Dallas
Dallas, now the largest city in Texas after Houston, owes its origin to John Neely Bryan, who in 1841 built himself a hut on the banks of the Trinity River in north-eastern Texas. Until after the Civil War Dallas was overshadowed by its sister city Fort Worth, but after the coming of
the railroad in 1873 Dallas grew rapidly. While until the Second World War the city's economy depended on the grain and cotton grown in the surrounding area and later on oil, it has now become, with its numerous insurance corporations and banks, the business and financial centre not only of Texas but of the whole of the south-west. It was natural, therefore, that the famous soap opera of power, money and intrigue should have Dallas as its setting. The city's main industrial products are electronic apparatus, oil drilling equipment, chemicals and, since the Second World War, aircraft, rockets and electronics. Important contributions to the economy are also made by textiles and publishing.
Dallas is noted for its modern and post-modern architecture including I.M. Pei's Fountain Place, Renaissance Tower, Bank of America Plaza, and the Reunion Tower. An example of Gothic Revival architecture is the Kirby Building and a Neoclassic structure is the Davis and Wilson buildings. Swiss Avenue is a notable stretch of homes featuring architecural styles from Victorian to Neoclassical.
Visitors to Dallas will enjoy the numerous art institutions such as the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Collection of Asian Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center. Deep Ellum is a popular location for artists and their studios. The city is home to over 400 parks which provide opportunity for many outdoor activities including cycling, jogging, swimming, tennis, picnics and golf.
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