Take a Peek at Dragon Park, Dallas’s Hidden Gem
Tucked away at the corner of Cedar Springs Road and Hood Street, Dragon Park is privately-owned secret garden in Dallas’s Oak Lawn neighborhood, and offers a quiet reprieve from a city often mired in traffic. The entrance is shrouded in thick green trees that largely obscure it from the sidewalk and at a casual glance, the park looks like nothing more than the very overgrown front yard of an eccentric home (an impression further reinforced by the two Chinese guardian lions which sit watchfully along either side of the stairs, greeting visitors with a fierce cordiality).
In reality, the park is a complement to Select Salon Dallas, which sits across the street. Mark Mahan, owner of Select Salon and Dragon Park, built the secret garden as a companion space– a way to complete his vision of offering his clients a day of rest and relaxation.
Dotted with sculptures, the space indeed has a cool, innate serenity about it and feels like the sort of place the wise, old, witchy character from a novel might retreat to, to cast spells or mull over the protagonist’s journey. Though the space is small and the hustle of civilization buzzes on all four sides, a protective aura permeates the plot of land, as if it is insulated by some mystic charm too ancient and transcendental for us to understand it (perhaps it is the effect of the Chinese guardian lions).
But that’s not to say it has a completely unapproachable and alienating atmosphere– Dragon Park is designed for impromptu selfies of people halfway through their morning run and engagement photos alike (if the unofficial Facebook page is any indication). Dragon Park very much has the character of a neighborhood spot, where anyone of any age might find a tranquil moment to collect their thoughts, read a book, or play some Pokémon Go (allegedly, Dragon Park is a Dratini spawn spot). For anyone in Dallas in need of some soothing green surroundings (and maybe just a little magic), Dragon Park is the place to be.
