The New Klyde Warren Park

TRAVEL HERE: HEY MAN ARE WE IN CHICAGO?

OK! I’ll admit it. Chicago is pretty cool. Not only are they right there on Lake Michigan, they’ve got that whole Museum District thing going on. I wouldn’t be so bold to ask the Chicago question, but I couldn’t help overhearing someone ask it a week or so ago, at the opening of the new Klyde Warren Park right here in my Dallas.

Celebrating a Special Day

To celebrate a friend’s birthday, Dallas donned her best weather.

When my dear friend and her son picked me up, our first destination was Toulouse, our favorite brunch spot, but we had a lot on the agenda.  After glasses of champagne and Crab Florentine, we were on our way downtown.  Since it was opening day for the new park (which abuts my beloved Dallas Museum of Art) we parked for free (membership has its privileges) in the DMA underground parking and visited the festivities at Klyde Warren.

Like a cat traveling in a car, I barely knew which way to look,

but one of the first things I noticed was that a lot of dogs had brought their owners to check out the park.  Then I noticed a lot of kids had done the same thing.

Once loosed into their separate portions of the park, the reactions of the dogs and the kids was somewhat similar, “All this for me?”  Both two-legged and four-legged sorts were running about frenetically trying to grasp the magnitude of their domains.

But the park is not only for dogs and kids.  And you’re not supposed to just look at the park or jog through it.  Developers claim it will be an urban space with yoga, board games, movie screenings, book signings and whatnot, everyday.  I hope they’re right.  Dallas could use that, especially in the downtown area.

For the Grand Opening they certainly had things hopping.  Though the promised restaurant is still a year away, there were rows and rows of food trucks.  Folks were playing chess, checkers and mah jongg.  A stage and seating were set up with a schedule of performers.  But the big excitement was really over in the kid section.

We all have a little kid somewhere inside.  On some level we all respond to leaping fountains, jungle gyms and treehouses, but what I loved about the kids section was the squishy stuff beneath your feet.  I had on high heeled boots and it was a great break from walking on concrete.  And don’t worry about walking on the grass – it’s fake, so have at it!

But the park was just one stop during a busy day, so after taking it’s measure we moved on to the museum to see the Posters of Paris Exhibit.  Not to worry.  I’ll tell you about that later.  For now, enjoy a few more shots of the park.  (I know these pictures aren’t as good as the ones Bill takes, but he didn’t come with.)

Happy Birthday Deb! I hope it’s a great year!

There’s Chess

And then there’s Chess

City Scapes

Treehouse

Garden Spaces

Jungle Gym