What happens when you say Deep Elm in the strong southern drawl of Texas? Why you get Deep Ellum, which since the 1980s has been one of hippest places to be in Dallas. Located just east of downtown Dallas, since the 1920s this trendy neighborhood has been home to many famous singers and artists.

The neighborhood was predominantly African-American in the mid-1800s. In the 1920s and ‘30s it became almost like a Texas version of Harlem. Blues and jazz singers like Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Huddie ‘Leadbelly’ Ledbetter performed there.

During this time the neighborhood was romantically seedy. It was home to Dallas’ drug scene, famous blues and nightclubs, pawn shops, pool halls and was also notorious for attracting drifters. In the 1950s and ‘60s, however, the neighborhood lost its shabby chic flare. It became run-down, filled with industrial warehouses. It wasn’t until an urban revitalization project in the 1980s, that the area regained its fame as a regular alternative hotspot.

Originally, warehouses were shakily converted into cheap lofts sought by artists, musicians and djs. Studio D was one of these converted warehouses and was famous for its punk shows. This club sparked artistic momentum and many clubs sprung up in the area, often illegally, in abandoned warehouses.

Soon, however, the area attracted real estate investors and within a decade rents, in the previously inexpensive lofts, skyrocketed. Clubs became legal and organized and soon the area was filled with 57 bars and nightclubs. In addition, the neighborhood’s former alternative appeal returned. Chic alternative restaurants, tattoo parlors and thriving concert venues once again dominated this Dallas neighborhood’s culture.

Unfortunately, high crime rates, high rents and the closure of many of the music venues during the early 2000s led to a decrease in the popularity of this area.

However, a new revival has begun and Deep Ellum still has enough rough, rowdy and eclectic culture to attract Dallas visitors looking to experience a living history of art and music.