave the car parked, ride the bus/cab to Deep Ellum and walk home at midnight or after. We are making progress, but there's much work to be done.

Rick Yost, verified:

In the parking lot next to our building, there's an attendant that works the lot on weekends. All the while there's a huge sign at the front of the lot that says, "Do Not Pay Attendant". WTF? On all the parking lot signs I've seen, there's the day rate in big print- usually $1.75 (All day). Then in small print- $5.00 at night and on weekends.
It's intended to be confusing. Why? Because commercial parking lots making far more money from the kick-backs of booting and towing cars than they do simply renting parking spaces.
How can a person come downtown and enjoy themselves when the first thing they have to do is deal with people who are obviously trying to cheat them out of money?

Catherine Cuellar, verified:

A word to the wise who will be downtown tonight - downtown Dallas businesses pay for off duty police officers as safety patrol people. There's no limit to how often you can use them and no charge! A couple of weeks ago as I was walking from the Akard Light Rail stop to City Tavern, a couple of cops approached ... and offered to escort me to the bar! This is an incredible amenity and when I reached the bar they gave me their card and told me to call when I was ready for them to walk me back to my car. I programmed the number - (214) 741-1151 - into my cell phone for future reference. I look forward to the day when such heightened security is unnecessary, but for now applaud its availability.

alexander troup, verified:

It is a wild card evening, rain and cold this afternoon while all things cant wait..HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR......A/T...

Tracy Yost, verified:

A parking update - Weds night we had a VERY packed house, and the boot thugs were VERY busy - about 10 boots, give or take a couple. In 3 cases, folks got out of their cars, walked to the front door to get change and went directly back to the lot to pay, only to find a boot already on their car. In most cases, the victims claimed that they paid, so we recommended they call the police (as we always do). I guess the police were not very busy because they came out several times to investigate claims of fraudulent booting. (this is a very good thing, see below).

So here's what happens - the boot thugs use their cellphone to video themselves opening the box and inspecting a particular slot - they then show this video to the police, who then say "sorry, we can't really help here".

In a couple of cases, customers who called the boot people to come get the boot off their cars were told "We will not even come down there unless you pay us by credit card over the phone". One unfortunate young man never got an answer when he called the boot people, and had to call a cab.

So a couple of outcomes from Weds evening - 1) LAST night (Thursday, NYE) - a police car parked in the parking lot and we did not see the boot thugs one single time. I have to believe this has something to do with the fact that the police were there. And I do believe the police were there because they were called about 10 times the night before.

2) We are recommending all customers park on the street meters. If you must park in a lot, we recommend using your cellphone to video yourself putting money into the box - be sure and get your wristwatch into the frame.

3) We intend to try to use video surveillance and any other means available to document what these THIEVES are doing. We have created a Facebook page called "We're Declaring War on the Parking Lot Boot Crooks in downtown Dallas", which we will use to document incidents. If you have a story to tell about the parking lot thugs, we would welcome your input to that page.

Jason Rice, verified:

Rick - you married SO far above your league. Well done.

Absolute GENIUS Tracy.

alexander troup, verified:

Well..the story has finally come to Gotham City.....Boot thugs a new class of kids when Kunkle leaves....and the Mayor too we all have been hearing....abandon ship...while the streets become battlefeilds for and against the Car..road machine...or the lazy and blind....who cant walk and defend......Tracy and Rick hang in ther you are maybe the worst victim..but you will get out of this mess...A/T, Industrial honest crime in gotham city...

Elliott Munoz, verified:

Just for fun! Dallas is beautiful.

From Downtown Dallas Adventure 1-24-2010

alexander troup, verified:

IT IS AMAZING..... this site has been over the past 100 years...a part of the once central core of the city that had moved from Houston street to this area by 1914....

Then in the 1950's the area became a High End business section adding hotels and parking garages..mixed with the elements of that 1914 era...creating a very colorful effect.

Decay came in the 1980's,from business that had moved to the suburbs,... thus the old had to go while the redo for 2010..is area quite impressive....A/T, Urban Citizen...