OT Deep Ellum

[rounder]

Just checking. In Dallas this week and was interested in whether Deep Ellum was a good place to go.

Always liked the Deep Ellum song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdLkFYDTJuk

[joosttx]

I spent most of my highschool and nights at home from college in Deep Ellum. When I am back home I always go to the Gingerman off of Mckinney avenue though.

[rounder]

Cool. Thanks Joosttx.

[Ozz]

Just checking. ...
Always liked the Deep Ellum song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdLkFYDTJuk

Grateful Dead has a version of it as well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=qx1LqnIJLj8&feature=emb_title

[joosttx]

Kind of a neat story is when I moved back to Dallas after college and lived in now the State Thomas area before all the gentrification and condos. It was basically open fields and a few shacky homes. State Thomas originally was the neighborhood Dallas, planners set aside for free slaves to settle after the Civil War. I befriended one of the legends in State Thomas, a man name Leon. He probably was 80+ years old. He told me when he was young in his 20's he and his buddies use to hop the train that slowed down on Central Avenue (expressway) and ride the cars a short distance to Elm St. (Ellum) and go to the blue and jazz clubs. He said they were rough.

[rounder]

Thanks. I am going there. Our hotel is on Commerce Street and Deep Ellum is within walking distance.

[fiamme red]

The original version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng3pcexbjZg.

[rounder]

Another good version of the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o54AKyNDAo

[11.4]

Perhaps too late for your trip, but ...

Deep Ellum is in a process of transforming. It's had several attempts to gentrify or commercialize. It has a superb hamburger place (Twisted Root), possibly the best barbecue place in north Texas (Pecan Lodge), a good place for alternative music at night, a bunch of bars. And a good free weights gym. Galleries and such are moving in, real estate is already overpriced, driven by Patagonia and similar labels moving in.

It really depends on what you're looking for. A lot of it is rough and it's generally spotty -- perhaps one interesting place per block but undeveloped in between. I'd go there for the barbecue (typically a 45 minute wait you want to plan for), a burger at Twisted Root, then head into other neighborhoods nearby for more entertainment in your short amount of time.

[msl819]

Perhaps too late for your trip, but ...

Deep Ellum is in a process of transforming. It's had several attempts to gentrify or commercialize. It has a superb hamburger place (Twisted Root), possibly the best barbecue place in north Texas (Pecan Lodge), a good place for alternative music at night, a bunch of bars. And a good free weights gym. Galleries and such are moving in, real estate is already overpriced, driven by Patagonia and similar labels moving in.

It really depends on what you're looking for. A lot of it is rough and it's generally spotty -- perhaps one interesting place per block but undeveloped in between. I'd go there for the barbecue (typically a 45 minute wait you want to plan for), a burger at Twisted Root, then head into other neighborhoods nearby for more entertainment in your short amount of time.

There is also a good taco place close called Taco Joint if I remember correctly. Only open for lunch last I was there but when is Texas... one has to eat good Tex-Mex!

[rounder]

Thanks all. Went there today (Sunday afternoon) and walked around. No music in the afternoon, but there were a lot of people there. Lots of bars and places to eat. I was hoping for Texas style music, but it seemed to be more like today's everywhere music style. Weather was beautiful. Lots of people were riding scooters, bicycles, motorcycles and a few hot rods.

I would go there again in the evening but not sure I will have time.

[joosttx]

When I started going there is a crank dealing skinhead scene. I remember seeing a paddy wagon and a bunch of cops arresting skinheads one night. Then there was this place called Dave’s Art Pawn Shop which was a folk music coffee shop. Rhett Miller of the Old 97s played solo digs there. Club DaDs and thenTrees. Clear view and Blind Lemmon. My favorite place was a joint called Naomis. They would serve Shiner from a refrigator and have old country music acts play. The owner would pass a 5 gallon bucket or cowboy hat around to pay the musical acts while shouting “it’s Robert Tilton Time”. Then around 2:30 we would head to the Metro dinner for a 2x4.

I remember someone sang a song about Deep Ellum in Naomis.

“Go down to Deep Ellum in evening.
Go to the hottest bar of them all
See the highest flying girl, that’s Leia
Hear my lonesome caterwaul.”

[rounder]

Thanks joostx.

Everybody has a favorite place when they were growing up. For me, it was Fells Point in Baltimore. Wasted way too much of my youth hanging out there. Scene was fun...lots of artists, good music, etc. It reminded me a lot of Deep Ellum. Never been a song of Fells Point as good as Deep Ellum Blues.

[mistermo]

I spent most of my highschool and nights at home from college in Deep Ellum. When I am back home I always go to the Gingerman off of Mckinney avenue though.

This. I used to live there, briefly. Ginger Man is one of my all time favorite places for an ale.