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OAK CLIFF ADVOCATE VOL.16 NO.3

CLICKWORTHY 6 All the web news PROFILE 10 Jackie Briseño of Agencia Hispana DINING 14 Encina fires up date night FEATURES 16 Bike-lane and trail connections are so close, yet so far 20 Where is Tenth Street? 26 Parkways are ripe for community gardens COLUMNS 28 Book talk: Claudia Vega 29 Worship: Eric Folkerth

The Kinkaid cocktail at Encina. Read more on page 14. Photo by Kathy Tran.

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DEVELOPMENT DIGEST ATLAS METALWORKS COULD BECOME APARTMENTS The owners of a 93-year-old West Dallas business site want a zoning change to allow apartments, while preserving an art deco-style stucco office building on the property. The site of Atlas Metalworks could become a five-story multifamily development with shops or restaurants facing Singleton. The property’s owner, H&R REIT, has requested the creation of a new planned development district that would allow multifamily and retail at the southwest corner of Singleton and Sylvan. Adjacent land that Atlas once owned already has been redeveloped onto Trinity Green. RED BIRD HOTEL The developer of a Red Bird hotel has asked the City of Dallas for $1,788,126 in future tax reimbursements for a Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott. The five-story hotel would sit just south of the Palladium RedBird apartments, which opened recently. The hotel is expected to cost $31.5 million to build and could open as soon as 2024. Dallas-based developer Atlantic Hotels Group would be repaid an estimated $70,000-$80,000 a year for 15-17 years from the Dallas Mall Area Redevelopment TIF. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING Dallas City Council recently approved the purchase of a shuttered Oak Cliff hospital for permanent supportive housing of chronically homeless residents. The city will use $6.5 million from 2017 municipal bond funds to pay for the 12-acre former University General Hospital at 2929 S. Hampton Road, which has been vacant for about five years. No specific plans have been made for the building, but it was purchased using funds earmarked for affordable and supportive housing, homeless services and medical facilities. City Councilmember Casey Thomas is expected to hold community meetings on how to use the property. NOT A WOOFUS BUT A WOONERF One block of Ninth Street in the Bishop Arts District now belongs to developer Exxir Capital. Dallas City Council recently voted to “abandon” the block of Ninth between Bishop and Madison, where Exxir is planning a woonerf, a pedestrian friendly low-speed drive.

The street could also be closed for markets and events without the hassles that come with closing a public street, such as permits and the requirement to hire police as security.

SERVICE AS DISTINCTIVE AS THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE SERVE

ROOFTOP BAR The Dallas City Plan Commission approved the Bishop Arts District’s first rooftop bar recently. Urban Genesis, owners of the Bishop Highline apartments on the southeast corner of Madison and Ninth, gained approval to operate a bar on the building’s roof with a private-club license from the State of Texas. THE DREAM OF HOME RENTING? Apartment occupancy is at an all-time high in the United States, and Dallas is the No. 1 market for multifamily building. But there’s a revived category of rentals that Dallas is also leading. Our market ranks No. 3 for “build-to-rent” homes, according to RentCafe. The Dallas/Fort Worth area has 4,290 built-torent homes, and Dallas proper has 1,270, putting us at No. 4 nationally. About 14,000 build-torent homes are under construction in the U.S., according to estimates from RentCafe. TWO-BEDROOM RENTS INCREASE SHARPLY Rent is up dramatically all over Dallas, and anyone who needs a two-bedroom could be seeing prices increase by nearly a third. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $2,414, according to a recent report from Rent.com. That’s up 31.34% in December compared to the previous year.

Serving Oak Cliff for Over 20 Years Spring is here, if you are considering buying or selling a home in this dynamic market give us a call! You deserve the best, and we have been the Best in Oak Cliff for 22 consecutive years. Call now to put our passion to work for you!

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Jake Kurz

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THE BEST KEEP

Photo courtesy of United to Learn.

GETTING BETTER

We’re no strangers to our neighborhood – we get it. That’s why the DeCarla Anderson Group has expanded to better serve our Oak Cliff clients, friends and neighbors. As Oak Cliff residents and top-producing agents, we live, breathe and work this incredible community. Our goal is to provide decades of market insight and the best real estate experience tailored to you. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest in Oak Cliff real estate, we only have one question: How can we be of service?

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JOYFUL PROJECTS Nonprofit brings joyful projects to neighborhood elementary schools Story by RACHEL STONE

UNITED TO LEARN kicked off five weekends of service to neighborhood schools on Feb. 26. The Dallas nonprofit “mobilizes the community to close opportunity gaps in Dallas public elementary schools.” Its annual Community Campus Day events invite volunteers from companies and schools to complete projects that make learning joyful. “Research shows that joyful, enriched learning environments can increase productivity and engagement by 15% and more. While improving surroundings is critical, it is not easily

afforded by limited public school budgets,” a media release from United to Learn states. At some schools, volunteers will build gardens. At one, they are transforming a classroom into a fully equipped science lab. In others, they will enhance teacher wellness rooms, create a dual-purpose “zen den” where students can calm themselves or update existing gardens. The Oak Cliff schools benefiting from the volunteer events, which run through April 23, are Elisha M. Pease Elementary, John Neely Bryan Elementary and Nancy J. Cochran Elementary.

zoo poo Story by CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

Zoo Poo is coming soon to a nearby gift shop. It is exactly what it sounds like. Animal poop, processed and sold as planting soil. It is reportedly part of the Dallas Zoo’s push for sustainability. Zoo Poo will be sold at the Dallas Zoo’s gift shop, local specialty stores and at the Fort Worth headquarters of Silver Creek Materials, the recycling outfit partnering with the Dallas Zoo to turn elephants, giraffes, hippos and other herbivores’ manure into compost. We read about this first in the Green Source DFW newsletter, where editor Julie Thibodeaux reports that “the animal manure, with its mixture of hay and bedding material, creates compost for potted plants, growing gardens, landscape areas, and anywhere soil can benefit from additional nutrients.” A portion of Zoo Poo sales will benefit international wildlife conservation organizations supported by the Dallas Zoo. Twice a week, a truck from the Dallas Zoo will carry loads of poo to Silver Creek for conversion and packaging. The zoo reportedly has a goal of diverting 90% of its waste from landfills by 2030 as part of its commitment to sustainability. “Animal manure is by far the heaviest part of waste generation at the Dallas Zoo,” the zoo has reported. Silver Creek Materials reports it will take 100% of herbivore manure from the Dallas Zoo beginning this year. The zoo’s president, Gregg Hudson, says in a statement that herbivorous animals such as elephants, giraffes and okapi produce more than two million pounds of manure per year. “The Dallas Zoo is committed to conservation and sustainability as we work to create a better world for animals, and we are thrilled to partner with Silver Creek Materials to make an even bigger impact,” Hudson says.

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ALL FIRED UP A catastrophe won’t hold back Jackie Briseño or the business her family built. But it is the end of the line for a property with a shocking past. ›

Story by CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB | Photography by CORRIE AUNE

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MARCH 2022

ayne Lumbley was up early on a Sunday morning when she glimpsed a flash against her living room wall. That seemed odd — lightning was not in the forecast. Then she smelled smoke, ran to a window, and saw sparks flying off an electrical transformer next door. She hollered at her husband — “Joseph!”— and lunged for the phone. The Lumbleys moved into their North Bishop Avenue home Aug. 16, 1977 — “the day Elvis died,” Joseph recalls. In ensuing years, they have seen interesting and shocking things at the adjacent property, 825 N. Bishop, a single-family style cottage that has operated as commercial businesses as far back as the couple can recall. For the past 12 years the occupant was Agencia Hispana, a family-owned notary public outfit catering to Dallas’ Spanish-speaking community. And on this cold morning, just three days into the new year, Agencia Hispana was on fire. The Lumbleys had come to know owner Jackie Briseño and her family and staff. Even though it was the weekend, Joseph could not be certain everyone was gone. So while Jayne spoke to a 911 operator, he bolted out the door in pajamas. “I could not even believe how fast it was burning,” he says. He smashed out a side window and screamed, “Is anyone in there?” First responders arrived within minutes and contained the fire before it reached any neighboring properties. To everyone’s relief, no one had been inside. A FAMILY BUSINESS Agencia Hispana has been serving Oak Cliff residents for

We Get Lakewood. North Oak Cliff. In this neighborhood, you need a proven professional to help you find what In this neighborhood, you need a proven professional to help you find what you’re looking for. As Dallas’ experts on our city’s close-in communities, you’re looking for. As Dallas’ experts on our city’s close-in communities, no one gets Oak Cliff like the pros at David Griffin & Company Realtors. no one gets Lakewood like the pros at David Griffin & Company Realtors. Buying? Selling? Call 214.526.5626 or visit davidgriffin.com. Buying? Selling? Call 214.526.5626 or visit davidgriffin.com.

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immigrants and building strong ties in the Dallas area. “Even as a child, I didn’t know what I was doing at the time, but Dad would take us on these marches,” she says. “My parents were very involved in immigrant rights. We had close family friends who were immigration lawyers, so I saw a lot of what they did. We would volunteer at churches, work with Catholic Charities. It’s a passion I grew up around. Like they say, it’s in your blood.” In a nutshell, Agencia Hispana provides notary services to the Latinx community. But such a generic description belies the business’ importance to its spectrum of clients — for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, the notary, translation and other services are essential for a wide array of legal documents. From 825 N. Bishop, Briseño had been assisting people with all these things and countless others. Politics and changing regulations can lead to confusion and backlog that affects her work and clientele. For instance, President Barack Obama in 2012 enacted the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act, which protects people brought unlawfully into the country as children from deportation. President Donald Trump rescinded DACA in 2017. Joe Biden reinstated it in January 2021, but months later a federal judge put a stop to new applications. Now there are millions of applications in limbo from those seven or so months, Briseño explains. It is but one example of the type

She’s rescourceful, resilient, and already making plans to rebuild 30 some years. Carlos J. Romero operated out of a West Davis Street address during the ’90s before his daughter Jackie Briseño broke off on her own and eventually opened the Bishop Arts location. Now, at 89, Carlos works for her. “It is truly a family business,” says Briseño, who’s lived in Oak Cliff her whole life. The 48-year-old, at least outwardly, has hardly missed a beat since absorbing the hard hit on her agency (though she does tear up when talking about it). She put off plans to sell her house on Montclair, a bespoke abode reflecting her style and personality — luxurious, honest, a tad whimsical and wholly welcoming. It’s where we meet, and she tells us she is considering renting it out until she and her business are on better financial footing. Briseño explains that her mom, Antonia Romero, immigrated from Monterey, Mexico in the ‘70s, just before Jackie was born. As long as she can remember her family has been advocating for

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MARCH 2022

of issue she has to stay on top of and help others navigate. If the need goes beyond what she can provide, Briseño has a network of trusted connections — lawyers and doctors, et cetera — to whom she refers clients. A HOUSE WITH A HISTORY By the time she arrived at 825 N. Bishop the day of the fire, everything had been destroyed. A demolition crew tore down what remained of the structure, leaving the house, built in the 1920s, a smoldering pile of papers and rubble. While it had operated commercially for as long as neighbors can recall, it blended in with other neighborhood residences. Its sky-gray exterior and freshly painted white columns bracketing a broad front porch — not to mention the emerald green accent wall inside — added to the welcoming atmosphere at the agency. Before Jackie Briseño moved in, a group of young lawyers — including precinct 5 Justice of The Peace Juan Jasso along with Domingo Garcia — officed there. Jasso says it was that office that brought him to Dallas in 1986 when he finished law school in Houston. “A lawyer owned the house and the rest of us rented spaces from him, so there were three, four, maybe five, attorneys in that little building, that little house. It’s where I got my start. I think it may be where Domingo got his as well.” Jasso came right over the morning of the fire and gave Jackie, and the rest of the staff, a big hug. “She is resourceful, resilient, and was already making plans to rebuild. She even grabbed me for a selfie — ‘a selfie with my judge,’ she said — before I left.” The Lumbleys next door say the property had some colorful, at times tragic, history. Once in the early ’90s, when a divorce attorney was operating there,

a man ostensibly distraught by separation, gunned down his wife right there on the property. “She was dead in the car,” Joseph Lumbley recalls. Jasso, who had moved on by then, says he remembers the story well, because an associate was still officing there when it happened. The man had told his wife’s attorney that he was ready to sign the divorce papers and that she should meet him there. He arrived early, and when she pulled up he went to the car, shot her and then himself in the gut. Then he went into the office — bleeding, waving the gun around — and told the secretary he just needed the phone and called his wife’s mother to confess what he had done. “Then he apparently shoots himself again but I guess he doesn’t die because after he recovers enough and goes to jail, he’s there for a while and then calls our friend in family law to ask if he’ll help him in the child custody case,” Jasso recounts. Jasso says that, quite understandably, that particular associate left private practice soon after and “joined the EPA or something.” During another era, the Lumbleys recall, 825 was home to a so-called “massage parlor.” “There were a lot of cars, people coming and going all hours,” Jayne recalls. They installed “hot tubs and stuff,” the Lumbleys had heard, but that didn’t last long. Joseph, who works in the real estate trade, says he has witnessed extensive change over the past 40-plus years, on this street and throughout this part of Oak Cliff. He used to be part of a Mini Cooper club whose members refused to come to Oak Cliff because “they didn’t own flack jackets,” he says with a chuckle. Now the property values around here are some of the steepest in the city.

THE WOMAN IS NONSTOP One of the very first things Jackie Briseño did after her business burned to the ground was pitch handwritten signs in the property’s scorched earth, so clients knew how to reach her. “We are making appointments. We’re getting into tax season. There are people who have been relying on us for 30 years, doing their taxes. It will be a little complicated. We’re just asking them to be patient with us,” she says. Within days of the fire she was searching for a new location. She found the perfect building at 125 Centre Street, about a mile from the Bishop location. “Paul Lockman, the building owner — he saved the day,” she says. “There is even a ramp at the front of the building, for my dad, who relies on a wheelchair now. I saw that and I knew it was the right place.” She has painted the accent wall inside already — bright pink. It’s how she’s feeling, she says. From the time she received Jayne Lumbley’s frantic call, Briseño has wasted little time wallowing in the loss. Jasso, for one, says while seeing his old office in shambles was disturbing, he is thankful Agencia Hispana and its people are safe, sound and motivated to move forward. “We have worked in the same circles for many years,” he says. “What she does is important to our community.” Head high and counting her blessings, Briseño is getting on with her life and, as promised, rebuilding. “All my amazing neighbors from the first day came out to help including my best friends, Gregory Barker, Peter Guira, of course, the Lumbleys were there the whole time, and so many more people in the neighborhood, bringing food, pastries — that is how we mourn a loss in my culture,” she says. “My building burned down, and that was a tragedy, but all the love and support I received from my Oak Cliff community and staff — it’s what being an Oak Cliff resident is all about.” MARCH 2022

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Opposite page: The 44 Farms NY strip, the Kinkaid cocktail and the Cactus Jack. Above: Kurobuta pork jowl appetizer.

DATE NIGHT DONE RIGHT Romantic dinners and packed-house brunches define Encina Story by RACHEL STONE | Photography by KATHY TRAN

ENCINA SERVES ONE THING THAT OUTSELLS every other menu item — blue-corn pancakes with butterscotch, salted butter, cajeta and bacon — even though it’s only available five hours a week during Sunday brunch. “There’s at least one order on every table,” says co-owner Corey McCombs. If you want these pancakes, make a reservation for brunch. Repeat: Make. A. Reservation. The restaurant fills up every week, and unless someone cancels, walk-ins won’t fit. “We’re very walk-in friendly any other day of the week,” she says. “But Sunday brunch is so full that we just can’t.” The restaurant plans to add Saturday brunch soon, once the owners work out how to staff it. Meanwhile, chef/co-owner Matt Balke and a full-time five-man kitchen crew continue turning out their famous beefcheek pastrami ($16), which is brined

for 24 hours and smoked, and duck-leg confit ($35) with chorizo braised blackeyed peas, poblano caramel and crumbled cornbread. Another popular menu item is the Berkshire pork chop ($45) an enormous portion served with poblano-cheddar grits, bacon and braised collard greens. The 44 Farms New York strip ($50) is served with mascarpone-whipped potatoes and sunflower-seed gremolata. And the Kurobuta pork jowl appetizer ($14) is served with cherry mustard, jalapeño puree and coconut. Some menu items are holdovers from Encina’s predecessor, Bolsa: The “devils on horseback” appetizer — blue cheesestuffed dates with bacon and apple butter, and the “twig flatbread” with goat cheese, grapes and arugula — for example. The most popular cocktail is the Cactus Jack, which has tequila, Italian bitters, sweet peppers, dill, lime and Tajín. The Kinkaid is served with gin, French bit-

ters and elderflower liqueur, tarragon and lime. McCombs and Balke opened Encina in 2020, early in the pandemic. They’re partners in business and in life, and food is their hobby as well as their work. Balke recently spent one of his Mondays off cooking at Uchiba’s monthly guest-chef event, Uncommon Ramen, and the couple took a winter getaway to the Napa Valley. He’s currently on a hunt for the perfect burger, and they took an overnight trip to Chicago to try Au Cheval’s highly lauded cheeseburger, as well as everything else they could fit in. There is a burger on the menu at Encina, but it’s only available at brunch. You know what that means: Reservations are a must. Encina, 614 W. Davis St., encinadallas.com Hours: 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday-Tuesday MARCH 2022

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D E S S I M CO N N ECTIONS HOOKING UP TRAILS AND BIKE LANES AROUND OAK CLIFF Story by RACHEL STONE | Art by JESSICA TURNER

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MARCH 2022

Left: The Interstate 30 pedestrian bridge is a beautiful piece of sculpture, but it’s not connected to bike lanes or sidewalks on Riverfront. Above: Portions of the Trinity River levee trails remain unpaved in Oak Cliff. Photography by Rachel Stone.

DALLAS NOW HAS 300 MILES OF TRAILS, and about half of the planned system has been funded, completed, designed or is under construction. Most of that work has been accomplished in the past 15 years. “We can’t build trails fast enough for the demand we have,” says Jared White, a Park and Recreation Department manager. When White first started as a bike planner over 20 years ago, it was a fight to get things done because homeowners thought trails near them would decrease property values or encourage riffraff. “Now it’s like, ‘We want a trail by our house. Why is this taking so long?’” he says. Trails cost about $1 million a mile, but the “cost per contact” over time is low because they require little

maintenance and no staffing or building costs beyond that, says former City Councilmember Lee Kleinman, who shepherded the 9-mile Northaven Trail project over 15 years. That trail will be crowned with a signature bridge over Central Expressway, now under construction, that will connect five trail systems in Dallas, Richardson and Plano when it is completed in early 2023. New sections of trails are opening all the time in Dallas. Neighbors have already started using an expansion of the Elmwood Parkway trail, spanning just over ½ mile, completing a connection between Tyler Station, Kiest Park and Five Mile Creek. The 5.5-mile Honey Springs/Cedar Crest Trail opened near Beckley and Overton in October. And it is now possible to take paved trails between the levees from Trinity Groves to Irving. MARCH 2022

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Like crossing paths with a dashing stranger in a coffee shop, a few tragic missed connections remain in our neighborhood. With just about 90 miles left of the city’s overall trail plan left to fund, here’s where a few dots have yet to connect in our hike-and-bike life.

BRIDGE TO WHERE?

Little Midge is cute, but she was a difficult delivery. “Value engineering” that saved some money on the front end in construction of the Margaret McDermott Bridge turned out to be a $7-million mistake that left two-way bike lanes on both sides unsafe to use for about four years after the Interstate 30 bridge was completed. The city fixed it, and the pedestrian bridges opened last year, but they could be more than two years away from serving a meaningful transportation purpose. The good news: Kessler Park’s Coombs Creek Trail could connect across Beckley to the I-30 pedestrian bridge by this time next year, after months of negotiations with neighbors on which path to take across the levee, Mayor Pro-Tem Chad West says.

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Two apartment complexes are under construction just south of the bridge, and zoning requires the developers to build wide sidewalks, which will create an easy pedestrian connection from the streetcar stop at Greenbriar. Once those two things happen, the bridge will serve uniquely Dallas glamour as an expensive sculpture to ride or run back and forth on for a while. Because, the bad news: Our swaggy Maggie ends at a six-lane road where there are not even sidewalks. A plan to completely rebuild Riverfront Boulevard means it could be at least two years before a connection is made on the other side of the river. When that’s done, though, this should be like the Manhattan Bridge of Oak Cliff and West Dallas. Riverfront is planned as a complete street with bike lanes and sidewalks.

BAHAMA DRIVE/PLYMOUTH AVENUE

Meanwhile, on the western end of the Coombs Creek Trail, a connection between Kessler Plaza and Stevens Park is coming soon. Bike lanes on both sides of Fort Worth Avenue cur-

rently stop at I-30 but are being expanded to Bahama Drive, and south from there to Plymouth. That project could be completed this year, says Jessica Scott, bicycle and mobility manager for the city’s transportation department. E ro s i o n c o n t ro l w o r k is underway on the creek banks near Plymouth and Bahama, and the Coombs Creek trail will be expanded from Hampton Road, across West Davis and Jefferson Boulevard, to Moss Park. Construction could start as early as this s u m m e r a n d i s e x p e c te d to ta ke a bo ut a year. “One of the biggest benefits of trails is connecting neighborhoods, and this is a great way to connect Kessler Plaza and El Tivoli all the way up to Stevens Park and beyond,” West says. “There are a lot of kids who will benefit from it, who live in the apartments on Bahama.”

CHALK HILL TRAIL

Expect a community meeting on this trail planned for West Oak Cliff this year. The 3.7 hike-and-bike trail will connect Westmoreland at Illinois to Chalk Hill Road in West Dallas, eventually. Like the Katy Trail, the Chalk Hill Trail will replace a defunct rail line, the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe. A unique feature of the trail is the Mountain Creek Bridge, a remnant of the bygone interurban passenger rail line that used to run between Dallas and Fort Worth. The concrete bridge was designated a City of Dallas historic landmark six years ago. The Chalk Hill Trail was first announced in 2016, when several community meetings were held, but it has been stalled since then. Dallas County has earmarked about $6 million for the trail, and the city has agreed to pitch in a little over $3 million. The first phase of construction, from Illinois at Cockrell Hill to just past Jefferson Boulevard, could begin next year, according to Dallas County. And it’s expected to cost about $8 million. Phase two, from Jefferson to Chalk Hill Road, is expected to cost about $6 million. And phase three, from Cockrell Hill to Westmoreland, could cost about $10 million. Neither phase is currently funded.

SOUTHERN DALLAS GREENBELT

The Honey Springs/Cedar Crest Trail, which opened near South Oak Cliff High School last year, cost $7.2 million, of which $6.42 million came from Dallas County. County Commissioner John Wiley Price championed the trail, working over several years with City Councilmember Carolyn King Arnold and city staff members, plus Oncor, who owns the utility easement where it’s built. This nearly 6-mile trail will connect eventually into the planned Five Mile Creek Urban Greenbelt. The greenbelt would span 23 miles, connecting a swath of Southern Dallas by trails. But it’s not funded. There’s an opportunity to fund it in the city’s next bond election, which is expected within a few years, but it will take a City Councilmember or very dedicated neighbor to push for it, White says. “We as staff can identify priorities,” he says. “But if it doesn’t have a steward to push for it, things don’t get funded because there’s no one advocating for them.” MARCH 2022

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Where is Oak Cliff?

Spotlighting the neighborhoods that make Dallas ours Story by RACHEL STONE | Photography by CORRIE AUNE

Homeowner Larry Johnson

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Chapter One: Where is Tenth Street?

ne thing the Bishop Arts District has in common with the Tenth Street Historic District: They are both part of the original town of Oak Cliff. Interstate 35 took a chunk out of our neighborhood, all but eliminating its original business district and forever bisecting Oak Cliff in 1956. Before that, Patricia Cox remembers that she and her family could walk as far as Zang Boulevard without stepping out of the embrace of Tenth Street. The white part of town began west of “Zangs,” as Cox, 78, and many Oak Cliff natives still call it. On the other side of what is now Cliff Street, residents used to call the police on Black kids who deigned to enter their vicinity, she says. To the north of Tenth Street is The Bottom, where seasonal flooding of homes was part of life for generations. Now plans for the $82-million Southern Gateway deck park are underway nearby, but the City of Dallas has never adopted a comprehensive plan for Tenth Street. Neighborhood residents recently wrote their own plan with the help of the Inclusive Communities Project.

The 109-page document names discriminatory policies and financial disinvestment as unaddressed social injustices. “Restorative justice is recognizing that residents should benefit from the improvements happening in the City of Dallas, especially those adjacent to the neighborhood,” the plan states. “The influx of capital happening near the neighborhood should benefit residents and not perpetuate displacement.” Freedman’s towns called “Tenth Street” since the founding of Oak Cliff in 1887 once comprised an estimated 300 acres. The geographic boundaries of the Tenth Street Historic District encompass 69 acres. But this national treasure’s place in our city’s culture and history cannot be measured. OAK CLIFF’S BEGINNINGS Some of the earliest Black residents of Dallas were brought to what is now Oak Cliff as chattel of European settlers. A family of three slaves, a father, mother and child, arrived with William and Mary Hord in 1845. Their settlement became known as Hord’s Ridge. An earlier settler, William S. Beaty, deeded the 10 acres

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that is now Oak Cliff Cemetery, where there are AfricanAmerican graves dating to 1844. Grocery wholesaler Thomas L. Marsalis, the founder of Oak Cliff, purchased 2,000 acres, including Hord’s Ridge, to realize his dream of developing a suburban paradise in 1887. The 150-acre Marsalis Park, which is now the Dallas Zoo, had a lake and amphitheater for performances of theater and opera. Marsalis and business partner John S. Armstrong, operating as the Dallas Land and Loan Co., brought the vision of an exclusive residential and resort community to our side of the Trinity River, but they had a falling out. Armstrong went on to develop Highland Park. Marsalis invested about $1 million into Oak Cliff. Besides Marsalis Park, there was a steam-powered railway across the river, the luxury Park Hotel with its artesian wells, Lake Cliff Park and the homes of Rosemeade Place. Marsalis wound up going broke in the Panic of 1893. He sold off a bunch of real estate and was never heard from again. Genealogists have since found that he died in Patterson, New Jersey, in 1919. FREEDMAN’S TOWN Col. W.J. Betterton, a veteran of the Confederate Army, purchased four acres near the cemetery from William Brown Miller in 1887. A Black man, Anthony Boswell, purchased lots on what became known as Miller’s Four Acres the following year. Those 4 acres encompassed Oak Cliff ’s AfricanAmerican homeownership boundaries until the Panic of 1893 sent tourists packing and opened more real estate to Black buyers. Tenth Street grew to include churches, N.W. Harllee school, a medical clinic, a drug store and soda shop, a grocery, a cobbler, barbershops and a blues and jazz café. There was even a movie theater at the retail center known as Show Hill, near what is now Townview high school. The neighborhood is steeped in music history. The father of rock ‘n’ roll guitar, T-Bone Walker, aka Oak Cliff T-Bone, grew up in this neighborhood with musicians who originated the Trinity River blues. Walker’s stepfather was a musician in the Dallas String Band, and Walker accompanied family friend Blind Lemon Jefferson to gigs in Deep Ellum. Ray Charles lived in Wheatley Place in South Dallas, but he later collaborated with jazz saxophonist James Earl Clay, who was born and reared in Tenth Street. The neighborhood became an historic district in 1993 under the leadership of neighborhood resident Mamie McKnight, who died in 2018. It is one of the few historic freedman’s towns remaining in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places because of the cultural

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significance in its architecture and history. Tenth Street was home to Oak Cliff ’s first City of Dallas certified historic landmark, the Elizabeth Chapel CME church, but it was torn down in 1999.

WHO LIVES IN TENTH STREET? Tenth Street is in census tract 41, which also includes other neighborhoods. Here are some statistics on the tract, via the Inclusive Communi-

HISTORICAL INEQUITY Larry Johnson grew up in ties Project. Oak Cliff and used to ride his bike through Tenth Street to school at Townview in the ’90s, but he didn't TOTAL POPULAknow where he was. TION: 1,407 This was amid the crack epidemic, 44% BLACK which disproportionately affected OR AFRICAN Black urban neighborhoods, and AMERICAN nearly every business in Tenth Street had closed. 54% HISPANIC OR Decades of redlining, starting in LATINO the 1930s, meant banks wouldn’t 1% WHITE lend money to homeowners or 517 HOUSEHOLDS buyers in Tenth Street. Homes 91 VACANT fell into disrepair. Younger generations migrated to California. STRUCTURES Homeowners died, sometimes 30% OWNER without wills or deed records. OCCUPIED HOMES Johnson became interested 70% RENTER in preserving the neighborhood OCCUPIED HOMES about five years ago when the City of Dallas was summarily 43% OF demolishing vacant houses based RESIDENTS LIVE IN on an ordinance, since restrained, POVERTY that allowed homes 3,000 square $27,227 IS THE feet or smaller to be torn down if MEDIAN INCOME they posed any kind of safety threat due to neglect. “Places like this are disappearing in this country,” Johnson says. “Our history is disappearing.” Johnson and his wife recently bought a house on Betterton Circle, which he is renovating himself, and they plan to live there with their five kids eventually. That is only part of his dream for Tenth Street. What Johnson really wants, in a few words? African American Colonial Williamsburg. A living museum of African American history, full of renovated houses and biographies of the freed slaves who were their original owners and of the other families and businesses that have made Tenth Street what it is for 134 years. Tenth Street now has about as many empty lots as occupied homes. Johnson wants to acquire old houses from other historically Black neighborhoods in South Dallas and move them to empty lots in Tenth Street

Homeowner David Cervantes

to be renovated. He also tracked down blueprints for the Elizabeth Chapel, which the city drew up prior to its demolition, and he recently applied for a grant, with help from Preservation Dallas, in the first step to having the church rebuilt. Tenth street is not going to be saved by city policy or a charitable land trust, he says. “Part of the experience of being Black in America is doing things without support,” he says. “You learn to do a lot with a little.”

RENOVATION AND PRESERVATION David Cervantes purchased a cottage at 201 Landis St. last year. He paid $80,000 for the house, situated on a corner above Betterton Circle, and he expects to spend about $120,000 renovating it. Cervantes, who emigrated from Mexico to the United States as a teenager, is a general contractor who frequently works on historic homes in old Dallas neighborhoods, including Winnetka Heights. He’s used to complying with historic district standards. MARCH 2022

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Above: The boundaries of the Tenth Street Historic District encompass 69 acres, but its place in our city’s culture and history cannot be measured.

“I found the house in really bad condition,” he says. “It wasn’t easy, financially or in any other way, but it’s been worth it.” After submitting renovation plans, it took almost seven months to get a certificate of appropriateness from the city’s Landmark Commission to start construction. The house was boarded up, and the front porch had been removed. A previous owner had taken away the historic wood siding, which Cervantes had to replace with new wood. He rebuilt the brick chimney for historic accuracy, even though he couldn’t afford to rebuild the fireplace. The project could be finished this month, and he’s thinking about moving in with his wife, Jordan, and their three kids. “The sad reality about these houses is they need a ton of work,” he says. “But they can be great little houses.” Vigorous demolitions started after 2010, when the city implemented the 3,000-square-foot rule. Virtually all the homes in Tenth Street are smaller than 3,000 square feet. In 2019, the Tenth Street Residents Association sued the City of Dallas under the Fair Housing Act, “for the disproportionate demolition of homes in their historic

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district compared to adjacent predominantly White historic districts.” The lawsuit was later thrown out because of standing, but Dallas City Council suspended demolitions in Tenth Street for one year. That moratorium has not been renewed. The National Trust for Historic Preservation granted the residents association $75,000 in 2020 to continue their preservation work. “It is clear that preserving the existing housing stock in the Tenth Street Historic District meets the goals of preserving and increasing affordable housing units and protecting African American historical heritage,” the neighborhood-led plan states. “Because of this, the neighborhood has organized to ensure that these goals are clearly articulated and inform policies and practices pertaining to the neighborhood moving forward. A lack of inclusion of the residents led to the disinvestment of the neighborhood today, therefore an inclusive vision centering the ambitions and vision of the neighborhood can lead to positive reinvestment in the future.”

WHAT’S IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD-LED PLAN? On the advice of Murray Miller of the Dallas Office of Historic Preservation, the plan contaisn an architecture guide complete with drawings and examples of existing and demolished structures. Other points neighbors made in the plan are as follows: GREEN SPACE — There is the cemetery. The deck park is underway, and Tama Park is just outside the district. But neighborhood residents want their own park inside the historic district. CIRCULATION — Many neighbors say they want speed bumps to prevent cars from speeding down their streets. ZONING CHANGES — Some of the businesses and amenities that neighbors want, such as a pharmacy, are not allowed under the current zoning. Neighbors want zoning that reflects historical uses. They also want the maximum building height of 36 feet lowered. PRESERVATION — “The historic district status should under no circumstances be repealed or amended in a way that harms the character and preservation activities of the district,” the plan states. Neighbors do not want the historic district boundaries to shrink. CLARITY — Neighbors want a clear guide on how to comply with historic requirements in building or renovation. TITLE-CLEARING ASSISTANCE — The city employed a private law firm to help clear titles throughout Dallas. But neighbors say more help is needed specifically in Tenth Street. Neighbors also need assistance in lowering their property valuations and tax bills. Lack of clear ownership prevents homeowners from benefiting from programs to help with home repairs. HOUSING-REPAIR FUNDS — Residents need help with major home repairs, including plumbing, roof and foundation repair, windows, doors and

siding. “Providing home repair grants through public and private funding and with historic preservation programming would enable residents to receive repair funds they need to preserve their home and personal comfort and safety,” the plan states. FUNDING PUBLIC SERVICES — Neighbors say Tenth Street needs streetlights and pavement improvements to streets, sidewalks and alleys. While the city has funded some of this recently, Tenth Street neighbors want a future bond allocation for capital improvements. INVESTMENT IN BLACK HISTORY — “The Historic District is a national treasure, and the history and culture of the district should be invested in and celebrated,” the plan states. A cultural center, museum, film festival or concert series are some ideas to achieve this. COMPATIBLE INFILL HOUSING — Apartments, condos and high-rises are not wanted by Tenth Street neighbors. They want the empty lots to be filled with small-footprint single-family homes. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT — There are virtually no commercial businesses in Tenth Street. Neighbors want stores and restaurants, which could be attracted through economic-development incentives. PROPERTY-TAX RELIEF — “It is likely that the deck park will increase property values and thus property taxes. These rising costs will make it hard to keep the houses affordable for residents with low and moderate income,” the plan states. NUISANCES — Tenth Street is downwind of one of the top 20 polluters in Dallas County, a WestRock papermill on Clarendon, according to state data compiled by Paul Quinn College. Neighbors want heavy industrial zoning removed from the area. MARCH 2022

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PARKWAY GARDENS Growing veggies and community in the sidewalk strip Story by RACHEL STONE | Photography by JESSICA TURNER

arrett Ratner’s construction company built a duplex townhome in the Bishop Arts area a few years ago. He and his wife, Lauren, liked it so much that they moved into it, coming from Keller to the corner of 10th and Adams, with their two kids and three dogs. Ratner’s parents also moved from Richardson to the other side of the duplex. Living in Oak Cliff reminds them of the community they found in Chicago after college — he is from Dallas,

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and she is from Atlanta. They were happy to leave the suburbs, but with no backyard, they missed having a vegetable garden. Since city code requires property owners to maintain the parkway — that strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street — they decided to turn theirs into an edible garden. As they started planting, they “ended up in more conversations with the neighbors,” Ratner says. Neighbors began asking to snip oregano or pluck

Garrett Ratner, center, and his wife, Lauren, plant their parkway garden with the help of their friend Tim Peters, left, who is an accomplished seed breeder.

peppers, which the Ratners welcome. A year after their garden went in, they started planting edible gardens in other parkways around their home with the owners’ permission. Last year the Ratners started a nonprofit called Neighborhood Garden with their friend Tim Peters, a seed breeder from Oregon who now lives in the Dallas area. Peters uses plant-crossing techniques that are thousands of years old, rather than modern genetic modification, to come up with unique strains, some of which are now quite common. Most of the rainbow chard seeds you’ ll find in a grocery store are the product of Peters’ work, for example. “A lot of what’s in the garden, you can’t get them anywhere,” Ratner says. “Because they’re his genetic creations that are not available commercially.” With Neighborhood Gardens, their goal is to bring edible parkway gardens to anyone who’s willing to maintain one and just needs help to get started. The trouble with community gardens is that the bulk of the work typically falls on one or two people, says Andrew Cagle of Elmwood Farm.

That mini demonstration farm ended its lease in the Elmwood commercial district in December. Cagle and others from the project have considered planting in the parkways instead. An acre of farmland is too great a luxury amid high-value real estate, but it’s economical to put a crop of peppers in the sidewalk strip. Parkway gardens can demonstrate things like cover crops and soil conditioning while putting them conveniently in front of the bearer’s home. Then the question becomes how to connect experienced gardeners with newbies and create a community around ideas rather than dividing workload, Cagle says. In their own garden, the Ratners posted a QR code so passersby can find out what’s ready to harvest and how to harvest it, plus recipes for those homegrown gems. Eventually, they want to be planting Peters’ seeds and starts in parkway gardens all over the city, which could aid his breeding work, since it takes multiple seasons and sometimes many years to perfect a strain that will produce heartily in the Texas summer, for example. And they’d like to offer an education component where Peters shares his knowledge of seed breeding with community gardeners. Hot peppers from the Ratners’ garden are very popular with their neighbors. Someone recently stopped by with a big box of pecans, saying they’ve been making salsa with those peppers all year and wanted to give something back. “So we’ve been enjoying pecans for weeks now,” Ratner says. “It does create community. If you teach people how to plant, then it will build a sense of community.” A parkway garden doesn’t come without attention from Dallas Code Compliance. Ratner says code enforcement officers have snapped photos of their garden in admiration, but a couple of times, they’ve also received notices to trim back vegetation that might obstruct traffic views. The Ratners spent about $25,000 starting up Neighborhood Garden last year. “ That’s not sustainable for us,” he says. They hope to find volunteers and possibly a backing foundation to make their nonprofit’s goals a reality this year. They’re also in search of greenhouse space. Connect with them at neighborhood-gardens.com. MARCH 2022

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BOOK REPORT

By CLAUDIA VEGA

Rea d a n d se e d Lea r n so m e t h i n g a b o u t ga rd e n i n g a n d t h e o u td o o rs

inter is coming to an end, and spring is right around the corner. Usher in the sunshine with some reads that will help you reconnect with nature and the beauty it holds. Cozy up with your book in a hammock, under a tree or while out on a picnic at your local park.

The Hidden Life of Trees is an international best seller and one you don’t want to pass up. Author Peter Wohlleben draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: Tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling and even warn each other of impending dangers.

F I N D T H E S E B O O K S AT W H O S E B O O K S , YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BOOKSTORE LOCATED AT TYLER STATION IN OAK CLIFF, OR USE INDIEBOUND’S BOOKSTORE FINDER TO SHOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BOOKSTORE SOME LOVE.

One Little Lot, the 1-2 -3s of an Urban Garden is a vibrant picture book that tells the story of a neighborhood coming together to plant a shared community garden. Readers wil “count all the ways” (one to 10) in which an abandoned lot was transformed into a bountiful vegetable garden for all to enjoy.

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National Parks of the U. S. A is packed with maps and fascinating facts about the flora and fauna unique to each of the 21 parks portrayed. This lushly illustrated coast-to-coast journey documents in large format the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places and shows why they should be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Each park profile highlights the wondrous wildlife, stunning scenery and rare plants that inhabit these outdoor spaces. It’s a great book to enjoy as a family or to plan your next road trip.

Garden Time by Jill McDonald is part of the Hello World collection, and it is perfect for baby bonding and toddler language development. This lovely board book is full of color and rich opportunities to build vocabulary and includes easy-to-understand facts about how plants grow and how gardens put food on our tables.

WORSHIP

By ERIC FOLKERTH

Yo u ca n ’t m i ss i t Tr u st i n g G o d ca n p u t yo u o n t h e r i g h t pa t h

“T

rust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge God, and God will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 Singer-songwriter David Wilcox tells a story in his live shows that he calls “bad directions.” Very often, Wilcox masterfully pushes everyday life events to their limits to reveal some deeper, metaphorical truth. His “bad directions” is a great example. Wilcox talks about being on the way to a gig somewhere, in the days before GPS. He’s in some small town, way out in the country. He stops to ask a local for directions, but the local doesn’t give him any street signs. The local guy points to the road ahead and says, “Turn when you see the big blue poodle … you can’t miss it.” Wilcox keeps driving, but as he does, he starts to worry. And he’s bugged by the deeper metaphor of bad directions. He says: “I’m thinking of myself, I’ve been driving now … I’m driving and driving … I have only one landmark to go by. And what if I missed it? You know when they say you can’t miss it, that’s the kiss of death.” “It’s just too much like life,” Wilcox continues. “Like as a kid when you’re asking people, ‘how do you know what is true love?’ They always say, ‘Oh you know.’ Well that’s like saying ‘you can’t miss it.’” Wilcox finishes, “And now I just imagine I’m 96 years old, still driving, and saying ‘No … I’m holding out for the big blue poodle … He said it was on the road here. I can’t miss it.’” One of the most challenging things for any person is to trust that we are on the “right path.” During March, Christians celebrate the holy season of Lent. Lent is the 40 days before Easter and is set aside as a time for us to ask ourselves: “Are we on the right path?”

“Is there where I want to be?” “What should I change in my life right now?” The biblical word “repentance” is often negatively connected with Lent. We tend to associate “repenting” with “feeling bad.” But the most literal definition of the word is “turning a new way.” It means to be on one path, going one way, and to decide to turn and go another way instead. It’s not at all clear that it has to always be a weepy, sad moment. (Although it certainly can be.) In Proverbs, the writer reminds us that if we trust in God, then “God will make straight your paths.” But even once we trust in God, we still can have our doubts and fears. We can worry that we’ve missed some sign or marker somewhere. Maybe we missed the big blue poodle! However, if we keep checking in with God, through regular prayer, meditation and a deep level of trust and faith, God assures us that He will always open a good path for us. It may not always be the path we wanted or expected out of life. We may often be surprised. But God walks with us. This March, check out the literal nature paths throughout our neighborhood. And as you walk them, meditate on how somebody took the time to make a good path that safely leads through the literal beauty of God’s natural world. Our spiritual path works the same. We always have the option to “turn in a new way,” toward God. And if we are trusting in God’s leading, we will find beautiful pathways that lead to goodness and life.

WORSHIP BAPTIST CLIFF TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH / 125 Sunset Ave. / 214.942.8601

Serving Oak Cliff since 1898 / CliffTemple.org / English and Spanish 9 am Contemporary Worship / 10 am Sunday School / 11 am Traditional GRACE TEMPLE BAPTIST Come to a Place of Grace!

Sunday Worship: English Service 9:30am / Spanish Service 11:00am 831 W. Tenth St. / 214.948.7587 / gracetempledallas.org

C AT H O L I C ST. CECILIA CATHOLIC PARISH / StCeciliaDallas.org / 1809 W Davis St. / Saturday - Bilingual Mass 5PM; Sunday – English Masses 7:30AM & 11AM; Spanish Masses 9AM & 1PM

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / Worship 8:30 am - Chapel 10:50 am - Sanctuary / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org

E P I S C O PA L CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH / ChristChurchDallas.org Sunday School: 11:15am /Mass: 9am & 10am English, 12:30pm Español Wednesday Mass: 6pm English, 8pm Español / 534 W. Tenth Street

METHODIST ADDITION-TYLER STREET CHURCH / Join us @tylerstreetchurch & study of

God’s Word / Contemporary Worship Anderson Hall Sat. 5 pm / Traditional Worship Sunday 10 am 927 W.10th St. 214-946-8106 Tylerstreet.com KESSLER PARK UMC / 1215 Turner Ave./ 214.942.0098 I kpumc.org

10:30am Sunday School/11:00 Worship /All are welcome regardless or race, creed, culture, gender or sexual identity.

N O N - D E N O M I N AT I O N A L KESSLER COMMUNITY CHURCH / 2100 Leander Dr. at Hampton Rd.

“Your Hometown Church Near the Heart of the City.” 10:30 am Contemporary Service / kesslercommunitychurch.com TRINITY CHURCH OAK CLIFF / Love God. Love Others. Make Disciples. Sundays 10:00 am / Worship & children’s Sunday School 1139 Turner Ave. / trinitychurchoakcliff.org

PRESBYTERIAN PARK CITIES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH/ 4124 Oak Lawn Ave Sunday Worship 9:00 & 11:00 A.M. To all this church opens wide her doors - pcpc.org

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

ERIC FOLKERTH is Senior Pastor at Kessler Park United Methodist Church. The Worship section is underwritten by Advocate Publishing and neighborhood businesses and churches listed. Call 214.560.4212 or email sales@advocatemag. com for advertising information.

MARCH 2022

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JD’S TREE SERVICE Mantels, Headboards, Kitchen Islands, Dining tables. Made from Local Trees. www.jdtreeservice.com 214-946-7138

CLEANING SERVICES CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp. Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133 THE CLEANING GIRLS Customized Cleaning to fit your needs Bonded. 972-462-4875 WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING ADVANCE STONE ART CREATIONS Decorative Concrete Overlays. 214-705-5954 BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonry. 214-395-1319 BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS Mortar Repair. Straighten Brick Mailboxes & Columns. Call Cirilo 214-298-7174 CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001 JOHNSON’S PAVING 214-827-1530 Concrete,Drives,Steps, Patios,Retainer Walls

DJ. MUSIC SERVICES

FENCING & DECKS 4 QUALITY FENCING • 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood. YourWoodmaster.com AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com 214-621-3217

GARAGE SERVICES UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned. 214-251-5428

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS EC0NOMY GLASS & MIRROR Mirror, Shower, Windows Repair. 24 Hr. Emergency. 214-875-1127 PRO WINDOW CLEANING prompt, dependable. Matt 214-766-2183 ROCK GLASS CO Replace, repair: windows, mirrors, showers, screens. 214-837-7829

HANDYMAN SERVICES ANDREW'S HOME REPAIR Big/Small Jobs 214-416-6559

ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations . Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical.469-658-9163

Let Us Tackle Your To-Do List! ❚ Drywall ❚ Doors ❚ Senior Safety

❚ Carpentry ❚ Small & Odd Jobs ❚ And More!

HOUSE PAINTING TOP COAT 30 Yrs. Exp. Reliable. Quality Repair/Remodel. Phil @ 214-770-2863 RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES HOLMAN IRRIGATION Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061

• Experienced Painters • Free estimates • Interior/Exterior/Cabinets • Drywall Repair, Carpentry • Luxury service • Professional Project at reasonable prices Management

972.472.2777

KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT A STONECRAFT OF DALLAS Granite, Quartz, Marble Countertops. 214-843-6977. Jennifer Voss BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS LLC Complete Kitchen And Bath Remodels. Tile, Granite, Marble, Travertine, Slate. Insured. 214-563-5035 www.blake-construction.com

DANHANDY.NET Repairs Done Right For A Fair Price. References 214-991-5692

D & D TILE SERVICE Residential/Commercial.30Yrs Exp. 214-724-3408. Rodriguez_tile@att.net

HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 214-343-4645

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS Granite, Quartz, Marble For Kitchen/Bath-Free Est. jennifer@gmail.com 214-412-6979

HANDYMAN WANTS your Painting,Repairs, To Do Lists. Bob. 214-288-4232. Free Est. 25+yrs exp.

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872 Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It — We do it. Tommy. Insured. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

HOME REPAIR Small/Big Jobs. Int/Ext. Sheetrock, Windows, Kitchen, Bathroom 33 yrs exp. 214-875-1127

TO ADVERTISE CALL

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

214.560.4212

ANNA’S ELECTRIC Your Oak Cliff Electrician Since 1978. tecl25513. 214-943-4890 ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com 50 Yrs. Electrical Exp. Insd. 214-328-1333 TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658

APRIL DEADLINE MARCH 8 APRIL IS THE HOME DESIGN SPECIAL EDITION.

MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com 214-924-7058 214-770-2435 MONSTER TREE SERVICE DALLAS Certified Arborists, Fully Insured 469.983.1060

JD’s Tree Service RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Firewood/Cooking Wood

Locally Full service trimming & harvested planting of native trees. wood! 214.946.7138

LEGAL SERVICES A WILL? THERE IS A WAY! Estate/Probate matters.maryglennattorney.com 214-802-6768

PEST CONTROL MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL Prices Start at $85 + Tax For General Treatment. Average Home-Interior/Exterior & Attached Garage. Quotes For Other Services. 214-328-2847. Lakewood Resident NATURE KING PEST MANAGEMENT INC. Squirrels, Racoons, Skunks, Snakes, Possums, etc. Pest & Termite. Neighborhood Resident 30+ Yrs.exp. 214-827-0090

HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606

D.J MAGNUM FOR YOUR NEXT Company Event, Reunion, Function. We Offer All Styles Of Music From 1920-2020. Wyatt 972-241-3588

"Keeping Children & Pets in Mind"

WE REFINISH!

Termite Specialist - Mosquito Mister Systems • Tubs, Tiles or Sinks • Cultured Marble • Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719

www.allsurfacerefinishing.com

For complete terms and conditions, visit advocatemag.com/advertisingterms.

KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT

G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925

FENCING, ARBORS, DECKS !!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! Gibson, Fender, Martin, oldgatefence.com Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. Top Dollar Paid.1-866 -433-8277 214-766-6422

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

HANDYMAN SERVICES

Licensed · Insured · Residential · Commercial · Organic

214-350-3595 • Abetterearth.crw@gmail.com

abetterearth.com

PLUMBING AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943 ANCHOR PLUMBING Your trusted Oak Cliff plumber for 30+ years. 214-946-1638.

Click Marketplace at advocatemag.com oakcliff.advocatemag.com

MARCH 2022

WHERE C AN I FIND L OC AL ...? PLUMBING

30 Years of Excellent Service • Water Heaters • Water Leaks 24/7 On-Call • Sewer Backups • All Plumbing Repairs

972-379-4000

staggsplumbing.co

Master Plumber License M-17697

PLUMBING ISSUES? We’re the Experts!

ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS!

SERVICES FOR YOU

REMODELING

POOLS

FENN CONSTRUCTION Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com INTEX CONSTRUCTION Specialty in Ext/Int. Bath/ Kitchen/Windows, Steve.33yrs exp. 214-875-1127 O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 24 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com 214-341-1448 RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

CERULEAN POOL SERVICES Family Owned/ TK REMODELING 972-533-2872 Operated. Weekly maintenance, Chemicals, parts & Complete Full Service Repairs, Kitchen repairs. CeruleanPro.com 214-557-6996 & Bath/Remodeling, Restoration. Name It- We Do It. REAL ESTATE dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD? Facing forclosure? IG Heron Homes ROOFING & GUTTERS Call Ricardo Garza @ 469-426-7839 NEAR WRLAKE 2/1 DUPLEX. Hdwds, Appl. Yard Serv. CHA, 1/carport. $1,400+Dep. 469-879-2977

REMODELING A2H GENERAL CONTRACTING,LLC Remodeling, Painting, Drywall/Texture, Plumbing, Electrical,Siding, Bathroom/Kitchen Remodels, Tilling, Flooring, Fencing. 469-658-9163. Free Estimates. A2HGeneralContractingLLC@gmail.com

BERT ROOFING INC.

Family owned and operated for over 40 years

• Residential/Commercial • Over 30,000 roofs completed • Seven NTRCA “Golden Hammer” Awards • Free Estimates

www.bertroofing.com

214.321.9341

SERVICES FOR YOU

AT&T INTERNET. Starting at $40/month w/12-mo agmt. 1 TB of data/mo. Ask how to bundle & SAVE! Geo & svc restrictions apply.1-888-796-8850

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373

ATTENTION ACTIVE DUTY & MILITARY VETERANS.Begin a new career & earn a Degree at CTI! Online Computer & Medical training available for Veterans & Families.To learn more, call 888-449-1713

GENERAC Standby Generators. The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be prepared for power outages. FREE 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!) Schedule your FREE in-home assessment today. Call 1-855-447-6780 Special financing for qualified customers

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

HOME BREAK-INS take less than 60 SECONDS. Don't wait! Protect your family, your home, your assetS NOW for as little as 70¢ a day! Call 866-409-0308

DENTAL INSURANCE-Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance -not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258

STOP WORRYING! SilverBills eliminates the stress & hassle of bill pmts. Household bills guaranteed to be paid on time as long as appropriate funds are available.No computer necessary. Free trial/custom quote 1-855-703-0555.

DIRECTV NOW - No Satellite. $40/mo 65 Channels. Stream news, live events, sports & on demand titles. No contract/commitment. 1-866-825-6523

THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply.Promo Expires 7/21/21.1-833-872-2545

UPDATE YOUR HOME with beautiful new blinds & shades. Free in-home estimates make it convenient to shop from home.Professional installation. Top quality - Made in the USA. Free consultation: 877212-7578.

DONATE YOUR CARS TO VETERANS TODAY. Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800 -245-0398

TUTORING/ LESSONS 214.560.4212 TO ADVERTISE

GARTH ORR Private math & physics tutoring that works! Grade 8-12. garthorr.com

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work Email your resume to humanresources@advocatemag.com

MARCH 2022

oakcliff.advocatemag.com

Competitor C

Competitor B

$146M

Competitor A

There’s no subtle qualifier to this statement. It’s fact – backed up by extensive market data and analysis. We pride ourselves on data transparency, and that means that apples should only be compared to apples. When you’re ready to make a move, contact your favorite Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate agent and work with the top producing real estate brand in Oak Cliff.

NORTH OAK CLIFF AREA SOLD VOLUME, 2021

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

Many brands claim to be Number 1. We actually are.

SOLD, Represented Seller

1205clifftop.daveperrymiller.com

1430montreal.daveperrymiller.com

506 Woolsey Drive

1205 Clifftop Lane

1430 S. Montreal Avenue

3 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHS | 2,246 SQ. FT. | $625,000

2 BEDROOMS | 2.1 BATHS | 1,411 SQ. FT. | $460,000

3 BEDROOMS | 2 BATHS | 1,846 SQ. FT. | $455,000

Susan Melnick

Rob Elmore

214.460.5565 susanmelnick@daveperrymiller.com

214.770.8885 robelmore@daveperrymiller.com

SOLD, Represented Seller

UNDER CONTRACT

50012th.daveperrymiller.com

723 Monssen Drive

3812 Periwinkle Drive

500 W. 12th Street

4 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHS | 2,648 SQ. FT. | $430,000

3 BEDROOMS | 2 BATHS | 1,730 SQ. FT. | $370,000

LOT WITH ADDITIONAL LOT AVAILABLE| .13 ACRES | $369,900

Susan Melnick

DeCarla Anderson Group

Martin Mayer Group

214.460.5565 susanmelnick@daveperrymiller.com

214.695.9043 decarla@daveperrymiller.com

972.522.9702 | ericamartin@daveperrymiller.com 210.867.4715 | brandimayer@daveperrymiller.com

An Ebby Halliday Company

Price and availability subject to change. Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Claim based on sold volume, 75211, 75208, 75224, 75233, 1/1/21 through 12/31/21. Includes Ebby Halliday Companies.