Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Dallas
If you've seen , you know what's going on here. Bowlski's says so themselves. Walking into this East Dallas bowling alley feels like stepping into another era, thanks, in part, to its location inside the historic Lakewood Theater. Aside from the architectural intrigue, the alley's ten vintage bowling lanes are lit up by ambient blue and purple neon lights, solidifying the totally vibey ambiance. There's also a pizza spot and a bar, in case you need to loosen up before letting it roll.
Did you know a quaint corner of a North Oak Cliff park holds the oldest works in Dallas' public arts collection? The Kidd Springs Japanese Garden dates back to the 1970s, but a recent million-dollar restoration helped upgrade the park's landscaping and amenities and brought the walkways up to ADA code. The historic statues sprinkled throughout the park date back to the 18th century and are some of the most treasured features of any city park.
The Sandy Pickle is our favorite place to get our dink on because, in addition to the pickleball courts, there is a golf simulator, volleyball courts, cornhole, food options and a bar. The Village's pickleball spot opened last fall, and an app allows anyone to rent a court for an hour at a time. Daily pickleball-themed drink specials like Bump and Brews, Dink and Drink or Pickleback shots make the Pickle the ideal playground for grown-ups.
There is power in numbers, and Oak Cliff Run Crew (OCRC) has the numbers. Twice a week Dallas runners, both amateur and seasoned, show up in droves to 1406 N. Zang Blvd. to run with OCRC. Rain or shine, the run crew will be out for a social run (2- or 3-mile route options) Thursdays at 7 p.m. and a long run (5-, 10- or 15-mile route options) on Sundays. It's the perfect opportunity to meet new people, join a community and get some miles in. Make sure you show up early and stay for a post-run hang at Manhattan Project Beer.
There are multiple dynamic duos in Dallas, such as the Rangers' multimillion dollar middle infield of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, or the Cowboys' interception merchants Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. But neither tops the superstar tandem of Luka Donćić and Kyrie Irving, who combined to average 59.5 points a game in 2023-24 to lead the Mavericks all the way to the NBA Finals. Some speculated on how well this relationship might work, given that Irving and Donćić both have large personalities. But that concern was all put to bed, with Irving even saying, "There's no primary, secondary – we're one team."
Dominance is a word that can be overused in sports. Very few players and teams symbolize the tonnage of what the word means. Then there are the 2023 DeSoto High School Eagles, who were the dictionary definition of it. DeSoto went 15-0 en route to a state championship, taking down other powerhouse schools such as Duncanville, South Oak Cliff and Southlake Carroll along the way. DeSoto didn't just win games, though. They killed the dreams of teenagers across North Texas who thought they were good at football. The Eagles' lowest-scoring game was a 35-point performance at Cedar Hill (a game they won 35-13), and they posted an average point differential of plus-35. Their highest-scoring game, you ask? Seventy-four ... in the state championship.
"We work to serve a community that isn't a typical pilates audience," co-owner Kiel Jared says the studio he and his wife, Amanda Mecsey, operate in Bishop Arts District. In other words, you don't have to already look like you don't need pilates to take advantage of training offered by around 20 instructors providing 95 classes per week. Much of the emphasis is on reformer pilates, which uses those odd-looking crosses between rowing and skiing machines to help users develop core strength. Oak Cliff Pilates focuses on bringing pilates to a diverse clientele with lower prices and no-contract bundles of five classes per month as starting at $99.
