Posts by Rick Lopez
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Three Years Later, a Kessler Park Vision’s Complete
(Staff Photo: Allison Slomowitz)
Kristen Whitehill’s house would’ve scared many homeowners when she first bought it. Half the windows were broken; there was bright blue carpeting covering slab; and plumbing problems forced her to work with two half-bathrooms. Read more about this transformation — and the latest advice in interior design and landscaping — in Homes & Design, which premieres in this week’s newspaper.
By Rick Lopez Mar. 22, 2013 | 11:14 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Homes & Design Debuts in Our March 22nd Edition
People Newspapers’ luxury publication featuring the finest in architecture, interior design, and furnishings premieres in this week’s newspaper. Read about Kristen Whitehall‘s three-year transformation of her Kessler Park home; advice from interior designer Laura Lee Clark; design expert Sherry Hayslip‘s tips to perk up a coffee table; and green-space wisdom from Chris Brumley, owner of Brumley Gardens in Oak Cliff.
For more information on advertising in our Fall/Winter issue, call 214-523-5279 or email advertising@peoplenewspapers.com
By Rick Lopez Mar. 21, 2013 | 5:00 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
There Are Some New Faces Around Bishop Arts
(Staff Photos: Rick Lopez)
No, it’s not your imagination. There is something different about that mural just east of Ten Bells Tavern on West Seventh Street. Each time I passed through the area this weekend, and I noticed drivers with quizzical looks slowing down to admire Jake Ledbetter’s “Bishop Gates.” Read More…
By Rick Lopez Mar. 18, 2013 | 9:49 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Classifieds March 15, 2013
By Rick Lopez Mar. 14, 2013 | 11:33 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Oak Cliff People March 15, 2013
By Rick Lopez Mar. 14, 2013 | 11:02 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Warning Bicyclists: Tight Lanes on Houston Viaduct
The Jefferson Viaduct is open Saturday for southbound traffic, but closes completely tomorrow.
However, the Houston Street Viaduct is already restricted to two tight lanes. Riding the 21 into downtown today, I saw at least two bicyclists come close to getting plowed by cars and buses confused by the mess.
For more on the viaduct restrictions, read this or this week’s issue of Oak Cliff People.
By Rick Lopez Mar. 9, 2013 | 12:34 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
No Houston Viaduct Access For At Least One Year
If you cross the Houston Street Viaduct to commute from Oak Cliff to downtown — whether by bike or car — you should know there are some changes coming this week. The roadway will be closed entirely Sunday for construction of the streetcar that will eventually link the Bishop Arts District to the other side of the Trinity River. The viaduct won’t reopen until the summer of 2014.
The picture might look discouraging for some the neighborhood’s bicyclists — especially when some of them already consider the current bike paths a tight squeeze. The Jefferson Viaduct — currently a four-lane roadway – will convert to two-way traffic but include barricaded bike lanes, city and DART officials said.
Some bicyclists, such as Gerardo Vargas, don’t seem fazed. “The construction won’t stop me from riding on it,” he said. “If I don’t feel safe, I’ll have to find an alternate route to downtown. The Continental bridge would be my other choice.”
You can read more in this week’s newspaper. Leave us a comment to let us know if you’re contemplating a new route downtown or undaunted by the detour.
By Rick Lopez Mar. 8, 2013 | 10:00 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Dallas Symphony Returning to Kidd Springs Park
Augustine Jalomo and Pasqual Galvan help clean up the pond. (Staff Photo: Rick Lopez)
I was among a dozen or so volunteers who showed up to Kidd Springs Park (in the cold, mind you) for Saturday’s “It’s My Park Day.” To us, the park is the gem of the neighborhood; to me, the corn in a cup at El Si Hay Taqueria comes in close second.
But Kidd Springs Central’s Augustine Jalomo had a big announcement to make: The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has chosen three parks for its Community Concert Series. Kidd Springs will be the host on June 5. (Exall Park on June 4; Paul Quinn College on June 6).
Most volunteers picked up litter around the park, but the rec center’s manager, April Garcia, assigned something a little extra “special” to me and Jalomo. We were tasked with dredging up trash from the sludge in the shallowest corner of the pond. We’re not talking the cute part with the natural spring, ducks, and geese. We’re talking those murky last two inches in the southeast corner that’s mostly E. coli and spilled Sprite. I think she did this because I accidentally dropped an F bomb near her daughter as I scolded another volunteer about his rogue dogs.
Fortunately, the worst stuff that volunteers fished out this year were a perished turtle and duck. According to volunteers in attendance, a car and even a body have been extricated from the waters in the past. On a lighter note, the decades-old park’s history also includes a contest of “bathing beauties” and a parachute stunt.
By Rick Lopez Mar. 4, 2013 | 9:15 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Hipster Mag Gives Props to Oak Cliff Bicycle Co.
Aritzia.com
Our neighborhood’s bike shop got a fist bump of bro love from the pants-cuffing editors at Aritzia magazine. Oak Cliff Bicycle Company (a People’s Choice winner) is ranked among the top 10 in the USA and Canada for its eccentric vibe and owner Jeremy Ordaz’s eagerness to educate the public on the anatomy of a bike. Let’s crack open a PBR and toast. Read more here.
By Rick Lopez Mar. 1, 2013 | 8:27 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Love Your Local Park? Help Clean It Up Saturday
North Oak Cliff is lucky to have some very enjoyable outdoor spaces. This Saturday, you can help keep a couple of our neighborhood parks clean and presentable during national “It’s My Park Day.”
From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Kidd Springs Central is organizing a cleanup at Kidd Springs Recreation Center. The group’s looking for at least 10 volunteers to help beautify the lake and spillway. They also promise to make a “big” announcement that morning. To sign up, call 214-718-2384 or email kiddsprings.central@gmail.com.
Around the corner, the Kings Highway Conservation District has planned a cleanup of two green spaces: Stone Park and the North Polk Street Beautification Project. If enough volunteers participate, the group will have two shifts: from 8 to 10 a.m., and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. If there’s time to spare, the group will also lend a hand at Kidd Springs. Click here to sign up.
By Rick Lopez Feb. 28, 2013 | 4:00 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS
