Home Sweet Henderson

Dan and I are in the midst of buying our first house, and we're smack in the middle of that exhausting time known as the "option period." (Translation = decisions, negotiations, and paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.) So it was especially uplifting to read D Magazine editor-in-chief Wick Allison's editor's letter in the February 2009 issue, which touted the burgeoning vibrancy of Knox-Henderson, the Dallas neighborhood in which we're buying.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it: Knox-Henderson is one avenue. On the west side of 75, it's called Knox; on the east side, it's called Henderson. The west side is anchored by some big-name retailers (Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, and Apple among them). The east side has more of a local feel—restaurants with breezy street-facing patios, well-curated antique shops, a wood-fired pizza joint, a wine bar—you get the idea.

We've liked Knox-Henderson since we landed here in October—especially the Henderson side. While there are still sleepy areas between the bustling pockets of the street, the pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare carries a local vibe and reminds us of our old home, Brooklyn. But it's not one of those city-sponsored "business improvement" districts or pre-planned outdoor shopping malls. Wick’s letter emphasizes the "organic change" that's happening in the neighborhood:

"Organic change—the kind that isn’t planned or city sponsored but advances little by little in fits and starts—always presents a deeper meaning if we try to grasp the forces behind it. In this case, the force is market demand by younger people. Knox-Henderson runs 1.4 miles from the Katy Trail to Ross Avenue, changing from one name to the other as it crosses over Central Expressway. Only a decade ago, Knox Street was a rather tattered shopping street, and Henderson was the northern boulevard of the lower East Dallas barrio, lined with taquerias and beer joints and a Mexican grocery store. But the definition is changing. Urban infill today attracts a younger, more ethnically mixed crowd. The change on Henderson Avenue is patchy, but as the apartments begin to fill, we could be seeing the harbinger of a new lower East Dallas. Unlike a suburban housing development, it won’t pop up overnight. But with more young people wanting a less expensive version of Uptown, my guess is that in a decade, lower East Dallas will be one of the hottest spots in town."

Thanks for your insight, Wick. It feels good to be part of 'hood. Cool photos here.