How does Fort Worth differ from Dallas? (Houston, Arlington: credit, construction)

[JackieB23]

Originally Posted by AfroAmericanofColor

Even if Dallas wasn't playing the part of Dallas, there would still be a place exactly like the city at exactly the same place, at exactly the same time, and with the same name. Indeed, it would be similar to places like Chicago and Atlanta.

Before Dallas became Dallas and Houston became Houston, Galveston played the part of both Dallas and Houston (Galveston at one time was the second most wealthiest city in all the United States).

On the other hand, the city of Fort Worth shall never play the part of Dallas. Instead, in its heart, Fort Worth will always remain a little too west along the old cattle trail as will other similar places like Chicago and Kansas City.

As the area east of Dallas is the beginnings of a declination into the piney woods and, even further down hill, into the swamps and alligators of Louisiana, the area west of Fort Worth is the beginning of an elevation into the arid hills, and further up, into the deserts and high mountain ranges of west Texas. East of Dallas is wetter in rain, but dryer in liquor: West of Fort Worth is dryer in rain, but wetter in liquor.

Tending to be more conservative politically, people driving up along I-35 from the south tend to steer towards the right at where the freeway divides in the direction of Dallas. Meanwhile, much more liberal in persuasion, the people driving down along I-35 from the north of Dallas tend to steer towards the left at where the freeway divides also in the direction of Dallas.

In the parallel universe of Houston, there is also a Fort Worth, but it is located on the east side of its concept of Dallas and is called East Houston, Pasadena, Deer Park, League City, and Baytown.

On a more serious note, ironically, Fort Worth has a better zoo than Dallas. It has a more sober and much more contemporary Museum and Arts district. It has the type of downtown that one would expect in Austin. In the meantime, Austin is fast becoming a perversion losing most of its weirdness because of the way its buildings downtown are starting to look a lot like Dallas.

Fort Worth is at a higher elevation than Dallas with both cities being within a huge bowl meaning that the city of Dallas gets 100 percent of Fort Worth treated sewage.

Not to be out done, the ultimate father of all Fort Worth development could wind up being the son of Dallas billionaire Ross Perot Sr. (Father of Alliance Airport and surrounding development).

Well done! As a former Kansas Citian, I have noted the similarities between Fort Worth and KC. Both have a lot in common, culturally, much for the reasons you state.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by naterator

I'll say this.

Fort Worth today is not the same as it used to be.

The places that gave Fort Worth its "feel", its "character"...seem like they have all been torn down and replaced by $500/sf condos, "exclusive" chain restaurants and ubiquitous shopping centers.

The areas that used to be worth a damn have all become new, pretty, sterile, generic, and unattainable for 95% of people.

The Cultural District and most of the West Side may as well be Uptown. Or Southlake. Or Irvine, CA. Or Coral Gables, FL.

They're all the same these days.

I sound like an old codger, but the "new" Fort Worth has no appeal to me.

Because I know what the old one was like.

Well no offense, but the "old" Fort Worth has no appeal to MOST people. And if you're a city, you don't just build for the few.

Like it or not, Fort Worth is one of the largest cities in America and it has to act like it. This city has been held back by the idea that it's a small-ish town, when in reality it hasn't been in more than a century.

And those places that give Fort Worth its charm is still there and I think you were exaggerating a bit. It just so happens that it's more diverse than it used to be...

[Exult.Q36]

Originally Posted by JJG

Well no offense, but the "old" Fort Worth has no appeal to MOST people. And if you're a city, you don't just build for the few.

Like it or not, Fort Worth is one of the largest cities in America and it has to act like it. This city has been held back by the idea that it's a small-ish town, when in reality it hasn't been in more than a century.

And those places that give Fort Worth its charm is still there and I think you were exaggerating a bit. It just so happens that it's more diverse than it used to be...

Exactly, the city can retain its rich history and heritage, while progressing in the future. Fort Worth is too big to try to claim itself to be a big city with a small town charm. There is nothing remotely small about Fort Worth. It's time for Fort Worth to start being and thinking like a big city. I wish we had a younger more opened minded mayor. It's seems like all Mayor Betsy Price cares about is creating more bike lanes and trails throughout the city, to satisfy her own needs.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by kdogg817

Exactly, the city can retain its rich history and heritage, while progressing in the future. Fort Worth is too big to try to claim itself to be a big city with a small town charm. There is nothing remotely small about Fort Worth. It's time for Fort Worth to start being and thinking like a big city. I wish we had a younger more opened minded mayor. It's seems like all Mayor Betsy Price cares about is creating more bike lanes and trails throughout the city, to satisfy her own needs.

Well there is one thing that is small about Fort Worth, and that would be the skyline. It's small for a city this size, but it's also not that important.

I think Mayor Price is ok, but we do need fresh ideas and people to PUSH those ideas more to the forefront.

[naterator]

No offense taken. But people who were here in the 1980's know what I'm talking about.

What I used to love about Fort Worth was its cultured, yet rough-around-the-edges feel.

Perhaps best captured in a picture of a Rolls Royce pulling a horse trailer I saw a number of years ago.

If that feel isn't completely gone yet, it will be soon enough.

I guess that I'm just lamenting the homogenization of Fort Worth to the tired old model of "upscale luxury" like every other cultural gem to accommodate society's 1%.

For example, Austin used to be weird. Now it's vanilla.

Why does everything have to be blandly luxurious these days?

I haven't lived in Fort Worth in 10 years. But every time I go, I am stunned at the changes and hardly recognize the place. I suppose that if you live there, you don't notice the changes as much.

The genie's out of the bottle, so there's really no point to my ramble. I know things change, it's just too bad that the place I knew and loved had to go away.

[Exult.Q36]

Originally Posted by JJG

Well there is one thing that is small about Fort Worth, and that would be the skyline. It's small for a city this size, but it's also not that important.

I think Mayor Price is ok, but we do need fresh ideas and people to PUSH those ideas more to the forefront.

With a 7% commericial vacancy rate downtown you would think we would be seeing more planned vertical development. I have been waiting for the big building boom in the core to happen, similar to what is going on in Austin and Charlotte, but it just hasn't come to fruition. I guess I will continue to have to wait.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

Downtown Fort Worth is the envy of every other city in Texas, and beyond.

Is it really?

[AfroAmericanofColor]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

19100 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area
19124 Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas Metropolitan Division
23104 Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas Metropolitan Division
Metropolitan and NECTA Divisions
*****
It's important to distinguish the Dallas & Fort Worth areas farther by recognizing that lumping them together is only done for statistical purposes by the Feds, i.e., the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The reality is they are 2 distinct metro areas, Dallas-Plano-Irving & Fort Worth-Arlington that share a few significant common assets most notably DFW airport.

Exactly. The region has five principle cities:

Dallas
Fort Worth
Plano
Irving
Arlington

[AfroAmericanofColor]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

Is it really?

Yes it is really. For example, there really isn't much difference between development in downtown Fort Worth with the type of mixed use it has been building in its Sundance Square than the type of development surrounding Northpark Center in Dallas. Think of the five developments of Highland Park Village, Preston Center, Mockingbird Station, Park Lane, and Preston Hollow Village (under construction).

What do all five of these developments have with the recent development in downtown Fort Worth? Well, they all have retail, office space, and, except for "Highland Park Village, residential fused together. In most cities, it is this type of development that serves as an anchor. Only in Houston with its huge energy companies can a lone office building serve as an anchor for a project.

*Most don't realize Highland Park Village has fifty thousand square feet of office space along with its 200,000 square feet of retail.

[AfroAmericanofColor]

Originally Posted by kdogg817

With a 7% commericial vacancy rate downtown you would think we would be seeing more planned vertical development. I have been waiting for the big building boom in the core to happen, similar to what is going on in Austin and Charlotte, but it just hasn't come to fruition. I guess I will continue to have to wait.

Might have a little to do with that well publicized tornado that smacked into downtown.