By Audrey Sellers
1. Southlake is Southlake—not Dallas-Fort Worth.
While Southlake residents can certainly appreciate the proximity to two of Texas' major metro areas (Dallas is Texas' third-largest city and Fort Worth is the fifth-largest, according to USA Today), people in Southlake don’t like getting lumped in with the rest of the Metroplex. Southlake simply stands apart. When you live here, you get the charm of a small town (community pep rallies and festivals galore, for example) with the perks of a big city (high-end retail and restaurants, and heck, even a Tesla gallery opening soon).
Southlake might even get its own trolley system. City leaders are determining the feasibility of adding trolleys, which would be funded with the seven-percent hotel occupancy tax. According to Southlake Mayor Laura Hill, a trolley system would help improve driving conditions for residents while creating a great experience for visitors.
“A Southlake trolley system supports our businesses, residents and visitors,” she says. “It will provide a convenient way for everyone to enjoy and experience some of Southlake's most popular destinations.” Dallas and Fort Worth can keep their mass-transit options—we'll take the trolley.
2. The Dragon isn't just a mascot; it's a way of life.
If you're new to Southlake, it won't take you long to see that here, everyone is a Dragon, from pre-K to the senior class and beyond. Once a Dragon, always a Dragon. There aren't different mascots for different schools—we're all members of Dragon Nation. And because everyone is united by #DragonPride, there's a certain kind of culture here that just doesn't exist elsewhere.
Here's how Carroll ISD superintendent Dr. David Faltys describes it: “Being a Dragon is truly something special. It's not just wearing a Dragon hat or shirt, or having the logo on your car or locker. It goes much deeper than that. It has to do with your heart, mind and spirit. It's about protecting a tradition that has endured for decades.”
3. Other cities are going to judge you … hard.
Living in Southlake comes with a certain level of scrutiny from other cities. There's a sibling rivalry of sorts between Dallas and Fort Worth, but when you live in Southlake, rivalries get ratcheted up to a whole new level. It seems every other Texas town has its eye on Southlake—especially when it comes to athletics. Apparently, our Dragon Pride bothers some people. It makes no difference to us; we'll always protect the tradition.
4. You might live next to a professional athlete.
When you live in our town, celebrity sightings are bound to happen. DeMarcus Ware, Cole Hamels, Jermaine O'Neal and Jason Witten are just a few of the pro athletes who have called Southlake home. Though they could live anywhere, many A-listers and CEOs proudly reside in Southlake. Over the years, Southlake Style has spotlighted a dozen or so stars in our pages and on our cover. And they all agree: It doesn’t get better than living in Southlake. DeMarcus Ware says, “I like the camaraderie. It’s a great community.”
5. Southlake is made for families.
There's a reason families flock to our city from all over the globe—it really is the best place to raise kids. SchoolDigger ranked Carroll ISD as the No. 1 school district in Texas. Our teachers have accrued their own accolades: Carroll ISD ranks in the top five districts in Texas for best educators. As far as the community goes, WalletHub ranked Southlake as the No. 1 city in Texas for families and among the top 10 best small cities in America. The stats back up what locals already know: Southlake is a pretty fantastic community any way you look at it.
6. The daytime scene is fun, but the nightlife tapers off a bit.
Between Bicentennial Park, Bob Jones Nature Center and the Southlake Public Library, it's easy to make the most of a Saturday with your kids. However, if you're looking for a vibrant late-night scene for your next date night, all is generally quiet in the bubble. Here, your evenings might consist of catching a movie at Harkins, grabbing a cold one at The Ginger Man or solving cryptic puzzles at Red Door Escape Room. But luckily, you're just an Uber away from the booming clubs and rooftop lounges of Big D—if that's your thing.
7. You might struggle with the abundance of culinary options.
Long-time residents remember when Southlake used to have one restaurant: the local Dairy Queen. Not anymore! Southlake is a foodie destination. You can swing into Central Market for groceries to prepare your own feast or snag a table at one of the dozens of local restaurants that serve everything from Tex-Mex to Thai-Vietnamese fusion. Southlake residents also have plenty of choices for their venti extra-foam latte. With half a dozen Starbucks locations in our city, locals are a highly caffeinated bunch.
8. The summer heat is as merciless as you expect.
When the air quality plummets and the heat index soars, locals can hop in their backyard pool, hang out beneath the patio misters at their favorite restaurant or blast the AC in their SUV. Or, they can do what we like to do: Indulge in a cold treat.
Steel City Pops is one of our city's newest purveyors of summer refreshment. If the line out the door is any indication, frozen pops are quickly becoming locals' favorite cool-down. “Southlake has embraced us with open arms and we couldn't be more grateful,” says Ryan Childress, general manager of Steel City Pops.
Haven't tried one of the shops' frozen treats yet? Childress urges everyone to give the pops a try. “We put so much effort into making these pops as delicious as we possibly can,” he says. We think they're all pretty good, although we're partial to the pineapple-jalapeño pop.
9. But winter is totally doable.
Sure, Southlake residents are like most Texans—we pile on the winter gear and complain when the temperature dips below 40. But we secretly know we have it better than most of the country. Southlake averages 233 sunny days a year with average January temperatures of 34, according to Sperling's BestPlaces.
Plus, our city averages zero inches of snowfall annually while the average U.S. city gets 26 inches a year. Living in a no-snow zone is perfectly okay with locals. Who wants to shovel a driveway anyway?
10. There's always something going on.
In our city, there's never a shortage of things to do. This summer, families can catch a flick under the stars at Movies at The Marq. In the fall, Southlake Town Square turns into a lederhosen-packed funfest at Oktoberfest. And at Southlake's Home For The Holidays, kids and adults usher in the magic of the season with a tree lighting, snow hill, carriage rides and all the holiday fun you can imagine. All year round, Southlake bustles with events, celebrations and gatherings that make our town our absolute favorite place to be.