I am planning a trip to Dallas and am looking for some guidance on what area I should stay in. This trip is a surprise for my boyfriend, a huge Cowboys fan from New York. We'll be going to the final game of the season on Jan 3rd.

Based off of other forums I've pretty much ruled out staying in Downtown Dallas and Arlington. I'm now stuck between Fort Worth and Uptown Dallas. We're both in our mid 20's and do like fun night life and good restaurants but during the day we are looking to explore. I of course do love shopping but it seems to be a form of torture for my boyfriend so I don't think the shopping scene is a huge factor. How far is downtown Dallas from Fort Worth?

When looking into Fort Worth I'm seeing people write more about staying near Sundance Square than the Stockyards, any input on what the vibe is for each would be appreciated! If I chose to stay near Sundance Square how far is the Stockyards/Billy Bobs?

Downtown Dallas is about 36 mile from downtown Fort Worth (about a 35 to 40 minute drive in non-rush hours).

Sundance Square (which is in the center of downtown Fort Worth) is 3.5 miles (11 minutes by car, slightly longer if you take a bus) from the FW Stockyards.

You probably want to avoid staying near the Stockyards - it's more of a tourist attraction with some locals dressed up as cowboys, a daily "cattle drive" and good guy vs, bad guy mock shootout. Other than Billy Bob's, there are a couple of "saloons", a few shops selling cowboy souvenirs, a couple of craft shops and a few Western Apparel stores. It's not really the best area. For what it is worth, you can see all there is to see in the Stockyards in a hour or two.

You are better off staying in downtown Fort Worth. You'll be within walking distance of 20+ restaurants in all price ranges, the Performing Arts Center, a multi-screen movie theater, several night clubs and comedy clubs and a fair number of bars with live music and many with DJ's or recorded music. Depending on weather and schedule there might even be a free live concert in Sundance Square while you are visiting.

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What do you want to explore? That will basically decide whether you should stay in FW or Dallas.

I'd stay in Uptown.
Shopping is much better in Dallas, and IMO more to see (not much, but more).
Are you renting a car? If so, you could still make it to FW and see the Stockyards/Billy Bobs.

Early Jan in DFW could be pleasant, 60's and sunny so walking and exploring could be fun, or it could be 20, cloudy and windy- not fun for doing anything!

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This is true. Just think back to when Dallas hosted the Super Bowl and the ice storms the week before the big game, which were followed by "spring" weather the next week.

Yup, or when we got 14 inches of snow the weekend of the All-Star game (we sure know how to make 'Big Events' more interesting down here!) and 3 days later it was 80 degrees...