This Week's Hot Headlines

Fancy fried foods and romantic escapes top 5 most popular stories this week

Editor’s note: Another week has come and gone, and there’s a lot we all probably missed. But we’re looking out for you, kid. Here are the most popular stories from this past week:

1. Lobster poshes up State Fair of Texas 2015 Big Tex Choice awards. Gators and lobsters and buffalos, oh my! State Fair of Texas concessionaires have outdone themselves yet again with a slew of concoctions that are as creative as they are delicious. The Big Tex® Choice Awards is the fair's annual food contest wherein vendors compete against each other by creating unique, over-the-top snacks.

2. Quirky Greenville Avenue bar The Vagabond turns out the lights. It's been said that you can't go back and in the case of the Vagabond, a Greenville Avenue bar with a nostalgic bent, that would seem to be correct: It is now closed.

3. Texas luxury resort named one of the nation's most romantic getaways. Score big on your next romantic getaway with a trip to The Inn at Dos Brisas. Only three hours from Dallas, the 313-acre Spanish Colonial-style ranch ranks in the top 10 best romantic inns in the country, according to USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice awards.

4. Whimsical bar Uptown Pawn takes on one of Dallas' most turnstiled locations. Give it up to Uptown Pawn, a new bar-restaurant bravely open in a space on McKinney Avenue that many would deem jinxed. Since 2012, the address at 3407 McKinney Ave. has been home to Lumi Empanada, a sweet mom-and pop; followed by the Bowery, a hot-dog place; and Belly & Trumpet, a fine-dining lounge from the owners of Oak. That's a lot of turnover in three years.

5. North Texas ZIP code declared one of the hottest in America. Things are hot, hot, hot in suburban Dallas. In fact, Plano boasts one of the hottest ZIP codes in America. Realtor.com recently revealed the top 10 ZIP codes in the country, based on an analysis by the website's data experts. These areas are affordable, have healthy local economies and offer a wealth of job opportunities. Additionally, homes in these 'hoods sell four to nine times faster than the national average.

The list of finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards at the State Fair of Texas has been revealed.

Photo by Helene In Between

The list of finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards at the State Fair of Texas has been revealed.

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Park News

Dallas acquires 30-year-old amusement park for $13 million

Adventure Landing

An amusement park in Far North Dallas was purchased by the City of Dallas to be developed into a community park. The Dallas City Council voted during its December 11 meeting to buy Adventure Landing, a 30-year-old amusement park at 17717 Coit Rd. for the sum of $13.7 million with a goal to keep the park in business.

The 13.5-acre property has been an entertainment venue for the past 30 years, with mini golf, batting cages, soccer fields, and arcade games.

The previous owner, the Hildebrand family, previously turned down much bigger offers from developers because they wanted the buyer to carry on their mission and keep the park a park.

The Park and Recreation Department will operate the soccer fields, and Adventure Landing will manage all other facilities until a future park is constructed.

In November, the Park and Recreation Board unanimously approved the land acquisition item and recommended approval to the City Council.

“With the cost of land in the north Dallas area increasing in value, we are fortunate to secure this property to make sure residents have access to green spaces and new recreational amenities,” says Dallas Park and Recreation Board President Arun Agarwal in a statement. “Acquiring land in certain fully developed areas of the City for park purposes is exceedingly difficult, and this acquisition represents a unique opportunity for us as a city.”

A release says there aren't many parks in the area, and the closest parks are Preston Ridge Trail to the west, Twin Lakes Park to the south, and the Cotton Belt Trail, which is currently in the works.

“This acquisition represents far more than the purchase of land – it symbolizes a pivotal investment in addressing a critical need within a community with the fewest parks in the entire city," says District 12 Park and Recreation Board Member Lane Conner in a statement. "By creating this new park, we are taking a transformative step toward providing every resident, no matter their neighborhood, with access to exceptional green spaces."

Adventure Landing will keep the same name and management team under the new ownership.

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