I've lived and spent the majority of my eighteen years in North Oak Cliff. I live not even five minutes away from Downtown Dallas and right by 35, which is incredibly convenient. I've always loved where I lived because it's quiet, rarely do cars pass down the street, and it's incredibly centralized. However, I have a feeling that all this will change because of the revitalization of North Oak Cliff and I am absolutely against it and hate what's soon to become of North Oak Cliff.
I've seen what they've done to the Bishop Arts District and to say the least they made it ridiculously overpriced. All the shops and restaurants are incredibly expensive. To give an example, we use to go to this little hut-type-of-restaurant that served authentic Mexican tacos. They were absolutely amazing and I remember we use to go what felt like all the time, but then, and I don't mean to sound racist, the White people came along and ruined everything. What were once 99 cent tacos became $2.00 and the lines to get the tacos were too long! The tacos were great and all, but gosh did everybody have to show up and for $2.00? As if!
It was then that I realized that Bishop Arts District was changing and that I'd no longer taste those great barbacoa and lengua tacos ever again. Eight years later and my taste buds still miss the orgasmic taste (I'm being dramatic, I don't think they were that good, hahaha. Who knows though, I can't really remember). And I know it's not necessarily all their faults, they didn't tell the restaurant to raise the price, but if they didn't move in the area the restaurant would've been incredibly cheap, instead of overpriced.
Everything in the Bishop Arts District is overpriced though, and perhaps the reason is because they are all local and start-up businesses. However, they should really lower their prices. I honestly don't think they realize that Oak Cliff is not Lower Greenville or Uptown. Majority of people who live in the area are families, not young singles. And the majority, for the moment, are Hispanics who have jobs that barely provide enough for their families. Reason being why when you go to the Bishop Arts District all you see are young newlyweds, or much older people whose kids are long gone, who also happen to be mostly White and from the Kessler Park area.
I don't have anything against the Bishop Arts District because I do like to walk around and window shop and imagine that one day I'll be able to shop at all the stores, eat at whatever restaurant without worrying how much I'm spending. What's bothering me now is that the city of Dallas wants to revitalize Jefferson Boulevard by making it like Bishop Arts. I saw the plans and they look great! I'm not gonna lie, but they also look very expensive and they want to add a lot of upscale apartments. It sort of feels like they're trying to make it look like Mockingbird Station.
I don't like, it if I wanted to be at Mockingbird Station, Lower Greenville, Uptown, or whatever, I'd go to those places. They should be preserving, cultivating Jefferson, with it's rich Hispanic culture, not try to change it into something that wasn't even there to begin with. All these upscale changes are going to burn a hole in taxpayers money. And the fact that they're making upscale apartments bothers me immensely. The city should invest in making more single-home houses and renovating old homes that have even the least potential. Even if it's more expensive to do so.
I'm not against change, I can easily adapt to any environment, but this all just sounds and seems SO ridiculous. For the moment being I cannot see how this will benefit all those who have grown up in North Oak Cliff. The only thing I can see is another upscale area in Dallas, that will eventually kick out everybody who cannot afford to stay.
The comments on these articles seem to agree that this seems like a bad idea.
I've seen what they've done to the Bishop Arts District and to say the least they made it ridiculously overpriced. All the shops and restaurants are incredibly expensive. To give an example, we use to go to this little hut-type-of-restaurant that served authentic Mexican tacos. They were absolutely amazing and I remember we use to go what felt like all the time, but then, and I don't mean to sound racist, the White people came along and ruined everything. What were once 99 cent tacos became $2.00 and the lines to get the tacos were too long! The tacos were great and all, but gosh did everybody have to show up and for $2.00? As if! It was then that I realized that Bishop Arts District was changing and that I'd no longer taste those great barbacoa and lengua tacos ever again. Eight years later and my taste buds still miss the orgasmic taste (I'm being dramatic, I don't think they were that good, hahaha. Who knows though, I can't really remember). And I know it's not necessarily all their faults, they didn't tell the restaurant to raise the price, but if they didn't move in the area the restaurant would've been incredibly cheap, instead of overpriced.
Everything in the Bishop Arts District is overpriced though, and perhaps the reason is because they are all local and start-up businesses. However, they should really lower their prices. I honestly don't think they realize that Oak Cliff is not Lower Greenville or Uptown. Majority of people who live in the area are families, not young singles. And the majority, for the moment, are Hispanics who have jobs that barely provide enough for their families. Reason being why when you go to the Bishop Arts District all you see are young newlyweds, or much older people whose kids are long gone, who also happen to be mostly White and from the Kessler Park area.
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| Jim Lake Cos. |
I don't like, it if I wanted to be at Mockingbird Station, Lower Greenville, Uptown, or whatever, I'd go to those places. They should be preserving, cultivating Jefferson, with it's rich Hispanic culture, not try to change it into something that wasn't even there to begin with. All these upscale changes are going to burn a hole in taxpayers money. And the fact that they're making upscale apartments bothers me immensely. The city should invest in making more single-home houses and renovating old homes that have even the least potential. Even if it's more expensive to do so.
I'm not against change, I can easily adapt to any environment, but this all just sounds and seems SO ridiculous. For the moment being I cannot see how this will benefit all those who have grown up in North Oak Cliff. The only thing I can see is another upscale area in Dallas, that will eventually kick out everybody who cannot afford to stay.
The comments on these articles seem to agree that this seems like a bad idea.
