Summer Kick-off in the Arts District

When's the last time you saw a line at an art museum approaching ten p.m.? Dallas kicked off summer with an annual block party Friday evening including a well-attended, free outdoor concert by The Polyphonic Spree. The Dallas Museum of Art stays open until Midnight the third Friday of each month.

Grapevine to Host Dallas Vintage Jewelry Show

Promoters recently announced Grapevine, Texas will be home to a new show focusing entirely on vintage jewelry. Vintage dealer Melissa Sands and Promoter Eric Miller have teamed up to bring the show to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“It’s rarely a question of if vintage jewelry will sell,” says Sands adding that while everyone loves vintage jewelry, the most typical jewelry buyer falls right in line with the demographics in North Dallas. “There’s already been an enthusiastic response to the show. This is an ideal specialty show for the region.”

Dealers will be bringing a variety of vintage costume jewelry along with vintage and antique fine jewelry to the Grapevine Convention Center, March 16-17, 2012.

Sands says the dates were chosen to provide an opportunity for dealers to add a show while traveling to Texas for Round Top. She also says preliminary interest from dealers has been strong and expects to fill the 23,000 square foot convention center.

The Grapevine Convention Center was chosen because of it’s easy access and location among some of Dallas’s most prominent suburbs. Moreover, the town is an attraction in itself.

“Grapevine is located among the regions most vibrant suburbs including Southlake, Westlake and Colleyville in the fourth largest MSA in the country and is easily accessible from throughout the region,” Miller says.

Dallas and Fort Worth residents are already accustomed to visiting Grapevine for other shows and festivals and Miller says the location also means dealers will have an enjoyable destination. “Having an enjoyable experience is an important component to both wanting to travel to a show and having another reason to come back,” Miller says.

The traditional Main-Street neighborhood with shops, restaurants and wine-tasting rooms is within walking distance of the Convention Center. There are plenty of comfortable hotel options at all price levels.

About the Dallas Vintage Jewelry Show: The Dallas Vintage Jewelry Show will be held March 16 and 17, 2012. Some fifty dealers are expected. The hours for the show will be Friday, 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. with Happy Hour 5:00 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Dealers should contact Melissa Sands at 847-579-9079. Eric Miller can be reached at 214-329-9733. More information is available at www.dallasvintagejewelry.com.

Check it out on TUMBLR

Sushi, Noodles and Rice on Lemmon

Wai Wai,  4315 Lemmon Ave

Stopped into a little Asian fusion restaurant on Lemmon Avenue near Wycliff for dinner this evening. It's in a shopping plaza and from the road it could be anything from a dingy little place to something else. The atmosphere was a pleasant surprise, however with somewhat of a big city fusion feel. Electronic screens and well-illustrated menus make it easy to order and the prices are quite reasonable too. This evening there was also a sake and domestic beer special. Not much into light beers, I chose the sake, which despite being from different countries, paired well with the Tofu  Pad Thai. Check it out!

Greek Delights in Oak Cliff

Apollo’s Platter

Someone told me once that living in the Dallas suburbs and in the city are about the same. Granted, I have found some pretty good food in Irving and Richardson, but as for most of the newer suburbs, that's not true, especially when it comes to food. This little Greek restaurant in Oak Cliff is one of those places you're not likely to find anywhere but in an old city neighborhood.

Located in the Bishop Arts District, the Greek Cafe & Bakery has all the favorites including Mousaka, Pastitsio and Lamb Chops, plus bakery items like Baklava and Tsoureki. Nothing fancy about the decor, but the staff is old-world friendly and the portions are generous.

334 West Davis
www.greekcafebakery.com

New Season of HGTV’s ‘Real Estate Intervention’ Offers Dallas Homeowners Fresh Advice For Home Sales

HGTV’s popular series Real Estate Intervention will return for a new season on Tuesday, June 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT to help families in Dallas as well as Philadelphia and San Francisco sell their homes in today’s real estate market. During the show, Realtors Mike Aubrey, Richard Kuhr and Julie Provenzano will offer valuable advice and candid feedback to homeowners that are trying to sell. While the Realtors take the unsuccessful home sellers on a tour of similar properties and help them assess the competition, professional home-stager Cora Sue Anthony will redesign the home’s common areas to create a polished—and profitable—home makeover.

In the premiere episode, the Yoshimura family needs to sell their condo that’s been on the market for three years. After Richard expresses to Cora Sue the issues involved with selling the home including an outdated kitchen, animals in the bedroom and lack of organization within the home, they decide to tackle the project and give a new found character to the home.

After a review of the homeowner’s real estate challenges and a tour of other for-sale homes in the neighborhood, Richard advises them to reduce their price in order to get the property sold. Meanwhile, Cora Sue steps in to organize the home, rearrange the furniture and create a more cohesive space that will appeal to potential buyers. After adding splashes of color to the walls, natural elements and enhancing the home’s vintage detail, the Yoshimura’s are confident in their new space and ready to place it back on the market for the appropriate price.

In a future episode, viewers meet the Goldies, who have accumulated lots of belongings over the years due to the growth of their family. Cora Sue comes to their rescue and creates a sense of order, making their home more appealing to potential homebuyers.

Investing in Real EstateWhat Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About 
Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures
2 Years to a Million in Real Estate

Friday Night Pizza Deal

The best things in life may not be free, but they do come at a good price sometimes. Friday evenings at Eatzi these delectable thin-crust pizzas are only $10. Grab a High Life or wine and sit out on the patio. Choose from margherita, mushroom, "multi-cheese" and my favorite (shown here), hot coppa. Available from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Don't call ahead, they're ready. Just walk in and ask for your favorite.

More from David Kunkle and Mike Rawlings

David Kunkle at Tonight's Debate in Oak Cliff

Tonight we headed to Oak Cliff for another debate between Dallas mayoral candidates David Kunkle and Mike Rawlings. If you live in Dallas, I want to urge you to get out there and vote for David Kunkle. Why? Rawlings may impress with his managerial skills, but to me its apparent Kunkle is a guy who lives and breathes urban life and gets the connection between the places we love to visit and what's missing from the places where we live.

Rawlings is not without merit, but Kunkle is clearly our guy here. Asked about a troubled tollway project through the Trinity River flood zone, he said he would kill it. He had two books with him and frequently held up a recent book Wrestling with Moses about battling freeways in New York. He talks about how the region gave the impression to Superbowl visitors of being a "wasteland" as far as sustainable development goes. He said he's rather have many smaller neighborhood projects than one football stadium. To me, this guy knows his stuff. And he's right, now is the time to start building a world-class city--a world class city that's a great place to live-- in North Central Texas.

Video 1: Trinity River Tollroad
Video 2: Doing Things Differently
Video 3: Sanctuary Cities 
Video 4: Closing Statements