South Dallas

South Dallas is part of Dallas, extending south of the I30 east of Downtown, and south of the Trinity River west of it.

Understand

Oak Cliff is an area that has retained a distinct neighborhood identity as one of "Dallas' older, established neighborhoods", and is often called "The Cliff." It was a separate town up until 1903, when it was annexed by Dallas. Oak Cliff has turn of the century and mid-20th century housing, many parks and remarkably close proximity to the central business district of downtown Dallas without the heavy vehicular traffic or higher cost of housing commonly associated with Dallas' northern neighborhoods.

The boundaries of Oak Cliff are roughly Interstate 30 and the Trinity River on the north, Interstate 35E on the east, Camp Wisdom Road on the south, and Cockrell Hill Road on the west. In practice nearly every neighborhood south of the Trinity River (excluding west Dallas) is called Oak Cliff, though much of it was never part of the original town. For example, the South Oak Cliff neighborhood which generally includes neighborhoods south of Illinois Avenue, was never part of the original town of Oak Cliff, just as the Arcadia Park area was once its own municipality.

Get in

By road

• From Downtown Dallas to Oak Cliff – Take either 45 or 35E South and cross the Trinity River (both freeways cross the river as they proceed westwards)

See

• 1 Dallas Zoo. Over 8,000 animals can be seen at this 97-acre zoo.  
• 2 Fair Park (served by the DART Green Line, MLK and Fair Park Stations). The 277-acre park is home to the Cotton Bowl, State Fair of Texas, a half-dozen venues, 9 museums, and the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the world. Most of it was built in 1936 for the Texas Centennial Exposition. While most visitors go to the park during the State Fair or for one of the many concerts and sporting events, the park's many museums and aquarium make it a great place to spend the day. Many of the games and rides are open during the summer.  
  • 3 Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park. See over 6,000 aquatic animals at this aquarium located on the state fairgrounds. Has a string-ray petting pool.  
• 4 The Texas Theatre, 231 W Jefferson Blvd, ☏ +1 214-948-1546. A movie theater and Dallas Landmark located in Oak Cliff, the Texas Theatre gained historical fame for being the place Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy and Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit, was arrested after a brief fight. Open daily, today it hosts a mix of repertory cinema and special events.  
• Trinity River Audubon Center, 6500 S Great Trinity Forest Way. Though it can be a little stinky sometimes situated next to the Dallas landfill, this little nature patch is a welcome thing in the vast urban landscape. Lots of trails and exhibits. Free. W-F 9AM-3PM, Sa-Su 8AM-3PM. +1 214-309-5801.

Do

Fairgrounds

• 1 State Fair. Vies with its Iowa counterpart for the title of the country's largest state fair. It takes place in Fair Park, two miles east of downtown Dallas, and is held for 24 days every year starting in mid to late September. The fair is open from 10AM until 10PM. You can come by car and parking is $10 per car; alternatively, the DART transportation system provides light rail and bus services. Ticket prices are $13 for general admission, $9 for kids under 48" tall, children 2 and under, seniors 60 and older are free; Kroger groceries sell advance tickets at a discounted price, including season tickets (worthwhile if you plan to go more than twice), and it's a good idea to check the paper to see if there are admission deals such as a discount when bringing donations of canned goods. At the State Fair, there are many entertainments and events, for example, "Looney Tunes Hollywood Screen Test", "Budweiser Oktoberfest," "Backyard Circus", "Milking Parlor", "College Football" (be prepared for huge crowds the day that the University of Texas plays the University of Oklahoma) and "Hot Diggity Dog Shows." Local and state musical acts come to perform throughout the fair, and the arts and crafts building includes numerous attractive and interesting exhibits each year. Not only kids but also adults can enjoy the events. Don't miss the corndogs and the annual winner of the concessionaires' best new food item. The web site provides a daily schedule for the full run of the fair, helpful for choosing a day on which a particular group will be performing, or avoiding the crowded days on which local school districts get free tickets for Fair Day. 
• Diwali Festival. 

Golf

• 2 Cedar Crest Golf Course, 1800 Southerland Ave. One of the top two municipal golf courses in town. 
• 3 Keeton Park Golf Course. 
• 4 Stevens Park Golf Course. 

Buy

• 1 Bishop Arts District, 315 N. Bishop Ave. Go to the historic Bishop Arts District and see for yourself what all of the buzz is about. Enjoy dining from fine to funky, take in an art gallery, get a massage or satisfy your shopping hunger at some of Dallas most unique, and interesting shops. Including: Bishop Street Market, and Indigo 1745. 

Eat

• 1 Norma's Café, 1123 W. Davis St, ☏ +1 214-946-4711. Daily 7AM-8PM. Has been open since 1956, has everything you'd hope for in a diner: bar stools and booths upholstered in cherry red, breakfast served all day and a waitstaff that greets you like family. That's the thing at Norma's: it pretty much is family. It's the sort of place where customers come every single day, where the waitress doesn't even have to ask some of the regulars what they want. You really can't go wrong at Norma's (if you like 1950s-era diner food), but try the lemon meringue pie. It's not fancy, but chances are, it's just the way mom made it. And that's the whole idea at Norma's—it's like going home. 
• 2 Chimichurri Argentinian Bistro & Bar, 324 W 7th St, ☏ +1 469-906-6098. A place to try a milanesa or better yet an Argentinean style brunch. 
• 3 Hunky's, 321 N. Bishop Ave. Hunky's features "hot off the grill" 1950s style burgers made with hand-formed fresh ground beef. Fifteen varieties of beef burgers. They also serve fresh ground turkey burgers, veggie burgers, all beef hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches, salads and many other styles of sandwiches. Side orders include French fries, crispy tater tots, and our famous hand-battered onion rings. 
• 4 Cafe Madrid, 408 North Bishop Ave, ☏ +1 214-942-8272. Dallas' first Spanish restaurant and tapas bar, Café Madrid offers patrons a cozy, intimate dining setting reminiscent of the little cafes found on the streets of Madrid. Honored as one of D magazine's "Best," Café Madrid features such Spanish classics as paella, fried calamari, shrimp in garlic, and grilled quail. Wine Spectator magazine honored Café Madrid for their unique wine list, which includes many varieties of Spanish wines and sherries. 
• 5 Zen Shushi, 380 W 7th St, ☏ +1 214-946-9699. Experience chef Michelle Carpenter's traditional Japanese sushi and Asian-fusion sharing plates. Full bar, wine, beer, sake, and premium liquors. 
• 6 Metro Diner OC, 2316 W. Davis St, ☏ +1 214-943-7473. Just a real nice laid-back diner, open 24 hours. It's great for a good cheap breakfast or chicken fried steak! 
• 7 Veracruz Cafe, 408 N Bishop Ave #107,, ☏ +1 214-948-4746. Contemporary Veracruz cuisine served amid colorful textured walls, tin ceilings & iron chandeliers. (updated Feb 2020)

Drink

• Beckley 1115, 1115 Beckley Ave, ☏ +1 214-941-1115. Upscale dining and wine. 
• 1 Poor David's Pub, 1313 S Lamar St, ☏ +1 214-565-1295. One of Dallas' oldest live music venues, this joint has been open since 1977. Moved to its spartan Lamar St location from longstanding Greenville Av location a few years ago. 

Sleep

• Comfort Suites West Dallas - Cockrell Hill, 4275 Dallas Fort Worth Turnpike, ☏ +1 214-267-0100. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Hotel with all suites and complimentary breakfast. $71 (Jan 2022). 
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Dallas Texas West, 4321 Communication Dr, ☏ +1 214-331-0505. 
• The Bishop Arts Hotel by Bluelofts, 975 N Zang Blvd, ☏ +1 469-554-0797. Contemporary look. $130 (Jan 2022).