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The Image of Fort Worth


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#1 renamerusk

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Posted 10 June 2013 - 08:10 PM

A lot has been written lately about the image of Fort Worth, mostly negative.  Seems like Fort Worth is being slammed for not being like dozens of other cities who in my eyes do not have or who have abandoned their unique character.  Besides Fort Worth, my favorite sibling city is San Antonio both for whom I feel have a special feeling about them.  By the way, Fort Worth and San Antonio are the only three time recipients of the All American City Award from Texas.  The Hispanic Heritage of San Antonio and the Western Heritage of Fort Worth make both of these cities special.
 
http://en.wikipedia....rica_City_Award
 
Investing in the Western Heritage economy is a smart investment; and that heritage continues to evolve from its 19th Century beginning so as to remain relevant into today’s economy.  Be proud of this city’s rich heritage.  It is actually something that people from outside of Fort Worth, both nationally and internationally, find fascinating and refreshingly enjoyable.
 
Here is a project that I believe should deserve public support:
 
http://www.star-tele...ase-access.html
 
Keep Fort Worth folksy!

#2 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 10 June 2013 - 08:27 PM

Stock show?

#3 renamerusk

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Posted 10 June 2013 - 08:42 PM


Yes - A Stock Show! - Louisville, Denver, Kansas City, Houston and Fort Worth.

Do they have an economic impact - Yes they do!

http://en.wikipedia..../Livestock_show

#4 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 10 June 2013 - 09:28 PM

Maybe I should try it...I never been to one

#5 Dylan

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Posted 11 June 2013 - 01:35 AM

A lot has been written lately about the image of Fort Worth, mostly negative.  Seems like Fort Worth is being slammed for not being like dozens of other cities who in my eyes do not have or who have abandoned their unique character.  Besides Fort Worth, my favorite sibling city is San Antonio both for whom I feel have a special feeling about them.  By the way, Fort Worth and San Antonio are the only three time recipients of the All American City Award from Texas.  The Hispanic Heritage of San Antonio and the Western Heritage of Fort Worth make both of these cities special.
 
http://en.wikipedia....rica_City_Award
 
Investing in the Western Heritage economy is a smart investment; and that heritage continues to evolve from its 19th Century beginning so as to remain relevant into today’s economy.  Be proud of this city’s rich heritage.  It is actually something that people from outside of Fort Worth, both nationally and internationally, find fascinating and refreshingly enjoyable.
 
Here is a project that I believe should deserve public support:
 
http://www.star-tele...ase-access.html
 
Keep Fort Worth folksy!

 

 

I agree completely. Like I said in the other thread, we don't have to give up our western theme to be more modern. It's what makes us unique and interesting, and it's who we are. Saying we should get rid of our western theme is like saying New Orleans should get rid of it's party atmosphere and various French-derived themes, Honolulu and Miami should get rid of their tropical themes, Las Vegas should get rid of its flashy entertainment and casino theme, etc.


-Dylan


#6 beverlyb

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Posted 11 June 2013 - 05:53 PM

I like the City of Cowboys and Culture theme. It fits Fort Worth perfectly. If we got rid of the western theme, what would replace it? When I think of Fort Worth I think western, when I think of Dallas I think Reunion Tower. If the tower ever comes down, in my mind Dallas won't have a theme.

#7 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 11 June 2013 - 09:29 PM

Cowboy theme sucks!!!!

#8 hannerhan

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Posted 12 June 2013 - 08:29 AM

Cowboy theme sucks!!!!

 

It's not like police are giving out tickets to anyone not wearing boots and a cowboy hat.  As noted above, the diversification is part of what makes great cities great.  There is nothing wrong with having a lot of cowboys and appreciating that part of Fort Worth's history.  If that was all there was to Fort Worth, it would be a problem.  But downtown isn't about cowboys.  Magnolia/South Side absolutely isn't about cowboys.  West 7th/Museum District isn't about cowboys.  Each of these areas is unique and caters to different types. 

 

Compared to what it was like 10 years ago, Fort Worth is absolute heaven for hipsters, young singles, gays, foodies, empty nesters, downtown residents, and many more groups in 2013.

 

As far as Fort Worth's image, I think we need to play up the laid back nature of the city and our river/park assets, in addition to what we are already doing with urban renewal, bike promotion, etc.  Yesterday I was at the Katy Trail Ice House in Dallas for happy hour.  The place was hopping and it's amusing to me that all they have for scenery is a 10 foot wide bike path at the back of the property.  The Woodshed and the Clear Fork Food Park are great starts but that should be just the beginning of what we have to offer in terms of riverfront entertainment/food/living options.  Promoting a healthy outdoor lifestyle and laid back atmosphere is where it's at.



#9 cberen1

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Posted 12 June 2013 - 09:48 AM

I'm just one person and I can't be defined as any one thing.  No city of any size can really be defined as any one thing either.  When I think of Fort Worth I think of the oil business, Mexican food, western stuff, the Cliburn, laid back people, horse shows, great museums and on and on.  I'm not sure what people who have never been to Fort Worth think.  I'm not sure how much it matters.  When I think of San Fransisco I think of gay people, a big bridge and an island prison.  I'm not sure those things weigh into my decisions to go or to not go to San Fransisco.  When I think of Chicago I think of insace cab drivers, awesome pie, the Cubs, a smelly river and Chris Farley dying there.  Those things don't influence my decisions either.  If I have a reason to go, I go.

 

I think too much gets made of this image and whether or not we can shape it.  Does anyone recall when Vegas tried to reshape its image as a family destination?  Dumb.  Just dumb.

 

You want Fort Worth to be known as a hip hop destination?  Open a killer hip hop club.  If it's awesome it will someday overtake Cowboys and Culture in peoples' minds.  You want Fort Worth to be known as an urban financial hub?  Make it an urban financial hub, the reputation will follow.

 

The truth is that Fort Worth has a rich western heritage and a rich western present day existence.  You may not care about horses and cows, but lots of people do and they come from hundreds and thousands of miles away to be part of the western events that are staged here all the time.  Fort Worth is known as cowtown not because of some deliberate marketing strategy, but because it's one of the centers of the cowboy world.  Abandoning that would be dumb, just dumb.



#10 youngalum

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Posted 12 June 2013 - 10:27 AM

My understanding from my PR friends is that the city is asking PR agencies in North Texas to come up with other tag lines for the city that DON"T include the cowboy themes.  The request is that the cowboy image is holding us back in many areas outside of the stock show and horse shows.  They are not going to get rid of all the cowboy stuff, but don't be surprised if the official themes change for the markets they are targeting.



#11 johnfwd

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Posted 12 June 2013 - 10:56 AM

I've always been upset because Fort Worth (my home town) has been denied opportunities because of its proximity to another major city. We can't get Fort Worth TV and radio stations because the powers that be decided long ago that Dallas stations sufficiently serve the needs of the Dallas-Fort Worth market. It does make an economic difference. You go to Dallas to shop for what you think you can't get in Fort Worth, simply because Dallas businesses monopolize media advertising (and Fort Worth loses sales tax revenue). Fort Worth has been denied a major sports franchise because the powers that be have decided that Dallas sports enterprises are sufficient for the regional market. It does make an economic difference, as FW could be the beneficiary of more tourist and sports-entertainment dollars. Our city can't get its own non-commercial passenger airport because the powers that be decided long ago that Dallas Love Field and DFW Airport are sufficient. Again, FW loses potential tourism because people who fly in may never stop at Fort Worth. I don't care as much about image as I do identity. And, lets face it, Fort Worth doesn't have much of a national identity apart from Dallas.

#12 Fort Worthology

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Posted 12 June 2013 - 10:57 AM

I don't call for the cowboy thing to disappear entirely - as long as the Stockyards makes money it won't, for sure - but I'd like for it to not be so dominant in the official marketing efforts and such.  Yes, we had cowboys - for a little while.  Let's work to incorporate some of the more modern selling points of the city, too.

 

"Cowboys & Culture" always seemed, to me, to be defined as the Disneyesque cowboy theme and the official tourist board designated museums and little else.  There's way more in town that we're not taking advantage of.


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#13 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 12 June 2013 - 11:23 AM

Hannerhan I agree!!!!

#14 JKC

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Posted 12 June 2013 - 12:25 PM

It is hard to imagine those who depend on convention and tourism for a component of their business, ever supporting the removal of the cowboy theme.  But the whole idea of "Cowboys and Culture" was to demonstrate that the city had much more to offer while not forsaking the western theme. IMO, the trouble in the tag comes partly from the word "Cowboy" having so much more vivd imagery than the word "Culture". Put the big word first and what follows will always follow.

 

I would support a re-visit of the tag as well as the messaging but in an effort to create balance, variety and a more rounded picture of what the whole city offers.



#15 RD Milhollin

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Posted 12 June 2013 - 07:49 PM

For what it's worth, I would strongly encourage the leaders in Fort Worth, political, financial, business, educational and cultural, to work together to attract future-energy companies to the city. There is already a business incubator or two at work in the area, perhaps one that focused more sharply on solar development and manufacturing, design and domestic fabrication of wind products, research and development of alternative passive and active storage systems (like solar-driven electrolytic hydrogen generation on a home scale) could attract green divisions of existing companies (like Dow Powerhouse solar shingle) and spin-offs/startups looking for a friendly environment and good location. Energy is a huge sector in the national and worldwide economy, and renewable energy is going to be the trend in the future; it has to be. Working to extend the energy legacy of Fort Worth into the renewable future would be a very smart move for the city.



#16 Austin55

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 12:10 AM

I to hope that clean energy will be the future of our economy. Energy will always be needed. 



#17 Dylan

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 12:20 AM

Maybe some of us on here can try to come up with a new slogan and nickname to use around other people to reflect the many things we are in addition to being a western-themed city. Ideas?


-Dylan


#18 cberen1

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 07:34 AM

So let's say we can come up with a new marketing plan for the city.  One image for the whole city.  Who is it we'remarketing to and what is it we would like them to do?



#19 djold1

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 08:55 AM

It will be pretty hard to improve the "Cowboy's and Culture" slogan.  Short, distinctive, understandable, alliterative, and very broad.  You would need a lot more words for anything else and it probably would lose its punch and instant comprehension. .  It's shorter than "Where the West Begins" and implies much more.  Almost nothing in the slogan to offend.


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Website: Antique Maps of Texas
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#20 Russ Graham

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 11:53 AM

I think Cowboys and Culture would be a pretty good motto for, say, the Bass family. Whether that also makes it a good motto (tagline? slogan?) for Ft Worth is an interesting question. Is it even accurate? The cattle industry is not a big part of the city anymore... now we're much more of an aviation town - American Airlines, LM, NAS Fort Worth JRB, and Bell are the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 12th largest employers in town. Or a medicine and medical supplies town. Or a logistics town. So a better tagline might be something like "Engineers and Transportation"... not sure what that would do for tourism (hah).

#21 johnfwd

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 02:09 PM

No doubt Fort Worth has a diverse environment. But a promotional slogan is not a resume, just a short catchy phrase.

#22 RD Milhollin

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 02:36 PM

"From the West to the Best"

 

"Where the Best Begins"

 

"A City for People"



#23 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 04:06 PM

I like panther city

#24 RD Milhollin

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 05:34 PM

I was thinking about slogans, I think those can be more successfully "marketed" than a nickname. For example "Sin City", "Big Easy", Windy city were all probably used locally and adopted over time by outsiders. "The Big Apple" may be an exception to that though. Cowtown,  Funkytown, Panther City, etc. all come from long-time local usage. The slogans marketed by the city, The Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, etc. "Cowboys and Culture", "Where the West Begins",... these were all dreamed up and sold with a particular game in mind, getting people to develop a particular attractive idea about what Fort Worth is like, and encourage them to come to visit (or stay, as the case might be). I think on a list like this we can IDENTIFY favorite nicknames, but we can INVENT slogans and mottos. 



#25 DrkLts

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Posted 13 June 2013 - 05:50 PM

So what's so cowboy/western about FW besides the "Cowtown" nickname and the few blocks of the Stock Yards and its history? I just don't see it as magnified as everyone says it is. Some nighboorhoods look like the movie "Boyz in Da Hood" with cars and trucks with ridiculously huge chrome wheels and dudes with thier pants hanging below thier boxers. Go to shoping areas, and you see modern day strip shops and starbucks. Go to the cultural area and see museums looking like art pieces themselves. On a daily basis, I see people wear casual clothes, cars blasting rap or rock, even mexican tejano. Speaking of which, southside and hemphill area look like spanish town to me. Where all the saloons, cowboys/cowgirls, horses and cows, and such besides the FW stock yards?

Oh and this small town laid-back feel everyone likes to emphasise. What small town do you know of where you get stuck in traffic for 30-45min for a typical 15min drive? (I guess that's laid back when traffic barely moves) lol!



#26 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 14 June 2013 - 12:26 AM

People outside of fort only knows about the cowboy b.s.

#27 RD Milhollin

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Posted 14 June 2013 - 07:55 AM

People outside of fort only knows about the cowboy b.s.

 

Sorry, but I think that is a serious overstatement.



#28 mmiller2002

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Posted 14 June 2013 - 11:11 AM

Maybe I should try it...I never been to one

Absolutely, you should!
  You can look at the schedule to see which animals/exhibits will be happening the day/week you pick.  My kids always liked to see the rabbits...



#29 Doohickie

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Posted 14 June 2013 - 11:13 AM

People outside of fort only knows about the cowboy b.s.


Before I moved here, I didn't even know that.
 
I think most people just know of Fort Worth as a large second-tier city, more or less in the Dallas area.  Kind of like Irvine is to Los Angeles.
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#30 Russ Graham

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Posted 14 June 2013 - 01:55 PM

 

People outside of fort only knows about the cowboy b.s.


Before I moved here, I didn't even know that.
 
I think most people just know of Fort Worth as a large second-tier city, more or less in the Dallas area.  Kind of like Irvine is to Los Angeles.

 

 

Same here - growing up in Colorado, I didn't think of it as a "large" second-tier city.  More of a "suburb".  And I had no idea that Fort Worth considered itself more, or less, of a cowboy town than any other city.   And if I had known, it wouldn't have affected my choice to move here... every town has some kind of self-image it's trying to promote; and most people just more or less ignore that when it comes to taking a job somewhere.



#31 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 14 June 2013 - 09:25 PM

Dallas folk always make fun of the cowtown name!!! It makes me angry sometimes....everything on the west and north ft worth is nice but when or if a Dallas resident gets to fort worth's east side they see a small two laned loop 820 with gas stations with run down motels n gas stations....east fort worth needs a total makeover!! Lancaster ave could be a real nice place if people would just work together n make something. Happen

#32 Doohickie

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Posted 14 June 2013 - 10:00 PM

The east side is starting to get some love.  I drove around a bit there this week and there was a lot of road construction.  Infrastructure improvement is an important first step.

 

 

And frankly, what Dallas people think of my home doesn't amount to a hill of beans to me.


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#33 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 14 June 2013 - 10:37 PM

I'm glad they are fixing rosedale from 287 to 820...much needed work!!! It's I knw the area is bad but its just nothing over there.....that corner of 820 and berry could use a makeover...on the city website it shows future plans for that corner..I just hope it doesn't take 20 years

#34 prideftw

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 02:17 AM

 

People outside of fort only knows about the cowboy b.s.


Before I moved here, I didn't even know that.
 
I think most people just know of Fort Worth as a large second-tier city, more or less in the Dallas area.  Kind of like Irvine is to Los Angeles.

 

See this is where I have the problem, because Fort Worth is not a second-tier city. Fort Worth is it's own city and needs to get away from being associated with being part of the the "Dallas" area. Its not part of the Dallas area. The metroplex is made of 2 major cities and there suburbs. Fort Worth needs to grow visually and be more open to hip clubs and market ways to get people away from Dallas



#35 jefffwd

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 08:16 AM

^ totally agree. 



#36 djold1

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 08:30 AM

I agree that FW is not a 2nd tier city (whatever that means). 

 

There are those that seem to feel that perhaps FW could be something else and that would be to its advantage. But realistically when you look at the great diversity of the city and the county in terms of business, corporate headquarters, culture (whatever that is), education, military establishments and entertainment among other things, it's hard to see many holes in the infrastructure. 

 

I would say that this belittling of the basic structure of the city is more a lack of self-confidence an insecurity on the part of those that want the change rather than any real lack in the health of FW.  Change is constant here, and while it never comes fast enough for some, the pace overall is steady and evolution happens. Fort Worth is a far better city than it was in 1971 when I moved to the area. 

 

Most amusing to me are those of shallow mind that advocate tall buildings simply for cosmetic reasons without any real need for the space and those that feel that more "clubs" somehow would add to the desirability of living here for more than a few individuals. 


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#37 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 09:16 AM

U guys still dnt get it!!! Fort worth just needs a few more cooler thngs to do point blank.....

#38 Dallastar

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 10:07 AM

This link should shed some light on 1st tier and 2nd tier status http://connectyourme...-tier-cities-2/ it looks like it has more to do with hotel rooms and convention business.



#39 Jeriat

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 10:08 AM

Cowboy theme sucks!!!!

 

It only sucks when it goes to a city that doesn't genuinely have it *cough* Dallas *cough*.

 

In order to fully appreciate YOUR city, you have to embrace what makes it unique. No, Fort Worth is not just cowboys and gunslinging outlaws and cattle drives. We have arts, we have music, and we have diversity (even though several outsiders don't want to see it that way), so I really don't see what good getting rid of the cowboy western aspect of the city will do. Frankly, I think it'll just make us like any other shallow, soulless town with no real identity other than just copying someone else's. 

Don't get me wrong, I do think that sometimes JUST portraying Fort Worth as cowboy western can get a little tired and even corny at times when we do have much more than that. BUT, it is a unique identity that we shouldn't just delete from our city's image entirely. Plus, I feel it would ruin what every city in Texas has... a THEME.

 

 - Houston: Space

 - San Antonio: Mexican heritage

 - Dallas: Big Business

 - Austin: Hipster Paradise

 - El Paso: The Southwest 

 - Corpus Christi: Beach City (You could say the same for Galveston, but since it's not a city in the same way these are, I'm just using CC)

 

And Fort Worth's theme is Western Heritage, whether you like it or not. I too get sick of people getting things about my city wrong as well, but you can't just change each and every little thing solely on just making people who don't even live here like this city. If we did that, it would make it look like Fort Worth was "trying too hard", and you don't want that...


7fwPZnE.png

 

8643298391_d47584a085_b.jpg


#40 renamerusk

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 11:32 AM


It only sucks when it goes to a city that doesn't genuinely have it...


In order to fully appreciate YOUR city, you have to embrace what makes it unique... I think it'll [Hipster/Funky/Whatever] just make us like any other shallow, soulless town with no real identity other than just copying someone else's. 

 

"You absolutely nailed it, Jeriat"



#41 renamerusk

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 02:13 PM

I've always been upset because Fort Worth (my home town) has been denied opportunities because of its proximity to another major city. We can't get Fort Worth TV and radio stations... It does make an economic difference..... Our city can't get its own non-commercial passenger airport because the powers that be decided long ago that Dallas Love Field and DFW Airport are sufficient.... FW loses potential tourism because people who fly in may never stop at Fort Worth.

 

And this is why I have argued tirelessly for a Fort Worth exclusive commercial airport which will do more than any public relation marketing campaign hoping to make our city be recognized as a destination and identity in and of itself.  Once millions of annual airline passengers are boarding in and out through a commercial airport, the general public and probably more businessmen will see that we are more then they had imagined; stay in our hotels and dine and shop here too.  Maybe even some Dallas passenger make be tempted to fly via FW?

 

And too, a distinctive Fort Worth based media targeting Fort Worth solely will very likely garner enormous attention and publicity.



#42 Funkutown Retro Retro

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 04:15 PM

20120810_dallas_0053-final1

#43 Doohickie

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 04:26 PM

I agree that FW is not a 2nd tier city (whatever that means).

 

It means that it's not on the list of "Big Cities" if you ask people to name them off.  Nationally, you'll get NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, cities like that.  Every state has a city or two or three that are The Big Cities in the state.  IN Pennsylvania, it's Philly and Pittsburgh.  In Texas, that list includes Dallas and Houston, maybe Austin and San Antonio.  It's hard to define what first tier means, but by just about any criteria, Fort Worth doesn't make that list.


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#44 renamerusk

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 05:55 PM

It means that it's not on the list of "Big Cities" if you ask people to name them off.... Every state has a city or two or three that are The Big Cities in the state.  IN Pennsylvania, it's Philly and Pittsburgh....It's hard to define what first tier means, but by just about any criteria, Fort Worth doesn't make that list.

 

Yet Fort Worth is larger than Pittsburgh; and any way the article which is being quoted admits that First Tier and Second Tier are subjective terms not readily definable .  It is puzzling that one would think that Fort Worth is not big or Texas is limited to only one or two big cities.  Fort Worth's predicament is that has for the last 50 years allow itself to be in the shadow of a nearby want-to-be mega-maniac and is more often then not to be lumped into the sum of the DFW Metroplex.   Fort Worth would be the Big City in all but a few states.



#45 djold1

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 06:52 PM

It could be argued that Fort Worth is not in a predicament as to stature or image.  It may be that it's just perceived as a predicament by those that personally feel that some Gotham-like image is for some reason desirable.  

 

While not smug or uninterested, Fort Worth seems pretty comfortable with itself, is on an upward trend in population, is not terribly in debt, is a good place to live with a reasonable number of jobs, and has reasonable services.

 

It could always be "better" of course, but "better" is a subjective perspective that varies with the idealist... 


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#46 renamerusk

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 09:39 PM

It could be argued that Fort Worth is not in a predicament as to stature or image.  It may be that it's just perceived as a predicament by those that personally feel that some Gotham-like image is for some reason desirable.  

 

Your points are well taken and hard to argue against with perhaps one exception: the Gotham-like image is personally felt is unreasonable

 

Whether in some cases it is desirable or not to build a tall skyscraper, it true that it makes economic and environmental sense to do so.  Refer to my post #104 in the thread :Surround Cities -New 58 story mixed-use tower planned - but where?" --- where there is a link setting out why there should be tall skyscrapers in a central business district. 

 

Even though the current Sundance Square Plaza is esthetically desirable, it is an arguably inefficient  use of that pivotal location.  Without straying too far off topic, the new six story Throckmorton Building will be demonstratively less efficient than it would have been had the 21 story building originally plan for the site been built.  With that being said, probably enough, as this topic has previously been thoroughly debated.



#47 prideftw

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Posted 16 June 2013 - 04:29 PM

We are all making good quotes, but the point is that if Fort Worth is going to separate it's self from Dallas it is going to have to think bigger than it does now. Atlanta doesn't have half the population of fort Worth, but you couldn't tell that just by looking at the city or visiting the city.



#48 renamerusk

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Posted 16 June 2013 - 05:51 PM

.... Fort Worth needs to grow visually and be more open to hip clubs and market ways to get people away from Dallas

 

...it [Fort Worth] is going to have to think bigger than it does now. Atlanta doesn't have half the population of fort Worth, but you couldn't tell that just by looking at the city or visiting the city.

 

Speaking in generalities is a difficult way to make this argument.  Give us tangible ideas and proof that the latest pop culture will be a lasting economic driver in our economy. 

 

Is there a wit of difference between hipsters anywhere that would justify any city to market them to tourist and businesses as a major economy?

 

Atlanta, like any major city, is grounded on strong fundamental economic principals, clubs and nightlife depends 100% upon a strong labor market. At the first wiff of economic slowdowns, these cultural hotspots tank; sometimes even in a good economy.

 

Hipsterism and clubdom, if these is the correct terminology, are way, way, way off mainstreet when it comes to driving a local economy.



#49 hannerhan

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Posted 16 June 2013 - 06:35 PM

We are all making good quotes, but the point is that if Fort Worth is going to separate it's self from Dallas it is going to have to think bigger than it does now. Atlanta doesn't have half the population of fort Worth, but you couldn't tell that just by looking at the city or visiting the city.

 

The Atlanta metro area is almost as big as DFW though.  Not a fair comparison at all.



#50 djold1

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Posted 16 June 2013 - 07:50 PM

I suppose that if a group wanted to spec a 20-40 level tower downtown without any overwhelming demand for its space, then that would be OK.  But no Tif's or other gimme's since it is not needed. To be "efficient" and maximize ROI, this building would  have to have minimal visual amenities. Which means it would look just like the other hideous glass towers already existing.  Graceless, flat topped structures with no appeal at all.  We already have enough of those don't we?

 

If we have to have tall towers, then there should be a pressing need with a proven base of those waiting to lease a premium building with a prestigious appearance. This tower, whatever its "style", should be stunning and ageless and an architectural gem that draws the eye to its peak as it soars. Not that it has to look like them, but think of the Chrysler building or the Empire State building for effect.

 

Ideally, once this building is completed, there should be an immediate exodus of the existing tall glass embarrassments, leaving empty shells that could be quickly imploded and forgotten.

 

Ain't gonna happen..  


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