30 ways you know you live in Oak Cliff

This list from BuzzFeed, “30 ways you know you live in Dallas” has been making the social media rounds this week. While I agree with most of them, Oak Cliff isn’t really mentioned except at No. 24, which is “You love the Bishop Arts District because it’s not too … ‘Dallas.'”

We need our own list. So here it is. The BuzzFeed-style 30 ways you know you live in Oak Cliff:

1. You will wait for elotes at El Si Hay unless the line is more than five deep.

Jose, the elotero at taqueria El Si Hay.

In which case, you drive to your second-best elotes stand.

2. You know exactly where this is.

Photo by Cristy Martinez

And it fills you with hometown pride every time you see it.

3. You can walk or ride your bike to the best live-music venue in Dallas.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

4. You can find Lee Harvey Oswald’s seat at the Texas Theatre.

Bobcat Goldthwait outside the Texas Theatre during the Oak Cliff Film Festival. Photo by Brandy Barham

But you’re really there for the great programming.

5. You are frustrated when you crave Aunt Stelle’s on Monday (or anytime between Labor Day and Memorial Day).

6. But thankfully, there’s always this.

Photo by Cristy Martinez

7. Sunset vs. Adamson: You have a dog in that fight.

You might even wear the corresponding mum.

8. You don’t need to see a menu at Norma’s, or Eno’s, for that matter.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

9. Speaking of Eno’s, you rarely go there (or any place else in Bishop Arts) on the weekends because that’s when it’s overrun with tourists from Dallas.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Unless you are entertaining a guest from out of state, in which case, Tillman’s or Hattie’s.

10. Your Instagram feed includes at least one amazing photo of a sunset, shot from Jefferson Boulevard or the Jefferson Street Viaduct.

11. You upgraded to a bike-shop bike with skinny tires because your big-box store cruiser couldn’t get you over the viaduct.

via Oak Cliff Bicycle Co.

Plus, cuter.

12. You have emailed your city council representative with ideas for bike lanes or other urban-planning issues, or at least, you have attended a public meeting on those matters.

13. You know how to identify a Charles S. Dilbeck house.

14. The Oak Cliff Mirror and Glass sign is comforting because you know you’re almost home when you see it.

Photo by Ethan Healy

15. This guy.

16. You walk or otherwise exercise at Kidd Springs, Lake Cliff or Kiest Park.

Photo by Barry Kooda

You either feed or fear the ducks and geese.

17. You prefer to stay within a 2-mile radius of your house. Uptown? Lakewood? Preston flippin’ Hollow? Too. Far. Away, man. And the suburbs might as well be Siberia.

18. Half the dudes you know have beards. Some of them make furniture on the side. For paychecks, they’re mostly graphic designers.

19. You know at least one person who has a business that involves baking or remaking vintage clothing or furniture.

Photo by Elliott Muñoz

But there’s only one Smooth Operator.

Photo by Elliott Muñoz

And any number of confections from the fruiteria, like the mangonada slushie from Fruiteria Cano, above.

21. You know which restaurant has the cheapest, best margaritas depending on the day of the week.

Hello, lovers

22. You are a taco snob.

Photo by Elliott Muñoz

And you always know the best taquerias because you read thetacotrail.com.

23.  You’re pretty much OK with the city giving Rudy’s an outrageous economic development grant of $890,000 because, dang. That chicken is good.

Why would you fry chicken at home when Rudy’s is so close?

24. You follow the Real Housewives of Oak Cliff on Facebook.

And you’d like to take “Shay” out to Red Lobster for a cocktail sometime.

25. You have taken in a stray cat or dog from your street.

via Operation Kindness

Now your house is at pet capacity, and you have begun pushing your friends and family into taking strays.

26. You curse every time you forget and turn right onto Interstate 30 from Sylvan instead of heading to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge to Dallas.

27. At first you are jealous of your friends across the river because they have so many more options for Thai and Vietnamese food.

photo courtesy of Driftwood

But then you’re all, “Whatever. They don’t have chef Justin Holt’s ramen.”

28. You daydream about uses for the “condemned motel” next to Chicken Scratch.

29. You have a very strong opinion about the Alamo Plaza Hotel Courts sign.

30. Most of all, you live here because you love your neighbors, there’s always something interesting going on, and you know Oak Cliff is the best neighborhood in Dallas.