Photo courtesy of the Dallas
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Since the time when cowboys roamed the range and since the football team with the same name lassoed five Superbowl victories, Dallas has come a long way.
The new big oil in Dallas is Silicon. Indeed, Dallas is also dubbed "Silicon Prairie" for its high concentration of telecom and information technology companies, including regional or national headquarters for the likes of AT&T, Ericsson, Fujitsu, MCI, Nokia, Nortel, Rockwell, Sprint, as well as technology industry pioneer, Texas Instruments.
The 12-county Dallas/Fort Worth metropolis is the largest metropolitan area in the south central United States with one of the nation's highest concentrations of corporate headquarters. It's also the region's leading business, finance and marketing center.
Dallas has more shopping centers per capita than any United States city and metro. There are several malls scattered around the area. With 11 Billionaires, Dallas is in a tie with Tokyo for the most billionaires among international cities. Looking for one? They can be found mainly in North Dallas' Preston Hollow.
But you don't have to be a billionaire or even a millionaire to enjoy Dallas. For all its big city reach, the relative low cost of living keeps home prices affordable, which at the start of 2006, were listed at a median of $147,600 for single-family homes, compared to the $207,300 national median for metropolitan areas.
Throughout the extensive 385 square mile area of Dallas alone, rents vary, but remain affordable thanks to only a 90 percent or lower occupancy rate the market has suffered for years. Studios and one-bedroom units can be found from $500 to $600 a month, two bedroom units are a few hundred dollars more, while luxury three-bedroom penthouse suites can be found for $4,000 or more.
All of this makes the region of 5.7 million residents (the nation's fifth most populated metro area) a compelling draw for conventioneers, relocating corporate employees and the builders who house them.
From the Dallas area's landscape, we chose four neighborhoods that highlight how times have changed from days of cattle ranches and oil fields to corporate campuses and technology parks. The picks include diverse North Oak Cliff; lively Oak Lawn; tranquil Rowlett and the Coppell community in the heart of the metropolis.
