680 replies to this topic

[Austin55]

I can imagine a bridge off of forest park north of the P1/Chspk HQ and crossing over the southern end of that TRV island would be handy for access, especially for resident of the TRV if that ever happens. At Least a bike/ped bridge perhaps.

[Jeriat]

 

 

 

I just LOVE looking at this. Although I still believe that ANY new arena should be in downtown, but what can ya do...? 

[wfsmith10]

Who cares? Let the mall die.

 
Their leaving Ridgmar also poses some problems, with that end of the mall being really dead and even the addition of the Rave Theater didn't help.  If you put another anchor in there, what would take Neiman's place?

 

[cberen1]

1. Dead malls suck.  They're usually too expensive to demolish and they hog prime/visible space.  And it's not usually a heart attack kind of death.  It's like dying of leprosy.

 

2. What does "City's Preferred Land Use District" mean?

[hannerhan]

John, I think Neiman Marcus is enough of a destination location that their customers would come from anywhere.  For people living in Weatherford, Eagle Mountain, Mira Vista, Colleyville, etc., one location is as good as the other.  Plus, yes the current one is close to Westover Hills, but people in Monticello/Rivercrest/TCU, also customers, are closer to this proposed location than they are to Ridgmar.  So Neiman Marcus will do just fine (assuming the traffic headaches aren't prohibitive). 

[jefffwd]

Perhaps Ridgmar could lure Nordstrom or Belk as a replacement.  It would be awesome if Left Bank could land Neiman's and Nordstrom...

[mmiller2002]

Why do a lot of these recent developments seem to be stealing (borrowing) names of famous areas in other cities?  Left Bank, Upper West Side, Midtown...

 

We need original ideas instead of copying.

 

;-)

[JBB]

Is Left Bank still an official name for this one?  I thought that name dated back to when this was a Shaumburg project.

[Austin55]

According to the developers website it is the official name.

[jefffwd]

According to this... Neiman's is a no go for LB.  They just need to redo the Ridgmar store.  The mall's owner needs to step up or sell to someone who cares.

 

https://fwbusinesspr...discounted.aspx

[JBB]

If you read that article carefully, it says that nothing is confirmed.  Nobody quoted goes out of their way to say it's not going happen.

 

And I stand corrected on that name.  It is unoriginal, but meh.  I could take it or leave it.

[John T Roberts]

I take it the same way JBB does. Neiman Marcus may stay in Ridgmar, or they may go to Left Bank, or even possibly, none of the above.

[RD Milhollin]

I would have preferred to see a wider greenbelt along the river where that development is slated. 

[Funkutown Retro Retro]

Get rid of all greenspace

[renamerusk]

This project could be a great asset to Fort Worth.....Can this area support all of the retail, commercial, office, hotels, and residential?

 

Do you really think Neiman Marcus would move?  I have mixed emotions.  First off, it seems that Neiman's is really close to the heart of their clientele where they are now..... what would take Neiman's place? .....There have been examples of portions of malls being demolished and then being rebuilt as "lifestyle" centers.  It could be Ramjet's idea would be the best solution, or maybe that hybrid that I was referencing.  Maybe the mall would end at Macy's and everything to the south would be outdoors.

 

Reading from their online press and marketing, it is clear that Left Bank (LB) has  some studied research about the Rivercrest, Monticello and Camp Bowie neighborhoods and also the CBD.

 

I am presuming that LB will be targeting not so much Fort Worth per se but rather the business and visitor markets concentrated in both downtown and the cultural district with support from the near Westside area; and you would even have to say that TCU/Tanglewood is in play also.  The inclusion of a hotel, and not an Inn is the key indicator to me of their goal.  It makes sense that LB would include two global brands such as Neiman Marcus and Whole Foods that  national and international travelers will readily recognize.  I think the odds are strong that LB will get them both.

 

As for Ramjet’s and your idea about a “lifestyle center” in the event that  N-M relocates somewhere else, it sounds like a really great solution for Ridgmar.  A concentration of NYC’s “SoHo like” teens-to-30 shops coupled with other 20-30 something attractions might be very successful in an open air mall.   Plenty of room for another privately operated acquarium.

 

The one exception is and will likely only be the recipient of special consideration of its sight line of the skyline is the Amon Carter Museum.  With all this new activity and were I a resident at Montgomery Plaza, I would not be so terribly upset with the lost of a view of the skyline. It seems like this will have a very nice view in itself and lots of things to do. 

[Jeriat]

Why do a lot of these recent developments seem to be stealing (borrowing) names of famous areas in other cities?  Left Bank, Upper West Side, Midtown...

 

We need original ideas instead of copying.

 

;-)

 

Well, there are just SO many names you can come up with.

I mean, every city in the country has a "Midtown" of some sort, so why not? 

[Fort Worthology]

"Upper West Side," while obviously a ploy to evoke NYC (which it completely fails to do - Fort Worth's UWS is just about the least-successful development area in terms of creating an actual walkable urban place), *does* have some logical component to it - it's the west side of downtown, and a lot of it is "upper" in terms of elevation.  Kind of.  It makes a little sense.

[Tacoma]

I agree with Kevin and I also think the Fort Worth UWS could be a very cool area to live if development got under way for that purpose.  WIth all the hilly roads and short blocks it feels like it would be a neat residential area.

 

It does seem like we're lacking on good defined areas with names.  In many areas, the city is divided up into well known neighborhoods.  Ours seem very large and ambiguous.  West Side, near west side, south side, near south side, etc.  There are a number of exceptions of course but in general it seems like we're lacking.  I don't mind using common names, but I wish we'd come up with better terms and actually use them.  That being said, I have zero suggestions.

[RD Milhollin]

Creative names for the work-in-progress urban villages could help to bring more identity to the areas they will anchor. Historical geographic names would be cool to use, like names of early settlers who lived nearby, significant buildings or enterprises past or present, city leaders, etc. As regards the UWS, I think it seems to lack a focus, perhaps a centrally-located plaza would help to better define that area.

[mmiller2002]

 

Why do a lot of these recent developments seem to be stealing (borrowing) names of famous areas in other cities?  Left Bank, Upper West Side, Midtown...

 

We need original ideas instead of copying.

 

;-)

 

Well, there are just SO many names you can come up with.

I mean, every city in the country has a "Midtown" of some sort, so why not? 

 

 

I wouldn't say that the Midtown development at Rosedale & Forest Park is located in Fort Worth's "midtown."

[Tacoma]

 

As regards the UWS, I think it seems to lack a focus, perhaps a centrally-located plaza would help to better define that area.

 

Very true.  Also, when looking on a map, the UWS side of NYC is very clearly an area that is in the upper part of manhattan, and is on the west side of the park.  Its too vauge of a name for Fort Worth.  Maybe just "Downtown West", defined as everything west of Henderson or something similar would work.

 

Some of the names seem to work well - Linwood, Mistletoe Heights, Berkeley, and some of the west side neighborhood names.  But many areas just lack a cohesive feature or personality. It might just be too early in the urbanization of Fort Worth ot have names that coincide with a focused community

[Fort Worthology]

As regards the UWS, I think it seems to lack a focus, perhaps a centrally-located plaza would help to better define that area.

 

That, and completely transforming all the anti-pedestrian streets and blank-walled suburban-style office buildings.

[Jeriat]

I agree with Kevin and I also think the Fort Worth UWS could be a very cool area to live if development got under way for that purpose.  WIth all the hilly roads and short blocks it feels like it would be a neat residential area.

 

It does seem like we're lacking on good defined areas with names.  In many areas, the city is divided up into well known neighborhoods.  Ours seem very large and ambiguous.  West Side, near west side, south side, near south side, etc.  There are a number of exceptions of course but in general it seems like we're lacking.  I don't mind using common names, but I wish we'd come up with better terms and actually use them.  That being said, I have zero suggestions.

 

Shameless Plug... The Upper Westside Project

 

As for a name, how about, "W-DoT"  or "Dub-Dot" (meaning, West Downtown)?

Other names in mind for that area:

 

- Sum/Hen (Summit & Henderson) 

- Sunset Edge

- Western Gateway

- Trinity West

[Doohickie]

Do not like DoT. In urban planning, that typically refers to a Department of Transportation.


I have no issues with Upper West Side. It's so ubiquitous because it is descriptive. It's west side of downtown, and upper (to me) implies address numbers are large enough to be beyond the bounds of downtown. The other name I would suggest is Near Westside (analogous to Near Southside).

[renamerusk]

How about simply calling the developments in the area Linwood?  There could be a Linwood Center, Linwood Hotel, Linwood Commons, Linwood Square; the possibilities are unlimited.

 

 

Keep Fort Worth folksy.

[Doohickie]

Why?

[RD Milhollin]

Linwood is the historic name of this area north of 7th Street, right?

[John T Roberts]

Yes, Linwood is the name of the neighborhood north of West 7th and west of Carroll Street to University Drive.

[Jeriat]

Honestly, I have no problem with the name "Upper West", either. 

But if you HAVE to change it, I think it would be best to give it some sort of gateway type of name. 

[RD Milhollin]

Why not get a name the way the PROFESSIONALS do; the developers who build the pseudo-neighborhoods out along the country roads where the new residents will be screaming for new freeways in a few years:

 

Get two hats.

 

In the first hat place about 50 - 60 slips of paper with bucolic-sounding adjectives, ex. Shady, Wandering, Sunny, Alta, Crested, etc. written on them.

 

And in the second hat place 75-100 slips of paper inscribed with nouns naming locations that have nothing to do with the actual place in question, ex. Brook, Forest, Hills, Vista, Meadows, Wood, Creek, Glen, etc.

 

Have a child or someone else with no connection at all to the area the development is going to be to draw slips at random, one from each hat, adjective first, then noun.

 

If you really want a "gateway-sounding" name simply salt the second hat with gateway-sounding nouns, ex. Gateway, Promenade, Puerta... you get the idea.

 

The only rule is that once the words are drawn and paired you MUST use them both together, no matter how silly or non-descriptive the resulting word pair may be, ex. Prairie Vista, Pleasant Glen, etc. you get the idea.

[renamerusk]

Yes, Linwood is the name of the neighborhood north of West 7th and west of Carroll Street to University Drive.

 

The legal description of the area east of the FWRR; west of the Trinity River; and north of 7th Street is Evans-Pearson Westwood.  I think the brand "Westwood" could be a marketer's dream. 

 

Just considering but the brand West 7th Street is mediocre.  To nitpick,  what does it mean geographically considering West Seventh Street begins at Main Street Downtown and ends at University Blvd?  What does West Freeway mean as a destination? BTW, the legal description of the neighborhood for West 7th before it was changed was Van Zandt who was an early pioneer of the city.

 

[Russ Graham]

To nitpick,  what does it mean geographically considering West Seventh Street begins at Main Street Downtown and ends at University Blvd? 

 

 

West 7th ends at Rivercrest country club...  (Meta-nitpicking I suppose)

[renamerusk]

 

To nitpick,  what does it mean geographically considering West Seventh Street begins at Main Street Downtown and ends at University Blvd? 

 

West 7th ends at Rivercrest country club...  (Meta-nitpicking I suppose)

 

 

Worry none RG; factually based observations advance the discussion.

 

Keep Fort Worth folksy

[renamerusk]

Is Left Bank still an official name for this one?  I thought that name dated back to when this was a Shaumburg project.

 

Disliking this name brand - Left Bank, more and more; and so here begins some more of my  infamous and superfluous pondering:

 

What do you think was the criteria for coming up with this brand name?  Is it the river's flow direction at what hopefully will be the name "Van Cliburn Bridge (7th Street Bridge) and this then is the criteria for determining which is the left and which is the right bank of the river; or should it be the Tarrant County Courthouse, generally thought to be the center point of the county as the criteria; and if so, then the banks of the clear fork are actually right and far right of the courthouse.

 

BTW, it took me less than five minutes to research and find the official and historical name of this neighborhood - Westwood; and which is in my opinion, rolls off the tip of the tongue effortlessly.

[Not Sure]

I'm in favor of using the historical names for neighborhoods as names for developments (especially redevelopments) in the area. In fact, I think to do so is in keeping with the ethos of Fort Worth: be unafraid of bold and striking works but also unafraid of embracing our past. That's what Cowboys and Culture is to me, anyway. I hate the thought of rebranding an area with something made up when it already has its own past. 

[Doohickie]

Is it the river's flow direction at what hopefully will be the name "Van Cliburn Bridge (7th Street Bridge) and this then is the criteria for determining which is the left and which is the right bank of the river; or should it be the Tarrant County Courthouse, generally thought to be the center point of the county as the criteria; and if so, then the banks of the clear fork are actually right and far right of the courthouse.

You're overthinking it. Look at a map. Left Bank is to the left of the Trinity River. End.


As for rebranding areas that have historical names, I think keeping the historical name is preferred... as long as it has meaning. In the case of the areas on either side of the river west of downtown, the terms Linwood and Westwood have no meaning whatsoever to me (and to most people who live in Fort Worth, I bet), so I have no objection to rebranding those areas. Left Bank is short, catchy, and OBVIOUS in terms of pointing to an area geographically. Upper Westside is similarly so, plus that area has already been branded that way (on the street signs and on Google Maps, at least).

[renamerusk]

Disliking this name brand - Left Bank, more and more; and so here begins some more of my  infamous and superfluous pondering:

 

You're overthinking it. Look at a map. Left Bank is to the left of the Trinity River. End.

As for rebranding areas that have historical names, I think keeping the historical name is preferred... as long as it has meaning. In the case of the areas on either side of the river west of downtown, the terms Linwood and Westwood have no meaning whatsoever to me (and to most people who live in Fort Worth, I bet), so I have no objection to rebranding those areas. Left Bank is short, catchy, and OBVIOUS in terms of pointing to an area geographically. Upper Westside is similarly so, plus that area has already been branded that way (on the street signs and on Google Maps, at least).

 

 

Just for the record, I did preface my remarks to be superfluous. 

 

Anyway, there are some things to be agreed, to be disagreed, and to be a draw.

 

Maps are among my favorite instruments; and the first things that I observe to get my bearings about any map are the north, south, east and west directional points; up, down, right or left have no meaning for me. The term Left bank, in no way, points out anything geographically.  If I looked at a proper map, that area would be indicated directionally as the river’s west bank; but due to certain geopolitical reasons, branding it the West Bank would be unwise by any developer.

 

Agree: the Golden Rule applies here: he who has the gold rules; and as such, the owner has the right to brand his or her development; and so be it.

 

Agree: old neighborhoods likely have no meaning whatsoever to the mass of recent transplants to the city; and they would, therefore and not knowing, have no objection to rebranding an area. If that applies, as you see it, then that is perfectly understandable, but does nothing to lessen the meaning that others may have.

 

Disagree: I bet that rebranding a Wedgewood or an Arlington Heights may illicit an objection or two from those original ol’ timer types.

 

Draw: Left Bank is short, catchy and OBVIOUS; a reasonable opinion.  Left Bank is also pretentious [lower case]; a reasonable opinion too.  Others before me have been critical about the "LB" brand, myself not being the first.

 

Fort Worth is known as a folksy town.  West End, West Village, Uptown and Left Bank are imported brands it seems from a place where the east peters out.  Just sayin!

 

Keep Fort Worth folksy

[Doohickie]

Agree: old neighborhoods likely have no meaning whatsoever to the mass of recent transplants to the city; and they would, therefore and not knowing, have no objection to rebranding an area. If that applies, as you see it, then that is perfectly understandable, but does nothing to lessen the meaning that others may have.

 

Disagree: I bet that rebranding a Wedgewood or an Arlington Heights may illicit an objection or two from those original ol’ timer types.

 

I think there are differences between Linwood and Westwood, and Wedgewood and Arlington Heights.  I've heard newscasters use the latter two, but not the first two.  I don't have a problem "rebranding" areas whose names have fallen out of common use.

[johnfwd]

 

Disliking this name brand - Left Bank, more and more; and so here begins some more of my  infamous and superfluous pondering:

 

You're overthinking it. Look at a map. Left Bank is to the left of the Trinity River. End.

As for rebranding areas that have historical names, I think keeping the historical name is preferred... as long as it has meaning. In the case of the areas on either side of the river west of downtown, the terms Linwood and Westwood have no meaning whatsoever to me (and to most people who live in Fort Worth, I bet), so I have no objection to rebranding those areas. Left Bank is short, catchy, and OBVIOUS in terms of pointing to an area geographically. Upper Westside is similarly so, plus that area has already been branded that way (on the street signs and on Google Maps, at least).

 

 

Just for the record, I did preface my remarks to be superfluous. 

 

Anyway, there are some things to be agreed, to be disagreed, and to be a draw.

 

Maps are among my favorite instruments; and the first things that I observe to get my bearings about any map are the north, south, east and west directional points; up, down, right or left have no meaning for me. The term Left bank, in no way, points out anything geographically.  If I looked at a proper map, that area would be indicated directionally as the river’s west bank; but due to certain geopolitical reasons, branding it the West Bank would be unwise by any developer.

 

Agree: the Golden Rule applies here: he who has the gold rules; and as such, the owner has the right to brand his or her development; and so be it.

 

Agree: old neighborhoods likely have no meaning whatsoever to the mass of recent transplants to the city; and they would, therefore and not knowing, have no objection to rebranding an area. If that applies, as you see it, then that is perfectly understandable, but does nothing to lessen the meaning that others may have.

 

Disagree: I bet that rebranding a Wedgewood or an Arlington Heights may illicit an objection or two from those original ol’ timer types.

 

Draw: Left Bank is short, catchy and OBVIOUS; a reasonable opinion.  Left Bank is also pretentious [lower case]; a reasonable opinion too.  Others before have remarked critically about the "LB" brand, myself not being the first.

 

Fort Worth is known as a folksy town.  West End, West Village, Uptown and Left Bank are imported brands it seems from a place where the east peters out.  Just sayin!

 

Keep Fort Worth folksy

 

Left Bank.  Methinks, maybe, the developer had a Parisian fit al la "Rive Gauche"?

[mmiller2002]

 

I think there are differences between Linwood and Westwood, and Wedgewood and Arlington Heights.  I've heard newscasters use the later two, but not the first two.  I don't have a problem "rebranding" areas whose names have fallen out of common use.

 

 

 

Maybe because Linwood and Westwood neighborhoods haven't been as affluent...

 

Do you think that maybe they can come back?

[Doohickie]

You could speculate why the names have fallen from use, but the fact of the matter is- they have fallen from use.

[renamerusk]

Maybe because Linwood and Westwood neighborhoods haven't been as affluent...

 

Do you think that maybe they can come back?

 

  Yes.  It is possible for any neighborhood to come back though some may require more investment and hard work.  Linwood and Westwood have an enormous advantage being that they are squarely positioned between downtown and the cultural district that is enough to make them very desirable places primed for come back.

[mmiller2002]

 

  Yes.  It is possible for any neighborhood to come back though some may require more investment and hard work.  Linwood and Westwood have an enormous advantage being that they are squarely positioned between downtown and the cultural district that make them very desirable places.

 

 

I think that the names Linwood and Westwood have a certain desirable ring to them, too.  Certainly at least as good as Wedgewood...

[gdvanc]

If we had a vote, I'd vote against Left Bank. Sounds like we're trying too hard to be cool. It's over-used. It seems like most new developments are given names no more imaginative than the buildings that occupy them.

 

"Linwood" may not be a well-known name to the local newscasters, but they don't all seem entirely up-to-speed on this great city so that's not a good indicator. I still hear it used. Interestingly, the list of Linwood names in Wikipedia is quite a bit longer for Linwood - but none are so well-known or well-worn to cause confusion. It's a good soft and cushy word. I think it's marketable for some types of development. Rename it if you must, but for the love of all that's holy try to be somewhat original. In the end, the name will matter little (if it's not something like StinkHole Estates or Sewer View or Landfilladelphia). Build awesome and it can work with a mediocre name; build sucky and it will fail regardless of name.

[djold1]

IMHO Linwood is a very good name.  Not trendy, but one that would stick and last well and carries a little history...

[Jeriat]

... I really don't even see "Left Bank" as a "trendy" name. Just a basic label of a new development. As already pointed out, the name does at least make sense. It's on the left of the bank of the Trinity River.

Either way, I don't care what it's called for the most part. Just as long as we see dirt moving...  

[Jeriat]

I see one of the buildings being demolished. 

 

[John T Roberts]

I noticed that yesterday.  How long has the sign been up?

[Jeriat]

I noticed that yesterday.  How long has the sign been up?

It's been up for at least a couple months...

[Austin55]

Its gained a lot of visibility to with the bridge open.