Photo by: @AThousandWordsByKimDART has made my life easier. I’ve ridden DART for the better part of the decade, and in that time, I have used it off and on for daily work commutes, catching some culture on the weekends, as well as nights out with friends. If you’re looking for convenient and inexpensive things to do while exploring Dallas, look no further – I’ve rounded up 10 things you can do (aka DARTable Gems) that are easily accessible off DART and available year-round.

1. Stand Up for Comedy – We’ve all got stories. Comedians tell loads of short stories…with punchlines. Get your five minutes of fame at Hyena’s Comedy Nightclub on Wednesday nights, not even a block from Mockingbird Station, or Tuesday nights at Dallas Comedy House, a six block sashay from Deep Ellum Station. Both offer open mic to anyone with the guts to get on stage. From my own experience, the laughs come easy and the applause is generous.

Photo by: @RoamingHunger

2. Fill Up on Food Trucks – There are a handful of permanent food truck hot spots in DFW – at least two of which can be reached quite easily via DART. Kyle Warren Park, which plays host to half a dozen food trucks daily, is quite close to St. Paul Station – only a two city block glide through downtown. Richardson Food Truck Park near Arapaho Center Station is a two block stride down Greenville Avenue.

Photo by: @AvenueRealtyGroup

3. Shop in Style – You’ve got West Village a block from CityPlace/Uptown Station, NorthPark Center, a few blocks and a highway across from Park Lane Station, the Shops at Park Lane, a two block walk from Park Lane Station, and Mockingbird Station, less than 100 yards from the DART station of the same name, all of which offer a high-end shopping experience a stone’s throw from a station.

Photo by: @whateveryouare

4. Soak in the Skyline – In 2014, Dallas won “Best Skyline in the World” according to USA Today’s readers. You can see our good side from SODA Bar atop the 7th floor of the NYLO Hotel (rooftop view pictured above); it’s less than a block from Cedars Station. Reunion Tower (the big glowing ball) is half a block walk from Union Station. At the top of the ball, you can eat at Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck for a romantic time, Cloud 9 Cafe for something more casual, or skip the meal and bask in pure skyline bliss in the GeO-Deck.

Photo by: Wade Griffith

5. Caravan to Karaoke – Are you a Karaoke King or Queen? Would you like to know a handful of places that are walkable from DART where you can sing Sinatra or belt out Patsy Cline? Well, here are three of our faves. On Mondays, check out City Tavern in downtown, two blocks from Akard Station. On Fridays, get off at West End Station and walk one block to Tutta’s. On Tuesdays, stroll over to Shuck N’ Jive on Lovers and Greenville, only a one block walk from Lovers Lane Station.

Photo by: TheDEC.co

6. Cowork Space Hop – Have you heard of coworking? Coworking is “the use of an office by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.” There are now more than 30 coworking spaces in Dallas. However, only so many are walkable via DART. Here are four: Fort Work in downtown is two blocks from Akard Station, GeniusDen is seven blocks from Deep Ellum Station, The DEC is two blocks from West End Station, and KOWORK is only a block and a half walk from St. Paul Station.

Photo by: Angelikafilmcenter.com

7. Celebrate Your Inner Cinephile – You can easily and quickly become an indie film snob or cinephile (“person who is fond of motion pictures”) by DARTing your way on a regular basis to the Angelika Film Center less than a block from Mockingbird Station or The Magnolia, a one block saunter from City Place/Uptown Station.

Photo by: @Cheers.Dallas

8. Fest for Less – You won’t have to pay the $10 – $20 often associated with festival parking in Dallas. Instead, pay only $5 for your day pass.  Riding DART saves time, money, and the headache of finding a place to park. A number of festivals throughout the year are held at Fair Park, Deep Ellum, Greenville Avenue, Bishop Arts District, the Cedars, even Carrollton and Irving, all of which are neighborhoods and areas within walking distance from DART stations.

Photo by: @NeilLemons

9. Meet Mammals & Marine Life – Three miles south of Downtown Dallas by Oak Cliff is the entrance to the Dallas Zoo. The zoo was originally founded in 1888 and now covers 106 acres , making it the largest zoological park in Texas (bigger than Fort Worth’s Zoo). It’s home to 406 species and 1,800 animals (6,800 counting invertebrates). Ride the red line to Dallas Zoo Station, walk across a parking lot and you’ll be at the zoo. It’s that simple. If you’re more into the aquatic forms of life, Dallas World Aquarium is three blocks from West End Station.

Photo by: @AThousandWordsByKim

10. Make Your Way to These Museums  -A great number of Dallas museums are accessible via a short walk from a DART station: Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Sixth Floor at Dealey Plaza , and Dallas Holocaust Museum are all less than few blocks from West End Station. Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, Crow Collection of Asian Art downtown are near  St. Paul Station. The African American Museum and Museum of Nature and Science, are easily traversed and explored via Fair Park Station.