Dallas Condo Sales Through May 2011

Real Estate is always news -- but it is the local real estate news that is the real news!  A brief snapshot of condo sales year to date vs. last year to date:

2011 January through May

# of Sales - 235
Average Sales Price - $334,090
Average Sales Price per Square Ft. - $179.01

2010 January through May

# of Sales - 245

Average Sales Price - $312,721
Average Sales Price per Square Ft. - $173.56

Certainly helping the overall average sales price are sales in the luxury tier.  The highest sale year to date remains a penthouse at The Claride followed by two sales at The Ritz Carlton.   Life  just isn't so bad living in the Dallas high rise corrider!

Katy Trail News

Probably no one in Dallas is more passionate about The Katy Trail than Trail Manager, Bill Williams.  You can see Bill riding up and down the trail on his golf cart, and if you have a chance to take a ride with him, he can provide you with fun details all up and down the trail.   Bill is reaching out to the community including City Council for help finding grafitti "taggers."  According to Bill, the specific tags "OVER", "OVER 730" and "Over CTK" have been put on 52 different spots along the Trail.  This prolific tagger is not the only one.  Bill is asking anyone with information about the grafitti taggers or who spots suspicious activity to contact The Friends of the Katy Trail at 214.303.1180 or office@katytraildallas.org. 

Troy Aikman asks whopping price on Highland Park home | Alan Peppard Columns and Reviews - Entertainment News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

Troy Aikman asks whopping price on Highland Park home Alan Peppard Columns and Reviews - Entertainment News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

Creek Side Garden Project

The Dallas Parks and Recreation Department is moving forward with the Creek Side Garden Project to revitalize the park area between Turtle Creek and The Katy Trail.  Tentative plans call for an access off The Katy Trail to complete the overlook area, and restoring the former roque courts into one roque court, a badmitton court, shuffleboard courts and bocce ball courts.   Construction is expected to begin in the next few months.

Creek Craze - April 14th

Easter Egg Roll

Our Friend from the Fire Department

Pooch Parade

Face Painting and Ballons

Scenes from the first ever Creek Craze event.  Approximately 1500 people came to Lee Park and enjoyed the Easter Egg Roll, Face Painting, a Live Band and a special performance by Eddie Coker.  The weather could not have been better. 

Turtle Creek - New Hibiscus Fountain

A special thank you to members of the Lee Park Conservancy along with a generous grant from the Dallas Southern Memorial Association for the new hibiscus fountain in Turtle Creek.   The previous fountain had reached and surpassed its life expectancy.  Residents along Turtle Creek are delighted to have the new fountain up and running.

Celebrate Spring - Save these Important Dates

Spring is in the air and the flowers are in bloom!  Celebrate the season with these wonderful neighborhood events:

April 17th

Creek Craze

Lee Park - 2:00 - 6:00

Events for all ages

Free Admission
Hosted By:
Turtle Creek Association
Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy

April 24th

Easter in the Park

Lee Park

Dallas Symphony and Pooch Parade

Free Admission
For more information visit:

Lee Park and Arlington Conservancy

May 7th

Day at The Races

Arlington Hall at Lee Park - 3:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by The Junior Conservancy
of the Lee Park Conservancy
For more information visit:
Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy

May 12th

Katy 5K

Reverchon Park - 6:30 p.m.

Run, walk or volunteer online at  Friends of the Katy Trail

Friends of the Katy Trail, Lee Park Conservancy and the Turtle Creek Association are three organizations devoted to improving and maintaining the Turtle Creek and Uptown areas.  Join one or all three of these organizations for opportunities to get involved and meet others in our neighborhood. 

First Quarter Sales Report

The first quarter is complete and the condo sales report for the Oak Lawn/Downtown/Turtle Creek area (MLS Area 17) are very interesting.  Despite what the national headlines may say, sales are relatively flat in this area.  While everyone would love to see an increase in sales, that we are holding our own is a positive sign:

Number of Condo Sales:

2011 - 116
2010 - 113

Average Sales Price:

2011 - $353,583
2010 - $354,236

In the luxury market, sales at The Ritz Carlton are moving along a great pace with 8 sales reported in the first quarter.  The highest sale to date was a penthouse sale at The Claridge which sold for $4,600,000. 

Save the Date - Easter in The Park - April 17th - 2:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Mark Your Calendars

Easter in the Park

April 17th - 2:00 - 6:00 p.m.

The Turtle Creek Association and the Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy are joining forces this year to present the 26th annual spring-time celebration and will include a variety of new events for all age groups.  Held at Lee Park, all acitivities at this beloved family event are open to the public to attend.  All proceeds from this fun and family-oriented celebration benefit the Turtle Creek Association and Lee Park & Arlington Hall Conservancy, non-profit organizations who strive to preserve and enhance the natural beauty and quality of life in the Turtle Creek Corrider. 

Best On MLS Tour - February 23, 2011

Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday  is The Oak Lawn MLS agent tour.  Best on tour today were 2 distinctly different homes:

4222 Abbott

$1,795,000



Listed by Karen Luter with Allie Beth Allman & Associates, this sleek, contemporary Northern Hills home is a hidden gem.  The neighborhood of Northern Hills is adjacent to the high rise neighborhood and boasts easy access to The Katy Trail and the Knox Henderson area. 

No photos yet, but Susan Bratton's new listing at The Claridge, #9C -- is a beautifully remodeled  condo with Downtown, Turtle Creek, Katy Trail and Highland Park views.  Offered for $1,799,500. 

Katy Trail Update

Robin Baldcock, Executive Director of The Friends of the Katy Trail, reminded everyone to say hello to Bill Williams, Trail Manager.  During the weekdays you can see Bill driving his golf cart up and down the trail troubleshooting and ensuring the trail is beautifully maintained.   Bill is a terrific ambassador for The Katy Trail and a delightful person to meet. 

Robin also reminded everyone to save two dates on your calendar:

March 1, 2011 - Online registration begins for the Michelob Ultra No. 13 Katy 5K.  The field is capped at 5,000 so be sure to register early.

May 12, 2011  - They Katy Trail 5K - a neighborhood favorite! 

For more information about The Katy Trail :   http://www.katytraildallas.org/

Well, the reviews are in.  Dallas was proud to host Super Bowl XLV at the Cowboys Stadium last weekend. Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers!

The big winner - besides the Packers - was the unseasonably cold and icy weather which temporarily hijacked superbowl sales and anticipated economic impact. Although official sales tax data won’t be available till April, direct spending estimates were in the $200-$250 million range but would have been higher if the weather had been more cooperative. Many retailers said that the sales followed the weather patterns and improved on Sunday and Monday as the weather improved.

Although the weather caused a slow and icy start to the event, Super Bowl XLV set a few records:

• The Super Bowl Breakfast at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center was the largest ever.
• The Taste of the NFL also set an attendance record and fundraising record with its $1 million-plus total for hunger charities.
• The Super Bowl Gospel Celebration concert in Fair Park had its largest audience ever.

And last but not least, Super Bowl XLV had the largest audience in television history. The Nielsen Co. estimated the total audience at 162.9 million - 9.5 million better than last year – which gave fans a glimpse of what Dallas is all about.

Lighting Up Lee Park!

Construction has begun on the installation of new lighting fixtures along the central pathway of Lee Park -- thanks to a very generous $75,000 grant from the Meadows Foundation. Lee Park and Arlington Hall are located on historic Turtle Creek Boulevard between Hall and Lemmon. There are four Dallas high rise buildings offering units with views of Lee Park and Arlington Hall: The Claridge, The Mayfair, Renaissance on Turtle Creek and The Vendome. Residents from these buildings and others in the neighborhood enjoy this park and will be delighted with the additional lighting.

Lee Park Junior Conservency Winter Social

You're invited to the Winter Social!

Come help us start a new year of Junior Conservancy fun and volunteer activities at our 2011 Member-Guest Winter Social!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

6:30 P.M.

Complimentary

Hors D'oeuvres & Full Bar

Live Music

Join now and receive the benefits of Junior Conservancy membership... invitations to conservancy member-only events, fabulous cocktail parties, "Day at the Races" Kentucky Derby Party, and so much more!

Join Now & Bring a Guest!

JOIN HERE

RSVP HERE

For the Winter Social - 2011

SAVE THE DATE FOR "DAY AT THE RACES' DERBY PARTY - SATURDAY, MAY 7TH

TCA JANUARY SOCIAL HOUR AND FEBRUARY CULTURE ON THE CREEK!

SOCIAL HOUR
Tuesday, Jan. 25th, 5:30-7:00pm at Ocean Prime, 2101 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas, TX 75201.

The first Turtle Creek Association 2011 social hour will be on Tuesday, Jan. 25th at 5:30pm. Hosted this month by Ocean Prime, who will provide comlimentary hors d'oeuvres. Admission is free and members are welcome to bring a guest. Please RSVP by email by Friday, Jan. 21.

Also, be sure to join TCA for an exciting "Culture on the Creek" Art Tour of Old Parkland on Tuesday, Feb. 15th. Admission is $15 per person and is for TCA members only. Tickets can purchased online next week.



CULTURE ON THE CREEK ART TOUR
Tuesday, February 15, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Crow Holdings at Old Parkland, 3819 Maple Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219.
Business Attire. Valet Parking. $15 per person, Space is Limited; Reservations Required. Guests will gather in "The Tavern" inside the old Nurses Quarters. Tour Guides will take groups of 20 at a time. Cash Bar.

RSVP to jclemmer@turtlecreekassociation.org