Victory Park is a relatively new master-planned development in Dallas, and one I didn’t know very well. It’s worth adding it to the list of things to do in Dallas.
A few years ago, real estate developers came up with a plan to build a neighborhood from scratch. This plan encompassed premium apartment buildings, office buildings, hotels, and shops. The heart of the development was the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars, as well as a concert venue.
The original project did not come to fruition, with the exception of the American Airlines Center. It became a big sports and concert venue. Another real estate company came along and took over the project, and gave the area a new lease on life.
Location
Victory Park calls itself an “urban lifestyle destination“. And I think that they delivered on that promise: there a lot of things to do and has a great location. Victory Park is surrounded by the Woodall Rodgers freeway and I-35E, which is key is a city that is as spread out as Dallas, on one side, and the Historic West End District on the other. Victory Park is also very close to downtown
Public transport
As a visitor, you’re probably more interested in South Victory, since the rest of the neighborhood is more residential. As well as highway access, South Victory is served by public transport, which is worth gold in Dallas. Victory Station is served by the TRE-Trinity Railway Express, which connects Dallas with Fort Worth, the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Orange and Green lines. Victory Park is included in the McKinney Avenue Trolley route, that old trolley that is a tourist attraction in itself.
Things to do in Victory Park Dallas
Stroll around! Walk up North Houston Street and down Victory Park Lane. Enjoy the only green area. Take your picture outside the American Airlines Center. Rent electric scooters for $1/hour.
Much music
House of Blues has a venue in Dallas. There are concerts almost every day. Local, national, and international bands play all kinds of music, from jazz to blues to hip hop. Sundays are different. The serve brunch to the beat of live Gospel music. I’ve never eaten at the restaurant, but I have used the bar(s) before and during concerts.
***PERMANENTLY CLOSED*** Hard Rock Café Dallas has loads of memorabilia from famous artists. There’s a hand-written letter from George Harriosn, Willie Nelson’s bandana, and a suit that belonged to Roy Orbison, among other objects.
Where to eat
There are many good places to eat in Victory Park, just as there are in Dallas. I can recommend Mesero‘s queso as an appetizer, washed down with a Paloma cocktail (tequila and grapefruit juice). Also, the pizza at
Olivella’s is very good. I had white pizza (no tomato sace, two kinds of mozzarella and spinach) and I loved it. Café Victoria is very pretty, and
Cook Hall, inside the W Hotel, is a fun gastropub. Billy Can Can serves modern Texas food. Dibs on Victory has a large patio overlooking Victory Plaza.
Dick’s Last Resort, hosed in a red brick industrial-looking building, is famous because the waiters play pranks on customers. I heard the food is not that great but it’s worth visiting for the pranks. Unfortunately, it closed in November 2019.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Perot Museum of Nature and Science is Dallas’ most modern museum. I do recommend it if you visit Dallas with kids. Children learn by doing, touching, and playing anything from how the human body works, to new technologies, or natural resources. My favourite room is, of course, the dinosaurs and early mammals. Science is not my thing, although the earthquake simulator is a ton of fun!
For the ‘gram
Instagrammers will find heaven on earth at Sweet Tooth Hotel. It isn;t a hotel but a place for art installations and art pop-ups. Tickets to this world of fantasy sell out fast, so keep an eye on installaitons dates.
Where can I park?
There isn’t really a lot of street parking available, but there are many parking garages. The hourly fee is $5. However, if you eat at any loca restaurant, remmeber to validate your ticket to park for free for two hours.
Ana Travels and Writes 