Shh! We spill the beans on Dallas’ best kept secrets

With nearly 700 people moving into the Dallas area every day, it’s no wonder innovation is making itself at home in South Dallas. In-demand amenities like DART rail service, urban trails and opportunities for higher education are already in place or well into development. And a quick tour of the education corridor with Paul Quinn College to the east and the University of North Texas Dallas campus to the west reveals a bright future for an area that has been largely overlooked until relatively recently. To help you get to know the area better, today we’re sharing some of South Dallas’ best kept secrets.

Secret Number One: There’s a lot to do in South Dallas. Even though you’re only minutes away from downtown, you’ll find a great escape at the Texas Horse Park in the heart of the Great Trinity Forest and spectacular family adventures at the nearby Trinity Audubon Center. And the amazing part is that there is still so much more room for development here. UNTD will be opening its first residence hall next fall, and their Student Learning and Success Center will add an amphitheater, event and recreation space, a library, student lounge and fitness center to the rapidly expanding school. Luckily, the brand new UNTD DART stop is just a short walk away. Plus, the Trinity Forest Golf Club will soon be adding a premiere golf facility to the area’s already burgeoning list of attractions. From theaters to trails to nature centers, there’s always something going on down here.

Secret Number Two: You can invest in the success of South Dallas. The success of the Bishop Arts District and Trinity Groves speak volumes for what can be accomplished south of the Trinity River, and local leaders are working hard to encourage the everyone in Dallas to work together to expand the bounty of the Dallas economy to the entire community. Area officials are working hard to bring in a variety of mixed use developments and single family housing opportunities. There are already a lot of projects in the works, and the City of Dallas is actively seeking more investment. To make it all happen, there are investment funds created just to give the public a chance to invest in the development themselves. Impact Dallas Capital is a not-for-profit organization that creates investment funds specifically designed to bring capital to South Dallas while creating potential for significant returns. If you’re interested, visit Impact Dallas to find out more.

Here’s the biggest secret of them all: the rolling hills of South Dallas hold a lot of human potential, too. If you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or just looking for a great employee, the public and private colleges that dot the landscape are a great place to start your search. The students here are attracted by innovative programs designed with their success in mind. UNTD has a special focus on programming for veterans and non-traditional students. Paul Quinn College, already garnering national attention for its rebirth as a premier small college and its innovative urban farm program, actively seeks businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in their students through their Work Program. You can find a talented intern for your business by contacting the Office of Personal and Career Development at OPCD@pqc.edu or invest in the success of students at UNTD by joining the UNT Dallas Foundation.

As your local professional association, we want all of our participants to know what’s going on in the community. We believe that by knowing the issues and successes of all of the parts in our city, you will be better able to serve your clients. We also believe when you choose to take that knowledge a step further and become active in the community yourself, you can harness the power of that community for your own development. A recent tour of the Education Corridor, presented by the MetroTex Southern Regional Advisory Council and sponsored by NAR, provided our members a first-hand look at South Dallas. Participants were able to meet the presidents of UNTD and Paul Quinn College as well as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Erik Wilson, and other city officials working to bring South Dallas to its full potential. We hope that by spreading the good news about South Dallas, you’ll be able to benefit from what we learned. And if you missed the tour, we strongly encourage you to go have a look for yourself.

Come to South Dallas for its beauty and opportunity. Stay in South Dallas for its community.