Region Home to Unique Outdoor Attractions, Amenities
The Best Southwest Partnership region's residents enjoy high-quality recreational amenities, affordable homes and easy access to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
The Best Southwest Partnership region’s neighborhoods, shopping destinations and recreational amenities – including more than 4,485 acres of parks and green spaces – are drawing people across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. With short commutes and convenient access to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, it’s easy for the region’s residents to enjoy both big-city amenities and small-town charm.
“We are a separate and unique community, but we are in the Metroplex,” says Allison Thompson, director of the Cedar Hill Economic Development Corp. and director of economic development for the City of Cedar Hill.“You get the best of both worlds.”
Parks and Recreation
Drawing nearly 2 million visitors annually, Cedar Hill in Southwest Dallas County includes the 1,826-acre Cedar Hill State Park, which features 355 campsites and more than 1,200 acres of mountain biking trails. The park is also a top spot for bird watching, with nearly 200 species calling the area home. In addition, Cedar Hill State Park’s 7,500-acre Joe Pool Lake draws anglers with largemouth black bass, crappie and catfish, and visitors can enjoy activities like mountain biking, boating, kayaking and swimming.
Adjacent to the park is Dogwood Canyon, a 250-acre natural area that includes the area’s largest variety of rare and endangered species such as the golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped vireo. Dogwood Canyon also features nature trails and the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, an educational facility that hosts thousands of schoolchildren each year.
“You’re out in nature in a beautiful green space, but you’re just 20 minutes from downtown Dallas,” Thompson says.
In nearby DeSoto, Thorntree Country Club’s 18-hole course has hosted major events including the Texas State Open Qualifying Tournament. Club members also have access to six lighted tennis courts, a swimming pool and a clubhouse with two restaurants.
Offering year-round bicycle motocross racing, DeSoto’s Metroplex BMX is another popular recreation destination. The venue, home to a 60,000-square-foot lighted track, is the nation’s first covered facility built exclusively for BMX racing. In addition to local, district, state and regional events, Metroplex BMX hosts national races like the USA BMX Super Nationals, which have been held at the venue for 17 consecutive years and feature a mix of Olympians, professionals and amateurs. In April 2014, the Super Nationals event drew more than 10,000 fans to the area.
One of Duncanville’s 16 parks, Lakeside Park covers just over 52 acres and has two playgrounds, two softball fields, a basketball course, a sand volleyball court, a practice football field and a fishing pond. The city also includes Kidsville at Armstrong Park, which is one of the largest volunteer-built city playgrounds in the U.S.
Amenities and Advantages
Covering just 5.8 square miles and home to approximately 4,000 people, Ovilla – one of several of the region’s communities to be named a top North Texas suburb by D Magazine – is known for its quiet neighborhoods with custom homes. And thanks to an average home price of $221,179 and a quick commute to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, luxurious living is both affordable and convenient in Ovilla.
The community’s Ovilla Parc subdivision, established in 2004, features more than 150 lots with homes created by local home builders such as Lillian Custom Homes, John Houston Custom Homes, Tree Hill Homes, Glacier Custom Homes and Creative Homes. The Ashburne Glen subdivision, developed in the early 1990s, includes more than 140 custom and semi-custom single-family homes.
D Magazine also recognized Red Oak, Cedar Hill, Midlothian, Hutchins, DeSoto, Glenn Heights, Duncanville, Balch Springs, Lancaster and Wilmer – all of which are part of the region – as some of the best North Texas suburbs in 2014.
For shopping, dining and entertainment, many residents head to Uptown Village at Cedar Hill. The destination features more than 70 retailers and restaurants, as well as an interactive fountain, oversized chess and checker board, children’s play area and year-round concerts on the Village Green Stage.
“Uptown Village is the first major shopping destination built in the area in over 30 years,” says Patty Bushart, tourism marketing manager for the City of Cedar Hill. “It’s a lifestyle shopping center that’s designed to be a gathering place.”
Learn about arts and culture in the Best Southwest Dallas Partnership region.