But North Oak Cliff still faces serious tests. School limitations frustrate many Hispanic, Anglo and African-American families. A few charter and private schools have recently opened or expanded in North Oak Cliff. But overcrowding limits the quality of many North Oak Cliff public schools. New Dallas school superintendent Mike Moses should pay special attention to the area's density issues.
Some neighborhoods also face serious challenges to their architectural integrity.
Dignified prairie homes line several streets in the picturesque Winnetka Heights Historic District. But recent additions to some homes, often historically inappropriate, have angered residents. The city and neighborhood groups must resolve this problem in a way that allows Winnetka Heights to maintain its unique texture. The city must better enforce city codes, too. But absentee homeowners and inattentive residents have allowed too many other sections of North Oak Cliff to deteriorate.