Neighborhood guide

Lakewood neighborhood guide

Last updated October 26, 2026

Lakewood sits between the older blocks of East Dallas and the west shore of White Rock Lake. Its heart is the small shopping center at Gaston Avenue and Abrams Road, with the neon tower of the Lakewood Theater above it. From there, residential streets run east toward the lake.

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A short history #

A City landmark report on the Lakewood Theater explains how the area began. Dr. W. F. Pearson owned 184 acres north of the Lakewood Country Club, out to Westlake Drive. In the early 1920s, he sold the land to developers Albert Dines and Lee R. Kraft. Dines and Kraft were known for working with the natural shape of the land. Their projects included Westlake Park, Gastonwood, and Country Club Estates.

Lakewood Country Club, at 6430 Gaston Avenue, was founded in 1912.

The shopping center grew up around the corner of Gaston and Abrams. It started in 1924 with a drugstore at the southwest corner. A drugstore and food store followed in 1934, and the Lakewood Theater and the Lakewood Hotel opened in 1938. In 1985, a bypass moved Abrams Road one block east, around the shopping center.

The Lakewood Theater #

Homes and buildings #

Parts of Lakewood are protected by the Lakewood Conservation District (Conservation District No. 2). The City created it in 1988 and added a new section, Tract IV, in 2025. Tract IV covers about 54 acres along streets such as Lakewood Boulevard, Westlake Avenue, Lakeshore Drive, Lawther Drive, and Tokalon Drive.

The rules for the newest section, Tract IV, name five main house styles:

• Spanish Eclectic or Spanish Revival
• French Eclectic
• Neoclassical
• Tudor
• Colonial Revival

New houses in Tract IV must use one of these styles, and the Tract IV rules treat houses built before 1961 as original houses. In the older parts of the district, the 1988 rules ask new houses on vacant lots to use one of four styles: Tudor, Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic, or Colonial (Georgian) Revival.

The City's adopted list of Tract IV homes is mostly Tudor, Spanish Revival, French Eclectic, and Colonial Revival houses built from the mid-1920s through the 1930s, many designed by architect Clifford D. Hutsell. It also includes some Monterey, Minimal Traditional, and Ranch houses and a few newer homes.

One well-known example is the Clifford D. Hutsell House at 7035 Lakewood Boulevard. Architect Clifford Hutsell designed it for himself in 1930 in the Spanish Eclectic style. It became a Dallas landmark in 2005.

The shopping center area is a separate City zoning district, Planned Development District No. 281, the Lakewood Special Purpose District. It covers about 44 acres along both sides of Abrams Parkway (the old path of Abrams Road), between Junius Street and Goliad Avenue. Its stated purpose is to keep the area's distinct character.

What the conservation district means for a rental #

In a conservation district, changes to the outside of a home, demolition, and new building need a review by City staff before work starts. If you rent here, ask your landlord before you change anything outside.

Parks and the lake #

• Lakewood Park (7143 Williamson). A 16.7-acre neighborhood park, established in 1929, with a baseball field, a playground, a tennis court, and trails.
• Tietze Park (2700 Skillman Street). An 8.2-acre community park west of Abrams Road, established in 1924, with a swimming pool, a pavilion, softball, tennis, and sand volleyball.
• White Rock Lake Park. The lake is Lakewood's eastern neighbor. Its trail, the Bath House Cultural Center, and the Dallas Arboretum are all close by. Read our White Rock guide.

Getting around #

By bus.

• Route 9 (Jefferson-Gaston) runs on Gaston Avenue from downtown and ends in a loop at the Lakewood Shopping Center. On the way, it stops at Baylor University Medical Center Station. On weekdays it comes about every 15 minutes at busy times.
• Route 249 (Columbia) runs on Abrams Road through Lakewood. It goes north on Abrams and west on Mockingbird Lane to SMU/Mockingbird Station, and south to downtown by way of Columbia Avenue.
• Route 214 (Lindsley) runs on East Grand Avenue along Lakewood's southeast edge.

By train. Lakewood has no rail station of its own. The two easiest to reach are:

• Baylor University Medical Center Station (Green Line), at 2900 Junius Street, on Route 9.
• SMU/Mockingbird Station (Red, Blue, and Orange lines), at Mockingbird Lane and North Central Expressway, on Route 249.

Routes and schedules change. Check dart.org or the GoPass app before you ride. See our neighborhoods page for fare basics.

By car. Gaston Avenue and Abrams Road are the main streets. Mockingbird Lane is to the north, and Garland Road and East Grand Avenue are to the southeast.

Schools #

Schools are assigned by address. To see the Dallas ISD schools for a home, enter its address in the Dallas ISD School Finder. Dallas ISD suggests calling the school to confirm before you enroll.

Homes for rent in Lakewood #

Browse the homes for rent. Each home's page shows its neighborhood, its rent and terms, and whether it is a lease or a short stay. Questions? Ask on the home's page, or contact us.

Photo: "An old house in Old East Dallas" by Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped; this version is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: "Swiss Miss" by Matthew Rutledge, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr. Cropped; yard sign and curb number removed. All photo credits