I am sure if I was 25, had a marketing internship in downtown, was a member at the gym down the street and lived with my two best girlfriends from college, Uptown Urban Market would be my place. However, I’m sixteen, don’t feel like parking garage and would rather just go to Whole Foods, Central Market or Eatzi’s if I want options like these.

Spreading from coast to coast, these new versatile, trendy food halls are providing an interesting balance between a restaurant, coffeeshop, bar and fast food place. You can have pizza, sushi, and a green smoothie all in one place…kinda like Sage, but you have to pay.

For those living in the dozens of nearby apartments, this is a great place to walk in, grab your food, sit on the patio and watch a sports game with your friends. There many gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free options to choose from. So for those squads not great at making decisions, this make be the place for you.

Having Fireside Pies, La Duni, Cupboard, THC Hot Counter, ILL Minster, Bar Up, Local Hub Bicycle Co. and Buda Juice, Uptown Urban Market is a forward thinking eating establishment that had unlimited options for any meal.

It easy bike rental system and hydroponic farm reflects their concern about sustainability that should be present in new places like this. Although it has plenty of parking in the street and parking garage, the dog friendly patio and bike racks provide a variety of options for their incoming customers. And their free wifi and rentable community room, with a conference table and printer, also reflect the busy, young residents of uptown.

Although each vendor is somewhat pricey, it is cheaper and more casual than most other places in walking distance, such as Dos Jefes, the Common Table and Coal Vines. It’s highly compact layout yields to lots of socialization, and open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm every weekday, Dallasites can either grab a muffin on their way to work, or stay late in the tucked-away pub.

Although I did not visit at the most popular kind of day, it was someone empty. You might think that at 12:30 pm on a Sunday, more than four people would be at lunch; however, that was not the case. I am thinking this may be more of a weekday place.

I love the concept and think this is perfect for the dynamic residents of uptown; however, for Hockaday students I know if I were driving over to uptown, this would not be the first place I stopped. It is kind of on the edge of the action, but if it were closer to Klyde Warren Park or the trollies, it would get the foot traffic it needs.

– Emily Fuller- Castoff Editor –