Living in The Cedars, Dallas

The Cedars occupies a stretch of converted lofts and warehouses just south of downtown, close enough to walk into the skyline's shadow but with an industrial, low-rise character all its own. Both the Red and Blue DART lines run through the neighborhood, making it one of the more rail-connected options south of the highway loop, and a handful of music venues and galleries give the streets an artsy, low-key energy after dark most weeks of the year and most seasons.

That industrial backdrop means the neighborhood is still a patchwork — loft buildings and creative studios sit next to vacant lots and light-industrial uses, so the walkable, finished blocks are more concentrated than continuous from one end of the neighborhood to the other, with gaps in between. Rent lands in the middle of the city's range, a reasonable trade for direct rail access this close to downtown.

The Cedars fits people who want loft-style living and rail access just outside downtown, and who don't mind a still-developing streetscape between the neighborhood's more finished pockets of activity, commerce, and after-dark culture.