Southern Dallas County is known as a dining and shopping wasteland. Alas, some of us live here, and we celebrate the small things. Hillside Village in Cedar Hill spares us the 25-minute trek to Arlington that we took in many years past for our shopping needs. With its lively central fountain and a few chain restaurants scattered here and there, it's an outdoor oasis where you can spend the day with the family, nibbling on a Wetzel's Pretzel and watching your kids splashing amidst the water jets. The shopping center has an American Eagle, H&M, Barnes & Noble, Chico's, Express and other major brands, served with copious parking on well-kept grounds. And it's got that undeniably warm, laid-back, multicultural southern Dallas vibe, which you can't find anywhere else in DFW.