Philosophy of the Urban Pocket
By Kerry Dickenson
In every major city, you see a fountain in the center, a courtyard, a courthouse, or a garden. This is because, on a large scale, we, as a society, are reinvesting in the lost art of sharing a communal-physical space.
These public spaces, or “urban pockets,” which is how I will refer to them, beckon for the spirit and wisdom of a living historically shared community square. In response to this need the city center has reawakened a people’s vision of what they demand for their local community, a renewal in the reinvestment of them; while, at the same time, there is a noticeable effort to protect these spaces from out-of-town developers, preserving them as they are.
Thus, the spirit of living and buying locally in a community, generates a lively and diverse landscape – creating and preserving urban pockets of humanity along the way.
These urban pockets are a special kind of communities, which attract local and national interest alike. Among the beliefs that stimulate these urban pockets, one belief they seem to maintain is to grow locally and organically, keep the product local, and invest in the area’s small businesses that are run by people you know instead of opting for the 4,000 rolls of toilet paper for the price of 2,000 at big-box, chain stores.
DAY MAN COMETH -- Bishop Arts District – URBAN POCKET OF HUMANITY.
(Dallas, TX, Courtesy of Bing)
URBAN POCKETS OF HUMANITY. Tucked away in mixed residential and commercial zones, what I call urban pockets of humanity, are the same sacred centers of town in which, once upon a time, humans would practice the erstwhile tradition of interacting with each other, face-to-face!
Because of the rising need for social contact, thanks to the hours of screen time that has failed to but tried to replace it, I am always seeking out these pockets of humanity.
My criteria can be loosely delineated, but usually it is a feeling that I get from simply being there. This feeling can erupt because the people are off their phones and willing to engage or because the food is homegrown. It could even be the sense of style and aesthetics that shines through their choices. It is a certain sense of aesthetics and dynamism that I seek for a place to be considered an urban pocket of humanity.
And, while I argue that taste can be and should be argued, others would disagree. But, before objecting to my sense of aesthetics and the righteous judgments that stem from it, give me a chance to show you around Bishop Arts.
Texas is one of the most warm and inviting states in the union. Currently, I live in the Bishop Arts District in Dallas, Texas. Because of the recent upswing in economic prosperity in Texas, there are unique little tucked away burgeoning centers or pockets of humanity on the rise.
BISHOP ARTS, DALLAS, TEXAS.
Here, in the historical Bishop Arts District, the experience of this city center in the heart of Oak Cliff really shines through in its community involvement and the time people take to really engage with one another. It is a flourishing and uniquely stylized urban pocket, bearing a patchwork of the rich history and promises of the future to come.
Wherever there is a community that is dynamic because it is artistically motivated, community led, or meets my general but stringent criteria – these places bear the badge of the urban pocket of humanity. They do vary by degree, however. I grade these urban pockets of humanity using the following phrases: “Never-Ever-Go-to-There,” “Worth-Checking-Out” or “Must-Leave-Couch-and-Check-Out-Now,” I seek, and I find.
One place earning this badge: “Must-Leave-Couch-and-Check-Out-Now,” is the Bishop Arts District.
What Bishop Arts does best is in how they continue to maintain a delicate balance between preserving the given historic identity, including old-growth trees and other flora, while artfully redeveloping areas in need of a face-lift.
Plans for redevelopment in 2017 on the city level led to an interest and renewal of the surrounding infrastructure. These plans include redirecting the main arties of I-35 and I-30, as well as new shopping areas and more surprises to come. (Read more about development, here: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-city-hall/2015/05/22/development-would-reshape-entryway-to-oak-cliffs-bishop-arts-district
On a typical afternoon in Bishop Arts, the streets are lined with new and established mom-and-pop businesses, specializing in everything from bicycles to chocolate and jewelry as well as clothiers and antique stores.
Pungent greetings await you around every corner in Bishop Arts. Smells of meat on a smoker fill the streets from Lockhart’s all day. There is no dearth of Mexican food, either.
It can’t be, it must be! Chicken and waffles…with linen table clothes…what?!
Why is every obsessed with southern cooking right now? Because southern cooking has been revolutionized at Hattie’s!
There is no better way to do soul food fine-dining style than eating at Hattie’s. Hattie’s is a locally owned restaurant, located on Bishop Avenue that specializes in southern cuisine. And, if you are anything like me, service is everything! The staff at Hattie’s demonstrates a level of care and service that is second to none. http://hatties.com/
In the Bishop Arts District, the sidewalks are always littered with newcomers or newly settled neighbors, who have just purchased their first home. During the day, the crowds spill into the street in this burgeoning community with live music on the corner. And, the nightlife is not so bad either, although some of you who like to find the ruckus or should I say those whom the ruckus always finds could find this area’s nightlife a little too tame.
If it’s nightlife you are after, Whitehall Exchange is just around the corner from Hattie’s on Bishop Avenue. This bar invites you from all angles with its open-air walls allowing the flux of conversation and engagement from the outdoor to the indoor patrons and vice versa.
The Whitehall Exchange guarantees a very relaxed atmosphere. And, as any native Texan will tell you, a Texas winter means some sweat. As the temperature hovers in the upper 70s, the temperatures permit hanging out outside in February. Thus, there is no better place to spend a Saturday afternoon than hanging out at Whitehall Exchange, drinking from their expansive offerings of locally brewed beer.
What makes Whitehall Exchange special, among other things, is their indoor-outdoor seating, which makes it ideal for any season in Texas (unless it is August). The building is partitioned from the street by a short counter, running around the perimeter of the building (above). Lining the outdoor area are little Tiki umbrellas and permanent wooden benches.
The versatility fostered by this design ensures that a customer can expect the same service whether they sit outside or inside. Inside, the walls are tastefully done in a pastiche of mixed layers of exposed brick and cement. The décor creates the perfect atmosphere for lounging on one of their antique silk chaise lounges inside or for just sitting at the bar to watch the game.
Whether you are looking for a casual bar, cocktail lounge, or a new and up-and-coming restaurant, or a family-friendly place to hang out, Bishop Arts has you covered.
In fact, one of my favorite family-friendly places to go during the day or at night (they usually stay open until midnight) is the bookstore/coffee shop, the Wild Detectives.
Nestled in a well-established mixed (residential and commercial) area, Wild Detectives is a locally owned bookstore/coffee shop/music and small theater venue on certain nights. Some of the local playwrights put on their plays there!
In addition, some of the plays hosted there are delivered in Spanish! Like you would expect from a bookstore, they host a book club. Members of the community meet there every week for weekly book club meetings.
Personally, I love being able to sit outside in the back at one of the picnic tables at Wild Detectives. This is where I can kick back in the sunshine or read (where smokers are still permitted to smoke, scandalous!). Bands play here sometimes too!
Or, if the sun is too bright, there is always available seating in front of the Wild Detectives as well. Here, you can catch up in the breezy shade at the giant wooden table (shown above). Those who sit there soon find out that how to sleuth the area, as it is the best place to people watch in the Bishop Arts area. They do have Wifi access, but it is limited. However, the very best thing about Wild Detectives is the fact that the Internet is turned off during the weekend operating hours in order to foster human interaction.
CREATIVE MAN, COMETH? Another great thing worth mentioning about the offerings of Bishop Arts is the number of artists grown locally and free-range, in the area. One such artist who dwells here is named Loran Thrasher.
Artwork by Loran Thrasher: http://www.loranthrasher.com/
Loran Thrasher’s work is nationally recognized. Currently, he is also known for his designs he created for Neiman Marcus – when you see his work, you’ll see his bite is worth bark!
He and other local artists, such as Zack Hale, open their gallery spaces monthly at a warehouse on Seventh Street, a short walk from Bishop Arts Avenue, in order to showcase their own and other local artists’ work.
Whenever you need good and original food or a relaxed cool atmosphere of interesting sights and smells, Bishop Arts is the place to be in Dallas.
NIGHTMAN COMETH, TWILITE LOUNGE.
But, if the nightlife calls to you as a night you’ll want to forget immediately the next day, the one draw back is that the Bishop Arts area may be a tad too tame for you.
If this is the case, most local folks take an Uber to the Deep Elm area to do their carousing. And, if you are a die-hard P1 (cf. a listener and avid fan of the local radio station, The Ticket), Danny Balis’s Twilite Lounge in Deep Elm is the best place to go.
Especially, if you like to try local beer not available in your town or cocktails worthy of the acclaim of the most insatiable and obnoxious mixologist (…eww), the Twilite Lounge in Deep Elm is the only place to go.
The Twilite Lounge may be the best place to hang out in recorded history. Again, it’s Texas, so you must chill, relax, and sit and chat with a friend inside or on the courtyard styled patio. This place is fitting for one looking for a place to take a casual date as well.
Local celebrity, radio producer, singer/songwriter, Danny Balis owns and manages The Twilite Lounge: http://www.dannybalis.net/
Balis owns and operates this bar while he spending his days working as one of the (most hilarious radio personalities, without trying at all) producers/contrarians on The Ticket.
To get here from Bishop Arts, I suggest taking an Uber. It is too far to walk to here, and you probably should not drive home, if we are being honest. Not to mention, free parking in the area is scarce, and paid parking can run anywhere from five dollars to twenty dollars. The meter maid gets paid in dollar bills, y’all, in Dallas, is all I am saying.
If your taste in music ranges from 90s hip-hop to Italian and Russian feminist rock, to the tried and true artists like David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan to the great Sturgill Simpson, you will love this place. There is an unwritten rule (probably mandated by Danny, himself) that prohibits the playing of cheesy music. No song every played here will make you throw up in your mouth as soon as the needle hits the vinyl. Yes, that’s right! They play records there! And, it does indeed make the music sound warmer as it was intended to be.
Afternoons and late evenings, you will hear lost or forgotten tracks worth savoring. These will be the moments in which you stop in public and Shazam the air like a lunatic to see the name of the artist that you cannot remember is…embarrassingly waving your phone up to catch the sound above the crowd, just so you can download them later.
Typically, the records playing vary from 1960s country, the likes of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan to the Clash and Badbrains. And, even new gems such as Sturgill Simpson’s fantastic album, “Meta-modern Sounds of Country Music,” will fill the air.
What song is playing, you suddenly remember that you love the shite out of that song. All of which can be heard piping throughout the cozy interior and out beyond the open-air courtyard, just around back. Whether new or old, what could be considered factually and objectively “good” music never fails to assuage the worst of moods while creating a memorable experience every time.
Most importantly, for all you ladies out there, at the Twilite Lounge, the bathroom is always stocked with free products…in case you forgot yours at home. This includes but is not limited to monthly necessities, or if you want to freshen up for your date, they also keep mouthwash, hairspray, and mints on hand for free! What?!
I can only guess what effects the men’s restroom is stocked with. I will report back when I finally find out next time.
There is also a small stage facing the main bar room, which is lined with mafia-style hobnail leather booths. Within this comfortable expanse of space is where bands can play or deejays can spin old cool records. What’s more, the Twilite Lounge caters to the karaoke crowd every Thursday night.
What’s more, I understand why the anticipation of karaoke is usually better than the actual experience. I know what you are probably thinking – karaoke deejays never carry the right songs – but, at long last, these songs were handpicked by someone who has great taste like us, and they are probably the very songs you have been wanting to sing but no other karaoke deejay has had. They have tracks from the Smith’s “Louder than Bombs” for starters.
These are only a couple of spots that are fun to visit and hang out in Dallas. Whether you are escaping the cold of home or just passing through, finding an Air BnB or hotel room near Bishop Arts or Deep Elm is your best bet.
Don’t forget to check out the new Perot Museum before you leave.
Y’all come back now, ya hear?!
