dallas, i’m tired of your big box stores and your endless sprawl

dallas, i’m here and my brain is still trying to process the last three years of powerpoint slides. i quit my job as a consultant because i couldn’t stand another hour of ‘synergy’ and ‘bandwidth’ talks, and now i’m in a place where the biggest decision seems to be whether to get the brisket or the ribs. spoiler: i’m going for both. the irony is not lost on me: i used to advise clients on ‘optimizing resource allocation’ and now i’m allocating my stomach space like it’s a limited budget. i’m basically a walking KPI of poor life choices.

the flight in was uneventful, which is code for i didn’t get the aisle seat i wanted and the guy next to me snored. but i’m here, standing on concrete that seems to stretch forever, and the sky is that weird texas blue that feels like a branding exercise. i tried to take the dart light rail from the airport, but it felt like a corporate retreat with strangers - everyone glued to their phones, no small talk. i’m starting to think i’m the only one who finds public transport oddly therapeutic. that’s probably a me problem.

i just checked the weather app and it’s 21°c (about 70°f) right now, feels like 20°c, humidity 32% - so dry i might as well be in a desert. the high today is 22.78°c, low 19.64°c, air pressure at sea level 1014 hpa, but ground level is 998 hpa. my weather app says that’s ‘a bit low’. i don’t know what that means for my ears, but i’ll take an aspirin just in case. the forecast says no rain, just endless blue. hope you like that kind of thing, because it’s not changing anytime soon. this is the kind of weather that makes you feel like you’re in a giant open-air office with no AC.

if you get bored of this urban maze, fort worth is just a short drive west on i-30, arlington’s down south with its cowboy stadiums, and i’ve heard there’s actual grass outside the city limits. not sure i believe it - every time i look out the bus window it’s more parking lots. still, a local at the hotel lobby told me that denton has a decent music scene if i need a break from the corporate glass towers. i might check it out if i run out of things to complain about.

here’s a stupid map so you can see the sprawl i’m talking about:

yep, that’s a lot of gray. looks like someone spilled a bag of lego blocks over the prairie. i guess that’s what they call ‘planned growth’.

i wandered around deep ellum last night. the street art is legit - massive murals that probably took months to spray. the bars are packed with people who look like they’re trying too hard, and i heard a rumor that the best live music is in a basement with no signs. i’m too old for that, but i respect the hustle. a bartender told me that the cocktail scene here is ‘overpriced but Instagrammable’. i ordered a $14 old fashioned just to see, and yeah, it was good, but not $14 good. still, i’ll probably do it again. i’m a sucker for a fancy drink and bad decisions.

the next day i went up to the observation deck at the reunion tower. the view is insane - endless grid of streets, tiny cars, rooftop pools. here’s a photo that’s close to what i saw:

Dallas skyline at twilight, skyscrapers lit up against a deep blue sky

all those glass boxes i used to design decks for? they’re here, shining like a corporate zoo. i half expected to see my old boss’s face in one of the windows.

the real reason i’m in texas is the barbecue. i’m not joking. i spent two hours in line at Pecan Lodge after reading on Yelp that it’s the best in town. someone told me to get the burnt ends, and i’m glad i listened. the brisket melted like butter, the sausage snapped, and the sides were legit. the only downside? the $28 price tag and the guilt of eating that much meat. but hey, i’m on vacation, not a budget spreadsheet. this is my allocated ‘fun’ budget, which is basically the leftover after i cancelled my netflix subscription.

the plate looked like this (though mine had more sauce):

A plate of Texas-style barbecue with brisket, sausage, and cornbread

i’d go back in a heartbeat, even if the line wraps around the block. that’s how you know it’s good - the line is the real review.

dallas traffic is a beast. i tried to drive myself to the dallas museum of art and spent 45 minutes in what google maps said was a 12-minute route. lesson learned: use the dart or just stay in deep ellum. i’d read on TripAdvisor that the perot museum is great for kids, but as a solo adult i felt out of place. also, i heard a rumor that the museum’s dinosaur exhibit is mostly replicas - not worth the $25. but what do i know? i once paid $12 for a cocktail that tasted like cherry soda. r/Dallas suggests avoiding the mega-mall at cedar springs unless you want to drown in consumerism. instead, check out the bishop arts district - tiny boutiques, murals, and a vegan doughnut shop that’s surprisingly good. i tried the maple bacon donut and felt my arteries scream. worth it. for a more grassroots vibe, i’ve been reading Dallas Observer, which covers the weird underbelly of the city. their foodCritic column is hit or miss, but they sometimes spotlight taco trucks that are open until 3am. i’m definitely hunting for one of those before i leave.

a barista in boulder warned me that the coffee at Ascension Coffee is overrated, but i went anyway because it was air-conditioned. she was right - the espresso was bitter, the cold brew mediocre. still, i needed the wifi to book my next bus ticket. such is life. i guess i’m just a glutton for punishment (see: barbecue).

overall, dallas is a city that feels like it’s still figuring itself out. it’s got the corporate sheen, but underneath there’s a scrappy, artistic undercurrent that might just survive the next gated community. i’m not sold on staying, but for a few days, it’s a decent place to be confused. i’ll probably leave with a sunburn, a new belt size, and a few stories about that time i got lost in the工作人员区. (just kidding, i’m not fluent in mandarin.) anyway, if you’re passing through, bring water, patience, and maybe a bike. and seriously, check out the street art - it’s the only thing here that feels real.

dallas, i’m tired of your big box stores and your endless sprawl

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About the author: Zara Walsh

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