Cedar Springs has been the bustling avant-garde subset of Oak Lawn affectionately known as the “gayborhood” since the 1970s. Over time, new trends have been established. Different style waltzed in. Innovation and ideas came to fruition.
Before anyone could say “fabulous,” this small but mighty community has evolved, defining a true-blue cultural shift where today, sexual orientation is a hot button of the same magnitude as, say, how many olives one prefers in a martini.
In a nutshell: The gayborhood put out the welcome mat, and it has become the place everyone wants to be.
ilume Park meets the lifestyle needs of the modern Cedar Springs, which today represents the influences of a young professional urban community.
Popular for work-live-play
Over the past decade, Cedar Springs has evolved into a coveted live-work-play community for urban professionals of all ilk. Although most of the original retailers have moved out (such as Union Jacks, which had been a clothing staple since 1971, and Buli, a cafe that closed in September), others have moved in, followed by a new demographic of buyers and discretionary income.
As Luke Crosland, developer of the neighborhood’s newest apartment community, ilume Park, puts it, “The recent influx of urban professionals to the area has created a need for the luxury they want and the services they feel they deserve. We developed ilume Park with those thoughts in mind.
“The result is a high-fashion, contemporary setting with every luxury you can think of.”
ilume Park definitely has residential amenities galore, including salon services, housekeeping, dry cleaning and onsite handyman. And for those who are crazy about canines, check this out: ilume Park provides any lifestyle service a dog owner would want — pet sitting and walking, as well as grooming services at the Pawspa® — and even has an onsite dog track with agility equipment, bone-shaped splash pool and dog-washing area.
ilume Park is located across from its sister community, ilume, a mixed-use development with dining and retail on the ground floor. Collectively, these two communities are referred to as ilume Village. The properties reflect the new demographic and scene of Cedar Springs and also help to define it.
Signs of the evolution
Proof of the area’s evolution is newcomer Cedar Springs Tap House, a sports bar offering plenty of big-screen TVs, a robust menu featuring American cuisine and craft beers on tap. As Silver Gordon, Tap House’s managing member, explains, the new bar addresses “something that is in short supply in the area.”
The sports bar has been so popular that Gordon says the team has worked hard to keep up with the volume. “It’s an absolutely beautiful neighborhood, and we have been well-received,” he reports. “Everybody’s been great. It’s a very friendly and open crowd.”
Another entrepreneur, Shane Walker, opened his floral and gift boutique, Flower Reign, two months ago and targeted Cedar Springs specifically for the great location.
“Having the store located on Cedar Springs gives me access to our existing customers in Highland Park and Turtle Creek, but it opened up a whole new window of opportunity to downtown and the Uptown community,” Walker says. “I love being surrounded by an artistic and creative community. There’s just a great energy here!”
As Cedar Springs continues to thrive as a leader in high fashion, influential art, and dining and retail, you can expect the community of ilume Park to meet the lifestyle needs of the modern Cedar Springs, which today represents the influences of a young professional urban community.
Says Crosland, “As the neighborhood continues to evolve and transform, we certainly hope that the sense of community we feel today continues into the future.”
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To learn more about culturally sophisticated living options on Cedar Springs, visit the ilume Village website.
Dogs love the bone-shaped splash pool at ilume Park.
Spa Castle is revealing renovations. Photo courtesy of Spa Castle