You got accepted into The University of Texas at Dallas. Welcome. For those of you who aren’t from the Dallas area, you may be wondering, “What do college students do around here for fun?” Not to fret. You have many delicious restaurants and cool places to visit in the suburban areas, like Plano and Richardson, but you are also close enough to downtown to experience the culture of the Big D, too.
If you’re anything like me, I am either eating or trying to find a place to eat when I’m not studying for exams. I am proud to say that most UT Dallas students are big foodies and will know many of the places that will suit exactly what you’re looking for.
There are so many places to eat here in the Richardson area, ranging from American to Asian to Mediterranean. During lunchtime, many students will travel to Twisted Root, an American burger place near campus. Twisted Root offers traditional beef, but also ostrich, rabbit, alligator, or lamb during season.
If you’re looking for lamb or something other than a burger, a great place for lamb curry is Addis Ababa Ethiopian Restaurant on South Central Expressway.
Many who crave that boba fix and will drive to the new boba and dessert place, Java Land Coffee Haus.
If you’re on the hunt for a good ol’ gyro, grabbing your friends and bringing them to Afrah Mediterranean Restaurant and Pastries on East Main Street will definitely satisfy your cravings.
My personal favorite is First Chinese BBQ where you can enjoy some amazing miso soup and duck.
After you wrap up your meal or a grueling study session, you can reward yourself with some desserts at Sweet Mix, where you can get mango green tea fusion with jelly and a half stack of red velvet waffles and ice cream.
These are just a few places that are in proximity to UT Dallas. But we haven’t even gotten to the heart of Dallas yet.
See, Dallas is quite versatile as you can eat, explore and just relax. As a Dallas native, I have been exploring Dallas all my life, and I still continue to stumble upon places that are new and fascinating. A great place to visit, for all you non-native Dallas people, would be Klyde Warren Park. Klyde Warren hosts events like music festivals, Saturday morning yoga, culture festivals, art shows and dancing classes. This is a good place to check weekly to see if there might be something perfect for your weekend.
The Dallas Museum of Art lies across the street from the park. The DMA is a great place to retreat from a busy life and dive into a culture of art that will stimulate your creative senses. This area, the Dallas Arts District, is particularly unique in that the Nasher Sculpture Garden, Crow Collection of Asian Art and the DMA are all within walking distance of each other. You can make an entire day of taking in all of creativity displayed in central Dallas.
If you’re keeping it classy, you can visit the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center for a night of classical music, or head over to the Music Hall at Fair Park to catch a musical like “The Little Mermaid,” “Wicked” or “Ragtime.”
Art is a huge characteristic of Dallas, and not immersing yourself into it would be a missed opportunity as a UT Dallas student. If art isn’t something that interests you, Dallas also offers alternative forms of entertainment. Setting aside a day to visit the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the Dallas World Aquarium or Dallas Zoo will give you a better sense of the countless adventures you can have.
Regardless of your tastes, Dallas is a great city with great people. If you’re worried about what you may do while you’re working away at your degree at The University of Texas at Dallas, there is nothing to stress about. Music, food and art are just a small part of the Big D’s personality.
