The most stylish ‘people’ of Oak Cliff

Five Mile Creek. Photography by Trust for Public Land.

Oak Cliff has style. We all know it, and we all love it.

It’s why new development plans so often come with the concession that yes, of course the new grocery store will have a mural on the side.

And it’s why our neighbors feel so strongly about preserving the visual aesthetic of their homes that some of them are going through the application process to become a conservation district.

So when The New York Times published an article called “The 93 most stylish ‘people’ of 2022,” we knew we had to put an Advocate spin on it.

While our neighborhood is dripping with style on every block, the Advocate labored over a list of who exactly had the drippiest year. So, after much consideration, here is our list of the most stylish ‘people’ of 2022.

Southern Gateway Park

This year brought progress on the Southern Gateway Park as the deck over I-35 was completed.

The park will be built in two phases, with the first hopefully opening by the end of 2023. The park will connect the Dallas Zoo to the surrounding neighborhoods in North Oak Cliff, similar to Klyde Warren Park in downtown, and promote walkability in the neighborhood.

And, Southern Gateway Park is the first of several new parks being promised to the neighborhood. This year Oak Cliff also saw headway on the Kevin W. Sloan park, which was just approved by the city landmark commission, and a future skate park.

The Advocate thinks green is the new pink, and a walkable Oak Cliff is a stylish Oak Cliff.

A rendering of the future Southern Gateway Park.

South Oak Cliff Football

Last Friday, South Oak Cliff became the first DISD school to win back-to-back state titles when their football team bested the Port Neches-Grove Indians. And yeah, we know we’ve mentioned it once or twice, but we are proud!

Plus, nine members of the football team signed letters of intent with the colleges where they’ll be playing next fall, and we think the only thing more stylish than two state championship wins is student athletes using their passions to pursue higher education.

The South Oak Cliff football team has so much style, it leaves us wondering: are they the Golden Bears, or the Rizzly Bears?

It’s also worth a mention that in March, the Faith Family Academy men’s basketball team secured the 4A state championship, a third for head coach Brandon Thomas.

Kessler Park Gnomes

Sometimes you see something weird that makes no sense anywhere else, and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy and thinking of home.

The Kessler Park gnomes feel like home. And we love them.

A gnome on the Coombs Creek Trail. Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Sha’Carri Richardson

We love a hometown hero, and this year Sha’Carri Richardson defeated Olympians. The track star graduated from Carter, and has held her own on the global stage and looked good doing it.

We applaud you, Sha’Carri.

Gloria Devine

If you haven’t made your way over to Tipsy Elf yet this season, you have missed out on the most stylish Mrs. Clause in Dallas.

Gloria Devine, aka Mrs. Clause, can be spotted at most of the Tipsy Elf’s events, and brings a classic dose of drag queen performance to the party. Friday is your last chance this season to see Gloria do her thing.

Also, Gloria holds the title of Miss Gay Texas. What is more stylish than a pageant crown?

The Turner House

This one, we think, speaks for itself.

The Turner House at 401 N. Rosemont Ave. was seen in Dallas, TX on Aug. 16, 2016. Credit: Danny Fulgencio

CocoAndré

This year, CocoAndré was listed as one of the best chocolates from around the world by Condé Nast Traveler’s.

Seeing CocoAndré’s La Picosita Bar listed next to chocolates from Thailand, Iceland and more, it makes us extra appreciative for our neighborhood chocolatier.

Photo by Kathy Tran

Dallas Zoo baby animals

The Dallas Zoo welcomed a whole other zoo’s worth of baby animals into the world this year.

Most recently we have been loving on baby hippopotamus Kalo, who was born in October.

But we also can’t get over Nea, a giraffe calf that was also born in October. According to an exam done by the zoo, New was around five feet tall at birth, and weighed over 135 pounds!

And in August, a white-cheeked gibbon became the youngest member of the zoo’s primates. The gibbon, named Kip, was cared for by zookeepers after his parents didn’t show caretaking instincts.

Add to the list a handful of baby birds, and emperor tamarin twins, and the zoo has their hands full! Oh baby!