Dallas


IN NOMINE Dallas

 

 

  1. IN NOMINE Dallas
    1. Mundane Facts
    2. The War in Dallas
    3. Neighborhoods and Landmarks
      1. The West End
      2. Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
      3. Reunion Tower
      4. Deep Ellum
      5. The Galleria
      6. Fair Park
      7. Six Flags over Texas
      8. Oak Cliff
      9. Las Colinas
      10. Telecom Corridor
      11. Restaurant Row
    4. Airports
    5. Universities

 

Mundane Facts

 

 

Dallas itself has a population of almost 1.2 million people. The DFW Metroplex has a total population of about 4 million. Dallas is approximately 35% white, 25% black, and 36% Hispanic. The surrounding (generally more affluent) communities tend to be whiter.

 

Dallas is the 2nd largest city in Texas (Houston is the largest), and the 7th largest city in the U.S. The DallasFortWorthAirport is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. Dallas was originally a farming town. While there is little oil actually in the Metroplex area, Dallas became a major economic center as a result of the East Texas oil fields. Today, Dallas is primarily a business center, with the largest concentration of high-tech companies outside of "Silicon Valley" in California. The "Telecom Corridor" running through Dallas and Richardson includes some of the largest electronics and telecommunications firms in the world.

 

While a major city and probably the most cosmopolitan in Texas, Dallas has long suffered by comparison with other large cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. It's been passed over for the Olympics, lost a bid for Boeing to Chicago, and its professional sports teams have sucked for years. Generally treated as a poor Southern relation among America's major metropolises, Dallas has never achieved "world class" status.

 

The War in Dallas

 

As with mortals, Dallas is regarded by celestials as a city of some importance, but not a crucial location. It is not on the front lines of the War, and thus it is rarely visited by Superiors and has few Word-bound inhabitants. Its primary importance is the DallasFortWorthAirport, which as a major transportation hub is carefully watched by both sides.

 

The most important influence, or lack thereof, in Dallas is the fact that there are no major Tethers, only a small number of minor ones. Many Tethers have come and gone in Dallas throughout its history, but none have yet proven stable and persistent, and none have become powerful enough to exert a major influence on the area. Thus, the balance of power in Dallas is maintained mostly through the day-to-day efforts of individual Servitors. This makes the War in Dallas intense but low-key. There is no "treaty" between angels and demons as there is in Austin; in fact, there is very little communication between the two sides at all. Fighting is vicious and relentless, but what keeps it from becoming all-out war is the fact that both sides have mandated that disturbance be minimized in the city. Heaven and Hell both greatly desire a major Tether that will secure a power base for them, and disturbance makes Tethers less likely to form. Thus, Asmodeus and Dominic are both even more intolerant of disturbances (and open celestial interventions) in Dallas than they are elsewhere, and both have several minions permanently stationed here to keep celestials in line. So while angels and demons (and their Soldiers) will take any opportunity they can get to strike at the other side, they must do so "quietly."

 

Neighborhoods and Landmarks

 

The West End

 

 

The signature red brick warehouses of this section of town have been restored and converted into dozens of restaurants, shops, bars, and dance clubs. The West End is a trendy place for yuppies looking for a night out. Crime is minimal and police are highly visible. Street entertainers are tolerated, but beggars are moved along. During the day it is even child-friendly. The most famous building is the four-level West End Market Place, formerly a candy-and-cracker factory converted into a multiple stores, restaurants, bars. It is the entire West End experience crowded into one building.

 

Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

 

 

Located with West End Historic District is the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is a permanent historical exhibition filled with hundreds of photographs, documentary films, and relics. It focuses on the life, assassination and legacy of John F. Kennedy and downplays the conspiracy theories.

 

Reunion Tower

 

 

"The ball" is the signature mark in the Dallas skyline. For a small fee, anyone can visit the 360-degree observation deck, called The Lookout, 50-stories above Dallas. The ball also is home to The Antares and The Dome. The Antares is an elegant but pricey restaurant and the sight of many a wedding proposal. The Dome is a cocktail bar above the Antares. The Dome and the Antares rotate once every 55 minutes providing an ever changing view of the Dallas/Ft Worth.

 

Deep Ellum

 

 

Located only three blocks from downtown Dallas, Deep Ellum is home to several bars and clubs and is known for its live music. Deep Ellum was once gritty, unsafe and on the cutting edge (and, briefly in the early 20th century, a Tether to Freedom). It's now safe, commercial and 'trendy'.

 

The Galleria

 

 

Once the only place for high end shopping in Dallas, the Galleria is now merely the flagship of shopping with many competitors. The Galleria is a multilevel mall featuring more than 200 stores and an ice rink. The stores are all high-end and many cater to high fashion.

 

Fair Park

 

 

Located two miles east of downtown Dallas, Fair Park is home to nine museums and six performance facilities, the most notable being the Cotton Bowl. All of this surrounded by lush landscaped grounds. Most of the times the museums are poorly visited, but Fair Park can become quite crowded during a concert, play or sporting event. For three weeks each fall Fair Park is the host to the State Fair of Texas which draws seven million people each year.

 

Six Flags over Texas

 

 

The original Six Flags amusement park founded forty-five years ago, Six Flags over Texas is still the number one tourist draw in the DFW area.

 

Oak Cliff

 

 

Oak Cliff is a minority-dominated district of Dallas. As such, it is often called "The Cliff." Oak Cliff has one of the smallest municipal budgets, more low-income housing, and more citizens living below the poverty line than any other district in Dallas. In comparison to other Dallas districts, Oak Cliff has more counts of robberies, burglaries, rapes, and murders topping the city of Dallas as the highest crime rate city in the nation. For decades a predominantly African American neighborhood, over the past few years the influx of Hispanics has changed that profile and in the 2000 census, Hispanics outnumbered African Americans as the largest minority in the Dallas area.

 

Las Colinas

 

Located in the suburb of Irving midway between downtown Dallas and DallasFortWorthAirport is the "community" of Las Colinas. Las Colinas is a high-tech corporate hub. While most of the financial business goes on in downtown Dallas, high-tech companies tend to cluster in Las Colinas or the Telecom Corridor. Las Colinas is the home to more than 2,000 companies, including 40 Fortune 500 companies. Apartments, restaurants and pricey homes round out the community.

 

Telecom Corridor

 

Located along an 11-mile streach to either side of I 75 in the suburb of Richardson, just north of Dallas, the Telecom Corridor is the one of the densest high-tech areas in the US with an average of 50 high-tech companies per square mile.

 

Restaurant Row

 

More than 160 restaurants nestle shoulder to shoulder along a few mile streach of Beltline Road in Addison just north of Dallas. This area is closely watched by the restaurant industry and often used as a test market for new restauarant concepts or a springboard for national expansion. It's been said, "If you can make it in Dallas, you can make it anywhere."

 

Airports

 

 

Universities