It’s always nice to see something positive in the news. Well, this little article is about my neighborhood here in Dallas:
Oak Cliff’s Elmwood Neighborhood Is Easy To Fall In Love With
Samantha McClintock may not have known about Elmwood had she not gotten lost.
“I immediately fell in love with the trees, the green spaces, and the architectural variety,” she said. “Elmwood has a different ZIP code and as a result, tends to get overlooked quite often in people’s searches for homes in north Oak Cliff. Many neighbors had similar experiences.”
Oliver Stone found Elmwood 20 years ago when the director used the Oak Cliff neighborhood in the filming of Born on the Fourth of July.
Elmwood is located along Cedar Creek and Elmwood Creek in historic north Oak Cliff, just minutes south of downtown Dallas.
According to the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League’s Web site, the neighborhood land was once the Tennessee Dairy Farm, and remnants, such as the former farmhouse and part of the wall that divided the farm, still exist.
Ms. McClintock said much to her surprise, the homes in Elmwood were significantly less in cost than other homes she had seen. Eight years later, she said, Elmwood is still a bargain.
She also said the people who live in Elmwood are friendly and watchful of one another. It is a neighborhood where people walk in the evening and have substantial conversations with one another. Children play in front yards; neighbors get together for parties and give each other a lending hand.
The northern sections of Elmwood are home to cottages, bungalows and large ranch-style homes with diverse families. A large greenbelt area runs along the northeastern section of the neighborhood. There’s a park in the center of the greenbelt.
There’s municipal ownership in the neighborhood as well. Elmwood is served by two Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail stations, and there is hope that the proposed Oak Cliff trolley would stop there as well. A walkway around the greenbelt, a 2006 bond program feature, is scheduled to be completed in November 2011. The trail will form a loop around the entire greenbelt.
According to the neighbors, a commercial district in the center of the neighborhood has unrealized potential. Neighbors hope to see a coffee shop, a garden center, art galleries, book stores and gift shops.
“Elmwood has the best neighbors, and many young couples have moved here,” said longtime resident Connie Briggs. “Having the DART rail line at two ends of the neighborhood is important to people who have to commute because the lines are within walking distance.”
Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia represents the neighborhood and said it’s in transition as a connector in north Oak Cliff.
“Elmwood is a great neighborhood,” Dr. Garcia said. “We are working to revitalize the commercial area.”
Delia Jasso is a freelance writer in Oak Cliff.
Now, I’m a pragmatist and I know that Edgefield Avenue - where the business district is located - is a nice, wide street with lots of potential. But I also know that you need businesses like mechanics, appliance repair, dry cleaners and car washes. I wish some of my neighbors were a little more practical-minded. Book stores and gift shops are great, but that isn’t necessarily what people need. Art galleries?!?!? How many people actually have an art gallery in their neighborhood? Those kind of shops and the stuff they sell are luxury items and most of Elmwood is still working class or lower middle class. Of course, I shouldn’t complain too much since I still haven’t made it to a neighborhood meeting.
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