Flickr: stuckincustoms

Hi. I’m Neil Lemons. I’m a late 20-something  adventurer, blogger, Law of Attractionist, mobile lifestyle enthusiast and Internet Journalist who often writes about fun things to do in Dallas and Texas travel. I’m a friend, happy ongoing client, and business affiliate of Jeff and Barbara over at Evanesque. Yes, I’m a straight guy, I live in Dallas, and I’ve had several great experiences there getting laser hair removal and relaxing and rejuvenating microdermabrasion and I’m not ashamed to admit this fact.  They offer a great service for men and women, young and old.

After spending five years in Dallas living as a young single adult in Dallas, and 10 years in the Metroplex, Jeff and Barbara asked me to share some info very specific to Dallas. Evanesque’s services are about looking and feeling good about yourself. Being confident in yourself and your appearance to others is what they sell, and this is highly important in life.

After reading several of the blog posts about celebrities, beauty news, and funny lists, I thought I would take a different angle making this post a little more personal by offering some great tips for Dallas-residents who want to see and be seen. When you’re young and single, or even if you are older and single, or married and active as a couple, meeting people, being social, networking, and making business connections is important and helps you get ahead in Dallas whether it be climbing the social or business ladder. Before you get out and mingle, you should consider getting a spray tan in Uptown or a 20-minute Express teeth whitening.

Cool Places & Things to Do in Dallas This Summer

If you’re wanting to leverage this city you need to be where the people are hanging out and being social. After living here for awhile, I’ve noticed the social and business elite in Dallas seem to gravitate to certain places around town. These places change from time to time, but there always seem to be those few cool places which never go out of style. I put together this list for those wanting to know “the place to be” in Dallas this summer.

1. Park on Henderson – This new restaurant opened last summer and quickly became an overnight success with its 60s eclectic, minimalistic style, and delectable food and beverages ranging from dishes such as Bayou Gumbo Spicy Andouille, Okra & Shrimp, Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops, Gemelli Coconut Alfredo and Gari Vinaigrette, Horseradish Crusted Bone-In Ribeye.  Sit on the patio, drink a Mojito and have dinner at Park before playing 2-foot Jenga with your friends next door at Barcadia. Check out Park and make sure to make a reservation to avoid waiting at this cool Dallas restaurant.
2. The Joule Hotel pool – The Joule is a historic hotel located in Downtown Dallas. Their pool is known as a hot spot for sexy folks. Look through one of the glass walls overlapping the edge of the building.
   with an breathtaking view from the roof. There is the reason the national TV show The Deep End ( Gray’s Anatomy only with attorneys) had several night scenes filmed here which were supposed to be set in L.A. 
   
3. Gloria’s patio on Greenville Ave – Can anyone say Margarita? Gloria’s is a Tex-Mex restaurant that stands out not only for its complementary black bean dip with every meal, but packed patio and ability to attract Dallas elite like moths to a flame. With reasonable prices for most anything you would expect of the Tex-Mex flair, I highly suggest the beef fajita chimichanga covered in chili con queso.
4. Poolside at The Village Country Club – A culmination of over 15 apartment complexes, since the 1970s The Village has been its own community with its own zip code. Every apartment complex has at least two or three pools, but there is one legendary pool which is “the place to be,” it’s the Olympic-sized pool behind the country club.  Few actually get in the pool, but there are plenty of beautiful people ages 20 -50  sitting beside the pool. Get there early, or you won’t get a chair. With a DJ, poolside bar, and often burgers being cooked on a grill, some have planted at the The Village and never left. You can get in free if you know someone who lives there, it’s five dollars otherwise, but worth the cost. Check out the photo gallery on The Village’s website.
5. Javier’s – Straying away from the Tex-Mex concept, including tacos and enchiladas, Javier’s focuses on a more realistic image of what Mexico City dining is all about.  The low-lit dining room at Javier’s is replete with mounted game, large paintings, and hanging plants. One of only a handful of places in Dallas where you can still openly smoke a cigar because of their special central air venting, the city of Dallas has allowed them to bypass the restaurant and bar smoking ban which took place in April of last year. Check out their menu, and don’t worry, their cigar lounge is in a separate room from the restaurant.
6. West Village – This is the restaurant row of Uptown Dallas. With Mi Cocina, Taco Diner , Cru, Social House, and the new Lemon Bar, there are plenty of choices for food, folks, and fun. Parking is free in the main garage, but get there early if you plan on going to happy hour or you will be parking on the roof. On Sundays and Saturdays hang out at Starbucks with your laptop and you’re sure to get a people-watching experience like none other in Dallas, not to mention the shopping opportunities.
7. Primo’s on the patio – Located on McKinney Avenue on the “Main Street” of Uptown Dallas, you’ll see a packed patio of pretty people, and even locate celebrities like ex-hockey player, restaurateur, and entrepreneur Mike Modano, and Mavs basketball play Dirk Nowitzki.
8. The Katy Trail - Runners, roller bladers, and dog walkers alike exercise on  this a 12-foot-wide concrete bike trail and an 8-foot-wide parallel, soft-surface running path, with several entrances and plazas linking the Trail to other area parks. It extends 3.5 miles from Airline Road to the American Airlines Center. Once completed, the bike and pedestrian path will link the Mockingbird DART station near SMU to the West End in downtown Dallas.  Take a joy ride on the Katy Trail.

Photo Credit(s): Downtown Dallas: stuckincustoms , Hotel Joule, Photography by Justin Tervee