COVID Cases Plummet. Dallas County reported a seven-day case total of 9,249, which is less than half of the new cases reported the previous week. Hospitalizations also dropped.
Oak Cliff Growing Pains. The apartment building boom continues in Oak Cliff, which rankles long-time residents. But here’s the deal. Public transit needs density to work. Restricting housing supply will only worsen gentrification. Oak Cliff has managed its growth better than most. The transformation has been so rapid and overwhelming because the city doesn’t have many real urban neighborhoods. Solution: find ways to stimulate in other Dallas neighborhoods the same kind of grassroots, neighborhood-level investments that kick-started Oak Cliff’s renaissance two decades ago.
Having Fun in Dallas Is Dangerous. Last week the Dallas Police Department announced plans to step up its presence in Deep Ellum after a recent rise in crime in the nightlife district. This week, the Uptown Public Improvement District is asking DPD to do the same in their neighborhood after a 42-year-old man was shot and killed outside a bar early Monday morning. In 2021 there were five shootings in Uptown, and in March of last year a woman was run over by a car and killed after an altercation.
Five Gorillas Test Positive for COVID-19. It’s been a rough year for the zoo, which saw three of its giraffes pass away in late 2020. Now five gorillas have tested positive for the virus. The good news: they aren’t showing any symptoms. Gorillas and big cats have contracted COVID at other zoos around the world, and zoo staff has been regularly testing the animals.
DFW Housing Prices Continue to Rise. Median home prices have risen 14 percent year-over-year to a whopping $400,000. Inventories of available homes all fell again, suggesting high housing prices will continue. The housing boom was expected to slow this year ahead of expected interest rate hikes, but so far that doesn’t look like it is happening.
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