While cities across the country crumble economically, Dallas will emerge as the nation’s strongest and most exciting city in 2009. In these gloomy times, while the country seems to have so little to cheer about, the nation will notice the great achievements and celebration taking place in Dallas.

Dallas’ growth and success has often surged when times looked bleakest. Since the 1890s, Dallas has surpassed stronger and larger cities. Dallas will be doing this again as the Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theater open in the Arts District, as Trinity Park emerges and the 50-story, mile-long Santiago Calatrava-designed bridges begin to soar.

Dallas already has the nation’s largest number of corporate headquarters in the U.S. – and this is before the second downtown for Dallas is scheduled to emerge, a mixed-use development with 100-story skyscrapers and single-family, street level housing, located on the 60 acres on the west side of the Trinity.

Dallas Historically Turns Toughest Times to Its Advantage

Historically, Dallas has turned the toughest times to its advantage. In the Depression of 1892, John Armstrong began contemplating Highland Park, which he opened in 1906. In 1900, Main Street was paved with bois d’arc logs and the population was 42,000 people.

In 1910, Dallas was home to less than 100,000 people. By 1930, the city’s population was over a quarter of a million, at 250,000, when the entire country was mired in the Great Depression. In 1936, in the height of the Depression, Dallas became home to the Texas Centennial Exposition because of the lavish Art Deco exhibition buildings, Music Hall and Cotton Bowl that were constructed in Fair Park. By the 1950s, the population was approaching 500,000.

In the 1970s, when the national economy was both stalled and was suffering from inflation, Dallas had the foresight to build the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

The first commercial flight landed at the new DFW on January 13, 1974. The number of flights from DFW has increased ever since. In 2000 DFW was the world’s fifth busiest airport and remains a source of economic growth and employment in the area.

Population in Dallas Will Continue 100 Years of Rapid Growth

Now, while the nation is in a nosedive, Dallas is initiating and completing its biggest projects ever. The exhilaration created by the Arts District, Trinity River Park and surrounding development, and the Calatrava bridges will focus the national spotlight on Dallas and make the city a magnet for great people and growing companies. Dallas will not only emerge as one of the five largest cities in the next 15 years, but as a city inhabited by the most interesting, entrepreneurial and culturally savvy residents.

Daria and Daria Place, the streets that will be gated off from the public, for the George and Laura Bush home, have long been the forgotten streets of the Preston Hollow estate area.  The value of the land on Daria and Daria Place as indicated fairly accurately by the Dallas County Appraisal District is approximately one million dollars an acre.  This is considerably lower than the $2.5 million to $3 million an acre that Preston Hollow lots have recently sold for in Preston Hollow.

Reasons Why Land Prices on President Bush’s Street Have Been So Low

There are several reasons the prices are so much lower on the “Darias” – short dead end streets – than on the other streets of the very desirable neighborhood of Mayflower Estates or in the general Preston Hollow estate area.

Daria Close to Tollway

Daria and Daria Place are right next to the Tollway which historically is a less desirable place to live than next to a meadow, forest or lake or in areas that are not associated with noise and pollution.

Public School at Entrance of Daria

Schools within walking distance of a home can be an asset to a neighborhood, especially if the school is in Highland Park.  However, in the estate area, where a large number of children attend elite Dallas private schools, a public school is mostly associated with the cars, buses, and noise, it contributes to the immediate neighbors.

Daria Place Not Intended for Mansions

The Daria lots were carved out of the back of the adjacent estate property over 50 years ago.  Large lots accommodated substantial houses but this development was never intended for significant estate homes or architect-designed homes that are so often found in the other parts of Mayflower Estates and Preston Hollow. 

Why the President Bush Gates Change the Dynamic, Focus, and Desirability of the Neighborhood

No matter where President and Mrs. Bush might have purchased a home, the value of the homes around it would have gone up.  The President Bush gates on Daria compound the escalation in land prices the Bushes would normally bring to a street.  The Bush gates on Daria change the impression of the street and force people to re-evaluate their previous impressions of Daria and Daria Place.

Why Neighborhood Gates Create So Much Value

Homebuyers like the privacy, security, and exclusivity gated communities provide.  Gated neighborhoods are rare in older established neighborhoods because gated neighborhoods require developers to acquire enough land to create private streets that are owned by the homeowners association.  As a result, there are only a few gated neighborhoods in Preston Hollow.

Los Arboles is Most Prestigious Gated Neighborhood in Preston Hollow

The most prestigious gated neighborhood in Preston Hollow is Los Arboles, shown above, which enjoys magnificent estate homes on one-acre lots, small lakes and winding streets. Glen Lakes is another prestigious gated community with lakes and smaller lots.

 There is little opportunity for new gated neighborhoods because golf courses and all the other low hanging fruit for developers has already been bought up for development.  Now it almost takes a presidential decree to obtain permission to put up gates on a public street.  This limited supply of gated neighborhoods is the reason for the sales success of one-acre lots in the new gated development at the intersection of Royal Lane and Inwood Roads.  This 30 acres of land had originally been assembled at $1,000,000 an acre as an estate property for Kenny Troutt.  He sold it to developers who then gated the neighborhood and sold $3 million one-acre lots to spec builders who are offering homes for sale up to $11,500,000.

Real Estate Community Slow to Recognize Positive Change in Neighborhoods

One reason that the land prices on President Bush’s street and neighborhood will go up so rapidly is that the real estate community is usually behind buyers in recognizing the real value of a neighborhood that has had positive change.  After years of dismissing or ignoring a neighborhood, it is hard for real estate agents to then look at the neighborhood objectively or recommend it to clients.  As a result, it often takes years for the real estate community to change their perception of a neighborhood. 

University Park Neighborhood Close to Central Expressway

This was true on the University Park blocks close to Central Expressway.  These blocks suffered from the perception of Central Expressway noise, pollution and one-story from rent houses.  The prices on these blocks remained low for a long time after Central Expressway had been lowered, a sound wall constructed, small linear parks installed along the wall and many of the rent houses replaced by very nice two-story homes.  Eventually the homes in this new lovely environment gained parity with other University Park locations. 

Turtle Creek Park

Another example of the real estate community hanging on to old impressions is the Turtle Creek Park neighborhood.  The prices of this Turtle Creek neighborhood were low because the real estate community associated the neighborhood with trains running along the Katy Trail instead of joggers on the Katy Trail that replaced the railroad tracks.

Cochran Chapel

Estate homes and estate lots that were also discounted on Cochran Chapel because this street was on the west side of Midway even thought it was just as convenient to downtown, the private schools and as beautiful as Bluffview found on the east side of Midway.

Highland Park Acreage Addition

Even the prices of the Acreage Addition in Highland Park lagged behind the rest of Highland Park because it was on the northern boundary of Dallas.  Eventually these beautiful homes on elevated lots commanded as much or more than the rest of Highland Park as buyers recognized the beauty of the land, and became more aware of the spectacular homes and neighborhoods in Dallas that had become so popular adjacent to the Acreage Addition.  A whole new perception of Dallas benefitted all of Highland Park, especially the Acreage Addition. 

President Bush Gates Will Accelerate Change in Perception of Daria Place

For years the real estate community has dismissed Daria Place as being too far north, not in Preston Hollow, too close to the Tollway, having out of date houses, too close to a public school and difficult to find.  All of these perceptions will change as people will take a fresh look at the gated neighborhood for the home of President and Mrs. Bush.

President Bush Gates Will Change Perception of Tollway

While the homes on Daria and Daria Place will still be close to the Tollway, once the gates are installed the neighborhood will be seen in a new and more favorable light.  All of a sudden it will occur to people that large Tollway sound walls have been installed, reflecting noise away from the homes on Daria.  Current emission standards have eliminated much of the previous haze that hung over the street and nearby homes.  Neighborhood gates also have a way of making people forget about traffic.  The gated development, The Creeks of Preston Hollow,  at Inwood and Royal is a good example.  The traffic at this busy intersection of Royal and Inwood is still just as close, but somehow a gated neighborhood makes a person feel removed from any unpleasantness of the world around them and are willing to buy a $10, 000,000 home.

Modest Houses on Daria Will Help Accelerate Increase of Land Prices on President Bush’s Street

Land prices go up more rapidly in neighborhoods where there are low contributing values to the existing structures.  This allows for the rapid turnover of the modest houses that are replaced by expensive estate homes.  Homeowners much prefer building or buying an estate home in a neighborhood that already has estate homes or where there is an expectation that the original modest neighborhood homes will soon be replaced with expensive estate homes.

President and Mrs. Bush Moving to Daria Place Will Accelerate Objective Look At Real Land Values on this Gated Street in Preston Hollow

An objective look reveals Daria and Daria Place are located in Mayflower Estates, the most prestigious neighborhood in Preston Hollow; the one-acre lots on these short streets are adjacent to the 15 acre Phillips estate and the 25 acre Hicks estate, the most expensive and important estate home in Dallas; the existing Daria houses valued at $1 million are way under the current price of $2.5 million - $3 million that the  Preston Hollow one-acre estate lots are currently selling for, making it relatively easy to purchase and tear them down for new estate homes; and the neighborhood benefits from President George Bush and Laura Bush being a Daria Place neighbor.  Sure, there are some people who have an aversion to Republicans, but there are still several million people in the Dallas area who would enjoy being neighbors of George and Laura Bush.

With the Gates, Lots on President Bush’s Gated Street Will be Worth $2,500,000 to $3,000,000

In the last month, estate lots in Preston Hollow have sold for $2.5 million to $3 million.  The location, exclusivity and prestige associated with Mayflower Estates and President Bush will bring lot values up to at least the lot values found in the other prime Preston Hollow neighborhoods.

Haciendas, by Linda Leigh Paul, is a beautiful and well-written book that explores Haciendas.

DeGolyer Estate in Dallas Featured

The DeGolyer Estate in Dallas is the first hacienda discussed in the book and becomes the lens to look at the other haciendas from across the country and Mexico that are photographed and described. 

Haciendas Influenced Texas Modern Architecture

Haciendas invoke visions of the rich history of the Southwest, California and Mexico. 
Haciendas also give us a glimpse of the inspiration for the first Texas Modern houses built in the early 1930s by David Williams and O’Neil Ford.

Charles Dilbeck Uses Hacienda Detail a Few Years Earlier than DeGolyer House

This inspiration is also seen in the details used by Charles Dilbeck who took credit for introducing the first suburban ranch house, and the refined Texas modern houses designed by Frank Welch, FAIA, and other contemporary Texas architects.  Haciendas and Texas modern homes share many similar characteristics.  They are oriented to protect the home from the harsh environment and cool the houses with the many verandahs and porches, capturing the southeastern breezes in the summer.  The details are hand-carved and hand-forged, the materials uses are indigenous to the region, and both haciendas and Texas modern homes have a deliberate added-on look and feel.  Texas pioneers built the essential part of the home first and were constantly adding on as resources and time became available.  Simple houses became compounds, with large rooms opening up to each other through oversized passage ways.

The Work of On-Site Craftsman Permeate House

The homes were grand and modern, and rooted in the individual craftsmanship permeating the homes.  Haciendas give us a chance to reflect on our history and to better understand the fundamental concepts of modern architecture.
 

Historic Homes Exude Christmas Spirit

Somehow, when you walk into an old home with tall ceilings, hand-crafted and carved wood details, and original hardware and light fixtures you find that time begins to slow down and you can almost remember a Christmas in an era you are way too young to remember.

Alexander Mansion Christmas Tour

The C.H. Alexander Mansion at 4607 Ross Avenue designed in 1904 by Sanquinett & Staats of Fort Worth and C.D. Hill of Dallas is available to tour Saturday, December 20th and Sunday, December 21st. You can buy a ticket at the door or though the Dallas Women’s Forum. You may also buy a ticket from Virginia Cook or Sheila Rice of Virginia Cook, Realtors who have been instrumental in unveiling this architectural masterpiece and Dallas treasure and making it available to the public this holiday.
Ross Avenue was Grand Street of Dallas

 
Between 1885 and 1920 Ross Avenue was the address of the great mansions in Dallas.  The opulence was expressed through the architecture of the time - Victorian in the late 19th century and Prairie Style, neo classical and Edwardian in the early part of the 20th century.

Celebrate the Holidays and Celebrate Dallas

While only a very limited number of people have the opportunity to live in one of the few remaining early 20th century homes in Dallas, everyone can enjoy visiting Old East Dallas and seeing where the leaders of the city originally resided and the inspiration for the great neighborhoods of the future such as Highland Park.  When you visit this great home decorated for the holidays, you will know Dallas better and help support the ongoing restoration of this magnificent early Dallas estate home.

President and Mrs. Bush Moving to Mayflower Estates

George and Laura Bush are moving to Mayflower Estates, a little known Preston Hollow estate area neighborhood of just over 100 houses.  The neighborhood’s anonymity is understandable, but still remarkable considering it is the location of the two largest estate properties in Dallas – the Hicks Estate on 25 acres and the Phillips Estate on 15 acres.  What better place to enjoy some degree of privacy than a neighborhood so discreet that a 25 acre estate goes unnoticed. 

Why Mayflower Estates Goes Unnoticed

The Tollway is a boundary on the east which prohibits any access in that direction, and Walnut Hill Lane is on the south which only allows access from Gaywood and Holloway that loop across each other.  The access from the north is too confusing to explain.  As you can see, Mayflower Estates deviates from the standard Dallas grid.

Mayflower Estates Vague Borders

Here you will find three small lakes and winding, looping, tree-lined streets and cul-de-sacs with a substantial creek meandering through them.  This beautiful environment deliberately leaves vague boundaries.

Mayflower Estates Homes Have the Greatest Range of Ages, Styles and Prices.

Well-known neighborhoods are the easiest to understand.  They have a definite age, look and price that the real estate community can peg for their buyers.  Mayflower Estates on the other hand has the greatest range of prices, age of homes and styles in the city.

The Crespi Estate, now the Hicks Estate, was designed by Maurice Fatio, the leading New York and Palm Beach architect in 1939.  This classical French style estate home remains the most impressive in Dallas and yet right behind these 25 acres on a cul-de-sac are 1960s homes built on one-acre lots close to the Tollway that are the least expensive homes in the Preston Hollow estate area. 

Important Architects Designed Homes in Mayflower Estates

In the heart of Mayflower Estates on Gaywood there is one of the most important modern homes built in Dallas on 2.63 acres designed by architect Scott Lyons and then a few doors down you have important eclectic style homes designed by Cole Smith and Wilson Fuqua, and a midcentury modern home designed by a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright and a John Astin Perkins designed home on 1.28 acres.

Good houses have been designed in every decade since 1939.  The most desirable estate lots are found here because of the extraordinary setting.  The values range not only from $1 million to $100 million, but the square footage prices range as well from $200 per sf to well over $1,000 per sf.

Prominent People Enjoying Secluded Mayflower Estates Neighborhood

There are many high profile streets in Dallas and Highland Park.  Strait Lane, Park Lane, Swiss Avenue and Beverly Drive quickly come to mind.  The residents of Mayflower Estates are high-profile people who enjoy the relative obscurity of the beautiful and hidden neighborhood of Mayflower Estates.  Besides Tom Hicks there is Ruth Altshuler, the former chairman of the SMU Board of Trustees; Robert Wigley, the former vice-chairman of E.F. Hutton; Robert Murchison, a successful investor; Ron Vargo, the former CFO of EDS who helped negotiate their sale; John Runyon, a prominent young art dealer; and Bud Smith, prominent in business and politics.

Mayflower Estates is a Favorite Neighborhood

Mayflower Estates has always been one of my favorite neighborhoods and a neighborhood in which I have sold many homes.  The neighborhood’s many prominent citizens love the relaxed atmosphere of this hidden and disguised neighborhood, as will President and Mrs. Bush.

The best feature of the The Dallas Morning News Sunday Real Estate section is the weekly article on Dallas neighborhoods.

Mary Jacobs always writes valuable and informative pieces. The article she wrote Sunday, “Beverly’s ‘Majesty’ Makes it Iconic….Highland Park street shared its designer with Beverly Hills” highlights an iconic street in Dallas. Mary Jacobs choosing Beverly Drive as the first street to be discussed as a neighborhood shows her intuition and understanding of Dallas and its neighborhoods. Beverly Drive has always been a larger than life street, desired and romanticized by SMU coeds to home buyers.

“What are the four most iconic streets in Dallas?” is a question of mine that Mary Jacobs quoted along with the most consistent answer: Beverly Drive.

What also impressed me was the treatment of the neighborhood was not just demographics and prices, but the architectural appeal of the neighborhood in context to its setting designed by landscape architect Wilbur Cook and its history.

I used to open up The Dallas Morning News Sunday paper to the sports section. Now I open it up to the Dallas neighborhood feature in the Real Estate section.

As a real estate broker in Dallas, Texas, the question inevitably comes up, where are the president and first lady buying a home in Dallas?  More often the question comes in the form of “Is it true the President and Mrs. Bush have purchased a specific property?” and then they state the location of a mansion or an incredibly expensive lot.  Often, any question gives way to a statement:  “I understand the Bushes are moving to such and such house.”  Their confidence in the specific location of the President’s new home comes from knowing people in high places or from a Realtor or from what they have read or heard.  For several years, I have commented that I had no idea where President and Mrs. Bush will be moving, but have mentioned I did not think the rumor of the moment was accurate because the President and Mrs. Bush had not started looking for a house yet. 

President and Mrs. Bush Have Chosen Home

In September the search became much more public with the President and First Lady mentioning they were actively looking for a house in Dallas.  The inquiries I received from the local and national media became more frequent.  I have continued to dispel rumors that did not seem likely, always with the caveat that I have never asked the President or First Lady or any of their friends or any officials in high places which home they might purchase.  More important, no one has told me which house they are buying.  So my thoughts on their next house is just based on President and Mrs. Bush’s public comments and my knowledge of the real estate market in Highland Park and Preston Hollow.

Criteria for Dallas Estate Home

• First, the President and Mrs. Bush have said very specifically they are moving to the city of Dallas which rules out Highland Park.

• They already have a large piece of property and home in Crawford, not far from Dallas, so it makes sense for a Dallas residence to be smaller and easy to manage.

• Mrs. Bush has shown a great deal of interest in architecture from her work in restoring the White House and she has always had a great interest in art.

• The Secret Service surely needs some sort of accommodations close by.

• A secluded street offers less intrusion and more protection.

• Estate properties surrounding the home would also provide more privacy and protection than small clustered homes.

• Any home will be presumably modified, but a home ready to move into would be a great advantage to a family that has very busy lives.

• They lived in Preston Hollow previously.

• From their house in Crawford and previous home, the President and First Lady have excellent taste, avoiding extraneous architectural exuberance.

Why the Above Preston Hollow Home Could be the Next One for President and Mrs. Bush

The casual photograph of the home above is the type of home that would fit the above criteria.  On a secluded street the home is attractive in an understated way.  It is between 4,800 and 5,800 square feet on a standard size estate lot, so it is substantial but not in any way ostentatious.  In fact, it would be one of the smaller homes in the estate area.

As many Preston Hollow homes, this home also enjoys a separate living area and quarters linked to the garage and house which might be convenient for the Secret Service.  The home also enjoys the benefit of large estate properties in close proximity increasing privacy and is also close to a modestly priced home that most likely will end up being purchased and used for the Secret Service.

In the last six months this home appraised for approximately $2.6 million which would make it on the low end of the home prices in the estate area.  This particular house has been cleverly renovated, introducing a more contemporary aesthetic, making it perfect for the President and Mrs. Bush’s art collection and yet it has traditional lines that create a pleasing environment for antiques.

My discussion of this home is only as a point of reference for discussing what type of home President and Mrs. Bush have purchased in Dallas.  I am confident that wherever they move to in Dallas they will be greeted warmly and make a great contribution to the city.

Ron Wommack designs his own modern home

Little Mexico in Dallas

Little Mexico is a neighborhood of 1,200 sf to 1,600 sf houses built in the 1920s to the 1950s, located just west of Highland Park and fashionable Oak Lawn.  The Medrano political dynasty created a voice for the Latino community and in many cases provided the housing for the Latino community as the largest property owner in this historic neighborhood.

Ron Wommack, Dallas Architect

Ron Wommack, who early in his career worked with two great architects, Frank Welch and Bud Oglesby, has been decorated with many AIA and TSA honor and merit awards for modern residences he has designed for his clients.

Architect Retains Himself for Modern Home

Ron Wommack was his own client on this modern home.  I am always fascinated when an architect designs his own home.  In this situation the only possible push back on the design comes from the person designing the home.  Internal arguments must be ferocious.  If an attorney who represents himself has a fool for a client, what is an architect who designs a home for himself?  Well, in this case, a brilliant client.

Contemporary Architect as Brilliant Client

Just as an investor might take a greater risk with their own money than they would for a client, an architect can take greater risk with the location, size and design of his own home, in this case a modern home in an obscure historic neighborhood.

Most important, an architect may be willing to spend a greater percentage of the total budget on design fees.  On most contemporary residential projects an architectural fee is going to be somewhere between 10% - 20% of the total cost of the home.  On a 1,600 sf home designed by a top architect, the design fee might be 30% - 50% of the total cost of the home.  In this case, the client can’t grumble about the architectural fees because he is paying himself. 

Small Modern Home Design & Materials

Ron Wommack chose a 50’ x 125’ corner lot on the corner of Douglas and Sylvester for the site of his own modern home in Clifton Place.  The 1,600 sf house is separated from a detached 700 sf garage, but the design does not hide the garage, but makes it an integral part of the visual appeal of the home.  The alignment of the home creates a linear garden with a transparent wall capturing the garden, and a concrete block wall on the Sylvester frontage defining the edge of the garden.  The bath, closet and pantry are contained in one walled element, allowing the home to be essentially one large space with concrete floors and 11’4” ceilings.  The house is constructed of 6’ concrete slab on piers, steel columns and wide flange beams with wood framing.

Design is Compatible with Neighborhoods and Recedes from Neighborhood

Ron Wommack designed a home in the spirit of the neighborhood.  It is precisely in scale with the 50 to 80 year old homes around it.  The garage is detached, as are most of the original neighborhood garages, and the hardy plank is white to relate to the other neighborhood structures.  A deep front overhang and sunscreen reflect the front porches of the 1920s bungalows.  The façade of 12” concrete blocks is a simple flat surface reflecting the simple facades of 1950s homes.

While this modern  home reinterprets the honest and modestly priced homes of the 20th century and blends into the neighborhood, it is also designed to occupy its own space and recede from the neighborhood, eventually engulfed by a mature garden.

The Smaller the House, the Larger the Garden

Sometimes I think of small houses as I think of small Mexican villages.  The smaller the village, the larger the festival.  I am convinced that often the smaller the house the larger the garden.
I recommend you drive by 2401 Douglas and enjoy this architect’s venture into a neighborhood most of us never notice.  You will see contemporary architectural themes expressed that are consistent with Ron Wommack’s award winning work done in the city and the country.  But here you will see it in a fresh way.

Many people called me when it was discovered there was notification sent to the Texas Historical Commission of intent to demolish 10 Nonesuch Road, the home Stanley Marcus built.  I expressed to these callers that the Lovvorns were a lovely family, deeply committed to Lakewood, where Mark Lovvorn grew up, loved the home, its history and architectural pedigree.

My guess at the time was the Lovvorns had been told that it would be less expensive to build a new 7,000 or 8,000 square foot residence than restore a 10,000 square foot home and they would be able to site a new home to better take advantage of the site, and after wrestling with this decision for 15 years decided to give notice of their plans to build a new home on a property they loved.  It was also my thought that once the Lovvorns looked at the current interest in period modern architecture and the long term value of the existing home designed by Roscoe DeWitt, and the community’s latent affection for the home, they would abandon their plans to demolish the home which they have now done.

My first visit to the Stanley Marcus home came at a Realtor open house 15 years ago.  I was handed a marketing piece that showed a development plan for over 20 houses on the site.  My next visit came a few years ago when the Lovvorns invited me to their home to look at it and discuss possible options.

At the time, I was impressed by their affection for the home, its history and their desire to protect the home if possible.  I remain impressed today with their civility in face of widespread and premature criticism, their willingness to search for an architectural solution that protects the home and achieves their goals for an updated home that takes better advantage of the site.  Lovvorn DMN op-ed response.

After virtually ignoring the home for 15 years, the community has expressed an outpouring of interest and affection for the house and the legacy of Stanley Marcus.  The Lovvorns have responded in kind.  Now is the time for the architectural community to step forward and help assess the most important elements of the home to preserve and the best way to accomplish the goals of the homeowners.  While it is fresh on our minds, now is also the time to learn more about the home, its architecture, its international modern style, how Stanley Marcus modified the home over the years and how this home impacted Dallas.

The AIA modern tour would be a great way to re-introduce this home to the public and meet the Lovvorns and see for themselves that they are great Dallas citizens and genuinely nice people.

Thank you to all in Dallas for your increased interest in architecturally and historically significant homes, and thank you Patty and Mark Lovvorn for continuing as the custodians for this piece of history.

Turtle Creek Park Now Even Better

Turtle Creek Park, My Favorite Neighborhood

When the late Glenn Mitchell asked me in an interview on KERA Public Radio which neighborhood I would show an out-of-town client first, I replied without hesitation Turtle Creek Park, explaining that to reach this small neighborhood of 37 houses, a person crosses a stone bridge and proceeds up the hill on a winding tree-lined street to explore the architect designed homes framed by the Katy Trail, Rock Creek and Turtle Creek.

Neighborhood of Topography, Trees and Water

Topography, trees and water are the natural attractions of this hidden neighborhood that is walking distance to everyone’s favorite restaurants, parks and cultural attractions.  Now the neighborhood is even better.  The City of Dallas Parks Department participated with the homeowners along Turtle Creek to dredge this wide and now free flowing creek.  Some of the homes are perched high off the creek, others have lawns tapering down to the creek.

Rock Creek descends into Turtle Creek framing home site

One of my favorite homes is sited on two creeks, Rock Creek  as it descends into Turtle Creek.  This English style home with a façade of oversized brick has a strong rustic presence softened by its refined lines and abundance of windows and panoramic views of water, trees, and meandering creeks. 

When Dallas is sometimes confused with endless new homes of the suburbs, it is nice when people new to the city, like the AT&T executives being transferred to Dallas as part of the AT&T corporate headquarters relocation, can see a beautiful example of Dallas a city of distinct neighborhoods, rather than the just viewing the city as an endless, mind numbing tour of houses based on square footage prices.