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| See Dallas Ft Worth - Business Travel News Guide to Texas | Home These twin cities, separated by 30 miles of suburbs, may be the oddest couple of all in a state of odd couples. Dallas is glitzy and ritzy, a swelling, modernistic business metropolis whose inhabitants go to bed early and to church on Sunday. Fort Worth, sneered at as "Cowtown" by its neighbors, lives in the shadow of its wild history as a rip-roaring cowboy town, a place of gunfights and cattle drives -- even though its cultural establishment is superior to Dallas's and it has seen a downtown rebirth in recent years. In Fort Worth that fellow in the faded jeans and cowboy hat could well be the president of the bank. In Dallas, people tend to be a bit more formal.
Dallas Texas History At the site of this present metropolis the first anglo-American settler built a single cabin in 1841. Two years later the "town" consisted of two log cabins. By the mid-1870s, Dallas had become a thriving business town and market center with a cosmopolitan, urbane air unmatched anywhere on the frontier at the time. This was primarily due to several immigrations of skilled and cultured groups of French, German, Swiss, English, and other Europeans. Dallas is the southwest's largest banking center, leader in wholesale business, second in nation for insurance company home offices, third in the nation in terms of "million-dollar" companies, and number two in convention business. "If it doesn't sell in Dallas, it won't sell," say buyers who come to some 32 wholesale fashion and home furnishing markets each year. Beginning with the Dallas Market Center in 1957, today multibuilding complex includes Homefurnishings Mart, INFOMART, World Trade Center, Trade Mart, Apparel Mart, Decorative Center District, and Menswear Mart. Don't miss the Galleria, the spectacular multi-story mall with the ice-skating rink in the center, that's a Texas retail shopping legend. Citizens pursue culture with almost as much enthusiasm as business. Any day or night of the year, one may choose from a lavish variety of events. Excellent major symphony orchestra and a steady stream of visiting groups: opera and ballet, theatre and musical comedy, literary societies, and debating groups. Visit flower shows, horse shows, art shows, bird shows, dog shows, and cat shows. Noted for abundant gourmet dining opportunities. Summer musicals are held Jun. - Oct. at Music Hall in Fair Park, nightly Tues. - Sat., and weekend matinees. An excellent climate where predominantly fair skies encourage outdoor activities, especially water sports. State Fair of Texas in fall draws more than 3 million annually to 277-acre Fair Park. Traditional fair exhibits, plus Broadway musicals, extravaganzas, prize livestock and horse show performances, a huge midway that features the "Texas Star"-largest Ferris wheel in the Western Hemisphere-and gridiron rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. Big Tex, gigantic cowboy symbol, looms over all festivities. Open year-round at Fair Park are eight museums and TI Founders IMAX Theater. Professional sports are presented throughout year; teams include pro football's Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers baseball, Dallas Stars National Hockey League, Dallas Mavericks basketball, Dallas Desperados Arena Football League, and Dallas Sidekicks indoor soccer and the Dallas Burn, outdoor professional soccer. For game schedules and other tourist details, stop at the city Visitor Center at the Old Red Courthouse or contact www.visitdallas.com. Dallas and satellite cities are home of Amber Univ., Baylor Univ. College of Dentistry, the Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, Dallas Baptist College, Dallas Theological Seminary, Paul Quinn College, Southern Methodist Univ., the Univ. of Dallas, the Univ. of Texas at Dallas, and seven units of Dallas County Community College enrolling more than 75,000 undergraduates. The Light Rail System of Dallas Area Rapid Transit System (DART) allows visitors to get from downtown to one of Dallas' major shopping malls in North Dallas and is steadily expanding into nearby communities. DART also makes it easy for visitors to get to the city's attractions, such as the Arts District, the West End Historic District, Old City Park, Farmers Market, the Dallas Convention Center, the Dallas Zoo, and the central city area with stations at or within walking distance from these attractions. It operates daily from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. This Week's Hot Tips: |
