The city of Dallas Is Texas' fourth largest city, and the economic heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Spanning twelve counties with a population of about 1.2 million people, Dallas is a hub for the oil industry, telecommunications, computer technology and transportation, with 25 businesses ranking as Fortune 500 companies. But Dallas isn't just all 'oil barons and women with big hair'! The city boasts a diverse population, great metropolitan cultural opportunities and a moderate climate year round.

History
Founded in 1841 and formally incorporated in 1856, the Dallas area was originally inhabited by the Caddo Native Americans. The Spanish claimed Texas in the 16th Century, but the area eventually fell within the region of Mexico when in 1821 Mexico declared independence from Spain. It wasn't until 1836 when the Republic of Texas broke off from Mexico that Texas became an independent nation. The City of Dallas was founded by John N. Bryan in 1841 just before the United States annexed Texas and the County of Dallas was established.

Dallas originally came to prominence as a center for the oil and cotton industries by being positioned along the numerous railroad lines that crossed the US in the early part of the industrial revolution, and having a strong industrial and financial sector because of this.

The technology industry predominates in Dallas now, particularly the telecom industry, giving it the area the moniker of 'Silicon Prairie'. The 1980's saw a huge boom in the economy and real estate, including the construction of  many of the large buildings you see in downtown, but over-speculation and the Savings & Loan crisis brought the area into a long term recession that started to recover in 2000.

Dallas' demographics have become more diversified over the years with 50% of the population coming from out of state or other countries. A large influx of people from Mexico  along with a growing Asian and East Asian population have created a melting pot in Dallas.

Culture & Arts
Dallas has a beautiful skyline with some stunning modernist and postmodernist architecture like I.M. Pei's Fountain Place, or postmodernist architecture like JP Morgan/Chase Tower. For a real mix across all architectural styles check out homes on Swiss Avenue.

For culture and arts check out the Dallas Art District, the largest urban arts district in the nation. The downtown district is home to Dallas Museum of Art,  Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, and The Dallas Contemporary just to name a few of the museums and art centers in this district.

There are also 13 entertainment districts, like the historic Bishop Art District, home to many studio artists living in converted warehouses, or the Uptown Dallas area. Or check out Deep Ellum, the original home to blues and jazz early in the last century. It continues the tradition but includes a flourishing artist culture evident in the colorful graffiti art that is allowed to remain on walls and tunnels in the area.

Texas is famous for BBQ and authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. There are many nationally ranked steak and chop houses in Dallas as well. There are more restaurants per capita in Dallas than in New York City! As you can see, we love our food!

Transportation
Dallas is conveniently located within approximately 4 hours flight from most major US cities. The third busiest airport hub in the US is the Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport with over 1800 flights a day. There is also the convenient Dallas Love Field which is only 10 minutes from downtown Dallas. You can make use of the fastest growing light rail system  – the DART to get to and from the airport or around central Dallas.

But being the sprawling city that Dallas is, use of automobile is unavoidable for many Dallas-ites but downtown and central Dallas are accessible using DART.

Recreation
There are 21,000 park acres in Dallas that include 17 lakes and many trails for walking and hiking. Starting in 2000, the large Trinity River Project began the transformation of the prominent but neglected Dallas river into an attractive area with lakes, parks and various recreational activities.

Another popular recreational spot is the White Rock Lake. The lake and surrounding park caters to boaters, joggers, bikers and anyone wanting to get outside. The palatial Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens can be found here at the park at White Rock Lake.

The vast Lake Ray Hubbard is another very popular recreational destination for folks in the Dallas area seeking sun and water.

Climate
While the climate here is generally moderate, spring and fall are particularly beautiful. Winter  temperatures generally fall between 50 and 65 degrees with bursts of cold air coming down from the Canadian arctic dropping some snow. The spring is particularly beautiful with lots of wildflowers blooming along roads and open spaces. The weather can be erratic in the spring though when tornadoes and thunderstorms can strike, but Dallas sits on the bottom edge of Tornado Alley so we don't tend to get hit too much. Fall has extremely pleasant temperatures without the volatility of spring.

Current housing prices in Dallas are varied. Like much of the nation, prices fell about 25% during 2009. Home prices ranges across the board depending upon what part of Dallas you are looking in. Statistics show that North Dallas continues to be the most popular area to buy in, with homes from $150,000 up to $1,500,000. Let me know what you are looking for in a neighborhood or home and I will help you to focus in on the best deals available at this time!