Shopping in Dallas

For the shopper Dallas is utopia, offering everything from a midget submarine to Mexican imports. Without question, the legend in Dallas shopping is Neiman-Marcus, with its main store at Main and Ervay streets. This internationally known store has sold such frivolities as polar-bear rugs and "his and hers" camels. The store also has a supply of general merchandise.

Dallas is reputed to have more retail space per capita than any other American city and has some 630 shopping centers. One of the best known is Galleria Dallas, at the intersection of Dallas Parkway and LBJ Freeway. Within this high-tech complex are more than 200 stores--including Macy's, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue--and an ice skating rink. The nearby Valley View Center contains a collection of more than 170 stores, including Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears.

The West End Marketplace is a former cracker factory transformed into a collection of specialty shops and eateries in downtown's historic West End. Just north of the Marketplace is the Quadrangle, between Cedar Springs and McKinney, where shops and galleries cluster around quiet courtyards.

Adjacent to downtown and linked by the historic McKinney Avenue Trolley system are two entertainment districts, McKinney Avenue/Uptown and West Village. The 125-year-old neighborhood along McKinney Avenue is filled with chic restaurants, galleries, hotels and boutiques. Just up the street is West Village, a new, vibrant mix of unique retailers, dining establishments, and clubs.

Suburban shopping matches the downtown area for style with its complexes and malls. Among the largest of these facilities are Northpark Center, corner of N.W. Highway and US 75; Southwest Center, Camp Wisdom and US 67; and Town East, at the intersection of Town East Boulevard and I-635. Eighteen miles north in Plano, Collin Creek Mall is one of the bigger malls in the state.

For more down-to-earth tastes, Traders Village covers 106 acres off SR 360 in Grand Prairie and offers a Texas-size flea market that includes rides, an arcade, a carousel and many events.

For outdoor adventurers, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, at the intersection of SR 121 and I-635 in Grapevine, features a 30,000-gallon aquarium and waterfall, archery and driving ranges, wildlife exhibits and sporting demonstrations.