Park Cities

Lifestyle photographer and stylist extraordinaire STEPHANY BOWMAN lives in the Park Cities (which encompasses both Highland Park and University Park) with her husband Michael and their three children, Annabelle, 11, Alexander, 8, and Angelina, 5. Bowman and her family love exploring all their neighborhood has to offer.

Best family restaurant: MI COCINA at Highland Park Village. We love sitting outdoors, and the restaurant is family friendly. Plus, the frozen margaritas and Mambo Taxis are delicious! 77 Highland Park Village, Highland Park; 214/521-6426, micocina.com.

Favorite local park: LAKESIDE PARK is lovely for a walk or a bike ride. The kids love seeing birds in and around the water. I love the quiet open space; there are lots of benches spread out for you to sit down and read. 4601 Lakeside Drive, Highland Park; 214/521-4161, hptx.org. Favorite family outing: We love to play tennis, and the ABBOTT PARK court is very popular right now. It’s right by a playground, and the kids love to alternate between hitting the ball on the court and running around the park. 4814 Abbott Drive, Highland Park; 214/521-4161, hptx.org.

Go-to for going out: MESERO at Inwood Village is a fun place for dinner and drinks. If we are feeling festive, we’ll cross the street to INWOOD TAVERN—a nice spot for after-dinner drinks, with music and an outdoor patio. Mesero, 5330 W. Lovers Ln., Dallas; 214/654-0185, mesero.net; Inwood Tavern, 7717 Inwood Road, Dallas; 214/353-2666, inwoodtaverndallas.com.

Get active: I got a Schwinn bike for Valentine’s Day, so heading to the local Starbucks or playground has become a lot more fun. I also go to our local YMCA, where they have fun classes, from weightlifting to yoga. 6000 Preston Road, Dallas; 214/526-7293, ymcadallas.org.

Cool off: We get frozen yogurt at I HEART YOGURT at Inwood Village. My kids love adding toppings and sampling flavors. 5450 W. Lovers Ln., Dallas; 214/390-2400, ihyogurt.com.