Exploring Dallas & Fort Worth

DALLAS

Downtown-West End Map L9

New energy hitched a ride into downtown when the light rail started in June. The spread of downtown loft apartments has given that new energy a place to stay. While there’s little after-dark street life on the blocks between Deep Ellum and the West End, the Central Business District does have Its attractions.

A good place to start is the Farmers Market. 1010 S. Pearl Expwy., where vendors offer fresh produce and spe-cialty items, and cooking classes and festivals are held throughout the year. Then head over to Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla, aka Pei Palace after world-famed architect I.M, Pei, who designed it. Across the plaza-a frequent festival site-is the J. Erik Jonsson Library, 1515 Young, named after one of the city’s most beloved mayors. Heading west on Young Street from City Hall, you’ll come upon a sprawling herd of 40 longhorn steers being tended by cowboys. Pioneer Plaza, the Herd on the Street, sparked debate during its 1993-94 construction: the beef was over authenticity, with skeptics protesting Dallas had never been a major site for cattle drives and boosters replying that, doggone it. visitors expect to see cattle in Dallas. So there they are.

Further west, just across Houston Street from The Dallas Morning News, 1503 Young, is Union Station, 400 S. Houston, built in 1916, the doorway to Dallas back when rail was king. An underground tunnel connects the station with the Hyatt Regency Dallas Reunion Hotel. 300 Reunion Blvd. Take in the view from the revolving “ball “atop Reunion Tower, where you can enjoy drinks and dining in the round at Antares.

After a bite and a look over the city, walk north on Houston Street to Dealey Plaza, at the southwest corner of Houston and Elm streets, named for George Bannerman Dealey, founder of The News. If you’re at all interested in the city’s greatest tragedy, visit the Sixth Floor Museum, 411 Elm, a tasteful, somber exhibit that details the life and death of John F. Kennedy while presenting what might be called the official Warren Commission view. A more lurid (some would say paranoid) treatment of Nov. 22, 1963, and of other historical whodunits, can be found nearby at The Conspiracy Museum, 110 S. Market, whose name says it all.

Stand at the comer of Elm and Market streets and you’re looking at land that has held four distinct identities since founder John Neely Bryan bartered for it with the Caddo Indians 150 years ago. First, the riverside settlement that became Dallas grew around the trading post Bryan built; Old Red Courthouse, the turreted 1892 courthouse visible a block south at Main and Houston streets, stands on land he donated.

Walk two blocks north to Ross Avenue and you’re at the very heart of the boom area of warehouses and factories erected near the turn of the century, after intersecting railroads made Dallas a distribution center. You’re also in the heart of the third incarnation-the West End’s descent into decay as railroad transportation declined after World War it.

And now, you’re in the center of the West End’s renaissance. Designated as a historical district in 1975, the West End has become a showpiece, a dining, shopping and enter tainment center drawing North Texas residents as well as tourists from all over the world. Clubs, museums and an aquarium are here. The 10-story Marketplace, 603 Munger, houses antiques, souvenir and novelty shops, food vendors and a 10-screen movie theater. Recent additions include the studios of 12 artisans, such as a potter, a metalsmith and a glass blower. Events regularly fill the streets with revelers; in winter, an outdoor ice rink defies T&xas’ schizoid weath er changes, and horse-drawn carriages offer sightseeing rides vear-round.

I When colorful fun and people-watching give way to lunger, the district’s 30-odd restaurants come into play, run-ling an international gamut from irreverent joints like Dick’s Last Resort, 1701 N. Market, to nationally known steak-louses. Some notable examples: 311 Lombard! s 311 N. Market, authentic modern Italian cuisine: Mama’s Daughters’ Diner. 211 N. Record, genuine Texas-style cook-ing; Mi Cocina, 1800 N. Market, exuberant Tex-Mex with a Healthful accent; Morton’s of Chicago. 501 Elm. for superb steaks and stellar side dishes; Newport’s, 703 McKinney, serving fresh seafood in an ancient brewery: The Palm, 701 Ross, for world-renowned steaks and monster lobsters; Planet Hollywood. 603 Munger. celebrity-owned purveyor of California cuisine; Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse. 302 N. Market, for justly famed barbecue; and Spaghetti Warehouse. 1815 N. Market, the West End’s first restaurant and still a family Italian dining favorite.

Northeast up Ross Avenue at Harwood is Dallas* Arts District. with its two linchpins, the Dallas Museum of Art. 1717 N. Harwood, and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. 2301 Flora. The DMA houses one of the best collections of pre-Columbian art in the country, and since the museum moved to its Edward Larrabee Barnes-designed home in 19S4. large donor gifts have resulted in major additions: The Wendy Reves collection of decorative arts opened in a new wing in 1985, designed as a replica of the Reves’ French villa, and the Museum of the Americas opened in 1993 in the Hamon Building, with exhibits that tell the story of the art of Western civilizations.

The Meyerson Symphony Center, also known as “The Mort,” had its start in a $17-million gift by Ross Perot, himself something of a Dallas icon, with the stipulations that the symphony center be designed by l,M. Pei and be named after Perot’s top lieutenant at Electronic Data Systems, Mort Meyerson. The Meyerson opened in 1989. winning acclaim for its design and its acoustics. It also features one of the largest mechanical-action organs ever built for a concert hall, the Herman W. Lay Family Fisk Organ. Also in this area is the downtown location of a Dallas favorite. La Madeleine. 2121 San Jacinto, Suite 1200, that serves French cuisine.

No swing through downtown would be complete without a visit to the original Neiman Marcus, 1618 Main at Ervay. Much of Dallas’ early reputation as a stylish, cosmopolitan city was owed to The Store and to the influence of chairman emeritus Stanley Marcus, a civic treasure now enjoying his ninth decade. In addition to designer fare (Donna Karan and Richard Tyler women’s wear: Oxxford and Brioni men’s wear), the flagship store is home to the Neiman Marcus Museum (fifth floor) and the original ladies-who-lunch institution, the Zodiac Restaurant. After spending more than you meant to in Neiman’s. stroll out of the Commerce Street door and walk three blocks west to the Adolphus Hotel, 1321 Commerce, one of the grand hotels of Texas. If you’re ready to pamper yourself, the Adolphus is home to the posh

a perennial name in the pantheon of fine Dallas restaurants. If you just need a beer, head for the lobby lounge, Walt Garrison’s Rodeo Bar. After leaving the Adolphus. stand at the southwest corner of Commerce and Field and look up to the northeast. There you’ll see the flying red horse. Pegasus, once the most recognizable symbol of downtown, now overshadowed by the skyscrapers surrounding it.



Deep Ellum Map L9

At the end of the 19th century, when the boll weevil tore through the Central Texas cotton fields, thousands of displaced African-American field workers streamed into the big cities and established vibrant communities. In Dallas, they settled around the intersection of Elm Street and Central Avenue, an area so rich in music that at the time it seemed as vital as Chicago would decades later.

Leadbelly and Blind Lemon Jefferson no longer walk the streets of Deep Ellum, and by the 1950s Central Avenue yielded to North Central Expressway, splitting Deep Ellum psychologically from downtown. After a late “80s resurgence, the neighborhood today is almost completely given over to clubs, cafes and arty retail shops.

The standard for dining in Deep Ellum has long been the Deep Ellum Cafe. 2706 Elm, where the offerings manage to combine simplicity, originality and tastmess with elegance. Monica’s Aca y Alla. 2914 Main, is a fun space with a whimsical decor and a refreshing approach to old standards like steaks. Speaking of standards, no food holds a dearer place in the hearts of Dallasites than (Tex-) Mexican, and Sol’s Taco Lounge. 2626 Commerce, may be the best place to get it.

Sambuca. 2618 Elm, is Deep Ellum’s jazz spot, featuring the best in local acts; good but pricey Italian food; and the 7-foot-6, 380-pound doorman, Calvin Lane. The restaurant-bar duo, Green Room/Dark Room. 2715 Elm, is hot these days, especially the rooftop seating area. If you’re looking for some late-night energy, light food and caffeine can be had either at the Insomnia Coffee Bar. 2640 Elm, or Cafe Brazil, 2815 Elm. Beautiful young hipsters-real and imagined-line up outside popular danceteria The 2826 Club, 2826 Elm, but if you like your music a bit grittier, tip your hat to Deep Ellum’s roots with a visit to Blue Cat Blues. 2617 Commerce.

If real Texas music is to your liking. Wednesday through Saturday nights at the Sons of Hermann Hall. 3414 Elm. can’t be beat. Trees. 2709 Elm. usually books major road shows, and Club Dada, 2720 Elm, features the best local acts, with out-of-town groups thrown in for good measure.

The closest place to stay while enjoying Deep Ellum is The Aristocrat Hotel, 1933 Main St. And dont overlook the shops-you’ll find high-quality. used cowboy boots at Blue Suede Shoes. 2815 Main, and antique furniture and gifts at Articles. 2556 Elm. Home Concepts, 2900 Main, has eclectic home furnishings-and. of course, futons. Get your Doc Martens and other fashionably hip clothing and shoes, at Moda, 2644 Elm.



Knox-Henderson Map L7

This area has long been popular for Us full day’s worth of park-and-wander opportunities, but recently a new trend has split this east-west area along its approximate middle, represented by North Central Expressway, To the east, along Henderson, there’s still the eclectic mix of galleries, antiques shops, bars and restaurants. An old favorite is the clothing shop Emeralds to Coconuts. 2730 N. Henderson.

Those looking for dining experiences can start around the corner at Natchez. 2810 N. Henderson, which specializes in upscale home cooking, and Moctezuma’s, 2847 N. Henderson, serving authentic Mexican food. The fare at the Yegua Creek Brewing Company. 2920 Henderson, is surprisingly well-done, though the atmosphere can get boister-ous. Quieter times can be had across the street at Savino Ristorante, 2929 Henderson, known for its Northern Italian dishes, and at Pinot’s. 2926 Henderson. A good bite-on-the-go can be had at Rock ’n’ Java, 2906 Henderson.

As Henderson heads west, it crosses Central Expressway, and turns into Knox; the shopping scene changes as well to upscale home furnishings from Knox’s big three: garden and patio supplier Smith & Hawken. 3300 Knox, Weir’s furniture, 3219 Knox, and the Pottery Bam. 3220 Knox. Anchoring the area in matters of both cuisine and history is the Highland Park Pharmacy. 3229 Knox-which is not actually in Highland Park. New attraction Big Shots Sports Cafe. 4511 McKinney, opened across the street from the venerable Sushi on McKinney. 4502 McKinney, which in turn is just north of Chez Gerard, 4444 McKinney. with its French country cuisine.

The Knox Street Antique Mall. 3319 Knox, brings continuity from the Henderson side. At Travis Walk, 4500 Travis, there is a rewarding clump of hip shops and eateries such as coffeehouse Cafe Society. French L’Ancestral and Greek-Mediterranean Ziziki’s Across the street is the see-and-be-seen spot Sipango, 4513 Travis.



Greenville Avenue Map M6

Greenville maintains its two disparate personalities-Lower and Upper-with the help of Mockingbird Lane, where Lower Greenville dead-ends, forcing a quick zig to the right and a zag to the left before transforming itself into Upper Greenville. The Village Apartments are still here, as is the Old Town Shopping Center at Lovers Lane and Greenville, but like polyester and mood rings, they’ve lost some of their reason for being. Mariano’s, 5500 Greenville, original home of the frozen margarita, remains, and residents can find comfort in the solid presence of the Half-Price Books flagship store, 5915 E. Northwest Hwy. But Old Town’s Tom Thumb grocery store, 20 years ago one of the city’s most proline pick-up joints, moved to a new location, leaving its old spot to a ’90s pick-up place, Borders Books & Music. Many of the singles who partied at the Village in the ’70s and ’80s migrated south, where they bought cottages on the M Streets-McCommas, Morningside, etc.-and began calling themselves urban pioneers. And the dilapidated storefronts that housed Lower Greenville’s antiques shops and tattoo parlors found themselves gentrified by the influx of still-popular restaurants and stores-Whole Foods Market and the revamped Bluebonnet Cafe at 2218. The Grape at 2808 (their mushroom soup is a classic), Terilli’s at 2815. Mick’s at 2825, Blue Goose Cantina at 2905, St. Martin’s at 3020. Snuffer’s. 3526. and San Francisco Rose at 3024 (which changes its name to Dallas Rose each year in honor of the Cowboys-’49ers matchup). Daddy Jack’s at 1916 serves up seafood; All Baba Cafe at 1905 dishes up Mediterranean fare, including its signature eggplant dip; Teppo at 2014 specializes in Japanese; and Nero’s at 2104 is an Italian mainstay.

The Ole Moon and Other Tales at 3016 offers greeting cards and gifts fashioned by local artisans, and HD’s Clothing Co. splits its fashionable offerings between women’s wear at 3014 and men’s wear at 3018.

Greenville’s reputation for lively nightspots has waned- but the street still knows how to have a good time. The nearly 20-year-old Poor David’s Pub at 1924 remains the only folk music club in town. The comfortable Greenville Bar & Grill at 2821 claims to be the oldest bar in town, and we don’t doubt it. Amid the brewpub glut, Stan’s Blue Note at 2908 is still an old-fashioned beer joint. Granada Movie Grill at 3524 plays second-run movies in a bar-restaurant-1 ike setting. Dance club Red Jacket at 3606 is the latest incarnation of the 1950s club Jack Ruby made famous, offering “martini” jazz, disco and retro ’80s music.

A movement afoot to rename Lower Greenville “Somo,” (“South of Mockingbird”) has us wondering-can “Nomo” be far behind?



Oak Lawn/Uptown Map K8

Picture the friends from ’Friends’” living in Dallas and they’d be in the area between downtown and the Park Cities newly christened as “Uptown”: residing in the pricey high-rises on and around McKinney Avenue, working out at the Spa at The Crescent, 400 Crescent Court, and Sunday brunching at Dream Cafe in the Quadrangle. 2800 Routh. This is as Upper East Side as Dallas gets. Witness the art galleries-Gerald Paters. 2913 Fairmount: Florence. 2500 Cedar Springs; Altermann & Morris, 2727 Routh; the new Ken Knight Gallery, 2828 Routh: and the McKinney Avenue Contemporary. 3120 McKinney. better known as “The MAC” which is both a performing and visual arts space. Also note the dense concentration of see-and-be-seen restaurants, like Star Canyon. 3102 Oak Lawn. Fog City Diner, 2401 McKinney. the Arcodoro and Pomodoro sisters, 2520 Cedar Springs: specialty dining spots like Lawry’s The Prime Rib, 3008 Maple Ave., and Celebrity Cafe and Bakery. 2418 Fairmount; happening nightspots, like the 8.0 Bar in the Quadrangle, and Martini Ranch, 2816 Fairmount; health-conscious eateries like Natura Cafe, 2909 McKinney; dining institutions like SAD Oyster Co., 2701 McKinney in a historical landmark building on property originally settled by the namesake of Ahab Bowen. a vintage clothing shop at 2614 Boll; and luxury hotels like the Hotel Crescent Court at the Crescent and The Mansion on Turtle Creek, 2821 Turtle Creek.

Same song, different verse: Cross over to Oak Lawn for Dallas’ answer to the Upper West Side. Oak Lawn Avenue sets the tone for its namesake, an eclectic neighborhood that’s home to a large gay population. Here, old and new come together with virtual abandon. Two places to conspicuously consume; Marty’s, 3316 Oak Lawn, an old-line gourmet palace with an elegant wine selection, and the trendy Eatzi’s. 3403 Oak Lawn, which takes take-out to its zenith. Bustling Joey’s. 4217 Oak Lawn, is where Dallas celebutantes dine. The stately Melrose Hotel. 3015 Oak Lawn, holds court at Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs, while the elegant Stoneleigh Hotel, 2927 Maple, attracts a more bo hem Ian clientele.



Preston Center/Highland Park Village/NorthPark Map L6

Travel north on Oak Lawn and without warning the avenue, like a recovering beatnik, will stub out its cigarette, tuck in its shirt and begin moving with an easier, more confident gait as it becomes-with the subtlest veer to the left- Preston Road. This spine of the Golden Corridor, which begins in Highland Park and extends through North Dallas (and beyond), was once a Shawnee Indian trail. More than 150 years later, it is the artery off which elements of the very good life abound: lavish homes, the members-only Dallas Country Club. 4100 Beverly, and the 65-year-old grand dame of Dallas shopping. Highland Park Village, Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road. Dallas doesn’t usually do its malls this way. but the Village-built with its stores facing inward, and believed to be the second-oldest shopping center in the United States-is far from your typical Dallas mall. True, the Village has adopted a more egalitarian approach to its mix of retailers, but it’s still best known for its covey of designers who come together only in the most rarefied settings (i.e.. Rodeo Drive, Worth Avenue. Fifth Avenue]. Calvin Klein. Polo/Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Hermes and Escada lure the designer-conscious, while The Gap, Banana Republic and Ann Taylor attract the hoi polloi. After shopping, let your taste buds enjoy one of the Village’s restaurants-Cafe Pacific, Patrizio. Ml Cocina. Cafe Highland Park or Celebrity Restaurant and Bakery

Two miles and an entirely different mood to the north is Preston Center. Northwest Highway and Preston Road, the city’s shopping complex that’s perhaps most oblivious to the ravages of time. Preston Center is like the aging matriarch who agrees to undergo a face lift-one feature at a time. The old Woolworth’s is now Larry North Total Fitness, 6038 Luther; the old Wyatt’s Cafeteria is now Windsor Antique Mall. 6126 Luther, Restaurants on the west side of Preston include Sam’s Cafe, 8411 Preston. Mi Casa. 8305 Westchester. Cafe Espresso, 6135 Luther, Szechwan Pavillon. 8409 Preston, and Tramontana. 8220B Westchester, as well as the venerable breakfast and lunch place, Vice Versa, 6065 Sherry.

The other half of Preston Center, east of Preston Road, wears its newfound youth most conspicuously. With its smattering of upscale boutiques-Tootsies. 8300 Preston, Ann Hartley, 4020 Villanova, Joan Vass, 8300Preston,Tie-Coon Trading Co., 4015 Villanova. Translations, 4014 Villanova. and Loretta Blum. 8412 Preston Center Plaza, among them-the matriarch’s tetter half hod to have a new name: The Plaza at Preston Center. Here you’ll also find great places to dine like Eureka!. 4011 Villanova, MoMo’s, 8300 Preston Center Plaza, and Boxies Cafe, 4019 Villanova.

From Preston Center Plaza, travel east on Northwest Highway to Central Expressway and discover another shopping mecca, NorthPark Center. NorthPark has never been just another mall: conceived by developer/art collector Ray Nasher, the nation’s first upscale covered mall opened its doors in 1965 at a time when Dallas had yet to become the mall-o-rama it is today. In pre-boom Dallas, Nasher was considered a visionary for combining in a retail center award-winning design, convenience and environmental beauty,

There’s always been much more than shopping going on at NorthPark. On any given day, you II see tennis-shoe-clad matrons on their daily walk (a one-way jaunt from JCPenney at one end of the horseshoe-shaped mall to Lord & Taylor at the other is half a mile); a good portion of Nasher’s impressive collection of 20th-century art (Frank Stellas, Henry Moores, Roy Lichtenstems and Andy Warhols are rotated regularly): the most inventive window-dressing in town (at Barneys New York); plenty of places to eat (from El Fenix to La Madeleine French Bakery): and the most popular Neiman Marcus in the chain. There’s also great shopping for Kids at FAO Schwarz. Left Brain/Right Brain and the Imaginarium. Already home to Dillard’s, NorthPark is expanding with a new Foley’s, bringing the total square footage to 1.965 million, and ballooning this most genteel of Dallas malls to uoer-mall status. Say it ain’t so. Ray!

ADDISON AREA Map 12

This dining and shopping paradise was founded in 1846. when settlers attached the name Peters Colony to a large chunk of North Texas. In 1902, part of that area became Addison, which was officially incorporated in 1953 and today-as the town of Addison-offers food and fun. Anchored on the north by Addison Airport and on the south by Spring Valley Road, the little town’s 41/2 square miles are home to 10 hotels, more than 100 restaurants and plenty of shopping, with more of the same to be found in adjacent Far North Dallas.

Most of Addison’s restaurants are on Belt Line Road. Although navigating this stretch between Midway and Montfort can be a traffic challenge. “Restaurant Row” offers a variety of cuisine. Appropriately, one of Addison’s oldest buildings now houses a restaurant. Dovie’s, 14671 Midway, was built as a country farmhouse in the 1930s and purchased in the ’50s by film star and war hero Audie Murphy.

One cuisine sub-category at which Addison excels is the upscale s teak house: Some of the area’s best are clustered here, including Del Frisco’s, 5251 Spring valley. Chamberlain’s. 5330 Bell Line. Morton’s of Chicago, 14831 Midway, and Stone Trail. 14833 Midway. Some area restaurants also provide entertainment, notably Sambuca, 15207 Addison, and Memphis, 5000 Belt Line, noted for jazz, r&b and big-band sounds. Try Jaxx Cafe. 14925 Midway, for nouvelle cuisine. Hana Japanese. 14865 Inwood. and Santa Fe-style food at Blue Mesa Grill, 5100 Bert Une. For Italian, try Ml Placi, 14854 Montfort, or Ruggeri’s, 5348 Bell Line. And while many chain restaurants pepper Addison, like the original Chili’s. 4500 Belt Line, it’s got plenty of original, one-of-a-kind places, too. One of the first to venture north in the mid-1970s. Solly’s, 4801 Belt Line, has been dishing up genuine Texas barbecue for more than 20 years in the same spot. For the beer lover, varied imports can he had at the Londoner Pub, 4291 Belt Line, and the new Flying Saucer. 14999 Montfort.

After your meal, check out theater at the WaterTower Theatre. 15650 Addison Rd., or comedy at Addison Improv. 4980 Belt Line. Or enjoy ice skating al Prestonwood Town Center, 5301 Belt Line, or the Dallas Galleria, 13350 Dallas Pkwy. Prestonwood offers a northern outpost for Neiman Marcus and Lord & Taylor. The Galleria’s atrium roof lets in the Texas sunshine as you enjoy the “sidewalk” seating at Neuhaus Chocolate Shop. This is also department-store heaven, with Macy’s. Marshall Field’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Seattle’s famed Nordstrom. Don’t miss the displays in the windows at Tiffany & Co.: Shakespeare Beethoven offers a terrific selection of classical music as well as calendars and books: and Gucci, Williams-Sonoma and Louis Vuitton all have boutiques here.

Aiso at the Galleria complex is The Westin Hotel, 13340 Dallas Pkwy. Other area hotels include The Grand Kempinski. 15201 Dallas Pkwy.. the Marriott Quorum. 14901 Dallas Pkwy.. and the Doubletree Hotel at Lincoln Centre, 5410 LBJ Fwy. at the Dallas North Tollway.

If the kids don’t want to shop or if you just want a change of pace, travel Addison Road north to see historical aircraft, including a World War II F4U-4 Corsair and an F9F-2B Panther Jet, at the Cavanaugh flight Museum at Addison Airport, 4505 Claire Chennault. Also, at the Iceoptex Ice Arena. 15100 Midway, yet another Addison source for skating, pickup hockey games, lessons and skate rentals are available.

Today’s Addison is a far cry from the original Peters Colony. If the 19th-century settlers were to visit, they might wonder what they had wrought-but only after they’d finished dinner.

ARLINGTON Map G10

Like an amusement oasis between Dallas and Fort Worth. Arlington’s Entertainment District stretches along Interstate 30. anchored by Wet ’N’ Wild, Six Flags Over Texas and The Ballpark in Arlington. The first “tourist” attraction in Arlington, of course, was Six Flags Over Texas, 1-30 at State Highway 360. And this is the Six Flags, the first one ever, opened 35 years ago by Angus Wynne Jr., themed around the si? flags that have flown over Texas: the flags of Spain, France, Mexico, the Confederacy, the Republic of Texas and the United States. The newest thrill at Six Flags is the indoor coaster Runaway Mountain, a swift, in-the-dark ride. The park’s most time-honored attraction: the 300-foot observation tower, from which you can see the things that have made Arlington what it is today-the University of Texas at Arlington, the huge General Motors plant on 360 and, on a clear day, the downtowns of Dallas and Fort Worth. During the winter months, the park remains open (except for the water rides] with holiday events and shows, including real snow for sledding.

The Entertainment District’s crown Jewel is The Ballpark In Arlington, 1000 Ballpark Way. built in 1994 as the new home for the Texas Rangers. A first-class facility funded largely by a sales-tax increase, The Ballpark was built with visitors-and marketing-in mind. You can tour the Ballpark year-round, visit the Legends of the Game Museum or eat Sri Friday’s Front Row Sports Grill or the Diamond Club.

A third entertainment anchor in the area is Wet ’N’ Wild. 1800 E. Lamar, on the north side of 1-30. The water park is closed from Sept. 15 to May 10. However, the adjacent Fun-sphere park and arcade is open year-round.

Around these attractions all manner of restaurants have grown like mushrooms after a thunderstorm. Most are clustered in three strips. One, on Copeland Road along 1-30. features Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. 1304 E. Copeland, Landry’s Seafood House. 1520 Nolan Ryan Expwy., and Cozymel’s. 1300 E. Copeland, a Tex-Mex place. Another strip along either side of Highway 360 is home to seafood restaurant Key West Grill, 919 Six Flags Dr.. J. Pepe’s Restaurant and Carrtina. 923 Six Flags Or,, and Humper-dink’s Bar & Grill, 700 Six Rags Dr., Arlington’s first brew pub. On the north side of 1-30. along Lamar, find Trail Dust Steakhouse. 2300 E. Lamar, the bistro Le Peep. 1901 E. Lamar, and La Madeleine. 2101 N. Collins, a French cafe.

For more sophisticated dining, try Arlington’s only four-star French restaurant, Cacharel. 2221 6, Lamar. And you will find a gem of a white-tablecloth Italian restaurant, Piccolo Mondo, B29 E. Lamar, tucked away in a strip shopping center next to a Tom Thumb supermarket.

Shopping and movies can be found at elegant Lincoln Square Shopping Center, Collins and 1-30, with its notable mustang sculptures: restaurants include Birraporetti’s, the high-end ice cream palace Marble Slab Creamery: and a couple of coffeehouses. Cafe de France and Coffee Haus. A Barnes & Noble, 934 E. Copeland, complete with coffee bar, waits just down the street from The Ballpark.

Hotels in the area include the Arlington Marriott. 1500 Convention Center Dr., where some rooms overlook the Ballpark, the Arlington Hilton. 2401 E. Lamar, and the Radisson Suite Hotel. 700 Avenue H East.

The car is king in Arlington, which has no public transportation system, and visitors should be aware that the Texas Department of Transportation has started reconstruction of 1-30 through this area. Call TXDOT at 817-370-6899 for updates and alternate routes.

A new trolley service has started, offering five routes that shuttle visitors among hotels, attractions, restaurants and shopping in the Entertainment District from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., seven days a week.

If man-made thrills pail, get back to nature at River Legacy Park, 701 NW Green Oaks. Trails lead down to and along the Trinity River; the new Living Science Center offers exhibits on the natural history of the Trinity River.



FORT WORTH Map us

Stockyards

This is what you want Texas to be. The city’s best-known historical landmark, the yards were a destination for cattle drives like the one made famous in Lonesome Dove. When railroads arrived in 1876, Fort Worth became a major shipping point to Eastern meat markets. Acres of wooden pens held livestock cattle before they were shipped out or slaughtered at the giant meat-packing plants. Saloons and ladies of the evening catered to the cowboys and packinghouse workers. The saloons are still here, but “family-friendly” best describes the Stockyards today.

The Visitors Information Center. 130 E. Exchange, will help orient you. or you can walk along Exchange Avenue straight back into living Western history. The White Elephant Saloon. 106 E. Exchange, still looks like the Wild West bar it originally was; by the way, the bar scenes for the TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger” are filmed here. Bonnie and Clyde hid out at the Stockyards Hotel. 109 E. Exchange; according to legend, they holed up at opposite ends of the hotel so they could watch for posses. Booger Red’s Saloon & Restaurant in the hotel has saddles for bar-stool seats. See indoor rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum. 121 E. Exchange, and walk through the Stockyards Collection and Museum at the Livestock Exchange Building. 131E. Exchange. A few blocks north of Exchange Avenue, line-dance and two-step at Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, the world’s largest honky-tonk, with a dirt pen where cowboys ride real bulls. The new Panther City Brewery. 2513 Rodeo Plaza, is Fort Worth’s first brewpub. Shop for souvenirs at Stockyards Station. 140 E. Exchange, an upscale shopping pavilion in former hog and sheep pens-a true case of sows’ ears giving way to silk purses. At the station you can catch the Tarantula Train, a steam train with vintage coaches that makes a loop through the Fort Worth Zoo-Trinity Park area.

The Cultural District Map B10

Fort Worth’s “cowboys and culture” combination finds its best illustration in this area. Every January, the 101-year-old Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, held at Will Rogers Coliseum, brings real cowboys and all manner of livestock in comfortable proximity to museums housing some of the world’s greatest art. (For more information on this year’s Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, see CityGuide page 6-) The Kimbell Art Museum, 3333Camp Bowie Blvd., has an excellent collection of European and Asian art and is home to many blockbuster traveling exhibits: the Kimbell’s Buffet Restaurant makes a great place for a break. The recently renovated Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., houses former Fort Worth Star-Telegram publisher Amon Carter’s famous collection of Remingtons and Russells, a fine grouping of 19th- and early 20th-century American paintings and an outstanding American photography collection. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 1309 Montgomery, features excellent American and European contemporary art and a new collection of international photography. The Modern Art Museum’s Scott Theater is home to the Fort Worth Theater, as well as concerts by Texas singer-songwriters such as Ray Wylie Hubbard and Tish Hinojosa. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. 1501 Montgomery, features excellent exhibits on Texas’ natural history, as well as the exciting Omni Theater and the Noble Planetarium. All the museums are within easy walking distance of one another.

Immediately south of the Cultural District is the Fort Worth Zoo, 1989 Colonial Pkwy. Within the Botanic Gardens and Conservatory. 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., are the Japanese Gardens, considered to be some of the finest in the country.

The Cultural District-West Side is also home to some of Fort Worth’s finest restaurants, including Michael’s. 3413 W. 7th St., for Southwestern cuisine in a “cigar-friendly” atmosphere; Water Street Seafood, 1540 S. University Dr.; Uncle Julio’s, 5301 Camp Bowie Blvd., a well-loved Mexican resturant; and City Park Cafe. 2418 Forest Park Blvd., a neighborhood favorite, especially for Sunday brunch.

For some coffee to go along with the cowboys and culture, try the Four Star Coffee Bar, 3324 W. 7th St., and the Bagel & Bean, 6002 Camp Bowie Blvd.



Sundance Square-Downtown Fort Worth Map B10

This restored area of downtown Fort Worth sits just a few blocks south of the bluff above the Trinity River where the original Fort Worth was established in 1849. A very walka-ble area, its blocks are filled with restaurants, shops, museums, theaters and hotels, including the upscale Worthington. 200 Mam, the Remington, 600 Commerce, and the Radisson Plaza Hotel. 815 Mam.

Anchoring historical Sundance Square on the north is the beautifully restored Tarrant County Courthouse, 100 E. Weather ford St. To get an overview of Fort Worth’s rich Western heritage, start a Sundance Square tour at the Fire Station No. 1 Museum. 2nd and Commerce streets, which offers a “150 Years of Fort Worth” exhibit. The Sid Richardson Collection of Western Art, 309 Main St.. is home to a nice assortment of Russells and Remingtons. The Chisholm Trail Murai, 3rd and Main streets, salutes the most famous cattle trail that came through Fort Worth. And the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Sundance Square Annex, 410 Houston St., offers mini-exhibits of the Modern’s collection.

Sundance Square bustles all day and nearly all night. Catch a movie at the 11-screen AMC Sundance Cinema. 3rd and Houston streets, or at the AMC Palace Theater at 3rd and Calhoun streets. Fans of live theater can take in African-American productions at the Jubilee Theater, 506 Main St.; sample a play at Circle Theater. 230 W. 4th St.; or see a musical at Casa on the Square, 109 E. 3rd SI. Restaurants abound in Sundance Square, including Mi Cocina, 400 Main St., for Tex-Mex; and Razzoo’s, 318 Main St,, for Cajun. Riscky’s Barbecue. 300 Main St., is a Fort Worth institution: the Cactus Bar and Grill at the Radisson Plaza Hotel offers a well-executed New Southwest menu and decor. A version of Dallas’ trendy 8.0 Bar is at 111 E. 3rd St.

New to Fort Worth is Reata, on the 35th floor of the Bank One Tower, 5th and Throckmorton streets-yes, it’s named for the Giant spread-and the steakhouse Del Frisco’s Double Eagle, 812 Main St. For coffee, try the Sundance Dell and Market. 353 Throckmorton St., Java Creations. 5th and Taylor streets, or the Coffee Haus, 404 Houston St.

Not to be missed is the Caravan of Dreams, 312 Houston St.. which kicked off the revitalisation of downtown Fort Worth. There, you can hear jazz and rock music, see experimental or mainstream theater or visit the rooftop grotto bar and cactus dome. Those in search of a drink might also try the Flying Saucer Beer Emporium. Ill E. 4th St., or the Blarney Stone Irish Pub, 903 Throckmorton St.

New to Sundance Square are the Fort Worth Outlet Square, in the Tandy Center on Throckmorton between 1st and 3rd streets: a Barnes & Noble, including a coffee shop, at 3rd and Calhoun; and a Fort Worth outpost of the Legacy Trading Co. at 500 Main St. in the Burk Burnett Building.