Cedars Neighborhood in Dallas

Cedars neighborhood is located south of downtown Dallas near Interstate 30. Cedars is a culturally rich neighborhood filled with nightlife, art, restaurants, schools, churches, and has a vast array of housing options. The neighborhood was developed in the late 1800's for middle-class residents of Dallas. The neighborhood originally featured Victorian styled homes and had a predominantly Jewish population. An Israelite synagogue in the neighborhood attracted the Jewish community of Dallas.

Over the years, Cedars neighborhood begin to transform into an urban area. Cedars neighborhood has been a haven for creative professionals and artists for over 20 years. The neighborhood was pushed to the forefront of becoming a trendy entertainment district but is failing to develop due to the homeless epidemic that has plagued the area. There are several homeless shelters located in the Cedars neighborhood. In May 2008, Dallas opened a long-awaited homeless center in the Cedar neighborhood called The Bridge. The homeless center is open to the needy twenty-four hours a day. The $21 million center has taken steps to solve the problem of chronic homelessness by providing health care, haircuts, laundry services, and even pet care. The facility is over 75,000 square-feet and holds 175 cots. The homeless center in Cedar has been a positive force in the area since it opened in the spring of 2008.

Cedars has its own neighborhood association which was founded in April, 2003. The mission of the Cedars Neighborhood Association is to improve the overall quality of life in Cedars by promoting cultural, economic, and aesthetic prosperity. The neighborhood has a goal of moving Cedars forward in a positive direction and over the years Cedars has been on the move. Cedars Neighborhood Association is not restricted to homeowners - members, business owners, developers, and anyone who frequents the neighborhood or has interest in the area is free to become a member. The Cedars Neighborhood Association has appeared in several Dallas news sources with their plans to force out industrial businesses that reduce the attractiveness of the neighborhood. In 2008, Cedar residents attempted to remove the rights to a 62 year old industrial company and prohibit them from operating in the neighborhood.

Cedars is a unique and diverse neighborhood that was once considered a fashionable place to go but now struggles to maintain a trendy image. There are new nightspots and residential developments, but it still hasn't brought the type of vitality that is seen in neighborhoods like West Village or the The Bishops Art District. City officials in Dallas continue to work on spurring growth in the Cedar neighborhood, but progress has been slow. City officials aren't the only ones concerned with boosting the economic revenue of Cedar - residents are also attempting to create bold ideas to propel the area forward with the rest of Dallas.

One exciting event that residents promote every year to attract new businesses and residents to the area is the Cedar Open Studios. Every year Cedar artists display their work to the public in an open environment that allows people a chance to learn about the neighborhood.