For nearly 16 years, Nova has served as a second living room for Oak Cliff, a place where neighbors gather over great food, familiar drinks, and plenty of local characters. In this episode, JD Reid joins the podcast to share how he and his partners transformed a former Dairy Queen on West Davis into one of the neighborhood’s most enduring restaurants, opening with just a handful of menu items and around $1,200 left in the bank.

JD reflects on immigrating from Scotland, leaving the corporate world for the restaurant business, and what it takes to keep an independent neighborhood spot going. He also talks about Nova’s chef-driven menu, its relationship with the Kessler Theater, and the responsibility that comes with creating a place where employees and neighbors have put down roots.

Stevens Park is one of Oak Cliff’s most familiar landscapes, but its history stretches far beyond the golf course. What began with Annie Stevens’s 1923 gift of 40 acres in memory of her parents grew into a public park, an 18-hole municipal course, and a neighborhood shaped by the creeks, bluffs, and rolling hills of Oak Cliff.

In this episode, we trace the course from its early sand greens to its reputation as “Little Augusta,” exploring the civic ambition, complicated history, and generations of golfers behind it. It is a story of stubborn land, public space, and the many people who imagined what these hills above the Trinity could become.

What does it take to build a city where artists can make meaningful work without burning out? Avery-Jai Andrews, executive director of Arts Mission Oak Cliff and founder of Agora Artists, joins the show to talk about returning to Dallas after pursuing dance in New York, the hard lessons of starting her own company, and why supporting the artist matters as much as supporting the art.

Avery-Jai shares how a former Winnetka Heights church building became a gathering place for artists, neighbors, and collaborators, and explores the tension between creativity and commerce, the importance of relationship-building, and Oak Cliff’s potential to sustain a thriving artistic community of its own.

For the final installment of the Hidden City Summer Reading Club, Doug and Grant are joined by Eric Nystrom to discuss Nathanael Johnson’s Unseen City, a book about learning to notice the wildlife hiding in plain sight.

From hawks over Elmwood and turtles in Cedar Creek to bald eagles along the Trinity River, the conversation explores the nature woven through Dallas and what we discover when we slow down, ask questions, and pay closer attention to the places we call home.

Summer Reading Club continues with The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Joined by Fred Durham of the C.S. Lewis Institute, we explore why these beloved stories continue to resonate with readers of all ages.

From talking animals and enchanted forests to themes of courage, redemption, and hope, we discuss what makes Narnia so much more than a children's fantasy series. Along the way, we trace Lewis's life from wartime Britain to Oxford, discuss the friendship that shaped both him and J.R.R. Tolkien, and consider how the best stories can change the way we see the places and people around us.

Summer Reading Club continues with Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. We explore why this story has resonated with so many readers and how its themes of place, hospitality, and human connection echo the kinds of stories we love to talk about on the podcast.

We discuss what the book has to say about truly seeing the people around us and draw connections to Oak Cliff. Whether you've already read the book or are looking for your next summer read, this conversation is a great place to start.

We kick off our Summer Reading Club with John Steinbeck's Cannery Row, a novel that finds humor, humanity, and unexpected beauty in the lives of a small working class neighborhood in depression-era California. Grant, Doug, and Savannah discuss why this classic still resonates today, exploring the ways place shapes identity, how community forms in unlikely spaces, and what Cannery Row can teach us about seeing the hidden stories in our own neighborhood.

Before Reunion Tower and the Dallas skyline, there was La Réunion, a French utopian colony on the banks of the Trinity River. In this episode, Grant and Doug explore how a group of European settlers came to North Texas hoping to build a new kind of society, why the experiment failed, and how its residents helped shape early Dallas through culture, business, science, and civic life. It's the story behind one of Dallas' most recognizable names and a forgotten chapter of Oak Cliff history.

Carlos De La Fuente has been part of Oak Cliff since 1974, and few people know the neighborhood's history quite like he does. In this episode, Carlos shares the story of immigrating to Dallas as a child, growing up in Oak Cliff, working at the Dallas Farmers Market, and leaving a stable aviation career to pursue his dream of entrepreneurship.

We talk about the early days of ABC Party, the mentors who believed in him, the risks he took to build a business from the ground up, and the partnership with his wife that helped turn a small produce stand into one of Oak Cliff’s most beloved institutions. Along the way, Carlos reflects on leadership, community, work ethic, and why staying rooted on Davis Street has always mattered more than chasing the next opportunity.

Philip Haigh, Executive Director of The Loop Dallas, joins the podcast to talk about the ambitious effort to connect Dallas through a 50-mile trail network. From discovering the bike-friendly culture of Oak Cliff to leading one of the city's most transformative public space projects, Philip shares how trails can change the way people experience their neighborhoods and their city.

The conversation explores the future of transportation in Dallas, the hidden green spaces many residents never realize exist, and the vision behind connecting landmarks like White Rock Lake, the Trinity River Audubon Center, and communities across the city. Along the way, Philip discusses Parkdale Lake, the challenges of building urban trails, and why creating more ways to move through Dallas might shape the city's next chapter.We also talk about fatherhood, creative community at Tyler Station, learning through physical work, and the ways art, design, and movement can reconnect us to the world around us. Along the way, Sean reflects on collaboration, injury and healing, and the inspiration he draws from Oak Cliff and beyond.

In this episode, we explore the story of 10th Street, one of the most important surviving Freedman’s Town landscapes in the United States. Long before I-35 cut through Oak Cliff, 10th Street was a thriving African American community built by formerly enslaved people and their descendants. Through churches, schools, businesses, homes, and family networks, residents created a neighborhood where generations could live, work, worship, and build a future together. We trace the rise of neighborhood institutions while looking at the people who shaped the community and the lasting impact they had on Dallas. We also examine how roads, urban renewal, and decades of disinvestment fractured the neighborhood, and how descendants and preservationists are working to recover and protect its history today. This is a story about resilience, memory, and why 10th Street still matters.

We also talk about fatherhood, creative community at Tyler Station, learning through physical work, and the ways art, design, and movement can reconnect us to the world around us. Along the way, Sean reflects on collaboration, injury and healing, and the inspiration he draws from Oak Cliff and beyond.

Sean Springer, founder of Springer Design Studio, joins The Hidden City to talk about his journey from studying sculpture at RISD to building a woodworking and design practice rooted in craftsmanship, healing, and creativity. Sean shares how working with reclaimed wood shaped his artistic path, the philosophy behind his handmade objects, and why materials like wood still feel deeply alive to him.

We also talk about fatherhood, creative community at Tyler Station, learning through physical work, and the ways art, design, and movement can reconnect us to the world around us. Along the way, Sean reflects on collaboration, injury and healing, and the inspiration he draws from Oak Cliff and beyond.

Illustrator and designer Zach Stuef joins The Hidden City to talk about moving from Michigan to Dallas, building a creative life through illustration, and why he still starts every project with pen and paper. We talk about collaboration, theology, concert posters, Oak Cliff creative community, and the tension between handmade art and AI-generated work.

Savannah steps in as co-host for this episode as we dig into Zach’s creative process, personal projects, and the ideas and places that continue to shape his work.

Dallas once had a real plan to become a port city, with boats traveling from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up the Trinity River into the heart of Dallas. In this episode, we trace the strange and ambitious history of the “Port of Dallas” and how Oak Cliff sat directly in the path of that dream. From devastating floods and disappearing bridges to the construction of the Oak Cliff Viaduct and the reshaping of the Trinity itself, this is the story of how Dallas tried to engineer its way into becoming something it wasn’t and how Oak Cliff still carries the marks of that vision today.

Two years after her first appearance on The Hidden City Podcast, April Allen returns as Halperin Park prepares to officially open in Oak Cliff this weekend. Recorded inside the park just days before opening, this episode captures a full-circle moment for one of Dallas’ most ambitious community-led projects.

April, President & CEO of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, shares what it took to bring the park from early renderings to reality, the emotional weight of reaching opening weekend, and how neighbors helped shape nearly every detail of the space. From the 12th Street Promenade reconnecting divided neighborhoods to the native landscaping, gathering spaces, and future plans for Phase Two, this conversation explores how Halperin Park was designed with Oak Cliff at its center. We also talk about opening weekend festivities, local partnerships, and why April believes this park will change how people experience both Oak Cliff and Dallas itself. This episode features sneak peeks of the new park, aerial footage, and an early look at one of Dallas’ most significant new public spaces.

Frank Reaugh played a major role in shaping how people see Texas. His pastel landscapes of open prairie, longhorns, and wide skies captured something quieter and more honest about the state.

In this episode, we follow his path to Oak Cliff, where he helped build the early art scene and taught a generation of artists at his studio near Lake Cliff Park. It’s a look at how one artist paid attention to the landscape long enough to change how people understood it, and how that legacy connects back to Oak Cliff.

The streetcar didn’t just run through Oak Cliff, it helped build it. In this episode, we trace how early rail lines in the 1880s made Oak Cliff feel close enough to grow, shaping where people gathered and where businesses took root along Jefferson. We follow its evolution into a larger system, the decisions that led to its disappearance in the 1950s, and its return decades later. It’s a story about transit, but also about how a neighborhood forms, and how something as simple as crossing the Trinity can change what a place becomes.

Most people know 7-Eleven for Slurpees, Big Gulps, and late-night snack runs, but the company’s story starts in Oak Cliff. In this episode, Doug and Grant trace 7-Eleven’s roots from an Oak Cliff ice dock to a global chain, following the local people and neighborhood needs that helped shape the modern convenience store. Along the way, they also get into the company’s larger impact, from the way it changed everyday shopping to the role products like the Slurpee played in making 7-Eleven part of American culture.

David Cervantes, founder of Elyse Build, joins The Hidden City to talk about his work building and restoring homes across Oak Cliff. He shares about his journey from working his way up through construction crews to now leading projects that focus on older properties and the process of bringing them back to life. We talk about learning through experience, building a business rooted in relationships, and what it looks like to take on projects that require both preservation and practicality. Along the way, David reflects on the crews he works alongside, the challenges of growing a company, and the role his work plays in shaping the future of Oak Cliff.

There’s a version of Oak Cliff people think they know. But in the 1970s and 80s, it became something else entirely, a place where artists found space, built studios, and created a scene that didn’t feel like anywhere else in Dallas. In this episode, we trace how Oak Cliff became known as Dallas’s Left Bank, from the early artist studios along Bishop Avenue to the parallel creative communities that shaped the neighborhood in different ways. It’s a story about space, identity, and what happens when a place gives people room to make something.