Neighborhood guide

Swiss Avenue neighborhood guide

Last updated October 26, 2026

Swiss Avenue is one of the best-known streets in Dallas. Large homes from the early 1900s line the street, and the City notes its landscaped parkways and yards. It is also where Dallas began protecting its historic neighborhoods.

Browse homesAll neighborhoods

Photo: "Swiss Miss" by Matthew Rutledge, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr. Cropped; yard sign and curb number removed.

A short history #

Swiss Avenue started as a country lane. A state historical marker on the street says it was a muddy road in 1857, when a Swiss immigrant named Henri Boll named it after his homeland.

The street grew into what you see today in the early 1900s. It was part of Munger Place, a 140-acre neighborhood that cotton gin maker R. S. Munger began developing in 1905. By 1920, about 200 homes had been built. The Swiss Avenue Historic District's own history says the original deed rules called for homes of at least two stories, built of brick or masonry.

Years earlier, an early home at 5009 Swiss had been torn down, and its lot sat empty. In the early 1970s, a developer planned condominiums there, and neighbors pushed back. In 1973, the Dallas City Council made Swiss Avenue the city's first local historic district. The ordinance passed on September 10, 1973. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 1974.

Where it is #

The City of Dallas describes the district as about 117 acres. It sits generally southeast of Live Oak Street, south of La Vista Drive, northwest of the alley between Swiss Avenue and Gaston Avenue, and northeast of Fitzhugh Avenue.

Its streets include Swiss Avenue, Bryan Parkway, Bryan Street, Beacon Street, La Vista Drive, and part of Live Oak Street. Two other historic districts, Munger Place and Junius Heights, are close by. Read our guides to Old East Dallas and Junius Heights.

Homes and buildings #

The City says the district has about 200 homes in historical revival, Prairie, and bungalow styles. Many have been restored. The district's association lists many more styles along the street, including:

• Georgian and Colonial Revival
• Mediterranean, Spanish, and Mission
• Tudor
• Italian Renaissance and Neoclassical
• Prairie and Craftsman

Many of these homes were designed by well-known Dallas architects of the time, such as Hal Thomson, Lang & Witchell, and Marion Fooshee.

Most buildings along the avenue are large single-family houses built in the first decades of the 1900s. The street also has some early apartment buildings. One is Viola Courts at 4845 Swiss Avenue, at Fitzhugh Avenue just outside the district. Built in 1923, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places on its own.

What the historic district means for a rental #

The City requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before any work begins on a property in a landmark district. That covers exterior changes and new landscape features such as fences, walls, and walkways. Swiss Avenue's rules also limit some plantings, such as front-yard vegetable gardens and what can grow in the parkway. So if you rent here, check with your landlord before you change anything outside, such as a fence, paint colors, or the yard. Planting annuals and perennials in existing beds doesn't need a certificate.

Parks and landmarks #

• Dorothy and Wallace Savage Park (5501 Swiss Avenue). This small park sits at about the middle of the street. Dallas Park and Recreation lists it as a 0.1-acre special use area with sculpture. It honors two neighbors who helped lead the 1970s effort to protect the street.
• The Aldredge House (5500 Swiss Avenue). This house was built from 1915 to 1917 and designed by Hal Thomson and Marion Fooshee. The Aldredge family bought it in 1921. Since 1974 it has been owned by the Dallas County Medical Society Alliance Foundation, and today it is a house museum. The Texas Historical Commission made it a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1982.
• The Swiss Avenue marker. The state historical marker for the street stands in the 5500 block, inside Savage Park.
• The Mother's Day Home Tour. Each May, on Mother's Day weekend, the Swiss Avenue Historic District opens several homes for a public tour. The association called the 2026 tour its 51st. Check sahd.org for dates and tickets.

Getting around #

By bus. Swiss Avenue itself has no bus stops. Buses run on the streets on either side:

• Route 9 (Jefferson-Gaston) runs along Gaston Avenue, one block south. On weekdays it comes about every 15 minutes at busy times.
• Route 205 (Henderson) runs along Live Oak Street, on the district's northwest side.

By train. The closest DART rail stations include:

• Baylor University Medical Center Station (Green Line), at 2900 Junius Street. Route 9 stops there, too.
• Cityplace/Uptown Station (Red, Blue, and Orange lines), at Haskell Avenue and North Central Expressway.

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, Live Oak Street, La Vista Drive, and Fitzhugh Avenue are the main streets around the district.

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 near Swiss Avenue #

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. All photo credits