Dallas, Texas
Written by: HANTX
The ninth-largest city and part of the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the nation, Dallas covers approximately 343 square miles and has a population of 1,299,543. This ultra modern and sophisticated city, as shown in this beautiful skyline photo of Downtown Dallas by Justin Terveen, attracts worldwide travelers, making the area the No. 1 visitor and leisure destination in Texas.
Dallas is centrally located and within a four-hour flight from most North American destinations. DFW International Airport is the world’s third busiest airport, offering nearly 1,750 flights per day and providing non-stop service to 138 domestic and 38 international destinations worldwide. In addition, Dallas Love Field Airport is conveniently located 10 minutes from downtown. Once in the city, visitors can ride DART, one of the fastest-growing light rail systems in the nation or the historic, free McKinney Avenue Trolley from the Dallas Arts District throughout the Uptown area with its restaurants, pubs, boutique hotels and shops.
Throughout the city visitors will enjoy the best shopping in the southwest. Visitors from all over the country and around the world come to experience Dallas’ world-class shopping. NorthPark Center is one of the top visitor destinations in the city with over 230 shops and restaurants, an impressive public art collection and a 1.4 acre garden. Other Dallas shopping areas include the funky Bishop Arts District, historic Highland Park Village and Galleria Dallas.
Over the last several decades Dallas has carved a place for itself in the national culinary scene. Visitors and residents can easily find Tex-Mex and barbecue, but four and five-star restaurants around the city attract fanfare and crowds with impeccable service and exquisite cuisine. In an area with more than 8,000
restaurants of all styles and scenes, there is something in Dallas to please everyone.
In addition to some of the nation’s best restaurants, Dallas hotels consistently rank as some of the best in the country. With 30,000 hotel rooms in Dallas and 70,000 total rooms in the area, visitors are sure to find the right hotel property with amenities to fit their needs and ensure a memorable vacation, whether
they’re seeking a funky, downtown vibe, a low-key weekend trip or a romantic getaway. A sample of Dallas’ four and five-star hotel properties includes, but is not limited to The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, The W Dallas – Victory Hotel, The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and The Joule, Dallas. Meeting planners around the country are celebrating the opening of a 1,016 – room Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel currently under construction in downtown and scheduled to open in early 2012.
With the opening of the world-renowned AT&T Performing Arts Center in October of 2009, Dallas now boasts the largest, contiguous urban arts district in the nation and is attracting international attention for its art and architecture scene. The Dallas Arts District spans 19 city blocks in Downtown Dallas and is home to five venues designed by Pritzker-Prize winning architects. The area features the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Museum of Art, Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art and the Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Dallas is also home to 13 unique entertainment districts boasting hundreds of live music venues, restaurants and entertainment options.
The Dallas metropolitan area is the only one in the Southwest to host teams representing five major professional sports leagues, the Dallas Cowboys (NFL), Dallas Mavericks (NBA), Dallas Stars (NHL), FC Dallas (MLS) and Texas Rangers (MLB). Additionally, the Dallas Desperados (Arena League Football) and Texas Motor Speedway (NASCAR, IRL and other motor sports) also provide excitement or all sports enthusiasts.
Although it is a big city, Dallas also offers many beautiful outdoor spaces for learning and play. Picturesque areas in Dallas include the Dallas Farmers Market, Katy Trail, Texas Discovery Gardens, The Dallas Arboretum and the Trinity River Audubon Center.
The Dallas area is also the largest film and television production center in Texas and the home of the Dallas Film Commission. Blend in moderate weather, year-round sports and true Southern hospitality for a true “taste” of the Dallas difference. Visitors are exposed to a city that models its slogan, “Live large.
Think big.™” Dallas’ pioneering spirit is alive and well, and the philanthropic contributions of its many residents continue to enrich the community and quality of life.
Dallas is also a leading business and meeting city. In 2010, 24 area businesses were named Fortune 500 companies, including Exxon Mobil, JCPenney and Texas Instruments.
For additional information about the city, see www.visitdallas.com. Live Large. Think Big.™