THINGS TO DO:
by Ulrick Bates
Just like the real estate landscape in Dallas, the nightlife scene is an amazing patchwork of culture, music, design and style. So, I will be your guide through the streets of Dallas taking you to all of the hot spots, restaurants, clubs, bars, best patios, best drinks, DJ’s and everything in between Those “in the know’ would never say Dallas is boring. There are plenty of places to go and plenty to see. A great entourage or crew makes all the difference., but for now I will give you the heads up and get you going in the right direction. Let’s start out with the not so typical Friday night. Friday’s in Dallas normally feel like Friday in any large city , if you know what I mean. I don’t care if you’re a self employed graphic artists, a waiter at Grand Luxe or a stripper, I mean adult entertainer, Fridays are special here.
I start out with meeting some friends at Kona Grill at Northpark Mall. It’s about 6:15pm or so before I make it and either these folks didn’t work today or I’m the only idiot who got stuck in traffic. The patio is popping, it’s a great mixture of people and the drinks are great. My next stop is at Steel at the Centrium building, they have some of the best sushi in Dallas and another group of friends have already assembled at the bar , so at this point I’m playing catch up. Steel is very sexy, the lighting and design are perfect and unlike many spots in Dallas, it’s not hot because they opened last weekend, it’s been around for a while and they have a proven track record.
Now that we’ve warmed up a little bit , its time to really get it on! Tonight 26 Ark and V’s Vibe Spot are having their Brown Sugar party at the Zubar on Greenville. In Dallas the promoter’s parties are as fun and just as important as the locations themselves. I still love Greenville, the bars and clubs are always really fun and it’s one of the few places you can bar hop without having to get in your car. Zubar is one of my favorites, they always have great artwork from local artists hung from the ceiling and the back room of the bar is cozy with comfy couches and oversized pillows. Tonight, one of my favorite video DJ’s, M. Knight, is throwing down and the crowd here is live!. It’s a really cool collection of young professionals, artists, everyone that everyone wants to see and know. It is neo- soul, urban and chic. I love it. The DJ plays songs and videos like De La Soul, Nas, and old school Biggie and Jay Z. I lose my mind, when he plays Dead Presidents off Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt. I think the crowd is just as crunk as I am. There’s very little walking room, but no one seems to mind. The dress code is casual, but trendy and while, some adorn screened Obama tees, others adorn garb ranging from sports coats and jeans to L.A.M.B. shoes and tights, it’s all awesome! We leave a hair or two before 2am, so that we can catch valet before it gets too crazy. It’s another great night in a great city!
