Rise and Shine, Park Cities (3-24-11)

1. — restaurants/business: City Cafe host and co-owner Karim Alaoui and his crew are out to combine social networking (Facebook use) and actual networking (sitting in a tangible place with other live humans) while working the kitchen to keep you wined and fed.

Now get this. As part of some 25th-anniversary buzz for the popular restaurant, Alaoui plans to unveil its official Facebook page at 5 p.m. tonight. His hope: That you’ll drop in for free wine and appetizers while leaving comments and hitting the “like” button.

Seriously.  City Cafe is even lending out laptops for the occasion.

For more about Alaoui and his fans, pick up Friday’s issue of Park Cities People.

2. — retail/business: The Market@Home is up and running in its new Snider Plaza location, and the spot last occupied by Flavors From Afar has recently been leased. Stay tuned for details.

3. — monkey business: So I’m feeling out a potential story about narrow alleyways in North Dallas/near the Park Cities, and city trash trucks that are technically too large to drive through said alleys without causing damage.

The wild ‘n’ crazy part:

Field research has resulted in A. One entirely broken-off passenger mirror, made street-legal an hour later with a tube of Super Glue, B. A distant but agitated bystander who appeared to note my license plate/make a phone call after I cruised the same alley twice (I can’t blame the guy) and C. No story – yet. But I did talk with a homeowner in Preston Hollow whose back easement has been damaged enough by trash trucks to affect the level of her lawn and dislodge her fence. Repeatedly.

What do you think? Has anyone had recent alley, easement, or garbage-collection issues you don’t mind discussing on the record?  The Park Cities obviously have their own sanitation departments, but I’d like to draw comparisons – or even throw in some praise. Whatever you can share.

By Georgia Fisher Mar. 24, 2011 | 8:06 am | 6 Comments | Comments RSS
6 comments to "Rise and Shine, Park Cities (3-24-11)"
  1. Gringo Bling @ March 24, 2011 at 8:09 am
    Easy solution is to move trash pick-up to the front.

  2. A. B. @ March 24, 2011 at 8:43 am
    Ugly solution is to move trash pick-up to the front. But they did that last year in east Dallas so who knows…

  3. parkmom @ March 24, 2011 at 9:06 am
    Call mary nix with city of dallas sanitation and she will give you long history of trash pick up in dallas and why it is what it is. basically when they purchased the current residential trash trucks pick up was supposed to move to the front of houses but the residents (mostly in preston hollow) had a fit and said that was ugly and unacceptable! think its a no one will ever be happy situation.

  4. Avid Reader @ March 24, 2011 at 11:17 am
    5300 Block of Emerson on the other side of the tollway had the trash pickup get moved from the back to the front for that exact reason. Agree with A.B. and Gringo, it is an easy ugly solution.

  5. kmom @ March 25, 2011 at 5:11 pm
    Georgia – I can hook you up with someone who has all the 411 on trash in Dallas VS Park Cities, email me. I can get you a ride along in a trash truck so you can see it from the “other side”, too.

    For one thing, the Park Cities alleys are a dream for garbage men compared to Dallas because they enforce ordinances to keeping the alleys clear of obstructions, plants, etc. So Pat is the garbagemans friend.

  6. George @ March 26, 2011 at 9:05 am
    The UP garbage trucks always drive on my easement. Any closer and it could affect the posts and entire structure of our fence. CUP has its excuses but when it comes to taxpaying residents we are issued warnings for “Code Violations” backed by citation fines and legal action, if necessary. I’m getting off topic but how about also considering a story about the current neighborhood block sweeps being conducted by code enforcement officers? Do we really need code officers being so proactive especially since we don’t live in a gated community? We have a resident service request form and 311 line to call in blatant code violations. I say fire the code officers and use the money to perhaps widen our alleys and buy smaller garbage trucks (if this is a problem).

Leave a Reply