DALLAS
Calling Code: +1 214
Known to locals as simply "Big D," this North Texas upstart doesn't lack for confidence. The indoctrination starts early. I grew up in North Dallas, and the refrain that all school kids had to parrot was from a little ditty that went "Big D, little a, double-l, a-s." Dallasites, like most Texans who are given to hyperbole when talking about their state, are proud to declare that their city is nicknamed "Big D" because, well, everything's bigger and better in Dallas.
At just over 1.2 million inhabitants, Dallas now ranks as the eighth-largest city in the United States, but, flat and featureless, it has little in the way of natural gifts or historical precedents that would have predicted its growth. Yet the city grew from a little Republic of Texas pioneer outpost in the mid-19th century into a major center for banking, finance, and oil. It is a staunchly conservative city, and its residents' biggest passions seem to be making money and spending it, often ostentatiously. In the city that spawned Neiman Marcus, shopping is a religion, and mega-malls fan out in every direction, part of an endless commercial sprawl.
Dallasites are also fiercely passionate about big-time sports, and not just the Cowboys. Just about every professional sports league has a franchise in Dallas, and there's also rodeo and the Texas Motor Speedway. This is a place where the top high school football teams routinely sell out playing fields that seat 20,000 and schedule their playoff games in Texas Stadium, home of the Cowboys, to accommodate a fan base that reaches far beyond parents and teachers. Dallas is also a place where Southern Baptist churches pack in nearly as many for Sunday services.
Dallas is the top business and leisure destination in Texas (and the second most popular convention site in the country). The city has grown more cosmopolitan in recent years, even though it's always been amazing to me how quickly newcomers from all over assimilate and begin to think Texan. The city can't yet boast a cultural life on a par with business opportunities, but a recent burst of arts philanthropy is finally allowing Dallas to play catch-up. Still, Dallas has plenty to entertain visitors, many of whom come on business: great hotels, eclectic restaurants, thriving nightlife, and even a pretty robust alternative music scene. And, lest we forget, shopping.
Settled in 1841 by a Tennessee lawyer and entrepreneur named John Neely Bryan, Dallas ended the 19th century as a leading agricultural, railroad, and trade center. While Bryan's dream of a port on the Trinity River was never realized, Dallas was well on its way to becoming the largest landlocked city in the nation.
Dallas has matured into a culturally diverse city with museums, theaters, internationally recognized restaurants, and shopping districts. Dallas continues to build on its strengths: warm and friendly people, entrepreneurial and "can do" spirit, flair for style and innovation, mild year-round climate, and easy accessibility.
This city loves to play and loves winners--whether they compete in the boardroom or on the athletic field. Numerous sports, recreation centers, and professional teams abound. The most requested souvenir here is a Dallas Cowboys t-shirt. There are dozens of miles of running and biking trails within the city limits, and White Rock Lake has some of the best fishing in the area.
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