Many visitors might expect to see glorified oil tycoon stereotypes roaming the streets of downtown Dallas, but what they may not realize is that the city is home to the largest urban cultural district in the country.

Thirteen non-profit cultural organizations are spread across this 68.4-acre neighborhood, which is located east of Dallas’ West End Historic District.

Since 1989, the world-renowned Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is the permanent seat of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra is a must see in Dallas. Some critics are almost unable decipher some of the Symphony’s performances from the composer’s original work. The Dallas Wind Symphony also frequently holds concerts at the center. Both symphonies are famous nationwide and are winners of several prominent awards.

Stepping away from the center, the visitor enters the heart of the Art District, the Annette Strauss Artist Square. With a full stage and exhibit space, the square establishes a sense of community in this famous performing arts neighborhood.

The area is currently under construction, but plans are to remodel the square’s architecture. This can only mean good things for Dallas inhabitants and visitors. The square will be widened to increase its public capacity, but it will continue to be used for popular music, dance and other cultural events.

The square and its surrounding areas are primarily undergoing reconstruction to accommodate and promote two exciting new additions to Dallas’ Art District: the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts and the Winspear Opera House. Both are scheduled to open in 2009 and will bring even more cultural life to this already glittering neighborhood.

In the meantime, visitors can check out some of the neighborhood’s other exciting institutions. This includes the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Black Dance Theater, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Trammel Crow Center.