Whilst we recently spent a week over in Dallas and New York meeting clients and taking part in some very exciting creative sessions, we thought we’d put a small blog post together about some of the really awesome creative areas that we had time to explore whilst visiting.
Deep Ellum - Dallas, Texas
This was an area on the outskirts of Dallas city centre, just east of downtown, that we heard had some really cool shops, bars and restaurants popping up and a great creative culture since it’s fairly recent gentrification process.
We decided to spend a few hours walking around during the day and also go back and night when it started to get a bit more lively. Both our experiences here we really enjoyed and would definitely recommend if you’re ever visiting Dallas. On the grid describes it as a unique intersection of art, music, history, amazing food, and companies who are doing something different and we can’t argue with that.
Our top picks would be Braindead Brewing Co for an awesome collection of hand-crafted and brewed in house beers and Twisted Root Burger Co for a delicious bite to eat.
Lower Greenville - Dallas, Texas
Located in East Dallas, which is quite a bit further out than Deep Ellum, Lower Greenville is a smaller neighbourhood out in the suburbs of Dallas. It was closer to where our hotel was located and we’d heard from the locals that there was a really cool scene over there so decided to jump in an uber one afternoon and stay through to the evening to see what all the fuss was about.
We certainly weren't disappointed. A mix of charming old establishments and exciting new ones with new flavour make for a great mix in urban Dallas. We visited some really exciting and interesting bars and eateries and one that stood out in particular was called TruckYard. This is basically an open backyard filled with mish-mashed seating areas, street food vendors that change daily and even it’s very own treehouse!
Other places we’d recommend are Good Records for their extensive selection of vinyl. Voodoo Chile Thirft Store for a trippy but thoroughly enjoyable experience with Crazy Jimi who offered us a glass of vino and a tour around his weird and wonderful shop. And last but not least, Greenville Avenue Pizza Company, for the tastiest slice in Dallas.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn - New York
Our Flight back from Dallas was via New York, so we were lucky enough to be able to spend 24 hours in NYC exploring the creative scene. We stayed in the McCarren Hotel and Pool, which is located in North Williamsburg, just around the corner from the infamous Brooklyn Brewery and just a short walk away from Bedford Avenue which is littered with brilliant independent shops, bars, coffee shops and restaurants. The once grittier-than-grit neighbourhood has dramatically changed its image and now has worldwide appeal, attracting folk from all over to create and cultivate.
Our favourite place during our (very short) stay had to be The Meatball Shop, located on the Upper East Side, just off Bedford Avenue, specialising in, you guessed it, meatballs. We ordered using marker pens on the check-box style menu which was a pretty neat idea and chose the classic beef meatballs and tomato sauce on a brioche bun. These were literally the most delicious meatballs we’ve ever eaten and definitely recommend this one if you’re ever visiting NYC.
Our other top Brooklyn picks would be visiting the Brooklyn Bridge for a slice of history and an excellent view of the New York City skyline from across the water. Walking around and getting up close to the hand-painted (Yes, really, hand-painted) billboards around the local area. Visit Brooklyn Brewery for a tour and some free samples. And last but not least, Breakfast at Bagelsmith for the tastiest bagels that have ever entered our bellies!
All in all, a great trip for business and a bit of pleasure too. Our small slice of two very different cultures of America was eye-opening and inspiring. We’re looking forward to taking some of our American inspiration into our upcoming projects.
