Your guide to Deep Ellum: things to do, landmarks, history and more

Deep Ellum, just east of downtown, is one of Dallas’ liveliest neighborhoods and a historic hub for local artists and musicians.

That legacy lives on today as music venues, bars and restaurants fill the streets — more than 150 years after the neighborhood was established. Despite the rich history of Deep Ellum, the neighborhood has faced a rise in violent crime in recent years.

Related: 150 reasons to love Deep Ellum

Here is our guide to Deep Ellum:

Population: 2,615
Median age: 33.6
Median income: $72,551
Unemployment rate: 4.1%

• One race, white: 41.7%
• One race, Black or African American: 29.9%
• One race, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.7%
• One race, Asian: 3.6%
• One race, Native Hawaiian: 0.0%
• One race, some other race: 6.0%
• Two or more races: 18.2%
• Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): 26.1%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 33.3%

For ages 18-24 (roughly 8.9% of the population)

• Less than high school degree or equivalent: 16.8%
• High school graduate (or equivalent): 0%
• Some college or associate’s: 34.5%
• Bachelor’s degree or higher: 48.7%

For ages 25+ (roughly 86%)

• High school graduates (or equivalent): 13.9%
• Bachelor’s degree: 27.3%
• Graduate or professional degree: 23.4%

1,865 units; 1,621 occupied (87%)

• 101 owner occupied
• 1,520 renter occupied

• 185 1-unit detached
• 1 unit attached
• 1,680 multi-unit

Median home value: No available data
Median rent: $1,895

Compiled by staff researcher Rachel Friend.

Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Tables S0601, S1501, S1903, S2301, DP04

Deep Ellum’s roots trace back to 1873, the year the Houston and Texas Central and the Texas and Pacific railroads met in Dallas. It was first populated by former slaves who moved there after the Civil War.

By the 1920s, European immigrants moved into the neighborhood, making it one of the city’s most diverse areas. Around this time, Deep Ellum began to develop as a destination for the area’s blues and jazz musicians.

The neighborhood suffered in the mid-twentieth century when the completion of Central Expressway (U.S. 75) cut the neighborhood off from downtown and forced local business to close.

The neighborhood has retained much of its identity and found a second life in the 1990s as a haven for punk music. Today, many bars, restaurants and live music venues still dot the area, making for an active late-night scene. In recent years, however, an uptick in violent crime has troubled the neighborhood.

Related: Violent crime rose in Deep Ellum last summer. Here’s how some hope to stop it

The murals: With dozens across the neighborhood, Deep Ellum’s ever-changing murals have become integral to the fabric of the neighborhood. Two notable ones are Adrian Torres’ Deep Ellumphants (3601 Main Street) and Josh Mittag’s Dirk Nowitzki mural (2909 Taylor St.).

The Deep Ellum sign: At the corner of South Good Latimer Expressway and Main Street sits a marker that welcomes all to the neighborhood.

The Traveling Man sculptures: This trio of sculptures was created by artists Brad Oldham and Brandon Oldenburg and gifted to the City of Dallas in 2009. They were the winners of an art contest seeking to find a replacement for a mural-covered tunnel that was demolished when DART built the Deep Ellum light rail station. The most visible of the three installations — Walking Tall — sits just across the street from the station today.

Related: What’s the story of ‘The Traveling Man’ in Deep Ellum? Curious Texas takes a stroll

• Adair’s Saloon
• AllGood Cafe
• Cane Rosso
• Culpepper Cattle Co.
• Double Wide Bar
• Local
• Nori Handroll Bar
• Pecan Lodge
• Pepe & Mito’s
• Revolver Taco Lounge
• Ruins
• St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin
• Tatsu (The first Dallas-area restaurant to receive a Michelin star)
• Terry Black’s Barbecue
• Twisted Root Burger Co.

Food writer Sarah Blaskovich contributed to this list.

• Club Dada
• Dallas Comedy Club
• The Bomb Factory
• Trees

• Deep Vellum Bookstore

The area’s name comes from locals saying “Deep on Elm” or “Deep Elm” in reference to the far eastern reaches of Elm Street. The local accent made it sound like “Deep Ellum” and the name stuck.