Fairmount (Fort Worth, Spring, Hemphill: for sale, apartments, rentals)

[lunebloc]

My husband and I have been on the prowl for a new neighborhood for a while. We're not in a big hurry to move, so we've just been checking out neighborhoods when we can.

We've always had an eye on Fairmount, in fact when we moved to Fort Worth, we looked at several houses there. We bought a house in Ridglea North because we felt like Fairmount just wasn't quite there yet in terms of safety and the neighborhood turning around. When we drive through the neighborhood, it still seems not quite there yet, which is such a disappointment because we'd love to live in that area and in a historic home.

We have a toddler, and I have a really hard time imagining her running around the neighborhood. Her safety is paramount. Is my impression of Fairmount generally correct, or have a I misjudged the area?

[loves2read]

check a crime map of FTW--
check the local paper on Sunday--there is usually a call sheet for police activity in different suburbs with street addresses
find the local police station for that area and speak to someone there directly

[txtoal]

My husband and I liked some homes in Fairmount also. I have always been skeptical of the area north of Berry and east of 8th Ave. Even when I was at TCU, there was crime very close to campus, even on campus. I know that the area has changed considerably and I would say for the better especially since they tore down alot of ratty apartments and homes that were notorious for drug dealers and users. It is one of those things where it is hit and miss, one street may be fine and the next, not so great. I know crime is everywhere, I just don't know if I would want to live there. I do know a friend who bought a home that I think was on Elizabeth Blvd and he renovated the house and rented it out but he said he didn't want to live there. Weird I know. One street that I have always been told to steer clear of is around Rosedale St. Have you checked out Mistletoe Heights or Ryan Place? Unfortunately the closer you get to TCU, the more expensive it gets.

[lunebloc]

Loves2Read, we have checked out the crime stats you mentioned and contacted a safety officer in the area, but I was hoping for some first-hand impressions or comments from Fairmount residents.

txtoal, yup yup...I suppose if it weren't hit or miss, houses in the area woudn't be as reasonable - and you're correct about Mistletoe Heights and Ryan Place, those are generally just outside our price range for the size we need.

[dmorris]

Oh Lunebloc, I think someday we are going to literally bump into each other looking for the same thing. You, me and a million other posters looking for affordable, yet safe, diverse, urban minded, charming old neighborhoods with great schools ~trying to resist long commutes and cookie cutter subdivisions. Aarrrgghhhh . . . we need to just organize a mass take over of Fairmount Place because like you stated, it is more affordable but still looks a bit rough. We actually found a couple places in Ryan Place that we could afford but they needed updating. I found a pretty big difference between Mistletoe/Berkley vs. Ryan Place/Fairmount. I felt very comfortable in Berkley/Mistletoe and a bit nervous in Fairmount/Ryan Place. Fairmount just needs a slew of proffessionals and young families to come in and invest in completing the project that has been started. I have talked to some of my husband's colleagues and they would recommend it for empty nesters or young professionals without kids. I, like you, would love to hear what people have to say that actually live there as well as the snapshot on schools. Although Lily B. Clayton is not highly rated by great schools, it has a great feel to it and many parents that I have talked to on the street really like it. I know when you have students that are taking the standardized tests that are speaking English as their second language, it can really result in the tests so I take that into account when reviewing websites such as Greatschools. Lilly B. Clayton mainly serves Berkley/Mistletoe. I just love that area!!!

When we looked a couple years ago, our realtor really talked this area up and referred to it as an up and coming area (Fairmount). Given our limited budget, that is the area we focused on and we walked through a lot of houses. It was quite hit or miss two years ago and I did not feel comfortable with the safety. The houses we looked at were in decent condition but sometimes, the homes all around it were dilapidated. I could not imagine our three little boys riding around the neighborhood freely. I also remember the school being Daggett (correct me if I am wrong) and the majority of the PTA meetings were held in Spanish. There is nothing of course wrong with that other than I don't know Spanish and it was a bit intimidating. I, like you, always open to learning more. It would be interesting from a city planners view on how to move people into an area and actually invest into it rather than to just purchase property as a rentals. I think it has potential given its location to the city and TCU.

[txtoal]

I'll probably offend someone but I am just stating what I know since I have friends who teach school for the FWISD. East of 8th, north of Berry pretty much all the way to Hemphill has alot of Mexicans. Daggett Elementary has a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, however the school was ranked as recognized by the TEA for 2009. I have heard that Daggett Montessori is supposed to be good but I don't know anything about it. I would not be comfortable with my kids going to a school that spoke majority Spanish in their PTA meetings or ESL. I know that there are alot of homes for sale in the Fairmount area but alot are major fixer uppers. I agree that if the homes were not rented as opposed to own, it would probably make a difference.

[Campeador]

Lunebloc,

I would strongly suggest going to the parade of homes that Fairmount does every Spring and talking to as many people that live in the neighborhood as possible. You will get a better sense of whether you can envision your family there or not. You might also sit in on the monthly neighborhood association meeting or just spend time driving, walking, biking the area and its adjecent neighborhoods. There are many, many things to consider before moving to a national historic preserved area, in addition to the security questions. I assume you're familiar with the neighborhood website, but I'll post it just in case:
Fairmount National Historic District

Good luck.

[txtoal]

I know this wasn't directed to me but that is a good idea.

[lunebloc]

We were going the next Fairmount neighborhood meeting, but I'll be out of town, so it'll have to be the next one. That's a great suggestion about the Parade of Homes. Thanks!

[catman]

I live in Ryan Place, just two blocks south of the Fairmount neighborhood. It's not a bad area, but it has a ways to go. I get the impression that it's getting better all the time, though, and much of it isn't too bad. There are a lot of "Mexicans", but so what? I don't have any problems at all with most of them.