Dallas is Setting the Bar

Being from Dallas, I am a bit biased with my opinion of the city.  Dallas has truly developed into one of the greatest cities in the country over the past ten years.  With so many people looking back to the core of the city and with new mixed-use retail and condos being development in the uptown and downtown area, the face of Dallas has completely changed.  More young affluent professions are seeking the live, work, and play environment and buying new Dallas condos in the city rather than the suburbs or North Dallas.

Dallas had of course undergone its fair share of urban sprawl, but that phase seems to be over as more young professionals and families buy homes and condos closer to work.  Of course, there are plenty of companies that moved to the suburbs to follow the sprawl years ago, but many of those companies are moving back and the employees want to be closer to the office.  Gas prices don’t help matters either, especially for younger people trying to manager tighter budgets.Other cities in Texas are following this trend in providing a true urban environment and some have dubbed this process the Dallas-ization.  Austin has undergone a facelift as developers bring in more urban residential condos and retail to the downtown and surrounding areas.  Austin has always prided itself in being the most unique city in Texas with a great art and music scene…if fact, I am flying there today for a wedding!  Many in Austin are worried that the city will loose its unique flair if it continues to follow the Dallas path.  Quite frankly, the city and the developers know that more revenue and tax ebenfits will be generated from revitalizing the areas.  The way to do this, as was done in Dallas, is to set a master plan for all mixed use properties in the area…especially the retail.  This way you have a best variety of shops, restaurants, entertainment, etc. all in one area.  Way to set the bar, Dallas!