Top 10 Things You Want Downtown
#1 Sam B Stone
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:38 PM
10. late night restaurant
9. dry cleaners
8. grocery store
7. video store
6. independent/art house cinema
5. bowling alley
4. mid range gym (between larry north and the Y)
3. more street food vendors
2. independent coffee house
1. live music venues
#2 Urbndwlr FW
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:38 PM
2. large cafe, independent book store (unique to FW, contemporary space, prominent sidewalk lounging/drinking space)
3. "art house" movie theater (separate from AMC theaters)
4. at least 2 quality, small live music venues (both indoor and ones w/ outdoor space)
5. a very very good sushi restaurant/hibachi grill
6. at least 2 nationally respected art galleries
7. modern/contemporary boutique hotel with cool lounge/hotel bar (ideally bar would have a view/good patio for lounging)
8. street trees (live oaks or red oaks) around the perimeter of every surface parking lot
9. independent record store (entertainment/retail) - could double as cafe/clothing retailer
10. central piazza or "square" on the lot beside/around the Jett Building.
#3 dismuke
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:38 PM
A Decent Music Store. Fort Worth does not have one. For me, I am pretty much out of luck in any city I go to in terms of CD reissues of the kind of music I mostly listen to - 1920s and 1930s pop. Thank goodness for stores on the Internet which specialize in such stuff. However, sometimes I want to be able to go out and buy something new to listen to right now and not have to wait a week for it to arrive by mail. Occasionally, I am able to find something along those lines at the Tower Records on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas or the Borders on Preston Road. At the very least, Tower Records has a VERY nice classical music section and I have been able to pick up some stuff that is pretty obscure in the USA such as Kalman operettas. Unfortunately, I have little hope that something like this will be possible in Fort Worth as music retailers are having a hard time and I understand that Tower Records has, in fact, filed for bankruptcy. The music section at the Barns & Nobel on University is pretty lame. The Borders on Hulen at I-20 for some reason has a better music section than the Borders at Hulen and I-30 - but, for some reason, neither are as good as the one on Preston Road in Dallas.
A USED BOOKSTORE WITH "CHARACTER." I miss Barbers! One could find all sorts of obscure and interesting stuff there. The Half Price Books near Ridgmar and the one on Hulen are ok - but the huge flagship store on Northwest Highway is MUCH better. There is also a VERY nice used bookstore on the town square in Denton.
AN INDIAN RESTAURANT WITH A BUFFET. Especially one that has the buffet open during evening hours as well. Indian is my favorite ethnic cuisine, even more so than Tex-Mex which for me is saying a lot. A buffet is nice because I can have a little bit of everything and am not forced to decide on having one thing at the exclusion of everything else.
A WHITE CASTLE HAMBURGER STAND. I love White Castle hamburgers - and those frozen ones you buy in the supermarket are not quite the same. Why can't we have them here in Texas? I will even take a Crystal Burger opening up Crystal is sort of a Southern version of White Castle except they ruin their burgers by saturating them with mustard. But if you order a Crystal Burger without the mustard, they taste very similar to White Castle.
A REAL FARMERS' MARKET. I am talking about something along the lines of what Dallas used to have with their farmers' market years ago before the turned the place into a construction zone in order to "gentrify" it and scared away many of the farmers and much of the wholesale business that made the place unique. The Farmers' Market in Dallas is but a shadow of its former self - but even in its presently reduced state, it is far better than that half-hearted attempt next to the Rail Market.
A CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL/MOVIE HOUSE. This is something that could dovetail with suggestions others have made for an art house cinema. What I would like to see is showings of classic movies on the big screen. Many cities with restored movie palaces will have a series of classic movie showings - and they often attract decent crowds. Years ago, when I was in Boston, there was a multi-screen movie theatre in Cambridge near Harvard which featured mostly old movies as well as some art house stuff. The admission price for the old movies was a dollar or two. If my memory is correct, it had 3 screens - though I may be wrong on that. Most of the films only ran for a night or two so, in a month's time, quite a number of different pictures were featured. There are SO many great films that have been made down through the decades and watching them on video is NOT the same thing as seeing them in a theatre on a big screen.
A LIGHT OPERA COMPANY. This wouldn't be competition to the Fort Worth Opera or the Dallas Opera but something which would complement both. It would specialize in operettas as opposed to grand opera. Stuff like Franz Lehar, Emerrich Kalman, Victor Herbert, Gilbert and Sullivan etc. For a brief period during the 80s Dallas had a small company called the Dallas Lyric Opera which set itself apart from the other opera company by only performing in English. What made me a fan, however, was the fact that they tended to specialize in operetta and I got to see a couple of Gilbert and Sullivan productions. They mostly performed in that small theatre in Snyder Plaza. Unfortunately, the company was not able to survive.
A DIME STORE WITH LUNCH COUNTER/SODA FOUNTAIN. One of the things that used to be really fun about visiting downtown Dallas was to go to the HL Green store in the Wilson Building - though by the time that I was going there, it was much reduced in size and was a shadow of what it once was. I always used to love checking out the Woolworth stores in other downtowns I would visit. But that is not going to happen, I'm afraid in Fort Worth as dime stores are all but extinct except in a few Northeastern cities where there is still enough pedestrian traffic to keep them open. Of course, all of the really good dime stores had lunch counters/soda fountains. Maybe someone could convince Dollar General to open up a downtown location with an attached lunch counter. That's not quite the real deal - but it is better than nothing. In fact, considering the number of bus riders downtown, most of whom are probably of relatively low income, I am kind of surprised a dollar store of some sort hasn't already opened up.
A JAZZ CLUB. I guess it would be too much to expect a place that specializes in 1920s and 1930s jazz dance bands. But it would be nice to at least have a place which regularly features some decent traditional jazz.
ELECTRIC SIGNS. I have mentioned this before in other threads. We need neon rooftop signs on vintage buildings and more neon signs like the ones put up by the Ranch radio station and the Sundance Garage. Such signs will make downtown feel more like a real city.
#4 Nick
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:39 PM
#5 dismuke
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:39 PM
#6 pmburk
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:40 PM
I do have to disagree on White Castle, although my husband would be the first in line backing you up on that!
#7 cjyoung
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:42 PM
1. Major corporate relocation (>2,000 jobs) or several smaller relocations.
2. Five star hotel
3. Five star restaurant
4. Transport Life and Landmark Tower projects actually happen
5. New 20,000 seat arena
6. Large 4-star convention hotel
7. Large specialty grocery store - more organics than Central Market and less green hair and tatoos than Whole Foods
8. Bring back the Caravan of Dreams
9. To have the tower that John designed built in the center of downtown.
10. A major, urban research university - The University of Fort Worth
Peace
#8 Sam B Stone
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:42 PM
So where's everyone else? I was really hoping for more lists. Or critiques of ours.
#9 cjyoung
Posted 11 April 2004 - 12:42 PM
Long hours and flat wages.
Peace
#10 David Love
Posted 13 April 2004 - 09:59 AM
Used book store with ample lounge areas…
Containers Store.
More trees, fast growing American Sycamores and long life Red or White Oaks.
Street food / drink vendors…
Dry cleaner laundry services.
DVD / Video store.
Convenient reliable pharmacy.
Foot and / or Mounted Patrols to ensure panhandlers, vagrants, etc… don’t take up residence.
Eclectic food selection with a shared seating area.
Lofts for purchase NOT for rent.
#11
Posted 19 July 2004 - 03:42 PM
#2 - Pete's dueling piano bar (opens July 30th!)
#3 - More mainstream concerts at the convention center (as opposed to Smirnoff or Next Stage)
#4 - Pei Wei rules
#5 - More TCU basketball games at the Convention Center
#6 - Legit produce / farmers market
#7 - The Convention Center Hotel / Ramada Project
#8 - Skyline High-Rise resaurant or two
#9 - Enough downtown residents to support a Tom Thumb
#10 - First Class Tom Thumb store
#12
Posted 20 July 2004 - 11:07 AM
The one thing I do wish there was more of: Grass!!!!!! Downtown needs more parks with grass. I want to move downtown, but wife won't let me until there are more conveinent palces to walk the dogs.
#13
Posted 20 July 2004 - 11:25 PM
b.) Covered/canopied sidewalks with overhead fans;
c.) Pipes that spray fine mists of water from above along every sidewalk downtown
d.) A mural on the north elevation of the Kress Building
e.) The "Olde" Arlington Stadium's Jumbotron perched above the
North Portal of the Convention Center Arena
f.) The Fed's deed the Olde Main Post Office Building to the city and converted it
into the new city aquarium
Six down and four to go.
g.) Luminary lights in every tree bounded by Belknap St to the north; Vickery Blvd. to the south; Jones St to the east; and Henderson St. to the west.
h.) a media center where live programming and studio audiences can participate
Eight down and two to go.
And oh yeah, move b. and c. to the top of the list; Its hot in Fort Worth in July!!!
"Keep Fort Worth Folksy!"
#14
Posted 21 July 2004 - 10:47 AM
#15
Posted 21 July 2004 - 03:15 PM
#16
Posted 21 July 2004 - 10:31 PM
Deed the current Civic Center to Tarrant County College District.
"Keep Fort Worth Folksy- and Historically Correct"
#17 David Love
Posted 22 July 2004 - 03:15 PM
I'm referring to a single building or structure that when you see it, Fort Worth comes immediately to mind. Most major cities have a building or two that easily fit that description.
#18
Posted 22 July 2004 - 04:13 PM
#19
Posted 23 July 2004 - 09:13 AM
As for the rest of this thread, I live downtown and think that the grocery issue is overblown. Are you really going to walk and carry your groceries?? I lived in a very dense urban envirmonment (Cambridge, MA, about two blocks from Harvard) and still drove to do major grocery shopping. Would I really want to walk carrying a twenty pound box of kitty litter?? I would suggest that a very nice old timey market with fresh meat and produce and maybe flowers would be a different story---like Eatzies, or better yet the place they copied---Sutton Place Gourmet in Bethesda, MD. More RTE (ready to eat) type food which is the trend anyway...
I agree with most of Sam's ideas. We do need service sector industries, drycleaners-or better yet full service laundry, where they pick up and do wash/dry/fold...had that before and it's easy to get spoiled! Better choice of hair/nail salons and definitely some hip clothing boutiques. We desperately need a few restaurants that serve food after nine, and I'd add a Thai one to the mix. (Someone said we need sushi, and there is a good suhi/hibachi right next to the Tower---I eat there once a week and can't recall the name. It's under the Pour House.)
As for all of the "green" fans, I agree. It's tough to have a dog in town with the small amount of green space, and the trees are PATHETIC!!! We need agressive deciduous trees that will have broad canopies before everyone in this forum (except Johnny, of course) is dead!! The oaks just won't do it...Charlotte started later than FW did in their downtown and they already have fabulous SHADY tree-lined streets!
#20
Posted 23 July 2004 - 09:14 AM
But I would add the "Flying Saucer" Downtown Arena!
And to make the short list longer, how about the Will Rogers Center and the Kimbell, or the Amon Carter facade for that matter. Um, and the Northside Coliseum.
Pup
#21
Posted 23 July 2004 - 09:34 AM
#22
Posted 23 July 2004 - 12:31 PM
#23
Posted 24 July 2004 - 08:00 PM
1. A few more skyscrapers including a FW-specific landmark that is more than 800 feet tall and redefines the skyline. Of course, it would be well lit at night and have a restaraunt/bar at the top. And, of course, the corp. relocations and white collar jobs to fill them up.
2. More lights on signature structures, including more neon signs.
3. If the're going to destroy the Tandy Center, I'd like to see them preserve the skating rink in a Rockerfeller Center sort of way. Create outdoor space overlooking the rink and of course inclose it so it doesn't turn into a wading pool in the summer. The green space could also double as a great outdoor music venue... maybe an ampitheater that is also shaded and is an inviting place to eat meals from the new food vendors when it's not being used for concerts.
4. Safe Water Gardens that are not visually raped by guard rails and safety equipment. Maybe even add a new pool/fountain that draws attention and people to the Southern end of downtown. Hey, here is an idea - if they had a pool that was actually designed for wading/splashing, maybe people wouldn't be so tempted to get in the pools that aren't designed for wading/swimming. Maybe a giant gieser spraying water spouts that could be seen from I-30.
5. An indie/art film movie theater. And, since Sundance is getting a little dense, I'd like to see some more developments start moving South.
6. The T&P Warehouse converted to include: big box retailers and trendy boutiques on the bottom levels, a small and exclusive hotel, some large lofts, and a rooftop club/bar/restaurant.
7. A unique public market - maybe at the T&P Warehouse - that rivals Pike Market Place in Seattle. I think the Rail Market is a nice idea... but the city couldn't have picked out a worse location for something like that.
8. A new, architectually significant City Hall. Ours is simply embarassing.
9. Some cool outdoor giant screen TV's like the one's that wrap around buildings in Times Square in New York. Of course, we'd need to build the new modern skyscapers to put them on since we wouldn't want to put those on any of our historyic buildings. Maybe those can go on all the new high rises that are *going* to be build between the Pier 1 building and the core downtown area.
10. A professional Sports Team (Maybe the FW Cowboys - lol) with a big stadium overlooking the new Trinity River Vision site and downtown.
Bonus: More horse back cops. I like the bikes, but the horses really add a cool element.
#24
Posted 16 August 2004 - 07:40 PM
2: Late Night Dining...Maybe a real chinese resturant(no buffets),all night pizzerias and maybe a great,non-chain sandwich shop. Man cannot live by subway alone.
3: Better ad signage on buildings,similar to great billboards and signs you'd find in NYC or London,as well as putting back the icons such as the CNB clock.
4: A complete renewal and redesign of the water gardens. Something thats safe for splashing around in for the kids and kids at heart, while also catching the artistic eye as well.
5: A true indie/art movie theater, Angelka has done some great work in this and should see about buying the AMC sundance. Its still a great theater and it could be converted to this use. Also, a "cinema grill/tavern" concept would be great for this location as well.
6: More affordable(Read: Not Section 8) loft/apartment properties in downtown and/or the surrounding areas. Something for us blue collar folks who make 30-40k a year who dont get food stamps.
7: Light Rail, plain and simple
8: More FWPD units downtown,esp. after closing time on weekends. Rent-a-bike cops cant keep up.
9: Greenspace. We could use alot more trees and urban parks.
10: Establishment of a total homeless ban,with enforcement, downtown. Its worked in other major cities,namely houston, and it can work here. Dont take this as a slam to the homeless, but the city should invest,along with private sector and the religious community to help control and assist in job retraining, substance and medical treatment.
#25 David Love
Posted 17 August 2004 - 08:40 AM
#26
Posted 23 September 2004 - 11:15 AM
#1 - Affordable apartments for me and jubjub (but as a student I qualify for section 8)
#2 - More mainstream concerts at the Convention Center (as opposed to Smirnoff or Next Stage)
#3 - More TCU basketball games at the Convention Center
#4 - New high visibility, unique, and lit skyscrapper to redifine the downtown look from the interstates not the river!
#5 - Good Lord somebody do something about Lancaster & the Train buildings!!!!
#6 - Late night restaurant, how about a famous non-franchised breakfast/deli joint for 3:00 AM pancakes?
PS. I'm surprised you guys list the Courthouse over Bass Hall as the signature fort worth structure!
#27
Posted 23 September 2004 - 05:06 PM
Or better yet, a new arena altogether and demolishment of the CC Arena. I think that would be the best option for attracting concerts and sporting events (heck, maybe even an actual franchise.)#2 - More mainstream concerts at the Convention Center (as opposed to Smirnoff or Next Stage)
#3 - More TCU basketball games at the Convention Center
#28
Posted 24 September 2004 - 05:46 AM
Woof!
Pup
#29
Posted 18 October 2004 - 09:21 AM
#30
Posted 18 October 2004 - 09:26 PM
#32
Posted 05 December 2004 - 08:30 PM
FW S-T article: http://www.dfw.com/m...10345440.htm?1c
#33
Posted 05 December 2004 - 08:45 PM
Any idea how much something like that costs?
#34
Posted 05 December 2004 - 09:22 PM
http://www.muniwirel...ves/000452.html
Whether these access points are paid for by the city or paid for by charging the customer a low fee, the option to access the internet is still there and I believe that there are a lot of people that would find that idea to be exciting.
This is a slightly different situation, but let me tell you that on my way to Korea I stopped at Seattle for approximately 7 hours and sat in the airport with just my laptop. The internet access wasn't free, but I was willing to pay for it based on a one-day charge of, I believe, $6. Also available was the one week charge and the monthly charge set up by the ISP that implemented the network, depending on how long you needed access. With the amount of business that is being brought into downtown, I don't see why something couldn't be done. Heck, last time I was in Billy Miner's, which was about a year ago, they had signs up saying that they would be getting X-Box games and wireless internet in their restaurant .
Anyway, just a thought.
#35
Posted 06 December 2004 - 02:37 PM
Anyway, the phenomenon you're talking about is called a WIRELESS CLOUD, and it's already in place in Athens Georgia .. here's a neat article about it from the old days of 2002
http://archives.cnn....wireless.cloud/
"They're building a 'cloud' over several blocks of the downtown area where anyone with the right equipment can have free Internet access. " .. That'd be so easy to have in place here in our downtown.
#36
Posted 14 December 2004 - 02:35 PM
http://www.dfw.com/m...ss/10414855.htm
and it made me think of someone's earlier post (scanned them but didn't find it) remarking how Blockbuster didn't envision itself being in existence ten years from now. Their new "no late fee" policy looks like they're trying to divest themselves of their inventory and cover themselves from lawsuits.
From the look of those websites, free downtown wifi access is catching on. This is an occasion where Fort Worth could be ahead of the local curve or behind it. I think those of us with access to the policymakers (you know who you are) should take advantage of those relationships and push this issue.
#37
Posted 17 December 2004 - 12:02 PM
From the look of those websites, free downtown wifi access is catching on. This is an occasion where Fort Worth could be ahead of the local curve or behind it. I think those of us with access to the policymakers (you know who you are) should take advantage of those relationships and push this issue.
As someone who designs and installs enterprise wireless networks, I hope money isn't waisted implementing some type of unsecure, problematic, and Internet clogging wireless network downtown.
#38
Posted 17 December 2004 - 12:05 PM
#39 David Love
Posted 20 December 2004 - 09:42 AM
As someone who designs and installs enterprise wireless networks, I hope money isn't waisted implementing some type of unsecure, problematic, and Internet clogging wireless network downtown.
If Fort Worth really wants to be cutting edge, they should consider skipping WiFi and go directly to WiMAX, 802.16.
Actually, WiFi will probably still be used for internal building distribution or pockets of access.
#40
Posted 16 February 2005 - 10:37 PM
http://www.nytimes.c...l?hp&oref=login
Don't we have some elections coming up? I would like to see a candidate support a project like this.
#41
Posted 10 April 2005 - 08:34 PM
1. The new XTO Tower to be built and to have a spired top making it over 800 ft tall.
2. At least one other 50+ story building in downtown.
3. I have always loved the idea of having an outdoor movie theater - not a drive-in, but a theater that projects movies on to the side of a building... It would have comfortable theater seats and serve good food...
4. A revolving tower restaraunt that give the city a landmark tower... FW's answer to Reunion Tower, The Space Needle, Tower of the Americas, etc.
5. An actual rebirth of the T&P Warehouse building...
6. A large water feature - something dramatic and sizeable... Maybe as part of the Lancaster redo...
7. More large scale neon signs and art.
8. A really fantastic river walk and town lake... one's that put San Antonio and Austin to shame. ;-)
9. LIGHT RAIL!!!!
10. Lights on all the #$%& buildings!!!
I'm done.
#42
Posted 11 April 2005 - 03:16 AM
www.iheartfw.com
#43
Posted 17 April 2005 - 10:31 PM
2. A lot more trees (EVERY parking lot should have at a MINUMUM trees planted along the sidewalk around the entire perimeter). Should also have them throughout each surface lot: will lower the surface tempurature, look MUCH better, and be great for the air.
3. Restore the riparian coridor along the Trinity River
4. Bike race through/ around Downtown. Either a professional one or an amateur one like a cycling version of the Cowtown.
5. Hunters to harvest the birds. Enough with the sensitive approach already.
#44
Posted 19 June 2005 - 03:40 PM
24 Hour Fitness
Fast Food (along Belknap/Weatherford to replace the older buildings)
Private Bar/Restaraunt (i.e. Sence, Candle Room in Dallas)
Upscale clothing store(s)
Dry Cleaners
Donut Shop
..... and most important for the TRINITY PROJECT to go from concept to realization!!!!
#45
Posted 25 August 2005 - 09:18 AM
How about one of these between the top floors of the Bass Towers? Or the Tandy Center towers? Great views in all six directions.
#46
Posted 25 August 2005 - 11:26 AM
#47 ghughes
Posted 25 August 2005 - 04:37 PM
But it does recall to mind something I read about Fort Worth having (some time back) a saloon that featured a glass floor between the first and second story. The claim was that "ladies" would stroll across said floor, sans undergarments, for the entertainment of the patrons below.
#48
Posted 28 August 2005 - 03:06 PM
OK here is my list... its really only a top seven
24 Hour Fitness
Fast Food (along Belknap/Weatherford to replace the older buildings)
Donut Shop
Hmmmmm......Yea Workout and eat a donut at the same time the American way. No wonder Clinton was our president
#49
Posted 28 August 2005 - 09:23 PM
#50
Posted 29 August 2005 - 05:31 PM
I imagine this to be rather high up... I suspect one's modesty would be preserved by distance so the skirts and dresses would be OK.
But it does recall to mind something I read about Fort Worth having (some time back) a saloon that featured a glass floor between the first and second story. The claim was that "ladies" would stroll across said floor, sans undergarments, for the entertainment of the patrons below.
LUCKY!
www.iheartfw.com
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