Piedmont - Dallas, TX

Local history goes back to the 1840s, when settlers obtained land grants and began developing the area along the Trinity River and its tributaries. Today, Dallas serves as a center for finance, technical innovation, and professional sports.

Downtown Dallas has a large collection of museums. Visit the Dallas Firefighters Museum, which accepts donations but offers free admission, or take your children to the Museum of Nature and Science. Many more centers of culture and learning open their doors to the public on the Fair Park grounds. The kid-friendly Texas Discovery Gardens focuses on biology and features a butterfly garden and insectarium.

Highway 12, locally known as South Buckner Boulevard, proves the place to be when looking for a restaurant. Find Texas's best flour tortillas at Gonzalez Tex-Mex Restaurant. Share a heaping plate of supreme nachos with the table before settling into a plate of parrillada with shrimp. For something hot, try out the beef steak ranchero. Though closed on Mondays, Gonzalez has a full bar that keeps you happy until 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday.

Rosie's Cafe & Grill, located just south of Stonehurst Street on South Buckner Boulevard, serves a mix of Tex-Mex and American fare. Come in early for hot pancakes or French toast with bacon and eggs, or visit later in the day for quesadillas or lunch fajitas.

The Far West Dallas nightclub draws hundreds of area residents on the weekends with dancing, socializing, and live bands ensuring unforgettable events. Bring your friends and visit the South Buckner and Kipling Drive location on a weekend night as the club closes from Monday to Thursday.

Piedmont's city grid connects residents to central Dallas and the surrounding area by way of U.S. Route 175, Highway 12, and 352. DART Bus stops service every major intersection on Bruton Road, Lake June Road, Jim Miller Road, and Buckner Boulevard. The DART Rail green line reaches as far southeast as Buckner Boulevard for fast travel to the downtown hub.

Sidewalks facilitate neighborhood pedestrian traffic. Walking signals and crosswalks keep pedestrians safe while crossing the busiest streets of Piedmont. Bicycle-friendly roads Hilburn Drive and Seco Boulevard cross the neighborhood, with Hilburn running north to south and Seco going east to west. Uber and Lyft serve the greater Dallas region, as do more than a dozen taxi cab companies. Find street-side parking available on residential streets and a park-and-ride open to the public on South Buckner Boulevard and Elam Road.

Hundreds of acres of free parks exist for the entertainment, relaxation, and well-being of residents. Two area dog parks, Bark Park Central and Mockingbird Point Park, encourage off-leash play.

Umphress Park and Recreation Center houses a playground for children and a gymnasium and fitness center for residents of all ages. Get involved with basketball and soccer leagues, karate, or Zumba, or sign the kids up for fall camp. The 266-acre Crawford Memorial Park has a playground, basketball court, soccer and softball field, walking trails, garden areas, and a football field.

Fair Park always has something going on. One of Texas' most visited attractions, this park houses five museums and 10 venues on its 277 acres of public land. Come out to Dallas Summer Musicals, or stop in the African-American Museum or Children's Aquarium. One of the biggest draws at Fair Park, the annual State Fair of Texas runs for 24 days every September and October.

The overall cost of living in the Piedmont Addition dips approximately six percent lower than in Dallas, and gasoline costs 13 percent less than the national average. One-bedroom apartments in Piedmont Addition rent for an average of $557 per month. Using public transportation to the city center costs $2.50 for a two-hour pass or $5 for a day pass. A domestic draft beer normally sets you back around $4 at an area pub.

Shopping centers in Piedmont complement the restaurant scene on Buckner Boulevard between Highway 352 and Lake June Road. Pharmacies, apparel, automotive, and department stores fill the city blocks.

For elegant dresses, quality bridal gowns, prom or quinceanera dresses, or baptism gowns, stop in Martha's Bridal Boutique on East Grand Avenue. Owner Martha Gutierrez has helped young women find the perfect dress for their special events for more than 20 years. Martha's Boutique also creates dolls, veils, memory books, and venue decorations.

Old Homestead Gourmet brings the secrets of homemade food preservation to the Piedmont neighborhood. Visit its online store or call for an appointment to peruse their selections of dip mixes, flavored peanut butter, soup and rice mixes, and other quick meals. A number of traditional and ethnic grocery stores serve the Piedmont neighborhood. Find Fiesta Mart and Aldi in Northwest Piedmont, and La Michoacana Meat Market, El Rancho, and Elrod's Cost Plus Supermarkets in east central Piedmont.

The Dallas Farmers Market presents locally-raised seasonal produce to the public. Locals love the fresh fruit, spices, and body products. If you get hungry while shopping, order a hot sausage link or chicken sandwich from one of the many vendors' barbecue pits. Hours and days of operation depend on the season.