Hello Big D

“America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, bad-ass speed.” – Elenor Roosevelt.

Ok, so she didn’t really say that, but it’d be cool if she did and at the very least it would be an accurate statement. I don’t need to go into it, but we Americans know we loves the car. It just expresses our view of freedom so succinctly. Just seeing a red sports car can get us excited. We even have shows where we just look at new cars, or hell, even old cars just sitting there. And sometimes we have events where we just watch cars go fast.

Car racing has been around since the car was invented. And here in the Big D we have a great track to go watch cars going fast, really fast. Texas Motor Speedway opened in February of 2006 and has since been a home to the NASCAR and IRL racing series.

I know what you are thinking what could be more redneck than a NASCAR race. Well to be honest… not a lot and that is exactly what I thought. I had never been to a race, but I was lucky enough to be a guest to the Samsung 500 in April. I had more fun than I have had in a long time. In the stands before the race, I had butterflies in my stomach. There was a certain electricity in the air. And when they yelled “Gentlemen start your engines!” and all of the drivers started their cars, I was smiling ear to ear. I felt like a 10 year old kid. Those screaming engines, bright pretty cars and the rumbling in the stands was enough to make me get out of my seat. And stand I did until well after the green flag dropped.

I had heard it was going to be loud, but i couldn’t have know it would be that loud. I had heard the cars were going to be fast, and trust me they were fast. At full speed the cars made it around the 1½ mile track in about 30 seconds. I had heard there was a lot of beer, but I was in college the last time I saw that many empties. Come to think of it when if Texas Motor Speedway has a theme it is “More = More.” Maybe that’s just a theme they inherited from Texas herself.

Needless to say the race far exceeded my expectations. Since my first race I have been back to Texas Motor Speedway again to see the IRL IndyCar Series race. And it was different, but easily just as cool. If you haven’t had a chance to see a race I highly recommend it. I will be there in November, maybe I will see you there.

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Honestly, what is more local than a local band? My guess–a local band at a great local bar with local celebrities.

Saturday night I went to see Dallas’ own Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band, Pepper Theft at the Stoneleigh P. With Brad Smith on lead vocals it is about as close to Anthony Kiedis as you can get unless you play a mean bass in your whitey tighties. Pirating John Frusciante, Michael Gruber plays lead guitar by night, but you might know him better as Grubes on the Ticket 1310 A.M. Tying everything together is Russ Aaron on bass and Jack Beesley on drums. It was a blast hearing some of my all time fave Pepper songs  like Under The Bridge and Give It Away.

I have always loved the Stoneleigh P. They have some great food. My favorite is the Rancho Deluxe Burger. They also have an awesome brunch on the weekends. Probably the best thing about the Stoneleigh P is on most nights you can go there and just have a drink on their great outdoor porch. I would say that live music is really the exception instead of the norm, but it is nice change of pace. Also on any given night you might see Luke or Owen Wilson who are also fans of this local gem. If you do see them, though, don’t be a jerk and let them enjoy their drink. Just revel in the fact you both know about the Stoneleigh P.

Seeing friends, dinking cold Red Stripe, and listening to local music is one of my favorite things to do and it helps block out the governments ELF mind control.

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If you don’t think entertaining a 2 year old is a full time job, then you probably think we landed on the moon. Well, no matter what you believe, the truth of the matter is during those long spring and summer breaks you might need some help. Here in the great Big D there are a lot of things to keep your little ones busy, but what if you only need to kill an hour or two? Or maybe you don’t feel like spending your life savings? One word, the Park.

Nestled right in between Midway Road and Marsh Lane on Northaven Road is Northaven Park, and while maybe not the most creative name, it does make remembering how to find it easy. The first thing you will notice after you unpack the kids is the shade. It covers the entire play area, which is great because you don’t have to sit in the sun and your kids won’t get 3rd degree burns from the merry-go-round. Northaven Park has pretty much every amenity your kid could ever want:

• A big swing set with 4 swings (2 toddler sized and 2 regular)
• “Tea Cups” that will spin you out of control (seriously, I had to rescue my wife)
• Several Slides
• Monkey bars
• Giant Turtle and a Play Car to ride on
• 2 big playground sets with all kinds of accessories
• A baseball diamond
• And if you time it right, a friendly “Fun Time Ice Cream Van”

There are also plenty of benches, in the all too important shade, to take a load off or eat some Goldfish. All in all, this is a great little park/play area for kids. It sits pretty far back from the street, so you don’t really have to worry about your kids wandering off to play Frogger. Also, every time I have been there it has been impeccably clean. So, the next time you feel like pulling your hair out or think your child has a better relationship with Spongebob and Patrick than with you, try taking your kids to a great little neighborhood park.

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What’s so great about Big D? This is a question we ask ourselves a lot, and to be honest, up until this point we weren’t even sure there was a good answer. As three graphic designers, we are always on the lookout for inspiring places and culture we can draw from. We know the city has some good restaurants and a reputation for high-end shopping. But where can you find a late-night diner? What bar has the best juke-box? Who knows a good butcher in town? Do we even have quirky coffee shop? These are the questions we are determined to answer.

This is our city, and it’s time to embrace our friends and neighbors who make us proud to call Dallas home. Whether you just moved to town or have lived here your whole life, join us as we attempt to find the best that this city has to offer.

Hello Big D. Nice to meet you.

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