Looking for our first place. Suburb living or downtown? (Fort Worth: apartments, rental market)

[Jonno1288]

Hello all!

I've posted a few times on the dallas forum of city data but due to a change of job locations I figured it was time to move on over.

My girlfriend and I having been saving diligently and are ready to make our first house purchase. Her job recently placed her in a permanent location in southwest fort worth near benbrook. I work in Southlake so we've moved our house search area toward Fort Worth.

The low down:
-Budget of 200-350K
-Wants: dog parks, running trails, good restaurants
-Looking for something over 2000 sq ft but less than 3500, small yard, new build (10 years of less)
-short work commute (max of 35 min)

After doing some research it appears that Keller would be a good choice but from what I've read on the forums, traffic on I35 can be horrible. Another option that I've considered is living somewhere in downtown. There are some townhomes in the trinity bluff (uptown) area that are in our price range.

I've found plenty of information on the forums about keller but can anyone give me more info about the trinity bluff area? Also, is there any other areas that we should check out? Any ideas or information would be greatly appreciated!

[loves2read]

that part of uptown does not really appeal to me
I live in Hurst area but we come to FTW for Bass Hall and other shows and restaurants
that north part of downtown gets way less foot traffic at night than the Sundance area
about the only restaurant close to the court house is the Brazilian steak house
I would not say that at night that is a "friendly, walkable area"
the Bass cops don't patrol it like they do the Sundance area

frankly I would say look elsewhere

[Jonno1288]

thanks for the info! I had read that the area was pretty bad back in the early 2000s but had improved much since then in terms of crime rate. We were looking at the southern part of trinity bluff, right where tx-347 merges into belknap and weatherford if that makes any difference.

[Vintrest]

Originally Posted by Jonno1288

thanks for the info! I had read that the area was pretty bad back in the early 2000s but had improved much since then in terms of crime rate. We were looking at the southern part of trinity bluff, right where tx-347 merges into belknap and weatherford if that makes any difference.

I would have agreed with the poster who is concerned about safety if it were ten years ago but that's hardly true today. My wife and I were founding members of the Samuels Avenue Citizens On Patrol (COPS) group and helped bring a police storefront to the corner of Mayfield and Samuels. You can stop by there and talk to our NPO (neighborhood patrol officer) and he will affirm our neighborhood as one of the safest in Fort Worth in terms of reported crimes. Besides, the area you speak of on the South end of Samuels is where posh Villa De Leon Condos stand with units from $750,000 up to $2 million with 24 hr. security and full time security at the Lincoln Apartments nearby with surveillance cameras and guards on foot patrol. The frequent carriage rides from the Stockyards to downtown pass along Samuels at around 6 PM and return sometimes as late as midnight-I don't think they would do that if it were unsafe. Agreed that the north side of Samuels is somewhat sketchy looking but it would be incorrect to claim it as unsafe-ask all the night time joggers from the apartments who come by. Back when we moved to the neighborhood in the late 1980's it was a scary place with nightly gunshots from gang rivalries driving by, grafffiti "tags" and property crimes but comparing then and now is like comparing night and day. Talk to other locals at the apartments and condos in the south end; I think they will confirm what I just claimed. Either way, best of luck to you in your search.

[Jonno1288]

Thanks vinrest! That info really puts any worries to ease. Can you tell me anything about the local populace? We were thinking of the property as an investment property and would be interested in renting it out once we decide to get a larger house. Note, this is all speculative and wouldn't be for another 5 years or so. I did notice that there was a tarrant county college nearby, do TCU students rent in the area as well?

[loves2read]

I doubt that TCU students are renting in this area of FTW
they tend to stay in area around college or around Hulen

Tarrant county college students are commuters--often time working full time and taking night classes
so don't think they would be targets to rent your condo later...

[Jonno1288]

Good to know. We've been also looking at some single family homes in the Keller area. Are there any other areas of Fort worth that would be worth looking into? I've heard good things about North Richland hills. How is Hurst?

[ChristieP]

Hurst and NRH are nice areas. Pretty much all of NE Tarrant is good. There are only a few small exceptions, such as Richland Hills and Haltom City.

I agree with L2R that TCC students aren't going to be a rental market.

[Vintrest]

Originally Posted by Jonno1288

Thanks vinrest! That info really puts any worries to ease. Can you tell me anything about the local populace? We were thinking of the property as an investment property and would be interested in renting it out once we decide to get a larger house. Note, this is all speculative and wouldn't be for another 5 years or so. I did notice that there was a tarrant county college nearby, do TCU students rent in the area as well?

As you can probably observe, the neighborhood currently has a bit of a split personality. All new and flashy on the south end and a bit shabby on the north end. Before development came to the south end, it was even worse appearing than the north part and was a low rent area frequented by wandering transients from downtown. Developers were poised to extend development to the north when the recession hit in late 2008. The developer who built Villa DeLeon (the most expensive condo project ever in Ft. Worth) had incredibly bad timing opening it up to buyers just as the recession hit. I understand he's leased some of the units meant to be sold but maybe a half-dozen out of the 24 are sold as of now.

Demographically, the neighborhood is also split. When our son went to Chas. E. Nash Elementary School in the early 1990's he was one of 3 Anglo kids in the school. Now the school is rated as exemplary and the Anglo/Minority student ratio is almost reversed. The old part of the neighborhood is still about 60% Latino with many families living in the small houses on the side streets for several generations. The historic homes on the west side of the street are mostly Anglo owned. But one thing nearly everyone in the neighborhood can agree upon is when the recession eases and development resumes, the north end will be transformed much as the south end already has. Developers already own several large parcels on the north end of Samuels awaiting the time when the next project will break ground. A proposed 122 unit senior village project at 761 Samuels was supposed to break ground in May of this year but a zoning change request for the site was denied by the zoning commission "without prejudice".(perhaps because it was right next to the neighborhood's largest Victorian era home with a state historical marker) As for the TCU students, I'm sure a few (who can afford the pricey rent) have settled into the new Lincoln Park Apartments but most commute to the downtown campus. All of this new development is only 2-4 years old with the Marriot Hotel at Samuels and Belknap opening only this year. I know, "TMI" but I try to be factual and thorough. Again, good luck in your search.

[Vintrest]

Correction: In my posting above I mistakenly referenced "TCU" students but meant the Tarrant County College (TCC) downtown campus students. Tarrant County College is located on the former Radio Shack corporate campus at Belknap and Henderson streets with additional (Health Sciences) classes held just east of the Courthouse in the just completed, futuristic Bing Thom designed building. Since many of them attend TCC to save tuition money, most likely they would avoid renting at the new and relatively expensive apartments on Samuels Avenue for the same reason(s). As for Texas Christian University students, they tend to live either on-campus or in the near-TCU area. (located southwest of downtown-NOT in the Trinity Uptown area of Samuels Avenue which is northeast of the Courthouse off Belknap street) My apologies for any confusion...