Life in Dallas
An Insiders Look of Dallas
Life in Dallas is intended to provide casual snapshots and vignettes of people and places one might see in the course of living in Dallas. These spontaneous and sporadic posts are not intended to give an exhaustive or even a full view of Dallas. Here you will find hints of Dallas.
Jon Jaimes at Javier’s
What an inspiration to have dinner with Jon Jaimes in one of his natural habitats—Javier’s, a restaurant with exquisite food, professional service, a stylish vibe, and the proprietor sending glasses of Cuarenta y Tres (Licor 43) after dinner before a cigar and espresso in the cigar bar.
Javier’s is one of the five most iconic restaurants in Dallas. It is the perfect setting to enjoy Jon Jaimes’s brilliance and insights on so many subjects. Being with Jon, one can understand why he owns one of the most dynamic advertising companies in the country. He has a sensitivity for trends and a deep knowledge of classical quality. He does not market to the masses; he inspires the individual. He is both worldly and intensely local in his insights.
I always come away from a conversation with Jon inspired, energized, and better prepared on how to move forward.
Celebration with Lee Cullum
Anytime one is fortunate enough to spend time with Lee Cullum, it is a celebration.
Lee Cullum is a Dallas treasure, reflecting everything good about Dallas. She is fluent in international politics and world affairs, Dallas politics and policy, classical music, and art. She draws from a family with several generations of contributions to Dallas, both in business and civic leadership.
Her background as the editor of many publications, service on editorial boards, and work as a host on public radio and television have given her both a journalist’s curiosity and a diplomat’s disposition.
I do not know anyone in Dallas who is more respected than Lee Cullum.
Dilbeck Conservancy Open House
Open house co-hosted by Dilbeck Conservancy and Douglas Newby. The event included the Who’s Who of preservation architects, historic home aficionados and preservationists. Preservation architect Nancy McCoy, chair of the Dilbeck Conservancy, preservation Architect Marcel Quimby, David Preziosi president of the Texas Historical Foundation, interior designer Wylly Goodson, and President of Heritage Auctions Greg Rohan and his wife, Lysa.
Surprise Birthday Party for Steve Levine at Mister 01 Extraordinary Pizza
Karen Levine surprised her husband Steve, who thought he was meeting a weekly group of friends to uncork some of their own wine while having pizza at Mister 01 Extraordinary Pizza. Steve from a distance was concerned they might not be able to get a table because it looked like there was a special event going on. Lo and behold, the special event was for him, as Karen had invited friends to celebrate his birthday before they departed to Santa Barbara with more elaborate birthday plans. I have always said Steve Levine knows more about residential architecture than anyone in Dallas. It is always special to spend time with Karen and Steve Levine.
Preservation Park Cities Member Happy Hour at Highland Park Historic Home
An added treat of seeing the Highland Park historic home designed by architect Wilson McClure with the renovation by architect Peter Pennoyer and the interior design by Cathy Kincaid was seeing Beverly Drive residents John and Sue Long. Going through the home with the nationally recognized interior designer Sue Long brought added insights to the original architecture and the superb job Cathy Kincaid had done on the interior design. The owners of the home were incredibly gracious to open their home to a select group of historic home aficionados. The drinks and hors d’oeuvres were as elegant as the home and the host.
Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership Showcased LAUNCH Accelerator Program
SMU Founders Luncheon was cohosted by Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership featuring two recent graduates of the Spears LAUNCH accelerator program.
Joshua Taylor, the Managing Director of William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, introduced Theresa Shigemura, Featured Founder of Gudpet, who discussed this entrepreneurial venture and Adrian Torrebiarte, Featured Founder of FitCheck Polls, who discussed this entrepreneurial venture. The audience was able to ask each of the founders specific questions about their exciting ventures or make suggestions of what they would like to see their business venture explore. Co-founding Directors Megha and Nirav Tolia would certainly have been proud of these presentations and business ideas taking hold.
Nirav Tolia has a Conversation with Venture Capitalist and Author Bill Gurley
Bill Gurley, author of the book “Runnin’ Down a Dream” and venture capitalist, fresh off a wildly successful TED Talk presented a few days earlier in Vancouver, had a delightful conversation with Nirav Tolia at the Spears Institute in the Cox School of Business. This conversation is a perfect example of the programming that is available for both SMU students and the Dallas community. The Spears Institute that educates and nurtures SMU students’ entrepreneurial business initiatives is a dynamic program. A conversation with Nirav Tolia and Bill Gurley who backed several of his ventures over 30 years including Nextdoor, is a TED quality program in itself. Dallas and SMU are lucky to have Nirav Tolia and his wife Megha Tolia, co-founders of the Spears Institute, so involved in this program. Bill Gurley also said hello individually to audience members as he signed his book. By the way, the book is really interesting and is one of the few business books that is not filled with stories of the author but is filled with stories of people the author knows that express the best path forward for entrepreneurs and people in business.
People, Art, Galleries Draw Patrons to Dallas Art Fair
The Dallas Art Fair attracts many of the best galleries from Dallas, across the country, and from around the world. This Dallas Art Fair has developed into a meaningful opportunity for those in Dallas to see art in an efficient, curated way. The Dallas Art Fair also attracts people from some distance because of the quality of offerings. John and Marlene Sughrue have done a wonderful job cultivating and presenting the Dallas Art Fair each year.
Co-Founder Marlene Sughrue Always Animates the Dallas Art Fair
The Dallas Art Fair is my favorite place in Dallas to spontaneously see people as they step outside or in the corridors of the Dallas Art Fair or in the galleries where one can exchange a quick smile or say hello or engage in a meaningful conversation.
Valley House Gallery in Dallas is Always a Hit at the Dallas Art Fair
Kevin and Cheryl Vogel direct the Valley House Gallery, a much-loved gallery in Dallas founded by Kevin’s father over 70 years ago. They honor the best of Dallas over several decades and Kevin and Cheryl continue to discover new artists who become national sensations. For the 2026 Dallas Art Fair, they selected work by over 60 of the artists they represent. These include two of the artists I collect, Mary Vernon and Brian Cobble. Mary Vernon is a legend as both a professor at SMU and Chair of the Art Department. She might be even better known for her splendid art. I was first introduced to Brian Cobble by David McManaway when I was seeking an artist to create a photorealist painting of an original Dallas mule-drawn streetcar for the logo of my new real estate business. This is the logo I still use today, and I have since acquired additional paintings by him as well.
Mary Vernon is a Star at the Dallas Art Fair 2026
Celebrating at Closing of New Home
Another family chooses Dallas. When people ask me why Dallas is successful, I immediately think of the people who choose to move to Dallas and make it their home. Some relocations feel like postings where someone is obligated to move to a city for a job and anticipates moving on. Most of the people I help buy a home are moving to Dallas to make Dallas home.
Evening at Cafe Pacific Celebrating New Home
The Excitement of a Lakewood Home
Libby and Michael Guerrero and their daughter are the perfect example of a family that immediately boosts the quality of Dallas. Dr. Michael Guerrero is a microbiologist and scientist over the research at Colossal doing de-extinction, bringing back extinct species, a process that will have major benefits for civilization, science and medicine. Libby has a Master’s Degree and is also prominent in the field of medicine. This is a family that is not fleeing California or New York but choosing Dallas over a nice community in Raleigh, North Carolina. Their daughter is equally excited about the DISD grade school she will be attending, particularly its theater program. What I find is that homeowners attracted to Dallas also find the city attractive to them. Michael and Libby already feel part of the city.
Douglas Newby Sees Mutual Friend at Gallery
Common interest draws people together. Jouette Travis, whom I saw at a Design District gallery, discovered that we have had mutual friends over the decades. These include award-winning filmmaker and advertising executive David Haspel and the late Rick Brettell, who has had maybe more influence on art and architecture than anyone in Dallas. Interestingly, David Haspel arranged for a Tracy-Locke art director to design my first real estate sign that included the photorealism painting by Brian Cobble mentioned in another Life in Dallas post. Jouette is a special talent with a wide range of interests and expertise, and it is a delight any time I have an opportunity to see her.