Beget, begat, begot

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my neighborhood? I wouldn't say my block, necessarily, as I live at the dodgy end of this particular street. But generally my East Dallas neighborhood is lovely. Specifically Lakewood. And all of its nooks and crannies. And distinct lack of McMansions and little boxes.

So one night, watching House Hunters begat an internet search that begat this article from the DMN last year. Which begat this renovation crush.



The folks that bought the Parks Estate were featured on House Hunters as a couple trying to decide between three different houses, of course. But per the article, it seems they were smitten on this 1922 house from the start. Can you blame them?



Well, it looked pretty bad when they found it, indeed. It had served as the East Dallas YMCA from 1957 until 1999, when the Y moved out and the house fell into disrepair. In 2007, Preservation Dallas took over and started seeking a buyer who could restore the home to its natural beauty.



The Parks Estate is only a little over a mile from my pad. I think I need to walk over there someday soon, just to see it. And what a pretty walk it would be, too.



Holy geeze, the kitchen is my favorite. We saw much more of it on the show. And the Batchelder tiles on the fireplaces. Oooh.



Built in 1922, Mr. Parks had moved out of his old home on Swiss Avenue into this, his new house, which today is just a few blocks away. But at the time, a few blocks distance meant you were just outside the city limits, and could build an estate on 22 sprawling acres. Ha! Bearing in mind we are only about 5 miles from downtown. Ah, such simple times back then.



Don't you just love old houses? Sigh. If you follow the link to that article, you'll find a few more photos and details on the house and its renovation. You know, if you're into that sorta thing.