Good morning, Dallas! It is a beautiful, sunny 65°F out there—the perfect "calm before the storm" to get your final 2025 errands done. We’re heading into a clear, crisp night (dropping to 42°F), which is exactly what you want for those midnight fireworks.
Before the ball drops and the Uber surges begin, we’ve got your final briefing of the year.
In today’s final 2025 edition:
📅 The NYE Survival Guide: 32+ vetted local spots for tonight, including the best "zero-cost" firework views.
🏠 The Oak Cliff "Hidden Gem": Can you guess the price of this designer mid-century reno? (Take the poll!)
⚡ Quick Digest: The Deep Ellum court verdict, a major GOP reversal, and the "roster shock" at the Star.
🥂 A Final Toast: Our 2026 mission and a special shoutout to our newest local heroes.
|
|
☆ |
|
🕒 Your Dallas NYE Game Plan
The countdown is officially on. If you haven't locked in your plans yet, don't panic, the "locals only" secret is that the best spots in DFW actually hold space for the last-minute crowd.
Hosting an event?
|
|
☆ |
|
🏠 Deal of the Week: The Oak Cliff "Hidden Garden
Guess the Price!
This 1960s Oak Cliff cottage was just stripped to the studs and reborn as a designer masterpiece. With nearly 2,000 sq. ft., a sleek granite kitchen, and a private "secret garden" backyard, it’s one of the most talked-about listings in 75224 this week.
The big question is: In this market, what does a total renovation like this actually cost?
🗳️ QUICK POLL: Guess the Listing Price!
|
|
☆ |
|
⚡ The Quick Digest: Dallas in 60 Seconds
⚖️ The Deep Ellum Verdict: After months of legal darkness, a judge just issued a final ruling on the $2.25M bond for Rodeo Dallas. See the verdict and the club’s next move →
🗳️ GOP Election Pivot: In a major Tuesday reversal, the Dallas County GOP has officially abandoned its plan to hand-count March primary ballots. The 3 reasons they pulled the plug →
🏈 An Alamo Bowl Miracle: Last night’s game ended in a heart-pounding overtime walk-off. Watch the "impossible" TCU touchdown that sealed the win →
🛑 Cowboys Roster Shock: The Dallas Cowboys just made a blockbuster move, waiving a former All-Pro star just days before the season finale. Why Trevon Diggs is out of Dallas →
☕ Terminal C Upgrade: DFW Airport just announced a major RFP for 14 new local spots, including a trendy Dallas coffee favorite. Is your go-to caffeine fix moving into the airport? →
🏥 Texas Funding Win: The feds just awarded Texas $281M for rural health care—the largest slice in the nation—but there’s a major catch for clinics. See the "accountability" requirements →
🚔 NYE Enforcement: Fort Worth PD has announced a specific "overtime" patrol strategy for tonight. Where they are focusing their efforts →
☀️ The 2026 Warm-Up: We’re ending the year with a "Spring-like" shift. How high the temps will climb by tomorrow afternoon →
|
|
☆ |
|
Dallas business owners 💙
Our readers love discovering what’s local — where to eat, shop, and spend their weekends.
If you run a spot that makes this city better, we’d love to feature you.
No pushy ads, just real visibility with Dallas people who actually care.
|
|
☆ |
|
🥂 A Final Toast to 2025
This is our last issue of the year, and I wanted to take a second to be real with you. Serving this city—from finding that perfect patio to skipping the AAC traffic—has been the highlight of my 2025. We started First in Dallas to give our home an independent voice.
If we made your Dallas life even 1% better this year, help us cross the finish line for 2026.
📈 Our "2026 Vision" Goal
We need 250 Founding Members to level up our coverage next year. Here is where we stand:
6 / 250 Founding Members Joined
Only 244 spots remain to claim "Founding Status" ($5/month).
❤️ Welcome to the Family
A massive Dallas-sized thank you to the legends who support this local independent newsletter:
- Karen Jarrell
- Margaret Varghese
- Jeffrey W. McLaughlin
- Tina Silkwood
- Jeffrey Strater
- Timothy Enstice
|
|
☆ |
|
Tell me how I did—your feedback is the real fuel.
👉 Just hit Reply and tell :
👍 Yes! Keep it coming
🤔 It’s okay, could be better
👎 Not really my thing
If you’re reading this in the Promotions tab, just drag this email into your Primary tab. That way, you won’t miss out on next week’s events and hidden gems in Dallas ✨