Archive for October, 2008

General: Look here for a starter home. This is one of the last “non-sketchy” neighborhoods in Fort Worth where you can get in for less than $150,000. The neighborhood is gentrifying, and houses are being sold quickly and upgraded.  Prices and taxes in the area have been ratcheting upward since 2005, when the first hints of gas price trouble seemed to signal to those in the suburbs that it was time to come in closer.  Overall, it’s close enough and safe enough for most, and offers the inducement of a public pool in local Kellis parkand being extremely close to the Trinity Trails.

Location:  Trail Lake and the I-20 about a mile northeast east of Hulen mall. The neighborhood is bordered by Granbury and the railroad tracks, Seminary Drive, and Cockrell Street.

Housing Types:  Detached houses with garage. Built in the 50’s, these nontract homes have larger kitchens, tile baths, wood floors, and pier and beam foundations. Sizes range from 900 to about 2200 square feet. 

Price Range:  www.zillow.com says $73.00 per square foot; Tarrant Appraisal is taxing at around $66 per square foot. 

Lot Sizes: Up to 1/4 acre

Transit Access: Close to 20 freeway. Seven miles and 15 minutes downtown by auto. Three miles to TCU. Access to Trinity Trails bikeway with about 4 blocks street riding. Not yet adequately served by the ”T” public transit; closest route is “Seminary” which runs along north side of neighborhood. 

Schools Access:  Public system: Elementary school is South Hills; Middle Schools McLean; HIgh School is Southwest. Private system: Country Day is 3 miles; Trinity Valley, St Peter’s Classical, and Fort Worth Academy are 5 miles.

Commerical and Retail Access:  The area is situatated between TCU and the Hulen Mall shopping districts. Good sourcing of all household needs.

October 15th, 2008

The goal of our neighborhoods section will be to spotlight the most desireable locations to live in the Fort Worth area. It’s the contention of Fort Worth Renaissance that the ideal place to live in Fort Worth is in the city proper. We’re assuming that those who read the blog want to enjoy our civic treasures such as the art museums and private schools, and in order to do so, you’ll want to live close, probably west of the 35W and within the circle of the 820, to make reaching those places easy. 

We’ve chosen a few neighborhoods to spotlight in coming weeks. These will be profiled in terms of housing type, price, location, and transit options (certainly freeway access, but also access to the “T” our bus system, and proximity to proposed Fort Worth streetcar corridors). 

“Curb appeal,” or the way a house looks from the street — and to your neighbors — will be considered. But so will location, location, location. When you’ve lived there a while, it’s more and more the L word.

You’ll notice on our list that almost none of these areas were built up after 1980. That’s because, in Fort Worth as everywhere else, the best locations for real estate are snapped up first. If the neighborhood was built after 1980, probably it’s “belond the pale” and, quite simply, it’s a “hike” using your automobile, and that’s becoming less and less and less hip these days — and more expensive. 

The Neighborhoods:

South Hills

Tanglewood

Monticello

Fairmont

Fort Worth South

Wedgewood/Candleridge

Arlington Heights

Bluebonnet

Texas Christian University

Forest Park

Mistletoe Hights/Berkeley Place

Ryan Place

Ridgelea

Benbrook

And the only one we know up so far to focus on arts, culture, and lifestyle. Fort Worth Renaissance will be publishing the kind of stories needed to get the most out of life in Fort Worth — coverage of cultural events, travelling exhibits, local haunts, neighborhood reports, restaurant reviews,  and news and views about education and culture. Featuring bloggers The Elitist Snob and Outside Mom, we want to introduce the city we’ve come to know and love to readers who maybe haven’t seen the side of it we do. 

Our birthday is officially October 15, 2008.