Up to Date With Uptown

The definitive list of Uptown Dallas' newest hot spots

If it seems like every time you visit Uptown there's a new restaurant, boutique, or workout studio to check out, you're not wrong. The hip Dallas neighborhood has seen a surge of businesses opening recently, with some of the hottest names in dining, fashion, fitness, and hospitality moving in.

Finding it hard to keep up? Here's a list of what's new and now.

PL8 Bistro & Gallery
Holding court on the corner of McKinney and Routh is this hybrid concept of eatery and art gallery. PL8's bright, inviting ambience and eclectic menu, developed in collaboration with esteemed celebrity chef Alfio Longo, are enhanced by colorful paintings, photographs, and art pieces created by local Dallas artists. The artwork changes seasonally, and each piece is available for purchase.

District Climb
Inspired by the training rituals of renowned athletes and celebrities, District Climb combines the VersaClimber with rhythmic beats in a multi-sensory studio, delivering unparalleled training that sculpts every part of your body to perfection. Many argue that it's the most effective way to get in shape, because you burn more fat in a shorter period of time while your joints enjoy zero unnecessary stress.

Class Studios
The newest addition to West Village's array of workout wonders boasts two different approaches to getting fit: a 45-minute spin class and high-intensity, low-impact circuit training taught by former athletes and military veterans that incorporates rowing machines, weights, and plyometrics.

Francesca's
The Texas-born boutique offers an eclectic mix of carefully curated clothing, bright baubles, bold accessories, and playful gifts that are as fun to give as they are to receive. New goodies arrive almost daily, so you can discover something special and amazing on every visit. The store also only carries a few of each item, meaning that everything you find is uniquely yours.

Hilton Canopy
Channeling the art and spirit of the neighborhood, with Uptown-inspired artwork and nods to Dallas' M-Line Trolley, this new Cityplace hotel is also pet-friendly. The 150 rooms are complemented by a restaurant and rooftop bar.

Velvet Taco
The Dallas taqueria chain is opening a new location at 3411 McKinney Ave. in late summer 2018, in the space that used to house Urban Taco. The inventive menu flirts with multi-regional and multi-cultural boundaries, with tacos such as Indian-style tikka chicken, Mediterranean vegetarian falafel, Japanese ahi poke, and Cuban pork. There's also brisket and flank steak, and a "Nashville-style" hot tofu along with a weekly chef-driven taco feature.

Circo
The same family behind Manhattan's famed Le Cirque are bringing its sister concept to Dallas. A modern, circus-themed dining room serves food that is just as exciting for the palate as it is for the eyes.

MidiCi
In West Village's South Alley, next to Cru Wine Bar and across from Mi Cocina, you'll find this Neopolitan pizza palace. The dough is made from only four ingredients — Italian "00" flour, water, salt, and yeast — and pizzas are baked for 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven that burns at close to 1,000 degrees. The menu features vegan-friendly selections, authentic Italian gelato, a signature Nutella calzone dessert, and happy hour with wine and beer.

San Martin Bakery
Dallas snagged the first location outside of Guatemala and El Salvador of this beloved eatery, which includes a Guatemalan coffee bar, a bakery, and light bites from the cafe menu. It's set to open soon, on the former site of the McKinney Avenue Contemporary.

The Gents Place
The men's grooming and lifestyle club covers everything from haircuts and shaves to shoe shines, manicures and pedicures, massages, and waxing. Founder Ben Davis wanted to make getting a haircut less like an errand and more like an enjoyable time-out from everyday life, complete with cigars, complimentary drinks, and the company of likeminded gentlemen.

Savor Patisserie
This bakery specializes in stunning French macarons, with unusual colors and highly creative flavors. Founder Kelli Watts starts with a perfect ratio of almond flour, egg whites, and sugar, then adds ample flavor to both the shells and the filling, giving the macarons a bold taste that doesn't leave you wondering which one you just ate.

Sixty Vines
Wine-lovers, rejoice: The popular Plano pizzeria opened its Uptown location in April, bringing with it an extensive list of wines on tap. The "wine country" cuisine celebrates seasonal produce, infused olive oils, sustainable seafood, locally raised beef and poultry, artisanal pizza, charcuterie, and rustic breads. Not only does it have a 1,150-square-foot patio, but there's another 1,400 square feet of seating in the outdoor greenhouse — which has a very cool retractable roof.

Barry’s Bootcamp
L.A.-based trainer-to-the-stars Barry Jay started his one-stop-shop for a better body in 1998, and this past December, Dallas finally became a part of his FitFam. The workout itself is designed for efficiency, carefully pairing opposing muscle groups to ensure your body has a balanced workout and proper time for recovery. The intervals and strength training combinations are proven to lean and tone your body.

Sixty Vines brought its on-tap wines to Dallas.

Photo courtesy of Sixty Vines

Sixty Vines brought its on-tap wines to Dallas.

A+ for Plano

Surprising Dallas suburb makes new list of best college towns in U.S.

Southern Methodist University students at a football game

Southern Methodist University/Facebook

Dallas knows how to show out.

Dallas' spirited neighbor Plano has entered the spotlight as the No. 16 best midsize college town in the U.S., while Dallas ranks among the best largest college towns, a new study by WalletHub has proclaimed.

While Plano might not be thought of as a "college town," it is home to primary campuses of Collin College (Spring Creek Campus and the Courtyard Center); Collin College has an annual enrollment of over 60,000 students. To qualify for the study, a city must have a university or college population of at least 7,500 students.

To determine the best college towns, WalletHub analyzed 415 cities based on their "wallet-friendliness," social environment, and academic and economic opportunities for college graduates. Cities are ranked overall and are sorted into one of three population categories: large, midsize, and small cities.

Several North Texas cities were represented across the three rankings by population, but none ranked higher than Plano. This Dallas suburb ranked as the 54th best college town in the nation overall, and ranks as the third-best college town in Texas.

Out of the three key dimensions, Plano ranked highest for its academic and economic opportunities – landing 25th nationally. This category analyzed Plano's quality of higher education, the earning potential for college graduates, unemployment rates, job growth rates, the share of part-time jobs and median income of part-time workers, and more.

In the remaining two categories for its "social environment" and "wallet friendliness," Plano respectively ranked 223rd and 271st nationwide. The social environment ranking compared the number of students per capita, the share of single people, crime rates, and the number of cafés, breweries, festivals, and shopping centers per capita, among others; the wallet-friendliness category examined local housing costs, student loan debt per person, the adjusted cost of living for young people, and other financial factors.

"As student living expenses can reach over $39,000 per year, it’s important to find the most bang for your buck," the report's author wrote. "Therefore, it’s best to live in a city with a reasonable cost of living, along with good academic and work opportunities. The ideal city should also provide a fun social environment to help students deal with the stress of college."

Dallas ranked as the 35th best large college town in the U.S., and it ranked 108th overall regardless of city size.

This is how the rest of North Texas fared in the report:

Denton – No. 77 overall, No. 23 among midsize cities
Fort Worth – No. 100 overall, No. 31 among large cities
McKinney – No. 110 overall, No. 31 among midsize cities
Richardson – No. 139 overall, No. 57 among small cities
Irving – No. 141 overall, No. 39 among midsize cities
Carrollton – No. 150 overall, No. 42 among midsize cities
Arlington – No. 189 overall, No. 53 among large cities
Grand Prairie – No. 230 overall, No. 71 among midsize cities
Garland – No. 265 overall, No. 83 among midsize cities
Mesquite – No. 317 overall, No. 111 among midsize cities

Other top college towns in Texas
Austin once again topped the list as the No. 1 best college town in America, boosted by the city's wealth of local colleges and universities and the local economy. The Capital City has outshone obvious contenders like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, for five years in a row, and it also tops the large cities list.

According to the report's findings, Austin has the 15th best academic and economic opportunities for college students and graduates, and the 16th best social environment. WalletHub commends Austin for having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and the "34th-best annual job growth rate," while also offering students ample ways to "de-stress after class."

"On top of that, Austin ranks 22nd in the nation for the quality of higher education among more than 400 cities in our study," the report said. "It also has the 112th-cheapest in-state tuition (including room and board), at $34,651 per year."

Four other cities in the Lone Star State appeared on the overall list of America's best college towns: College Station (No. 37), San Antonio (No. 72), Houston (No. 73), and Lubbock (No. 83).

In the rankings by city size, San Antonio ranked as the No. 2 best large college town in Texas and 23rd in the U.S., with Houston right behind as the third-best statewide and 24th nationwide.

San Marcos, a college town between Austin and San Antonio, ranked as the No. 2 best small college town in Texas, and 54th best among the small colleges nationally. In the overall list regardless of city size, San Marcos ranked 132nd nationally.

The top 10 best college towns in America for 2027 are:

No. 1 – Austin
No. 2 – Ann Arbor, Michigan
No. 3 – Charlottesville, Virginia
No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 5 – Atlanta
No. 6 – Tampa, Florida
No. 7 – San Diego
No. 8 – Scottsdale, Arizona
No. 9 – Orlando
No. 10 – Charleston, South Carolina

college towns reports wallethub dallas plano