Anyone driving the stretch of West Davis Street from Kessler Park to the core of the Bishop Arts District has noticed the plethora of old auto garages. The midcentury buildings with their soaring interiors and sturdy shells are part of a striking preservation and gentrification trend: Settles Garage, built in 1946, is now Bolsa. Grill 400 occupies the former North Loop Garage. Oak Cliff Mercantile's architectural salvage and antiques fill a Model T-era gas station. And Artisans Collective showcases work in yet another former filling station.

Oak Cliff preservationist and developer David Spence says the stations are reminders of Davis' origins as U.S. Route 80, part of the Dixie Overland Highway that ran from Savannah, Ga., to San Diego. "If you wanted to go from Dallas to California, Davis was the highway," Spence says. (In another travel link, the current Bishop Arts District was once one of the main trolley stops along Davis. The adjacent Tyler stop is projected to be the area's next development hub.)

Today, the "Bishop Arts" label has broadened to encompass several blocks along Davis. At least two major Uptown developers have been eyeballing properties, but Spence's Good Space firm remains the local pioneer. His most recent redo is the '30s-era Kemp's Garage at 634 W. Davis. (Previous owner Billy Kemp, who met his wife of 52 years across the street at the old Penguin root beer stand, tells us he's wowed by the makeover.)

Bolsa partner Royce Ring compares Spence's efforts along Davis Street to what Tristan Simon has done for Henderson Avenue: "Spence has been a real force in that area; he helped gentrify a pretty banged-up street into some pretty sought-after real estate."