A is for Acres. One hundred acres: That is the number of acres that Ira DeLoache bought when he became the main developer of Preston Hollow in 1930. Other amazing facts: The Crespi Estate, designed in 1938 by world-renowned architect Maurice Fatio, originally was built on 25.25 acres. It’s now a 14-acre property. The former Malouf home on Strait Lane has 4.3 acres. Former Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki bought the Preston Hollow estate previously owned by the late Dallas billionaire Charles Wyly. It’s on more than 2.5 acres.

B is for Boutiques.

Thank goodness for the shops that survived the Oct. 20 tornado and “pivoted” during the coronavirus outbreak because we like to get our shopping on. Kory Helfman, the owner of Ken’s Man’s Shop in Preston Royal Center, has served customers at that location since 1993. His father started the business in 1964 in Garland. “Customer care has always been our No. 1 thing besides the quality of our merchandise. We always love to say that we hug our customers, which is hard to do at this point.” Other treasures: Interabang Books, Apple to Zinnias, Bachendorf’s, Castle Gap, Toy Maven and Tootsies.

C is for Crespi. The Crespi Estate, on Walnut Hill near the Tollway, has a 28,000-square-foot limestone mansion designed in 1938 by world-renowned architect Maurice Fatio. The home was commissioned by Italian Count Pio Crespi, who had been sent to Texas to oversee his family’s cotton empire. Andy Beal purchased the 25-acre property for $100 million in 2016. Developer Mehrdad Moayedi bought the $36.2-million estate in a December 2017 auction. He then sold the home and divided the land into a new seven-home neighborhood called The Crespi Estates.

D is for DeLoache. Ira P. DeLoache, the founder of Preston Hollow, moved to Dallas in 1909. In 1922, he flew in an airplane over Dallas and decided to become a developer. DeLoache became the main developer of Preston Hollow. He purchased 100 acres to start developing the area in 1930. He retired in 1960 and died in 1965.

E is for Ebby Halliday. Born Vera Lucille Koch, Ebby Halliday founded Ebby Halliday Realtors. She was one of the first successful female entrepreneurs in Dallas and has been called the “First Lady of Real Estate.” ”She was the first woman to enter what was a chauvinistic profession in a macho state,” John S. Baen, a professor of real estate at the University of North Texas, says. “She beat those ol’ boys at their own game.” She died in 2015.

F is for Fire Station. The global architecture firm Perkins+Will received the American Institute of Architects’ 2016 Build Design Honor Awards for Preston Hollow’s Fire Station No.27. The 23,600-square- foot fire station was one of four Dallas projects selected for the award by a jury of internationally recognized architects. Located in the Preston Center, it opened in December 2015.

G is for Gates. City Councilwoman Jennifer Staubach Gates, who represents District 13, is the daughter of Cowboys legend Roger Staubach and represents “Serviam” values thanks to the “I will serve” motto of her alma mater, Ursuline Academy. A registered nurse, she is the kind of council member who provides her cell number and returns calls and texts. She and husband, John, have lived in Preston Hollow since 1990 and in their current house on Keyhole Lane since 1996. They have two daughters, Jessica and Jordan. “Football was my dad’s job,” she says. “My parents were humble people. You wanted to make them proud.”

J is for Jordan Spieth. Jordan Spieth is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and former No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is a three-time major winner and the 2015 FedEx Cup champion. He graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School in 2011. He is passionate about his sister Ellie, who has autism. “She’s the most special part of our family.”

The Hillcrest logo. It is an H with a panther superimposed.

H is for Hillcrest High School. Architects renovated the school, which includes a new public entrance, administration offices, a two-story classroom addition with areas for independent study, upgrades to fine arts spaces and a 1,000-seat gymnasium with locker rooms and a tornado shelter.

I is for Inwood Road. Drive up Inwood Road and check out Lovers Lane Methodist Church, Grace Bible Church, Ursuline Academy, Wesley Prep, the Erik Johnson Library, big houses, tornado-scarred homes and Jesuit, which is building a new natatorium.

K is for Kindhearted. Nancy Latner and neighbors care for 85-year- old Ross Musso. Latner discovered that Musso lived alone for many years after both his sisters died. Three dogs are his companions. His monthly Social Security check does not cover his living expenses. A neighbor who prefers to remain anonymous helped him financially over the last five years, and he’s been able to stay in his home. On weekdays, Meals On Wheels delivers a warm lunch and provides dog food. Latner brought him goodies. If you’d like to help, please write a check, payable to Ross Musso, and mail it to Nancy Latner at 6223 Meadow Road, Dallas, TX 75230.

L is for Lisa Loeb. Grammy Award winner and Hockaday grad Lisa Loeb has a new album, “A Simple Trick to Happiness.” She was the first pop musician to have a No. 1 single while not signed to a recording contract. She followedthathitsong,“Stay(IMissedYou)” from the 1994 film “Reality Bites,” with six albums, including two that were certified gold. Loeb also created five children’s albums. “Feel What U Feel” won the Grammy for Best Children’s Album in 2018.

M is for Meat Loaf. Thomas Jefferson High School alum Meat Loaf (born Michael Lee Aday) has always been a hell raiser. Now, his life is a musical. The production, based off his best-selling album “Bat out of Hell,” appeared on Broadway. But recently, he sued Dallas Hyatt Regency DFW and Texas Frightmare Weekend after he fell from a stage.

N is for Northaven Trail. Neighbors and leaders celebrated the opening of the newest phase of the Northaven Trail between Preston Road and Cinderella Lane with a ribbon cutting. “We’re fully connected,” says Jeff Kitner, Park and Recreation Board member. In the meantime, Friends of the Northaven Trail, a volunteer organization that supports and maintains the trail, commissioned Kevin Sloan Studio to design a master landscaping plan that includes Blackland prairie grasses and wildflowers with sections of plants to attract butterflies, pollinators and hummingbirds.

O is for the Oct. 20 tornado. After the tornado, neighbors helped one another in a way that no insurance company or billionaire could. Acts of kindness conquered the devastation. Early in the morning on the day after the storm, one man wielded a power saw and cut down branches so people could drive the street. Others housed those who had lost their homes. Central Market rolled out a mobile kitchen, and Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church provided meals to Oncor workers. We were lucky that no one died. We took care of one another.

P is for Preston Tower. Built in 1966, Preston Tower is one of the original high-rise condominium towers in Dallas. There are two towers: the front 29-story high-rise and a back tower with less than 10 stories. Bernie’s is a cocktail lounge on the ground floor of Preston Tower, the swanky building behind the “pink wall.” Owners Stephen Becker and Leslie Merrill serve cocktails and appetizers. Their signature drink, called “Leslie’s lemonade,” consists of lemon juice, St. Germain and vodka.

Q is for Quaf. Meso Maya’s Avocado Margarita

  • Lime wedge for rimming the glass n Tajín Clásico seasoning to taste for rimming the glass
  • 3 tablespoons avocado, muddled to a smooth puree
  • 3/4 ounces of fresh pineapple juice n 1 ounce syrup (see below)
  • 3/4 ounce Cointreau
  • 1 1/2 ounces Herradura tequila

Rub the rim of a 12-ounce cocktail glass with the cut side of a lime wedge to moisten. Pour Tajín seasoning onto a saucer. Roll the rim of the glass in the Tajín seasoning. Fill glass with ice.

In a mixing glass or cocktail shaker, combine avocado puree, pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup, Cointreau and tequila. Fill shaker or glass with ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain the liquid into the prepared cocktail glass. Garnish with pineapple wedge on the rim.

Makes 1 serving.

Simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for two or three minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely before using. It may be prepared ahead, stored in a glass jar and refrigerated for several weeks.

R is for Rotary Club. The Preston Center Rotary Club is a group of professional men and women who meet to serve.
The mission of the club is to place service above self. The group meets at 7:15 a.m. every Wednesday with amazing speakers at the Park City Club on Sherry Lane.

S is for Strait Lane.

10711 Strait Lane is a French mansion that sits on 4.36 acres of land and comes with a spa, 10-car garage, bowling alley and a waterpark in its backyard. It also has a tennis court, gymnastics room and two basketball courts.

10660 Strait Lane is a 14,670-square foot estate with a private lake and jogging trail, as well as a wine cellar large enough for 6,000 bottles.

10777 Strait Lane is a four-bedroom home that has been called “The Dallas White House.” Amenities include a home theater with space for 24 viewers, a pool, a custom bar room and tennis court.

10210 Strait Lane was built in 1964 by Philip Johnson. It was featured in Vogue and The New York Times. It also has a pool, tennis court and separate media house.

T is for Thomas Jefferson High School. After the Oct. 20 tornado, Dallas ISD trustees approved nearly $132 million in construction projects for two of the sites during its board meeting. More than $82 million of that total will go to renovating Thomas Jefferson High School. Some alumni wanted to rebuild TJ instead of renovating it. District officials want to reopen the schools by the start of the 2022-23 school year.

U is for Ursuline. Founded in 1874, Ursuline Academy of Dallas is a college prep school for ninth to 12th graders. Sister Mary Emmanuel, who was interviewed in 1975, was concerned about false values, materialism and the media. “Pleasure is the be-all and end-all of everything,” she said. “They’re missing something. In the heart of everybody that God has created is that longing for happiness. True happiness is a union with God. You must love God above all things and your neighbor as yourself.”

W is for Walnut Hill Elementary. Walnut Hill Elementary started around 1914 with a school election, according to the school’s website. Three oneroom schools — Royal Lane School, Smith Hall School and the school located at the intersection of Valley View and Marsh Lane — combined to become Walnut Hill. The first building had four rooms upstairs and the auditorium downstairs. There was only one teacher, Mrs. Weeks. The 20-25 students from families in the area walked to school or rode horseback each day. Four students who completed the eighth grade in 1916 became the first graduating class at Walnut Hill. The school was devasted by the Oct. 20 tornado.

V is for VIP. Here are the important folks who live in our neighborhood: Former President George W. Bush, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, musician Don Henley, retired basketball star Dirk Nowitzi and media darlings Clarice Tinsley and Meredith Land.

X is for Xerophilous. We’d like to advise you about plants that thrive in a hot, dry climate. Master Gardener Diane Sloan, who is a consultant on how to “rewild” the Northaven Trail, suggests: Hesperaloe parviflora, the red yucca, which is not actually a yucca at all, but a member of the aloe family. “Use it as an accent in a grass garden or English-style cottage garden,” she says.

Y is for YMCA. The Semones Family YMCA Town North supported essential care workers with childcare during the coronavirus. The organization served first responders, medical professionals, government officials and more.

Z is for Zoning. In 2019, the Dallas City Council voted to approve new zoning rules for a 14-acre plot in the middle of our neighborhood. The vote came over strenuous objections of neighbors who believed that a high- rise development in the area would make traffic worse around the already busy Northwest Highway and Preston Road intersection. This means towers as high as 22 stories can be built along Northwest Highway across from Preston Center Plaza. The zoning issue came about when Preston Place, a three-story condominium, was destroyed by fire in March 2017.