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Bar News

Dallas' hottest new club district is in this surprise pocket neighborhood

Teresa Gubbins
Apr 26, 2021 | 9:37 am

An unexpected neighborhood just east of downtown Dallas is poised to become the city's hottest new club zone.

The area is a small wedge straddling Good Latimer Freeway, between Live Oak and Elm streets, and it's drawn a number of high-profile bars, some opened and more in the works, all walking distance of each other.

They include:

  • Bottled Blonde and The Backyard, pizzeria and beer garden concept from Arizona that opened in 2017
  • Citizen, glossy bar relocated from Uptown in 2020
  • The Sporting Club and Blum, dual-concept venue, opened in March 2021
  • Green Light Social, hybrid concept from Austin, opening off Good Latimer in summer 2021
  • Wishful Drinking, secret garden bar and restaurant from the Syn Group, opening summer 2021
  • Vice Park, Miami-influenced nightclub opening at 2601 Gaston Ave. in late 2021
  • Komodo, Asian restaurant with celebrities and nightlife vibe from Miami, on the ground floor of the Epic office tower, opening still TBA

Further into Deep Ellum but along the same strip are Elm & Good, the restaurant at the Pittman Hotel featuring chef Graham Dodds; Biscuit Bar, open at 2550 Pacific Ave. on the ground floor of The Epic; and Harper's, a restaurant-bar from Milkshake Concepts (Citizen, Stirr, Vidorra) that's opening in the Epic complex in May.

This sudden infusion of clubs is transforming what was formerly a strange no-man's land into a buzzy mini-entertainment district of its own.

The neighborhood is centrally located: One block east of the Central Business District and two blocks north of Deep Ellum, with the Deep Ellum DART rail station at its center.

And yet, until Bottled Blonde moved in, the area was so anonymous as to merit no attention at all.

Unlike Dallas' three already-established entertainment districts — Deep Ellum, Greenville Avenue, and Uptown — this newcomer has no track record, no damning history. That's part of its appeal, is its unpredictability as a place for a club scene to sprout.

Bottled Blonde effect
Bottled Blonde was the catalyst when it opened in 2017. Owners Les & Diane Corieri took over the old Allied Printing Co. — a building that had languished on the market for two years until they saw its potential, one block from Westdale's epic Epic mixed-use project.

To be fair, the Lizard Lounge had been a dance-music and goth destination in the same area for more than 20 years. (It closed in 2020.) But Bottled Blonde, with their free-wheeling patio and dual-purpose Backyard space, was an off-the-charts smash, generating astonishing liquor sales figures, averaging $1 million per month, that galvanized the food & beverage industry.

"Bottled Blonde was the first venue to prove the area, but once they did, nearly all the buildings surrounding them went under contract within a couple of months," says Imran Sheikh of Milkshake Concepts, who opened Citizen directly across the street in 2020. "We had a conversation with Westdale and learned more about their plans, and the trajectory became clear. We understood very quickly that, just as Cedar Springs and Uptown had been an entertainment district at one time, this would be the next iteration."

"It's such an interesting area," he says. "Not quite downtown, not quite Deep Ellum, this thoroughfare comes off the highway and intersects everything."

SoClutch Group, owner of Sporting Club and Blum, and of the coming-soon Vice Park at Gaston and Good Latimer, was similarly inspired, says owner Rico Taylor.

"We were on Cedar Springs with Concrete Cowboy and Kung Fu Saloon, but we were in a limbo situation with the landlord and looked for the next logical move," Taylor says. "We figured Good Latimer would be the next epicenter."

They acquired a building at the corner of Good Latimer and Florence Street, across from Live Oak Lofts, that was originally created for the storage of railroad cars. For nearly 50 years, it was was home to C&R Garage, as well as a smattering of residential lofts and a Sherwin-Williams paint store (which relocated down the block).

The Sporting Club and Blum took all 22,000 square feet, one venue but with two atmospheres: Blüm is a Vegas-style day and night club serving Italian and Southern food, with bottle service and DJs; The Sporting Club has a massive outdoor space featuring corn hole, ping pong, and table games, with large format cocktails and shareable bites.

No zoning
One major attraction for SoClutch was the fact that, due to a very rare zoning situation, the location had no requirements for parking.

That area is zoned as "CA-2(A)," which Lizard Lounge owner Don Nedler, who knows the area inside-out, calls "the most liberal zoning in the city of Dallas."

"That triangular patch bound by I-345, Pacific Avenue, and Good Latimer has very liberal zoning," he says. "Every other area has overlays that come with restrictions, but that one patch of land slipped past everybody. You could put anything from a smelting plant to a helicopter port in there."

Not having parking requirements is definitely advantageous, Taylor says.

"We have a parking lot behind us that holds about 70 cars, and the train station is across the street," he says. "Our goal is to work with Deep Ellum for dropoffs and pickups and push Uber as much as possible. That's kind of the expectation, that options like Uber will play a big role."

The other side
The other side of Good Latimer is part of the Bryan Area Special Purpose District. This is where SoClutch Group's other bar, Vice Park, will be located, as well as Green Light Social, an Austin concept opening its first location in Dallas in late summer.

Green Light Social also boasts multiple experiences in one, says co-owner Ian Fletcher.

"We'll have three environments under one roof, so that you can have your own bar crawl within one bar," he says. "You can enjoy happy hour, sit on the patio and receive good hospitality, or you can dance and party — we have a nightclub for that."

Their location is at 2625 Floyd St., previously a Czech-themed events center, which they're rebuilding into a two-story bar with outdoor seating.

"We started looking in Dallas in 2018," Fletcher says. "We looked at more than a dozen properties, most of which were in the Deep Ellum grid. I grew up in Dallas, and I remembered the Lizard Lounge being outside of Deep Ellum. I liked the idea of the proximity, but not being in Deep Ellum. I think we're hoping to be a destination on our own, where you come with a lot more intent and deliberation. There's something we liked about being off the main drag."

Fletcher says the idea of a new entertainment district is a big positive. All it needs is a name.

"There's a development on South Good Latimer that they're calling 'So Good,'" he says. "We're off North Good Latimer, and at my office, we've been joking about calling it 'No Good.'"

The train
This could all be dust if and when the D2 — the city's second downtown rail line — materializes. Various routes are being considered, but one that gets mentioned frequently would have an underground tunnel through the Central Business District that re-emerges at ground level — right around where Bottled Blonde and Citizen are now.

Best get there while it's hot.

Shaded portion is among Dallas' most liberal zoning areas, and home to six new clubs.

Good Latimer map
Marc Lee
Shaded portion is among Dallas' most liberal zoning areas, and home to six new clubs.
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This week's hot headlines

New restaurant in Dallas landmark towers over this week's 5 most popular stories

Stephanie Allmon Merry
Oct 29, 2022 | 10:00 am
Reunion Tower
s3.amazonaws.com
There's a new restaurant coming to the little ball in the sky.

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. New steakhouse from Las Vegas team coming to Dallas' landmark Reunion Tower. Reunion Tower, the blinking ball on the skyline of downtown Dallas, finally has a new tenant: Called Crown Block, it's a steak and seafood restaurant from Las Vegas group Blau + Associates, and according to a release, it'll open in spring 2023.

2. Rad new surfing lagoon paradise rides into Texas promising ocean-perfect waves and beachy fun. A new, world-class surf destination coming to Houston. HTX Surf will ride into Generation Park in fall of 2024, per an announcement by creators Beach Street Development, the company that pushes the barefoot life with its man-made surfing lagoons.

3. Dueling piano bar to depart longtime Addison home for Star in Frisco. There's good news in the dueling piano bar world, but also just a tiny bit of sad news. Good news first: Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar, the Austin-based dueling piano bar chain, is opening a location at The Star in Frisco. Bad news is it's a relocation.

4. Bluebonnet destination near Dallas flourishes as No. 4 best suburb in state. The North Texas city known as a bluebonnet capital of Texas each spring is also one of the state's best overall suburbs. Ennis lands at No. 4 in a recent SmartAsset ranking of the best suburbs near a large city in Texas. Nationally, it's ranked 102nd.

5. Only one Dallas restaurant has earned prestigious 5 diamond award from AAA. A Dallas restaurant has racked up a prestigious award, the only restaurant in Texas to do so: Carte Blanche, the acclaimed fine-dining tasting restaurant on Greenville Avenue from husband-and-wife Casey and Amy LaRue, has earned the coveted AAA Five Diamond designation.

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Southfork Ranch of Dallas fame gets new owner with big plans in the works

First ladies who lunch

Laura and Barbara Bush lend presidential panache to cherished Dallas luncheon

Stephanie Allmon Merry
Oct 28, 2022 | 1:59 pm
Laura and Barbara Bush lend presidential panache to cherished Dallas luncheon
Photo by Atali Samuel Photography

Barbara Bush and Laura Bush

What: Austin Street Center Humble Beginnings Luncheon

Where: Hilton Anatole Hotel

Austin Street Center Humble Beginnings Luncheon 2022

Photo by Atali Samuel Photography

Barbara Bush and Laura Bush

The 411: Former U.S. first lady Laura Bush and daughter Barbara Bush — the two "quietest" members of the Bush family (neither having been a politician nor a TV talk show host) — stepped into the spotlight on a rare public outing together to help raise funds for a beloved Dallas organization.

Just how beloved? The 22nd annual Austin Street Center Humble Beginnings Luncheon drew a crowd of 897 attendees to the Hilton Anatole's Chantilly Ballroom on Friday, October 14.

Chaired by Frank Mihalopoulos and Jay McAuley and led by Austin Street Center CEO Daniel Roby, the luncheon and presentation celebrated the center's successes (including a large new facility) and underscored its mission to serve the homeless population of Dallas.

Popular party group Emerald City Band set a celebratory mood by entertaining guests as they arrived and sat down to an autumnal lunch of butternut squash soup and seared chicken breast salad.

Legendary local radio personality and Austin Street Center supporter Norm Hitzges presented Carolyn Lacy Miller the Norm Hitzges Distinguished Service Award for her many contributions to the organization, including the creation of its Sisterhood Program, which serves women who are homeless, have been victimized, traumatized, and suffer with mental illnesses and/or substance use illnesses.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson was presented the Public Service Award. In his acceptance remarks, he became emotional when he talked about how homelessness has affected his family personally.

The highlight of the day was a conversation with Laura and Barbara Bush, moderated by former ambassador, Hon. Jeanne Phillips.

The theme being "service to others," much of the talk focused on the Bushes' initiatives to reach people around the world — from the women of Afghanistan to AIDS victims in Africa. Barbara said a trip with her parents to AIDS-ravaged parts of Africa, in fact, helped change her career trajectory from architecture to global health.

There were light-hearted moments, too. Barbara shared funny stories about growing up, sharing a name with her grandmother - former first lady Barbara Bush. (One laugh-out-loud tale involved an email from a cousin about bikini waxing.) Laura revealed the best advice her mother-in-law gave her: Don't criticize your husband's speeches (advice she didn't always follow, for better or worse).

Laura, along with daughter Jenna and Jenna's daughters Mila and Poppy, she said, recently had been welcomed back to the White House by President Biden and Dr. Biden. During a later concert at the White House, singer Elton John recognized the former first lady for her work on behalf of AIDS causes around the world, she said.

From stage, it was announced that George W. and Laura Bush will receive the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition's Global Leadership Award on December 1, World AIDS Day.

In total, the Austin Street Center raised nearly $800,000 at the Humble Beginnings Luncheon.

To end the inspiring afternoon, each attendee took home a luxurious Xela Aroma candle hand-poured by women of Austin Street Center's Sisterhood Program. Candle proceeds go directly to support the Sisterhood Program and are for sale at xelaaroma.com.

Who: Nearly 900 Austin Street Center staff, board members, patrons, and supporters including Abim Bola, Mary Danz, Bianca Davis, Priya Murphy, Britt Carman, Katelyn Muñoz, Carolyn Arnold, Gail Turner, R. Gerald Turner, and many, many more.

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City News Roundup

Latino Cultural Center hosts Dia de Los Muertos fest and more Dallas news

Teresa Gubbins
Oct 28, 2022 | 10:57 am
dia de los muertos
Photo courtesy of Dia de Los Muertos Festival/Facebook

Big Dia de Los Muertos event this weekend.

This roundup of Dallas news has scuffles, investigations, skulls, and tree plantings. Here's what happened in Dallas this week:

LULAC meltdown
There's a scuffle for control over the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization, which has two factions: Dallas and Washington, D.C. Members in D.C. are trying to oust Dallas-based Domingo Garcia, the national president who has been accused of violating LULAC's constitution. Dallas is retaliating by trying to terminate CEO Sindy Benavides and Northeast VP Ralina Cardona. LULAC has been in a "legal limbo" since its annual convention in July when they failed to elect a new president.

Hospital shooting
State Rep. Rafael Anchia is calling for an investigation into the shooting at Methodist Medical Center in Dallas where Nestor Hernandez, a violent felon who was on parole and wearing an ankle monitor, allegedly assaulted his girlfriend at the hospital, then shot and killed two nurses. The hospital is in Anchia's district. He's calling for an investigation into the State Board of Pardons and Parole who released Hernandez nearly two years early. Hernandez also violated his parole twice.

Anchia is not the only one: The Dallas Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Dallas Police Department, is tracking down how and where Hernandez got a gun.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who's in charge of appointing members of the Parole Board and who oversees the Department of Corrections, has refused to answer questions about the incident.

Students plant trees
Students, faculty, and volunteers at San Jacinto Elementary School planted 96 trees around campus. The event was led by the Texas Trees Foundation and its Cool Schools program, launched in 2015, which works to plant trees at Dallas ISD schools to increase the local tree canopy to 30 percent. As of 2019, the average tree canopy around Dallas ISD schools was 7 percent, making for hotter play and learning areas.

During the planting, students and teachers teamed up with staff from Texas Trees Foundation to install previously potted trees around campus, while receiving guidance and education on the benefits of trees and urban forestry. As a Cool School Neighborhood Park, San Jacinto Elementary is set to receive a new outdoor classroom, custom playground, seating, and a walking trail which will be available to the public after school hours and on the weekends.

Dia de los Muertos Festival
The Latino Cultural Center is partnering with Cascabel Group, Candelaria & Co. and Hecho con Amor to present the annual Día de los Muertos Festival & Exhibition will take place on Saturday October 29 11 am-4 pm at the Latino Cultural Center, with live performances, food vendors, and arts & crafts stations including a "decorate your own sugar skull" booth. This event is free and open to the public.

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