It is Dallas’ Diversity that Makes Strong Neighbors and Even Stronger Neighborhoods
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One of the reasons I became a journalist was to meet people from different walks of life and learn what makes them tick, what inspires them, what are their aspirations. Truly, people are fascinating if you take the time to listen when they tell you their stories. I got to do a lot of that this year as well as learn about their neighborhoods and how they are improving their part of the world.
With as much sincerity as is humanly possible, I can tell you it has been an absolute joy writing about Dallas neighborhoods. Dallas is so diverse, so interesting and it is because of the people that live here.
I very much look forward to meeting more Dallasites and learning about their neighborhoods in 2026. Life would be awfully boring if we were all the same. Well, Dallas is anything but boring and our neighborhoods prove just that. If you would like your neighborhood featured please reach out to me. I’d love to hear and share your story.
Please know that I wish you and your families a holiday season filled with peace, grace, and love. May the best of your past be the worst of your future as we ring in 2026!
New Junius Heights Mural Pays Tribute to 707 Streetcar and Sparks Search for Its Last Stop
Opportunity is knocking and Brian Jackson can’t wait to find out which business or philanthropist will answer the door to give an iconic piece of East Dallas history a home. The Junius Heights resident designed an homage to the old 707 streetcar in hopes it’ll inspire someone to give this historic relic a permanent stop, where it can be restored and be available for all residents to enjoy.
“This is the actual street car that came through our neighborhood,” Jackson said.
You see, the 707 once ferried Junius Heights residents to and from downtown during its heyday. After it retired from service, it found a home inside the old Spaghetti Warehouse located in the West End. When the restaurant closed, the new owners of the space donated the streetcar to the Junius Heights Historic District, but that presented a problem — where do you put a 50 foot streetcar?
Faith, Family, Friends Fun and the Annual Juneteenth Celebration Are Tenets of Elm Thicket/Northpark
Faith, family, friends and fun are the four tenets of the Elm Thicket/Northpark (ETNP) neighborhood. In other words, if there is an opportunity for a celebration the ETNP neighborhood has no qualms about everyone pulling out their grills, baking some of the most delicious treats to ever come out of an oven, and sharing it all with their neighbors.
For the sake of full disclosure, my husband, Gus, and I moved into Elm Thicket — sometimes pronounced Ellum Thicket by legacy neighbors — in 1995. We started out in a duplex one block off of Lovers Lane and lived there until a two-story home was no longer feasible. We considered moving to the north Dallas/Plano area so Gus could be closer to work but after one day of looking elsewhere, we realized Ellum Thicket was home and our neighbors were family. In 2008, we bought a home two blocks away from our duplex. It is the best decision we ever made for our family.
In Vickery Meadow, Community Success Isn’t Measured in Square Footage
Most neighborhoods in Dallas are known for the style of home that makes up the neighborhood. Hollywood Heights, for instance, is known for its Tudor and Craftsman style homes while Junius Heights has Prairie style homes with the loveliest of porches. But what about those neighborhoods without single-family home architecture as a signature; Those that have a solid concentration of apartments and condominiums, what unifies them as a neighborhood? In Vickery Meadow, the answer is people.
Bounded by Northwest Highway, Royal Lane, Central Expressway, and Park Lane, Vickery Meadow is considered one of the areas with the greatest density in Dallas. Home to 40,000 people, Vickery Meadow residents are not only new to Dallas, but many overwhelmingly are new to this country. Approximately 56 different languages are spoken here, according to studies by the City of Dallas. But just like any traditional neighborhood with homes tucked behind tree-lined streets, residents of Vickery Meadow want what we all want — for their children to be safe, to do well in school, and have options and freedom for their lives.
Merriman Park/University Manor Neighborhood Is a Northeast Dallas Oasis for Peace and Quiet
When we look for a place to call home, what we are really looking for is an oasis away from work, away from traffic and, away from the chaos of living in a major metropolitan city such as Dallas. Now there may be some doubters that think such an oasis does not exist in Dallas. Those doubters have never visited the North Dallas neighborhood of Merriman Park/University Manor (MPUM).
When I asked MPUM residents what made their particular oasis so special, they responded with how quiet the connected neighborhoods are. I was dubious because this part of Northeast Dallas is bordered by Northwest Highway and Skillman Street/Abrams Road. Let me tell you how wrong I was. The minute you turn into the neighborhood the noise just fades away.
Here’s What Makes Arapaho Heights and Heights Park Such Special Neighborhoods
When considering what makes a neighborhood special, one would think it is the legacy it creates in terms of the neighbors that come and go, the schools that educate the next generation, and the homes and environment that build a tight-knit community. Legacy is the word I would use to describe the neighborhoods of Arapaho Heights and Heights Park.
When I put out a call for people to tell me about their neighborhoods, Realtor Anne Foster with Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate reached out and I am ever so grateful that she did. Currently living in Arapaho Heights, she and her husband originally started out in Heights Park. Foster is a lady who really loves her neighborhood and was excited to show me and tell me all about these two Richardson neighborhoods that are next to each other.
