12/05/2025
Visiting Dallas for the first time was... surprising. It was an international Vex Robotics world competition and we were excited. Boy was everyone super kind and the event was super organized.
What was surprising as we drove and walked the city everyday? We noticed that we did not see any locals, or tourists in the streets. It was super quiet. đź‘€
The architecture was cool, and the streets were clean. Food is yummy. We were kind of shocked. It felt like the city was sleeping.
What we've learned since visiting is that downtown Dallas IS a thriving business community, but one that does not focus on pedestrian culture in their downtown area.
It was strange at first. Barely any folks walking to and from lunch, no distinct shopping districts, no food trucks, or busy pedestrian cross walks. Such a different vibe! A vibe they strive for, and are very proud of.
Due to the heat there are underground tunnels which we didn't get a chance to see. So if there is a next time we'll try and go underground to see the Dart system and some of the shops.
I think I still prefer cities that are pedestrian focused, but it was cool to experience a city that had a different focus.
In Dallas they don't want to accommodate high parking pricing, and sore feet to experience their city culture. Instead they spread their cultural sweet spots out towards each of the suburbian areas of their city (which we can attest had some incredibly busy spots 💫with amazing food 🌮🥩and were full of that famous Southern hospitality🩷).
Dallas, you definitely reminded us of how important it is to step in someone else's shoes for a while and experience life in a different way. Thank you for that!
Have you visited a city that surprised you? Maybe that had a different culture than you were expecting?
