Discover Dallas: Knox Street

Artful Illumination at Lamps Plus.

I admit to being biased. I live on the Henderson side of Dallas’s burgeoning Knox-Henderson neighborhood, and I typically only cross 75 to go running on the Katy Trail. But yesterday I used the beautiful weather as an excuse to take a walking tour of the Knox side. Let’s just say I’ve got plenty of reasons to go back:

1.) Lamps Plus (3319 Knox St.)

A mecca of light fixtures and lamps that ranges from affordable to exquisite. Sales are frequent -- right now floor lamps are deeply discounted.

2.) Froggie’s 5 & 10 (3211 Knox St.)
Winner of D Magazine’s Best Toy Store award for 2010, this places is a boon for kids -- but there are also tons of fun greeting cards, irreverent books, and gifts for playful adults.

Great Gifts at Froggie's.

3.) Knox Street Market (3207 Knox St.)
You’ll find a series of dreamy home furnishing tableaus at this graceful boutique, housed in a 1920s storefront (note the original tin ceiling, exposed brick wall, and concrete floor). The place is filled with a mix of new and old -- a few pieces of antique furniture, plus new candles, dishes, blankets, and festive seasonal decorations. It’s a fantastic spot for decorating inspiration -- especially if you’re into a feminine, country look.

I love this lamp!

Inspiration Station.

Starfish at Knox Street Market.

 4.) Rose Tree (3201 Knox St.)
Lydia Rose has been designing bedding and table linens since 1979, and her luxurious works are still made right here in Dallas and sold at this Knox Street store. You’ll see several beds dressed with her dreamy comforters and pillows, plus a lovely selection of dinnerware and serving dishes. I especially loved the sleek decanters and cocktail glasses. 

Bedding at Rose Tree

5.) Grange Hall (4445 Travis St.)
A florist/home furnishings store that’s all at once gothic, elegant, and idiosyncratic (think animal skulls and candle wax sculptures alongside ethereal orchids). You just have to see this place, because there’s nothing else like it. (Read about wax sculptors Lauren Lightfoot and Jack Collins on page 20 of the October 2010 of Modern Luxury Dallas).

Grange Hall's One-of-a-Kind Creations.

6.) Weir’s (3219 Knox St.)

Weir’s has been a furniture stronghold in Dallas since 1948, and their Knox Street store is everything you’d expect it to be (couches, coffee tables, and bedroom sets galore). But I discovered the store’s Clearance Center, tucked around the corner on Buena Vista Street. If you’re in the market for an affordable sofa, bed, or dining table, and you’re not too picky -- this is the place.

To me, a great shopping neighborhood is studded with spots to stop for a coffee or cocktail. The options here are endless. There's Highland Park Pharmacy, in operation for nearly 100 years and still serving milkshakes and diner-style breakfasts, Adelmo’s, an old-school Italian eatery, Sangria Tapas Y Bar, and Taverna and Toulouse -- two very European-feeling bistros.

Yes, Knox is anchored by big-box retailers Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, and Restoration Hardware, but once you’re off the beaten path, there are some real local gems. Seriously, I could do a whole other post about this neighborhood, because there is so much more. Half-price bottles of wine at Sangria, on Cole, is a very real temptation for me to go back. Like, next Tuesday. --Alison Miller

Milkshake, anyone?

Al Fresco Dining at Taverna.