What Makes Your Dallas Neighborhood Special? We Want To Hear Your Story

As you all know by now, our friend and colleague, April Towery, has taken her reporting and writing prowess to Houston leaving us behind in dear ol’ Dallas. Having worked all over the state at various daily newspapers I can honestly say, April is the best journalist I’ve had the privilege of working with over these two plus years. Houston is damn lucky to have her.

But as the old saying goes, life is forward and when one door closes another opens. With April’s departure, CandysDirt.com executive editor Shelby Skrhak asked if I would like to write more about the many and varied neighborhoods that make up Dallas. After some thought, I could not come up with one reason to say no. 

Neighborhoods Are What Make Dallas Home

This past January marked 30 years since my husband and I moved to Dallas. We were still newly married, childless and dogless. We had both been laid off from our jobs and thought it was the perfect opportunity to move closer to family. My sister, her husband and two young nephews were in Dallas so we focused our job search on the “Big D” and the rest, as they say, is history.

Like most young couples, we started out as renters in a little neighborhood known as Elm Thicket/Northpark. It was perfect for us. Workforce housing for those starting out or rearing their families. It was a neighborhood of predominantly black and brown families who all knew each other and looked out for one another. It was and still is a community where faith, family, friends, and fun play a big role in everyday lives. When it was time for us to move to a one-story home, we bought a place two blocks away. This neighborhood was our home.

That is what I want to learn and write about regarding your neighborhoods. What is it about your Dallas neighborhood that makes it home for you? What is your neighborhood’s history? What are the issues your neighborhood is currently facing? What is the city getting right or wrong when it comes to the location you call home? 

Population Increase Projected for 2025

According to MacroTrends, the metro population for Dallas-Fort Worth in 2025 is 6,732,000, a 1.16% increase from 2024. An estimated 300 people are moving into Dallas-Fort Worth on a daily basis. You can feel every single one of them when you try to drive from one end of town to another.

With all those future neighbors planning their moves as I type, wouldn’t it be nice if they could use this as a resource to learn about the different neighborhoods that make up our city?

So to get these stories flowing, I am putting out a call to all of you to please drop me an email at [email protected] if you have an idea for a story regarding your Dallas neighborhood. The part of reporting I have always enjoyed the most is meeting and talking with people so needless to say I am very excited about building this series of stories for CandysDirt.

I look forward to hearing from you.