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Southtown is the arts district SA needed

First Friday art walks, Blue Star Complex, amazing restaurants, walkable streets. Southtown has become the creative center of SA and I'm here for it.

Katy vs Sugar Land vs The Woodlands: Houston suburban showdown

The three mega-suburbs of Houston. If you have kids and a commute, you're picking one of these. Here's the honest comparison.

• Commute: I-10 into downtown is 45-75 minutes depending on time of day. The Katy Freeway's 26 lanes still aren't enough.
• Vibe: Family-oriented, newer construction, chain restaurants and shopping centers. Not exciting but functional.
• Price: $300-500K for a 4BR in a good subdivision. La Centerra is the main shopping/dining area.

Brisket snobs are killing BBQ culture

BBQ is supposed to be fun. Community. Gathering around a pit with a beer and eating good food. Somewhere along the way it turned into a competition over who has the most opinions about bark, smoke rings, and post oak.

Ella Langley Releases Cinematic Music Video for 'Choosing Texas' - National Today

Ella Langley Releases Cinematic Music Video for 'Choosing Texas' National Today --- Curious what the rest of DFW thinks about this.

Source: news.google.com

DFW wedding vendor disasters: How to protect yourself and pursue refunds

Wedding vendor disputes are some of the ugliest consumer fights in DFW. Thousands of dollars on the line and emotions running high.

• Vendor no-shows: File a police report for theft of service (TPC 31.04) if they took payment and didn't show. Then file with TX AG and BBB.
• Substandard work: Document with photos/video. Compare to contract promises. Small claims for damages up to $20K.
• Refund refused: Credit card chargeback within 60 days. Then small claims.

Famous people from Rowlett, TX — you'd be surprised

Rowlett isn't exactly a celebrity factory, but the city has produced or been home to more notable people than most residents realize. Here's the list.

• The Dalrock, Schrade, and other founding families whose names are on streets, schools, and parks throughout the city
• Long-serving city council members and mayors who shepherded the city's growth from farming community to lakeside city
• Pro Football Reference — Kyle Orton career statistics

DFW bucket list: 25 experiences every resident should have

How many have you done?

Rental scam alert: Fake landlord listing real houses on Zillow and Apartments.com

A sophisticated rental scam is targeting DFW renters. Scammers are listing REAL houses for rent that they don't own, collecting deposits and first month's rent, then vanishing.

• They find houses that are legitimately for sale on Zillow/Redfin
• They create a rental listing for the same property at a believable price
• They show the property using a lockbox code or open house times

Wine bars in DFW for when you want something more civilized

Not every night is a beer-and-shot night. DFW has excellent wine bars.

• The Grape (Lower Greenville) — been here since 1972. Intimate, excellent wine list, bistro food. This is a classic. Source: thegraperestaurant.com
• Times Ten Cellars (Lakewood, Henderson) — local winery with tasting rooms. Relaxed, educational tastings. $15-20 per flight. Source: timestencellars.com
• Veritas Wine Room (Oak Cliff) — self-pour wine machines, 100+ wines. Bishop Arts area. Source: veritaswineroom.com

DFW towing company nightmares: Your rights under Texas law and how to fight back

Your car got towed from a DFW parking lot. Before you pay $300+ to get it back, know your rights.

• Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308
• TDLR — towing regulations and fee caps
• Texas Occupations Code 2308.451-458 (tow hearings)

Moved here from the northeast and this culture shock is real

Three months in. Some observations from someone still adjusting.

• People genuinely say "sir" and "ma'am" and it's not sarcastic
• The speed limit says 65 but everyone is doing 80 and if you go 70 you're in the way
• Restaurants bring chips and salsa like it's bread and butter. I am not complaining.

Trade jobs vs college degree: Texas edition

I'm 19. Everyone in my family says college. But I've been looking at the numbers and I'm not sure it makes sense anymore.

Is Rowlett becoming the next Frisco? Growth data comparison 2016-2026

You hear this a lot on Rowlett Facebook groups: "Rowlett is the next Frisco." Let's look at the actual numbers and see if the comparison holds up.

• Frisco: 154,000 → 240,000 (+56%)
• Rowlett: 60,000 → 68,000 (+13%)
• Frisco: $330K → $550K (+67%)

PSA: AT&T Stadium concerts are a completely different experience depending on where you sit

Went to a concert at AT&T Stadium last month. My friend was in floor seats, I was in the upper deck. She had an amazing time. I might as well have watched from home.

Interview red flags from Texas employers

I've been job hunting for a few months and the number of sketchy interviews I've had is wild. Compiling a list so others know what to watch for.

• "We're like a family here" = you will have no boundaries and be guilt tripped for using PTO
• Won't give a salary range = it's low and they know it
• "We work hard and play hard" = 60 hour weeks and a pizza party once a quarter

Late night food in DFW: What's open after midnight

It's 1:30 AM. You're hungry. Where do you go?

• Whataburger (everywhere) — the undisputed champion of DFW late-night food.
• Buzzbrews (Deep Ellum + Lakewood) — 24-hour breakfast. Pancakes at 3 AM are valid. Source: buzzbrews.com
• IHOP/Waffle House (various) — the universal late-night backup.

Moving from apartment to house: what nobody tells you in TX

Spent 6 years in apartments. Just bought a house. Here's what nobody warned me about.

• Lawn care in Texas heat is a part-time job. Mowing every week in summer. Watering constantly. The grass will die if you look at it wrong in August.
• Property tax hits different when you write the check yourself. In an apartment it's hidden in rent. Now I see the $8K bill annually.
• Everything that breaks is YOUR problem. AC went out the second month. $400 repair. In an apartment I would've called maintenance.

Just got laid off. Tech industry is brutal right now.

Got the email Wednesday morning. My entire team — 14 people — eliminated. 2 years at the company. Good performance reviews. Didn't matter.

Telecom Corridor is getting a glow-up. Tons of new development happening in Richardson.

Drove through the Richardson Telecom Corridor area this week and there's construction everywhere. New mixed-use developments, office buildings, restaurants.

The DFW tech scene is real but nobody outside Texas takes it seriously

I work in tech in DFW and when I talk to people in SF or NYC about the scene here they have no idea what's going on.

Taste of Dallas 2026: The food festival worth your calories

Taste of Dallas is back and it's the best food festival in DFW. Here's what to know.

• Date: June 2026 (exact dates TBD, usually second weekend in June)
• Location: Fair Park, Dallas
• Admission: $15-25. Taste tickets sold separately ($1 per ticket, dishes cost 3-10 tickets).

EaDo (East Downtown) is Houston next big neighborhood — here is what is happening

EaDo five years ago was warehouses and empty lots. Now it has BBVA Stadium (Shell Energy Stadium), new restaurants, breweries, and a growing residential scene. It's Houston's version of what happened to Deep Ellum in Dallas.

• Shell Energy Stadium — Dynamo and Dash home. Game nights bring energy to the neighborhood.
• 8th Wonder Brewery — The unofficial social hub of EaDo. Their Hopston IPA and Dome Faux'm cream ale are excellent.
• Saint Arnold Brewing — Houston's oldest craft brewery. The beer garden is massive and the tours are good.

Best dive bars in DFW: Where the drinks are cheap and the vibes are real

Not every night needs a $16 cocktail. Sometimes you need a $3 Lone Star and zero pretension.

• The Goat (Lower Greenville) — pool tables, jukebox, $4 domestics. The definition of a dive bar.
• Lee Harvey's (Cedars) — massive outdoor area, cheap drinks, live music sometimes. Named after... yes. Source: leeharveys.com
• Double Wide (Deep Ellum) — the iconic Deep Ellum dive. Trailer park theme. Cheap. Weird. Perfect. Source: double-wide.com

Property tax protest -- did anyone actually get theirs lowered?

First time protesting my property tax appraisal this year. The county raised my value by $35K which makes zero sense because nothing about my house or neighborhood has changed.

The Heights is great but let us be honest about the problems

The Heights is Houston's hottest neighborhood and has been for a decade. Tree-lined streets, cute bungalows, the 19th Street shopping district, and White Oak Music Hall. But the shine is wearing off in some areas.

• The tree canopy. The Heights has more trees per block than almost anywhere in Houston. Walking down Harvard or Yale streets in the spring is beautiful.
• The bike trail along the MKT corridor is excellent. You can bike from the Heights to downtown in 15 minutes.
• 19th Street has independent shops, restaurants, and bars that still feel local.