It’s not unusual in the middle of the winter in Dallas to all of a sudden find yourself facing several days of spring-like temperatures and weather.  Recently, on one such day, I decided head over Klyde Warren Park which opened about four months ago (in late October) and is the latest addition to the Dallas Arts District.  For those of you who follow the Bonick Landscaping Facebook page, you know I’ve followed the design and construction of this park closely for the last three years and was happy to finally get a chance to go see it.

Although it’s just 5.2 acres, Klyde Warren Park is chock-full of things to do and was buzzing with activity.  There were people everywhere; lounging and gathering around tables and chairs, socializing with their dogs in the dog park, watching their kids in the children’s park, taking advantage of the foosball, ping pong and mini-putting green, milling around and sampling wares from the gourmet food trucks…it seems a lot of people had the same great idea I had on how to spend the day outdoors.

Spanning the 1,000-foot east side of the park there is a beautiful promenade lined with white arches.  On the west side are the reading and game rooms (that’s where you’ll find the chess tables, ping pong, etc).  The trees on the west promenade particularly caught my eye as the trunks are covered in bright yarn, with all kinds of whimsical details.  Along with the arches, another highlight of the park is the interactive, in-ground water features which are, in a word, fun.  Kids and pets alike can’t seem to resist their draw.

One of the things I like most about Klyde Warren Park is just knowing the vision, persistence and hard work it took to create what is now and will remain one of defining features of downtown Dallas. Klyde Warren Park was reportedly conceived as a public space over Woodall Rodgers Freeway four decades ago.  Four decades from now I have no doubt it will be as popular with Dallasites as it is today – and that is the real beauty of it.