Bishop Arts District – Dallas, Texas
The Bishop Arts District is a shopping and entertainment district in north Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas (USA), near the intersection of Bishop Street and Davis Street. The Bishop Arts District is immediately southwest of Downtown Dallas and south of the Kessler neighborhoods. The Bishop Arts District is home to over 60 independent boutiques, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and art galleries.
The Bishop Arts District is a collection of fantastic shops, restaurants, bars, and bakeries in one small radius. Just park (it’s free!) anywhere around the area from Nora down to The Salty and you’ll find hours of entertainment and amazing eateries. Just walking around is fun: the street is downright picturesque, with storefronts begging to be photographed and murals painted by local artists.
History
The area was originally developed as warehouses and shops in the 1920s. In the 1930s, a trolley stop along Davis became Dallas’ busiest trolley stop. The district began a decline in the mid-1960s through the beginning of the 1980s. The reasons for the decline included the rise of the shopping mall, the loss of sizable tenants such as Astor theater and Goodier Cosmetics, neighborhood demographic changes and, finally the fact that buses began to replace streetcars making trolley stops like Bishop and Seventh useless.
In the fall of 1984, Jim Lake saw a bargain in the now run down storefronts and began buying up property. He said, “Hopefully we’ll make money on this in the future, but in the first three to five years I’m gonna feed it.” Lake said of his decision to buy the property, “I just thought it needed saving.” As a sign of his commitment, Lake provided, rent-free for a year, space for a police storefront. This was an important element in the area’s security and sense of community.
Continuing through the 1990s and 2000s, renovations have taken place to transform the two city blocks into a walkable, urban environment. Murals, brick pavers, and other street elements have polished the rough look of the warehouses and have made the area a popular leisure and dining destination. In 2015, Exxir Capital invested $42 million to construct a mixed-use development includes retail, office, and apartments in the district.
A portion of the district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the North Bishop Avenue Commercial Historic District.
The Bishop Arts District, located 10 minutes south of downtown— is one of Dallas’ most charming neighborhoods— filled with an eclectic mix of trendy eateries, bars, shops, art galleries, and performance venues. Along with shopping and nightlife, the area plays host to countless family-friendly events, wine walks, and street fairs.