Dallas is more than just a city, it's a
collection of diverse thriving
neighborhoods all each offering their
own unique flavor, fun and a healthy dose
of the unexpected. We'll be visiting some
of the hidden gems and all-time
favorites these neighborhoods have to
offer in order to hopefully inspire you
to set out on your own Dallas
neighborhood adventure. Join us as we
experience Dallas.
Just a few minutes from Downtown, Oak Lawn is a vibrant neighborhood where
restaurants, shops and nightlife hotspots
all exist side-by-side, making it a
favorite area for Dallas locals. Oak Lawn
is home to Dallas's gayborhood and many
LGBT community events throughout the
year.
Dallas Pride takes place here every
September with a parade festival and
plenty of parties. Oak Lawn is also home
to the historic Melrose Hotel,
restaurants like Street's Fine Chicken
and Lucky's, and trendy shopping. The
green space at Reverchon Park offers
you a great place for a morning run or
an afternoon picnic. And that's only the
beginning of what this neighborhood has
to offer. While most cities hold their pride
festivals in June, Dallas reserves their
celebration for September. This Dallas
tradition started in 1972 with about 300
people showing up for the first
celebration. Today, thousands of people
from all over Dallas, Texas and the
United States show up for the parade
down Cedar Springs Road, and a festival
in Reverchon Park. Friend of Visit
Dallas Jared Freeman stopped by to tell
us more about Dallas Pride and why Oak Lawn
is the perfect neighborhood to host
it. Jared, thanks so much for being with
us today. So can you tell me, what is
Dallas Pride? Dallas Pride is really a
way for LGBT people to come and
celebrate the community, for
organizations that benefit LGBT causes
to come out and show that they're maybe
stronger than the general public would
acknowledge normally. It's also a great
way for people that live in smaller
communities around Dallas to
come and be supportive and show that
there is a large LGBT community. People
travel from all over the country to come
to Dallas, not just the surrounding
communities. And so, Dallas is a great
place to live, it's a great place for an
LGBT person to live. So why is Oak Lawn the best place for Dallas Pride? Oak Lawn
started as the epicenter of the gay
community in Dallas, and from there it's
just blossomed.
I mean it's a much more, you know, robust
place than it probably was 20 years ago
when a lot of the organizations and bars
opened, up and down the street here. But
it, it's definitely still the core of
everything that happens in the gay community here. Jared thanks so much for
being with us today. Enjoy Dallas Pride.
Thank You Nick.
Oak Lawn's favorite retro diner is
Lucky's Cafe. This black and chrome
throwback serves up American comfort
food including a daily brunch that never
goes out of style. As a neighborhood
landmark Lucky's has established a
considerable following of loyal
customers over the years. Their menu boasts
traditional homestyle favorites like
chicken-fried steak, cheeseburgers and
buttermilk pancakes. In addition to their
great menu you'll also get a full
serving of down-to-earth charm. We were
lucky enough to chat with Theresa
Leatherwood who filled us in on this
Oak Lawn favorite. Theresa thanks so much
for chatting with us. Can you tell me a
little bit about how Lucky's Cafe came
to be? Before we were Lucky's this
location was Phil's famous diner. When
they closed the doors we were lucky
enough to take over. What sets Lucky's
Cafe apart from other restaurants? Well, I
think it's our authentic diner look and
feel and we have our tribute wall that
honors the Oak Lawn community. About 20
years ago we did a fundraiser with the
Aids Resource Center and you could make
a donation and you got to put your name
up on our wall. So what are some
favorites from the Lucky's Cafe menu?
Well with our farm-to-table menu, our roasted
vegetables are very popular along with
the fresh eggs that are used on all
our breakfast entrees. What do people
love about coming to Lucky's? I think
they love the fact that we're fresh
farm-to-table, our whole menu. We're open
as early as 7 a.m. and close at 10:00
p.m. every night. We serve breakfast and
dinner all day, every day. We have daily
happy hours, we have a craft cocktail
menu. And the longevity of our staff. When
you're visiting Lucky's you're visiting
family. Why do you love being located in
Oak Lawn?
Lucky's is located at the crossroads of
Dallas. You have Highland Park meets
Uptown meets Downtown - you couldn't ask
for a better spot. Thanks so much for
joining us today. Thank you, it's been a
pleasure.
The Strip on Cedar Springs is Oak Lawn's most popular collection of bars and clubs. This area is also
surrounded by great food and fun retail
shops. S4 is a local favorite for
nightlife entertainment. They offer a
great selection of bars, a dance floor
and even drag shows in its legendary
Rose Room. Join us as we talk with Kathy
Jack about what draws crowds to S4.
Kathy thank you so much for taking the
time to be with us today. For those who
don't know, what is S4? S4 is a great
place to come. It's huge, it's 20,000
square feet of nothing but fun. We have a
great light show, we have a great dance floor.
It is a gay bar but everybody comes here
and everybody has a great time. As long
as you want to come in and have a good
time we have no problem letting anyone
in - straight, gay, whatever. What can people expect when they come to S4? Well, we have
really, really good prices on drinks,
first of all. And special parties. I think
the number one thing that people can
expect from being here is just fun. A lot
of fun.
What is something that makes S4
unique? Well it's the only bar on the
Strip that has a drag bar, where you can
come see a drag show
five nights out of the week. There's
no other bar anywhere in Dallas where
you can do that. Why do you think people
love coming here? When things get going
here the energy is off the hook. It's
just incredible. What do you love about
being located in Oak Lawn? Oak Lawn's just a
great part of Dallas. It's located just
north of Downtown so it's easily
accessible. Everything just seems to be
getting better and better. It's just a
great place to work, it's a great place
for people to come visit and, and it's
just a great place for everybody to
party and have fun. Kathy, thank you so
much for your time and telling us about
this wonderful place that is S4. Thank
you for having me and, just tell
everybody to come see us. We're here.
We're ready to party.
No matter who you are or where you're from, the people of Oak Lawn will always be your friend. As one of Dallas's most inclusive
and welcoming neighborhoods, it's
truly a unique place to visit that you
won't soon forget. 
Oak Lawn should absolutely be on your
list of Dallas places to visit!
