How is Fort Worth's mass transit and urban areas, (Dallas: apartments, construction)

[semidevil]

I've been job hunting mainly in the Dallas and Richardson area. After doing all my research, I felt comfortable with Dallas, in terms of cost, convenience of various shops, choice of apartments, etc etc, that I thought I would be dead set on Dallas.

However, I just received an opportunity to interview for a position in Fort Worth, and I started to be curious about living in Fort Worth. Assuming I get this job, I would be able to live in more of an urban district in Fort Worth (i,e 1000 to 12000 apartment), in the downtown area.

How is the downtown area of fort worth compared to Dallas Downtown? Other sources say that Fort worth is more 'texan' than Dallas. What does that mean exactly? For us, we are not looking for Manhattan style downtown, nor are we looking for Clubs and Bars; but we are looking for coffee shops, boutiques, diverse restaurants, and more of a 'cool, modern' environment. Other sources also say that Fort Worth downtown is "nicer" than dallas. Again, what does that mean? Is it cleaner? safer?

What about the mass transit? From what I can tell, there is the TRE which goes to the airport and Dallas. What about the busses? Are there enough to cover the whole area that I won't need to drive if I work and live in downtown?

[ChristieP]

The T is Fort Worth's bus system. The T | Fort Worth Transportation Authority | Fort Worth, TX > Home
Trinity Railway Express is the rail system between Fort Worth and Dallas. http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/index.html

Most people who love downtown walk to work. Downtown is small enough that this isn't a problem unless the weather is awful. The only issue you will have if you try to live without a car is that there is not a big grocery store downtown. The closest one is Target in Montgomery Plaza across the river. You will have a long ride if you try to take the bus anywhere else in town, though. IMHO, Fort Worth's downtown is much cleaner and safer, and also more alive after 5 PM than Dallas.

Yes, there is some boutique shopping and nice restaurants downtown, mostly around the Sundance Square area.
Sundance Square - Located in the Heart of Downtown Fort Worth

[cpmunk]

transit is practically non-existant in fort worth. You need a car. If you live directly in downtown fort worth, its possible, but you will be stuck there when everyone is driving around and talking about what they did this past weekend. nightlife is basically one block (worse than nashville) and it looks lousy in fort worth. TRE isn't that great. Limited schedule and doesn't run sundays.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by cpmunk

transit is practically non-existant in fort worth. You need a car. If you live directly in downtown fort worth, its possible, but you will be stuck there when everyone is driving around and talking about what they did this past weekend. nightlife is basically one block (worse than nashville) and it looks lousy in fort worth. TRE isn't that great. Limited schedule and doesn't run sundays.

Nightlife isn't just reduced to Sundance Square. There's West 7th, there's the Stockyards/Billy Bob's, the TCU area, and the Near Southside.

Now I can't disagree too much on public transportation, as that's one of this city's biggest flaws. We have a subpar bus system, the TRE only runs from downtown Fort Worth to Downtown Dallas, and our other Commuter Line is still in plans, not ready until around 2017 at the earliest.

[Threestep2]

Not trying to sound pragmatic - no car in Texas is to the best of my experience impossible unless you have good friends.

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by semidevil

I've been job hunting mainly in the Dallas and Richardson area. After doing all my research, I felt comfortable with Dallas, in terms of cost, convenience of various shops, choice of apartments, etc etc, that I thought I would be dead set on Dallas.

However, I just received an opportunity to interview for a position in Fort Worth, and I started to be curious about living in Fort Worth. Assuming I get this job, I would be able to live in more of an urban district in Fort Worth (i,e 1000 to 12000 apartment), in the downtown area.

How is the downtown area of fort worth compared to Dallas Downtown? Other sources say that Fort worth is more 'texan' than Dallas. What does that mean exactly? For us, we are not looking for Manhattan style downtown, nor are we looking for Clubs and Bars; but we are looking for coffee shops, boutiques, diverse restaurants, and more of a 'cool, modern' environment. Other sources also say that Fort Worth downtown is "nicer" than dallas. Again, what does that mean? Is it cleaner? safer?

What about the mass transit? From what I can tell, there is the TRE which goes to the airport and Dallas. What about the busses? Are there enough to cover the whole area that I won't need to drive if I work and live in downtown?

Fort Worth's downtown is really agreeable and seems to be heading in a very positive direction. As I understand it, one family (Bass) has essentially resurrected it from squalor and has made it what it is today. This has had many positive results--safety, "flow," Sundance Square (a pedestrian based central plaza), etc.. Some people complain that it has been overly sanitized; that compared to other urban areas it feels a bit disneyfied, lacking vibrancy, variety, etc.

Search the TX forum for a thread on Texas cities and their downtowns; you'll see that FW fairs quite well.

As for living here without a car? Pretty tough to do. I know families that use just one car, primarily using bikes to commute to work, but the mass transit here is very poor. TX loves its automobiles and petrol.

[In_Correct]

Public Transportation does exist, but expanding it is a low priority. For Tarrant County they were going to build TEX Rail and there was going to be a commuter rail line to Johnson County. This will not happen for years.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by In_Correct

Public Transportation does exist, but expanding it is a low priority. For Tarrant County they are going to build TEX Rail and there was going to be a commuter rail line to Johnson County. This will not happen for years.

Commuter line to Johnson County?

When did you hear that?

[In_Correct]

Hear that train comin

Fate of commuter rail line depends on legislature » Cleburne Times-Review, Cleburne, TX

http://www.crowleystar.net/ci_20086776

http://www.nctcog.org/trans/thorough...ohnsonCoTP.pdf

It has been planned for years. And it will probably still be "planned" for many more years. Perhaps after TEX Rail has completed, then they will begin construction.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by In_Correct

Hear that train comin

Fate of commuter rail line depends on legislature » Cleburne Times-Review, Cleburne, TX

Rail line faces myriad issues - The Crowley Star - Crowley, Texas

http://www.nctcog.org/trans/thorough...ohnsonCoTP.pdf

It has been planned for years. And it will probably still be "planned" for many more years. Perhaps after TEX Rail has completed, then they will begin construction.

Well, considering that we just finished a TOLLWAY from downtown to Cleburne, I'm more than positive that it won't be coming any time soon.

The city's biggest priority right now, it seems, is the TEX. It's been delayed and was supposed to be up and running 2 years from now. Now it's 2018 and shortened to just downtown-to-DFW Intenational because The T f***ed it up, as usual.

Honestly, I don't see any lines going to or from Cleburne until at least a decade from now.