Whooo!! I’d never been to 99 percent of the Green Book neighborhoods prior to this trip, but I knew where 1839 Fort Worth Ave. was. It was just off Hampton Road, where all of my Dallas relatives live (and, though I can’t prove it, where I believe all 300,000 black folks in Dallas live ... but I could be wrong. Just seems like it). And sure enough, there it was in all its glory, the old Triple A Motel, now branded as the fancier-sounding Inn of the Dove.
And what’s great about this place is that it exists pretty much as it did in the 1957 Negro Travelers’ Green Book. Car parks are right next to the motel rooms, just like you see in old 1950s film noir. You can imagine arriving here after a long trip and thinking that you weren’t settling for second class. It retains its charm, although I think most of the current residents are long term.
But ... I know you’re asking, “Lawrence, what if I wanted to stay there today? What would I find? And oh yeah, did I mention that I’m a Cowboys fanatic?” Well, I’m glad you asked! The old Triple A Motel/Inn of the Dove has just the room for you.
If you call ahead, you can reserve the exclusive Cowboy room, with its Dallas Cowboys-themed pennant, bedspread and shower curtains. Did I stay there? No. I’m a diehard Raiders fan. But I’m pretty sure there’s a hipster Cowboy fan just waiting to score a touchdown in a room once listed in the 1957 Green Book.