Hello Harwood

How to further explore Dallas' hidden-gem Harwood District

If you’ve been out and about in Dallas, whether dining, shopping, or just exploring, chances are you’re pretty familiar with at least a few aspects of the HARWOOD District.

Perhaps you’ve grabbed a gourmet coffee at Magnolias: Sous Le Pont or toasted the weekend at Happiest Hour. Or maybe you’ve admired one of the largest samurai armor collections in the world, displayed above one of Dallas’ prettiest patios. Possibly you’ve seen the elegantly sculpted gardens on at least a dozen of your friends’ Instagram feeds.

But there’s always more to discover at HARWOOD, which encompasses retail, residential, and office towers within 18 city blocks, nestled between Uptown and downtown Dallas. Read on to learn five things you may not have known about your favorite hot spots.

1. It has a meal for every mood
Seven distinct restaurants can be found in the HARWOOD District, and their vibes are as varied as their menus. Happiest Hour, with its massive patio and jaw-dropping skyline views, is the place to go when you want to party. The city’s most stylish are drawn to the wine selection at Saint Ann Restaurant & Bar, while those craving a cozy French meal head next door to Mercat Bistro. Magnolias: Sous Le Pont is an elegant coffee bar where your latte comes accompanied by delectable breakfast items, fresh salads, and sandwiches. Dolce Riviera’s coastal upscale Italian fare is balanced by The Grove’s laid-back, backyard-gathering feel. And while Marie Gabrielle has long been enchanting as an event venue, you can now bask in its beauty while enjoying delicious breakfast and lunch menus.

2. History and art are all around
If you dine at Saint Ann, you’ll likely notice the Virgin de Guadalupe monument standing outside. It’s a tile mural that was preserved when Harwood International purchased the brick building, what was originally Dallas’ first school for Hispanic children. On the second floor you’ll find the Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection, which houses the largest collection of samurai armor and objects outside of Japan and has seen over 10,000 visitors. The collection can be viewed six days a week, and admission is free.

3. There’s green in the gray
Hidden right in the middle of Dallas’ concrete jungle is 9.5 acres of serene greenery. These pocket parks aren’t just a few flowers and shrubs, though — think sculpted formal gardens worthy of formal photo shoots. And the famous Katy Trail goes right by the HARWOOD District, looping in to 30 linear acres of walking and biking trails.

4. Internationally acclaimed living options abound
The Azure opened in 2007, but the celeb favorite is about to be joined by an even more impressive condo sibling: Bleu Ciel. The 33-story tower is set to redefine the Dallas skyline when it’s completed, and buyers from near and far are already clamoring to secure their condos.

5. Professional appeal is always improving
There are already six Class AA luxury office buildings in the HARWOOD District, with two more on tap. One of those will be the new Rolex building, designed in collaboration with Dallas-based HDF and Tokyo-based Kengo Kuma & Associates. World-renowned landscape architect Sadafumi Uchiyama is including a Japanese-inspired tiered garden featuring rampart stone walls at the base of the building, with reflecting pools and cascading waterfalls spilling over the sides. The is complemented by the No. 10 building, which will have 17,214 square feet of green roof terraces. The idea is to explore the relationship between interior space and the outdoors: disrupting the conventional "box" office floors with outdoor terraces, for example, or adding a 12,000-square-foot garden and fitness pavilion on the 10th floor. A pedestrian passageway on the ground floor will transform into La Rue Perdue, full of shops and restaurants with outdoor dining.

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Grab a gourmet coffee at Magnolias: Sous Le Pont.

Photo courtesy of HARWOOD District

Grab a gourmet coffee at Magnolias: Sous Le Pont.

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population explosion

7 booming Dallas neighbors see biggest population growth in U.S.

City of Denton, TX - City Hall/Facebook

Denton had the biggest population growth rate in Dallas-Fort Worth from 2022 to 2023.

Denton, Mansfield, McKinney, and more North Texas cities are among the fastest-growing places in the country, according to a new population growth study by SmartAsset.

The report, "These Cities Saw the Largest Growth in Population – 2024 Study," examined U.S. Census population estimates for 2023, 2022, and 2018 to determine one-year and five-year population changes for 610 U.S. cities with populations of at least 65,000 residents in 2023 (where the most recent data was available).

Silver Spring, Maryland had the No. 1 biggest population boom nationwide from 2022 to 2023, SmartAsset found. The Washington, D.C. suburb grew 12.86 percent year-over-year, bringing the city's total population from 75,313 to 84,996 residents in 2023.

Denton took the lead over all other Dallas-Fort Worth cities with the 16th-largest one-year population growth rate in the U.S., at 5.32 percent. Denton gained over 8,000 residents from 2022 to 2023, bringing the city's total population to 158,361 in 2023.

This should come as no surprise to those who already live in Denton, who may know their hometown was ranked one of the safest suburbs in America.

Mansfield trailed close behind with a 4.16 percent increase in population during that same period, which landed it the No. 26 spot in the one-year population change analysis. The city gained 3,189 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 79,775 residents in 2023.

McKinney appeared farther down the list as No. 49 with just a 2.89 percent one-year growth rate from 2022 to 2023, and a total population of 213,504 residents.

Only four other Dallas-Fort Worth cities appeared in the top 100 fastest growing cities in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023:

No. 61 – Frisco (2.48 percent increase)
No. 72 – Rowlett (2.48 percent)
No. 73 – Lewisville (2.17 percent)
No. 99 – Flower Mound (1.73 percent)

The report suggested major population shifts in communities like Denton or Mansfield can result in "a variety of interwoven economic and social impacts."

"The magnitude of the population change can affect demand for businesses and services, which in turn may impact costs – or even the availability of such amenities," the report's author wrote. "Similarly, the relative age of the population can determine the strength or weakness of the local job market, as well as have an impact on local culture, economic trajectory, tax base and more."

Fast-growing cities elsewhere in Texas
Texas cities dominated the top 10 list of cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023.

New Braunfels, a San Antonio suburb, ranked No. 2 nationally with an 12.49 percent one-year population boom, and a 29.68 percent growth rate from 2018 to 2023. The city gained 12,318 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 110,961 residents in 2023.

Just two spots behind New Braunfels is the North Austin suburb of Georgetown (No. 4), which grew 11.34 percent to 96,317 residents in 2023. According to the report's five-year population change analysis, Georgetown ranked seventh with a 29.85 percent growth rate.

The Houston suburbs of Atascocita and Conroe ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Atascocita's total population grew to 119,502 residents in 2023, which represented a 11.03 percent growth rate from 2022, and a whopping 38.56 percent population increase since 2018. Conroe's 6.73 percent one-year population increase paled in comparison, but the city grew 23.49 percent during the five-year period from 2018 to 2023.

The top 10 U.S. cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023 are:

No. 1 – Silver Spring, Maryland
No. 2 – New Braunfels, Texas
No. 3 – Glen Burnie, Maryland
No. 4 – Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Atascocita, Texas
No. 6 – Pine Hills, Florida
No. 7 – Elgin, Illinois
No. 8 – Lehi, Utah
No. 9 – Conroe, Texas
No. 10 – Dale City, Virginia

population growth reports smartasset dallas fort worth denton suburbs mansfield