Tag Archives: downtown

Yet Where, And To What Purpose?

Posted on by Bill Chance

“…as the slow sea sucked at the shore and then withdrew, leaving the strip of seaweed bare and the shingle churned, the sea birds raced and ran upon the beaches. Then that same impulse to flight seized upon them too. Crying, whistling, calling, they skimmed the placid sea and left the shore. Make haste, make speed, hurry and begone; yet where, and to what purpose? The restless urge of autumn, unsatisfying, sad, had put a spell upon them and they must flock, and wheel, and cry; they must spill themselves of motion before winter came.”
― Daphne du Maurier, The Birds and Other Stories

Pegasus Plaza Dallas, Texas

Pegasus Plaza
Dallas, Texas

As If Repairs Were Under Way

Posted on by Bill Chance

“By early evening all the sky to the north had darkened and the spare terrain they trod had turned a neuter gray as far as the eye could see. They grouped in the road at the top of a rise and looked back. The storm front towered above them and the wind was cool on their sweating faces. They slumped bleary-eyed in their saddles and looked at one another. Shrouded in the black thunderheads the distant lightning glowed mutely like welding seen through foundry smoke. As if repairs were under way at some flawed place in the iron dark of the world.”
― Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses

The Continental Building Dallas, Texas

The Continental Building
Dallas, Texas

Click Here for a larger version on Flickr.

This is a well-known mosaic by Millard Sheets on the front of The Continental Building in downtown Dallas. There was some worry that the artwork would be destroyed during renovation – but the owners have committed to preserving it.

Let It Unfurl

Posted on by Bill Chance

“You’re chicken, she told herself, snapping her seat belt. This is America, you live in it, you let it happen. Let it unfurl.”
― Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49

tower

All You Feel Is A Caress

Posted on by Bill Chance

“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”
― Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad

Water feature in a pocket park off of Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas

Water feature in a pocket park off of Ross Avenue,
Dallas, Texas

Verticality at Sunset

Posted on by Bill Chance

“Dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire.”
― Robert Frost

Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas

She Watches Over Us As We Run For Our Train

Posted on by Bill Chance

Sculpture outside Plaza of the Americas
Dallas, Texas

Plaza of the Americas Pearl Street Dallas, Texas

Plaza of the Americas
Pearl Street
Dallas, Texas

“What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? – it’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Geometry and Nature

Posted on by Bill Chance

“Philosophy [nature] is written in that great book which ever is before our eyes — I mean the universe — but we cannot understand it if we do not first learn the language and grasp the symbols in which it is written. The book is written in mathematical language, and the symbols are triangles, circles and other geometrical figures, without whose help it is impossible to comprehend a single word of it; without which one wanders in vain through a dark labyrinth.”
― Galileo Galilei

Trinity River Bottoms
Dallas, Texas

Trinity River and Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas, Texas

Trinity River and Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas, Texas

There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.
—-Pythagoras

Downtown Dallas, Texas

Downtown Dallas, Texas

The two elements the traveler first captures in the big city are extra human architecture and furious rhythm. Geometry and anguish.
—-Federico Garcia Lorca

View From the Levee

Posted on by Bill Chance

The City of Dallas is slowly working on developing the long-neglected river bottoms along the Trinity River. In conjunction with the opening of the Continental Avenue Bridge Park a limited system of hike and bike trails were opened up in the river bottom called the Dallas Skyline Trail.

Map of the Dallas Skyline Trail

Map of the Dallas Skyline Trail
(click to enlarge)

These trails will eventually be extended to the south to connect up with the Santa Fe Trestle trail once the work on the I45/I30 “Horseshoe” project is finished (if we all live long enough).

For the time being, the 4plus miles in place will have to do. I took the DART train down there to explore. The biggest problem right now is lack of access on the downtown (north) side of the river. I had to ride across the Continental bridge where there is a steep ramp down the levee into the floodplain and the trails. The limited (2) trail heads open now, with one more to open in a few months, is fine if the trail system is used for recreational riding, but if it is to help with car-free transportation, they need more access points.

I rode the whole system and wanted to check out another possible point – on Commerce street, behind the city jail complex. The trail climbs the levee and it may be another spot to get to the system – though it’s hard to find and there isn’t any parking very close.

At any rate, the view from there is nice – in all directions.

Part of the Dallas Skyline Trail. The Commerce Street Bridge, Old Railroad Trestle, Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. (click to enlarge)

Part of the Dallas Skyline Trail. The Commerce Street Bridge, Old Railroad Trestle, Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.
(click to enlarge)

The paved trail climbs the levee. That’s the Commerce Street bridge in the foreground, with graffiti on the pillars, a bit of the old railroad trestle, and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in the distance.

Top of the levee, with the Dallas Jail in the background.

Top of the levee, with the Dallas Jail in the background.

The top of the levee is paved the short distance to Commerce Street behind the sad monoliths of the Dallas Jail and its parking garage.

Dallas Skyline Trail on top of the levee.

Dallas Skyline Trail on top of the levee.

In the other direction the trail is paved for a short way along the tip of the levee. Beyond is a gravel road which is rideable with a mountain bike.

Trinity River Floodplain

Trinity River Floodplain

The open floodplain of the river bottoms, across to Oak Cliff. The construction of the Horseshoe can be seen in the distance.

Nice levee top view of Downtown from the Dallas Skyline Trail. (click to enlarge)

Nice levee top view of Downtown from the Dallas Skyline Trail.
(click to enlarge)

To the North, there is a great view of the downtown skyline from the top of the levee.

Pool and Pegasus

Posted on by Bill Chance

Photo taken during the Stop and Photograph the Roses bicycle ride.

Magnolia Hotel Building (Pegasus) and Joule Hotel (pool)
Dallas, Texas

Magnolia Hotel (Pegasus) and Joule Hotel (pool) Dallas, Texas

Magnolia Hotel (Pegasus) and Joule Hotel (pool)
Dallas, Texas

What I learned this week, May 2, 2014

Posted on by Bill Chance
People from the Seersucker Ride at Klyde Warren Park, Dallas, Texas

People from the Seersucker Ride at Klyde Warren Park, Dallas, Texas

7 Reasons Bikes Are for Everyone—Not Just “Cyclists”

Don’t let the spandex-clad iron men scare you off! Here are seven reasons why all types of people are biking to work—and why cities are encouraging them.

French Quarter, New Orleans

French Quarter, New Orleans

Waiting for a flat to get fixed.

Waiting for a flat to get fixed.

Dallas’ downtown has improved so much over the last few years – it’s become a cool place. It still has a long way to go, and it still has a bad reputation as a giant desert of concrete, steel, and glass. However, the “best” downtown isn’t very far away.

America’s 10 Best Downtowns for 2014, According to Livability

On the other hand….

Paradise lost: The most exciting house in Dallas is gone. A preservationist and a photographer have questions.

sad

I have written before about how beautiful old homes get torn down for awful modern mansions.

4320 Arcady, Highland Park, Texas - a few months ago

4320 Arcady, Highland Park, Texas – a few months ago

4320 Arcady, now

4320 Arcady, now

Global Beat: Alfonso Lovo

walking_tall

10Best: Weird & Interesting Public Art

A familiar buddy from Deep Ellum made the list of weird and interesting public art. Cool.

traveling_man_guitar

traveling_man_wallking_tall

http://youtu.be/BKorP55Aqvg>

Forrest Gump by Wes Anderson

Here are the opening credits to the movie Forrest Gump if Wes Anderson had directed it.

Music by Mark Mothersbaugh

Magazine Street, New Orleans

Magazine Street, New Orleans

Why It Makes Sense To Bike Without a Helmet

A very interesting article, although I disagree with his conclusion. I am opposed to mandatory helmet laws but I personally (almost) always wear a helmet.

His argument that ten times more head injuries occur in cars is not a valid one – because there are probably a thousand times more miles driven in cars than on bikes. Also, the argument that helmets reduce the cycling rate is valid from a public policy perspective, but not a personal one. Once you are used to wearing one, it is not a detriment. The argument that a helmet increases risky riding – I think it’s the other way around. Cyclists that engage in risky riding (fast, extreme off-road, heavy traffic) tend to wear helmets, not the other way around.

Now, the idea that cars will come closer to a cyclist with a helmet is interesting – but not strong enough for me to offset the 85% reduction in head injuries. Personally, I made the decision to always wear a helmet thirty years ago. At that time, I had a cyclometer on my bike and I was going down a long, steep hill on a light narrow-tired road bike and the reading hit forty-five miles per hour. I realized that a pebble in the road would be a fatal accident. Now that I think about it, I wear a helmet not so much as protection from cars (those will be bad no matter what) but as a protection from simply falling and hitting my head on a curb or something.

Now, the idea of wearing a helmet while driving or riding in a car is an interesting one. That’s something I could support.

protect-ourselves-car-helmet