Cool down, then heat up

Pumpkin patches and magic carpet rides: Get in the mood for the season with ourlist of fall cozies

It's pumpkin time at the Dallas Arboretum.
Photo by Rod Lindley
Slip into this cowl sweater by Vince.
Go to Medina Oven & Grill for a cozy dinner.
Medina Oven & Grill/Facebook

It’s been fall for a bit more than a week now, and it’s slowly beginning to feel like it here in Dallas. Sure, the leaves are still green and it’s in the 80s, but there are still signs that we are moving away from the Texas summer.

For one, it’s no longer a death sentence to walk outside in pants. Pumpkin everything is popping up on menus and at farmers markets and in your dreams. And the sun is setting just a little earlier each day, bringing on crisp evenings that finally merit a light jacket.

Dallas may not get the kind of fall that Norman Rockwell mythicized, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pretend. We thought about it and came up with what we term our “fall cozies.”

When we think of bars that scream fall, we think of the Ginger Man. Don’t let the Uptown location fool you; this is as laid-back a bar as you’ll find. Full of warm woods, a homey upstairs with couches, and a backyard beer garden that is perfect for wasting an afternoon, the Ginger Man is your antidote to the sped-up world surrounding this house just off McKinney Avenue.

Of course, if you’re going to be on the patio or out back at night, you need some outerwear. For guys, that means the Barbour Classic Beaufort Jacket from Orvis. Its classic look works as much in the city as it does on the ranch, from dress casual to duck hunting. It’s light enough for late October but strong enough to handle those two weeks in late January/early February when the weather goes to hell.

For the ladies, we like the cowl sweater from Vince. Comfort is key when it comes to dressing for cool weather, and soft and chunky knits are so on-trend. The best part of the loose look? You can slip a long-sleeved tee underneath for extra warmth — for the three days that the weather drops below 40 degrees (or feels like it, at least).

Still, you might not want to ruin such nice clothing when it comes time to go pumpkin picking and carving at Autumn at the Arboretum. You can explore the Chihuly exhibition or get lost in the Hay Bale Maze. The point is "cozy" doesn’t imply "inside." Get out and enjoy the fresh air and see the wonder of the Pumpkin Village, which is exactly what it sounds like.

All the pumpkin activity has surely worked up an appetite. Snuggle in to Medina Oven & Bar, tucked into a corner of Victory Park, the land of glass high-rises and cement. Medina's exterior is warm and cozy, with plum- and saffron-tinted walls and draped fabrics. Owner Sam Benoikken has a long history in hospitality and knows how to make guests feel at home. The food is just want you want on an autumn night: a little spicy and a little exotic, from hummus with warm pita bread to signature tagines — like a spicy casserole, baked in its own domed dish. From the cocktail list, choose the Flying Carpet Ride, with Crown Royal and apple brandy — so very, very fall.

After you’re filled up, we wouldn’t blame you for wanting to crash on the couch and get comfortable with someone. In fact, we’re all for it, which is why you have to head to Inwood Theatre. The cozy seating encourages a little (hey, we said a little!) physical interaction.

If, at the end of all of this, you’re still dissatisfied with our fall cozies, then we suggest you rake up all the leaves in your yard and jump in them.

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Sprawling Celina

This booming Dallas suburb is the No. 1 fastest-growing city in U.S.

Facebook/City of Celina

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Small cities in big Texas metro areas were the fastest growing municipalities in the United States last year, and the Dallas suburb of Celina ranked No. 1 in the country, followed closely by other DFW cities.

Celina, Princeton, Melissa, and Anna — all part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex — were the Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations of 20,000 residents or more from mid-2024 to mid-2025, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

In general, smaller communities in the South, such as these, outpaced the rest of the nation, which has experienced a population slowdown since the start of the immigration crackdown last year, according to figures released Thursday, May 14.

Fulshear, in metro Houston, was the second-fastest growing U.S. city. The five Texas cities' year-over-year growth rates ranged from almost 15% to almost 25%.

In pure numbers, Celina, with only 64,000 people, grew by more residents — 12,700 — than Seattle and Houston, cities that are 12 times and 37 times larger respectively.

Small- to medium-sized cities hit a sweet spot between the largest U.S. cities, which were most impacted by the loss of immigrants from the crackdown started last year during the second Trump administration, and anemic growth in small towns, according to Matt Erickson, a Census Bureau statistician.

Texas cities dominate
Nine out of 10 of the largest population gainers in pure numbers were cities in the South because of a healthy job market and its comparative affordability. The biggest numeric gainers were Charlotte, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Celina.

Fort Worth leaped over Jacksonville last year as the 10th most populous U.S. city, putting four Texas cities in the nation's top 10 most populous, with the other cities being Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Austin skipped over San Jose for the 12th most populous spot, as Texas’ capital city surpassed 1 million residents for the first time. It is now one of a dozen U.S. cities with 1 million residents or more.

Seattle was the only non-Southern city to crack the top 10 in numeric population gains last year, at the No. 5 spot.

What's driving population losses
The two cities with the greatest rates of population loss last year — Twentynine Palms, California, by Joshua Tree National Park and Key West at the southern tip of Florida — were in places with tight housing markets. Their losses ranged from -2.4% to -2.9%.

In Twentynine Palms, a large chunk of the housing stock has been converted into short-term rentals for tourists heading to the national park. Just under 40% of its housing is occupied by its owners, compared with the national average of 65%, according to Census Bureau figures.

Hemmed in on all sides by water, the limited housing stock in Key West, as well as some of the highest home insurance rates in the U.S., have driven up housing costs for the Conch Republic. The median price for a home in Key West was $1.3 million at the start of this year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Other cities that had some of the biggest rates of population loss last year were hit by natural disasters.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck Florida’s Gulf Coast within weeks of each other in late 2024. Remnants of Helene blew through western North Carolina, leaving behind damaging tornadoes and flooding. Among the cities with the greatest rates of loss were Asheville, North Carolina, and several cities on Florida’s Gulf Coast, including Pinellas Park, Dunedin, Largo and Clearwater.

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