 the offical newsletter of DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT - DART Rail 10th Anniversary Issue 2006 |
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eelam@DART.org
Jeff Gottesman travels all around the city without ever going more than a few blocks"It isn't just a ride, it's a way of life," Jeff Gottesman says of DART. And he should know: For six years, he's lived at South Side on Lamar – two blocks from DART's Cedars Station. Originally a Sears Mail Order Center, the historic structure has been reborn as urban lofts, artists' studios and retail establishments. For Gottesman, a photographer and salon manager, it's a perfect fit.
While he still breaks out the car on occasion, transit is Gottesman's ride of choice. "I get to work, run errands and go out on the town, all on DART Rail," he reports.
Here are his travels-about-town on a recent weekday.
9:00 a.m. He grabs coffee and a pastry at Standard & Pours, the coffeehouse on the ground floor of South Side. Then it's off to catch the train. A two-block walk puts him on the platform within minutes.
9:14 a.m. He boards the Blue Line, and nine minutes later gets off at Akard Station, just steps from the front door of Renaissance Tower where he works at Renaissance Salon. Gottesman's morning is spent with his clients and colleagues – many of whom have also arrived by DART Rail.
12:25 p.m. Gottesman's first love and "other job" is fine art photography, and he has a big exhibit coming up at the Rupp Fine Art Gallery in Plano. Owner Carol Rupp calls him to the gallery for a last-minute color check on some prints. No problem – the gallery is on 15th Street, a few blocks from Downtown Plano Station.1:40 p.m. After having a schnitzel sandwich at Jorg's Vienna Café, Gottesman walks the few blocks to the gallery. At the gallery, he pores over the prints for the exhibit. Good to go!
3:02 p.m. Stepping onto a train at Downtown Plano Station, Gottesman heads back to the salon to tend to some business.
5:28 p.m. He waits on the platform at Akard Station for the train to take him home. It doesn't matter which line; both the Red and the Blue lines serve the segment of rail between his work and home. This time, it's Blue.
5:45 p.m. Gottesman and his girlfriend Judy will be celebrating her birthday tonight, and that means a night out. From Cedars Station, the couple catches the train north to Cityplace Station, the system's only "subway" station. At surface level, the historic M-Line Streetcar ferries them down McKinney Avenue into the heart of Uptown. This classic urban experience is the perfect precursor to an extravagant seafood dinner at the venerable S&D Oyster House. Afterwards, they catch the trolley back to the West Village, where they pause for a gelato before strolling the two blocks back to Cityplace Station for the trip home.7:08 p.m. The couple steps off the Blue Line, home again at Cedars Station. At South Side, they enjoy a nightcap and live music at Standard & Pours – the same place Gottesman started his day.
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