South Boulevard-Park Row - Dallas, TX Area Guide

During the early 20th century, South Boulevard-Park Row Historic District an affluent neighborhood. The best high school in the area, Forest Avenue High School, was just a few blocks away, as was the beautiful Temple Emanuel. After WWII, this area experienced a decline, and many relocated to North Dallas. However, in the 1970s, the neighborhood was declared a historic district, and many of the homes were restored to their former glory or converted into businesses. One such business, the Linz Mansion, has been converted into a funeral home. The once-prominent Jewish temple has since been torn down, but the now-named James Madison High School still remains.

The nearby 227-acre Fair Park hosts the Texas State fair annually. It remains the only unaltered, pre-1950s world fair site in the whole United States.

Sweet Georgia Brown Bar-B-Que, a popular South Dallas eatery, serves up extra-large portions of home-style soul food. Make sure to come hungry, and be prepared to take home leftovers. Order the ribs with greens and macaroni for a dinner combination that satisfies any hunger. For a more unique flavor, Elaine's Kitchen offers authentic Caribbean cuisine. Order a traditional meal on special at lunchtime for just $5.99. Locals rave about Elaine's jerk chicken and ox tail. A gem of a local restaurant, Tomorrow Seafood serves up fried catfish and shrimp along with crisp onion rings and seasoned fries. Despite the name, Tomorrow Seafood is famous for the amazing fried chicken recipe.

Just outside of the South Boulevard-Park Row Historical district awaits night time activities for any type of person. For many exciting things under one roof, check out The Wild Detectives, an inexpensive yet classy joint that serves coffee, beer, and Spanish wine. It also acts as a bookstore For a mind-blowing sweet treat, order a slice of Emporium Pie.

Barbara's Pavillion has a hip, unique interior and is best known for its killer karaoke set-up. The sound, lights, and karaoke DJ provide top-notch quality. Barbara's Pavillion, described by locals as a gay-friendly dive bar, is both friendly and funky.

The truly unique Texas Theatre, known by locals as the theatre is the spot where Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended. The theatre alos shows new and classic movies. It has a full bar and bring-your-own vinyl nights. Sometimes, this independent theatre showcases musicians as well. Open since 1931, the theatre features absolutely stunning architecture and interior design.

DART, or Dallas Area Rapid Transportation, consists of buses and a rail that have routes through virtually all of Dallas's neighborhoods. Both Uber and Lyft prove available in the South Boulevard-Park Row neighborhood. Public parking downtown Dallas can be expensive and difficult to find. Public transportation or Uber/Lyft may be a better choice when going out in downtown Dallas.

For running errands, a car becomes necessary in this neighborhood. Within the neighborhood, the average parking cost per hour runs $2. To park overnight in a lot, expect to pay about $5. About one block away, both Highways 175 and 45 remain very accessible. Unfortunately, this neighborhood does not have many bike lanes, but it does prove to be fairly walkable.

Although South Boulevard-Park Row neighborhood does not contain any parks, there exist several within 5 miles of the area. Texas Buckeye Trail offers a great area for hikers. The trail consists of two natural paths; one path leads to the scenic river overlook, and the other leads to the Trinity River's hardwood bottom-land forest. For a more open space park, visit Glendale Park, which has a great playground and running trails.

Also within just a few miles of South Boulevard-Park Row sits the Dallas Zoo. The Dallas Zoo has a carousel, a children's aquarium and many animals, including elephants, monkeys, lions and meerkats. Admission to the zoo costs $12 per child and $15 per adult. The zoo does, however, offer Penguin Days, which means tickets only cost $5 on that particular day. In addition to regular admission, the zoo also offers a backstage safari, an in-depth guided experience allowing visitors to learn even more about the animals and their habitats.

The cost of living in the South Boulevard-Park Row historic district sits 69.6 percent lower than the rest of the state of Texas. The average rental cost of a one-bedroom apartment runs around $598 power month compared to $1,176 for a one-bedroom apartment in Dallas. Hop on the 35, and get to the city center in less than 30 minutes. A bus pass good for 24 hours can be purchased for $5. Grab a pint of beer from a local pub for around $4.

Residents shop for daily basics along the main thoroughfares South 2nd Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard, where pharmacies, florists, discount stores and automotive shops sell many essentials.

Bargain hunters comb the racks at the Second Avenue Thrift Store for scores. Though most of the second-hand items come from mid-range retailers, this store's regulars report impressive past finds, including Gucci hand bags and cool vintage toys. The large storefront also boasts a big selection of children's clothing. Stop into K&C Beauty Supplies for cosmetics, hair products and fragrances. Just down the road from K&C sits family-owned Sam's Records for your music essentials.

For grocery staples, locals shop at the small Stop N' Save Food Market or head to the Minyard Food Stores on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to stock up. Further down the road, a Save-A-Lot features low prices on many groceries. A Wal-Mart Supercenter sits less than five minutes away from the neighborhood for household items and other groceries.