Let Me Sum Up

5 things in Dallas to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

The dogs are as thankful for Klyde Warren Park as I am.
Photo by Jerry McClure
Alice Laussade, pictured here at her fundraiser, Meat Fight, is part of thereason Dallas is experiencing a golden age in food writing.
Photo by Anne Pfeiffer Cain
Thanks to places like the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Dallas art scene nowrivals Fort Worth's.
Photo by Kevin Todora
This city does so many things wrong that we shouldn’t feel bad about cheeringthe few things we get right, like Klyde Warren Park.
Photo by Jerry McClure
Polyphonic Spree headlined the grand opening festivities at Klyde Warren Park.
Photo by Jerry McClure
Dallas should be thankful for its museums and art galleries, like the DMA.
Photo courtesy of Dallas Museum of Art
The annual Art Conspiracy helps make Dallasites feel like cool, smart people.
Photo by Robert Bostick
I am not thankful for Brat the elk, who very likely knocked out the Wi-Fi whereI am staying in Estes Park.
Photo by Eric Celeste

The Wi-Fi is down at the lodge in Estes Park where I’m staying, so I’m typing this on my iPhone. Which means a) blame autocorrect for the mistakes; b) no links or Elsewhere or Retweets; c) today we’re gonna try some cliched link-bait!

To that end, here are five things in Dallas for which you should be thankful:

1. Klyde Warrren Park
I know. It’s getting such universal praise, it already feels trite praising it. (See Jim Schutze’s post on Unfair Park. Google it, lazy.) But this city does so many things wrong — see “Bridge, Margaret Hunt Hill” — that we shouldn’t feel bad about cheering the few things we get right.

2. City Councilwoman Angela Hunt
I’m biased, as I’ve gone from a journalistic admirer to campaign consultant to friend, so take this for what it’s worth. But when Hunt is term-limited out next year, we in her district are going to look back and be fairly shocked at all she’s been able to accomplish given the weak council system we have and that she never gave up her role as council rabble-rouser.

3. Food critics
I think we’re in something of a foodie golden age in Dallas. Start with CultureMap’s own Teresa Gubbins: When she isn’t the one who breaks restaurant news, it’s shocking, am I right? The pair at the Dallas Observer, Scott Reitz and Alice Laussade, are unpretentious and smart. And Nancy Nichols at D Magazine still has excellent taste and is fearless about skewering even her close friends in the biz. It’s all very delicious.

4. Back on My Feet Dallas
This local chapter of the national, nonprofit, help-the-homeless program does astonishing work in a low-profile way. (Full disclosure: I’m not a member, but my girlfriend is.) Simply by running with homeless residents most mornings (at the criminally early time of 5:45 am), it gives people who are trying to better themselves a feeling they belong, that they matter, and that gives many of them the confidence needed to escape homelessness. It’s pretty amazing.

5. Our museums and galleries
When I was arts editor of the Star-Telegram, it was understood that Fort Worth kicked the crap out of Dallas when comparing museums and galleries. Today, not so much. The DMA, the Nasher, the Perot, the Sixth Floor, the Crow, smaller galleries like PDNB and W.A.A.S, the once-a-year Art Conspiracy, the ones I’ve forgotten — they make us feel like a city full of smart, cool people. And how often can you say that?

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

dance clubs fun cities nightlife parties recreation wallethub