downtown fort worth

[mrnyc]

i spent a day in july wandering around ft worth neighborhoods, this is downtown

fyi -- wiki sez the 17th largest city in the usa is ft worth (720,250).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Worth,_Texas

coming into town on the southside



my diner – must have migas for breakfast…and wait out the rain
http://www.pacoandjohn.com/


new around the cultural arts district




montgomery plaza is quite a grand reno
http://www.montgomeryplaza.com/





old saucer shaped cc, i believe its connected to the new addition behind it








iconic hat shop sign


ft worth’s requisite gorgeous flatiron



i parked across the street from this beauty


former kress dept store is now texodecolicious loft apts
http://thekressbuilding.com/OurHistory.aspx



unfortunately the central town square aka sundance square itself is parking. probably not for long.
here’s a big wiki xmas night view aerial





iconic cattle drive mural on the square




the ‘saucer chainlet has thee best craft beer selection in texas & the south
http://www.beerknurd.com/stores/


what the? caraaaazy man


it’s the bass hall performing arts center (1998/2001)
http://www.basshall.com/thehallhistory.jsp



actually, i’m kind of surprised stuff like this isn’t done more often ,
gets your attention that’s for sure




its hot, jamba me asap!


texas sure does olde neon well


city streets!





70’s era streetlamp



of course the duke is still around here


the former quirky jazz arts center ‘caravan of dreams’ is now a reata restaurant
http://www.reata.net/fort-worth-restaurant.html


love the norris building, a deco gem next door



naturally it’s been revived as a hipster bar


cute!




good place to escape the heat



i love interesting little hotel buildings like this



the original white elephant saloon
The Fort Worth establishment began as a simple eatery, opened by F.A. Borodino in 1884 in the 300 block of Main Street. The food was inferior to that at two nearby places — the Planter’s House and the Commercial Restaurant — and the owner’s profits remained anemic, so the place was seized by attachment. Within a year, the White Elephant reopened in the stockyards neighborhood as a ‘Saloon and Billiard Parlor’ with a small restaurant attached.

more on the stockyards in another thread.




revived and reused deco-ness



ft worth’s oldest fire station
http://www.fwmuseum.org/exhibits/150.html



tarrant county courthouse (1895)



old courthouse in 1883


yet another great neon sign, i guess these can last forever in texas weather



looks good




city shadow



downtown street banner





unfortunately in texas they need these to beat the heat



yowza!




development is creeping back their way



new omni hotel -- w/ the new convention center addition across the street


about the ft worth cc expansion:

The Fort Worth Convention Center hosts events year-round, including sports, musical performances, trade shows and conventions, and other top-flight entertainment. The facility spans 14 blocks downtown, and is located within walking distance of downtown hotels, restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues. A $75 million renovation and expansion was completed in 2003, making this facility one of the finest of its kind in the Southwest.

• 182,266 Sq. Ft. Exhibit Hall
• 253,226 Total Sq. Ft. of Exhibit Space
• 41 Meeting Rooms
• 28,160 Sq. Ft. Ballroom for meal events or meetings
• 25,960 Sq. Ft. Arena with 10,500 permanent seats (capacity for up to 13,000)



Ha – this was thru a parking lot


here is how they try to hide the new cc parking garage





hmm, ok I like it


that’s it from dt ft worth in mid-july 2009




*** a bit moo-ore ft worth to come, meaning the stockyards neighborhood & grounds ***

[TXLove]

Great tour of Ft. Worth!

[TinChelseaNYC]

That Tarrant County Courthouse is HOT!

This city seems full of contrasts and surprises. There's a nice coexistence between the new and old. And they obviously value their older buildings, which is a very wise decision. I'd love to see it some day. A friend from Houston thinks this is the TX city I'd like the most. I haven't had the pleasure of visiting TX, yet.

Was that Montgomery Place a Montgomery Wards store once? It reminds me of the old MW in Menands, outside of Albany, NY.

And I liked your tour. It was very real.

[ChrisLA]

-- wiki sez the 17th largest city in the usa is ft worth (720,250).

Wow, I didn't realize it was that large now. Perhaps because I've spent most of my time when I visit in the downtown and adjacent neighborhood.

montgomery plaza is quite a grand reno
http://www.montgomeryplaza.com/

OMG what progress, they did a nice job on M.W. building, I remember several years ago when John R gave me a tour, and they were just in the beginning stages of reviving this building.

looks good

I agree, the last time I seen this building up close it was still being converted, and repaired from the damage of the tornando.

unfortunately in texas they need these to beat the heat

Yep Texas heat is no joke, I'm sure there is places that are hotter, but its the worst I've felt anywhere during the summer. One reason I only visit in late fall, and early winter. Even late May can be bruttle to me.

yowza!

All I can say is WOW, what a nice converstion. I remember just a few years ago thinking how much potential this building had, and now it been realized.

Overall nice thead, thanks for sharing your photos.
Cool!

[Monoxide]

AwEsOmE!!!!!

[John R]

mrnyc, thanks for the great photos of my city. I have some bad news, the little 4 story International Style Building is being demolished for a parking lot. It's unfortunate, but it had no historic designation; therefore, it was fair game.

Chris, a lot has happened here since you last visited. Until the recession, the city was growing too fast to keep up with building new roads in the sprawled areas far from the city's center. Now we have a budget shortfall, and we don't have enough money to build those roads. The city is still growing, but that growth has slowed. We are very lucky that the recession is not as bad here as it is in other parts of the U.S. According to the latest Census estimates, Fort Worth is ranked as the 17th largest city in the U.S.

Montgomery Plaza was a Montgomery Ward Retail Store and Warehouse that was built in 1928. In the late 1920's the company built 8 regional warehouses and distribution centers. The one outside of Albany, NY was constructed around the same time. Of the 8 that were built, only 4 remain standing.

The Texas and Pacific Terminal has been converted into loft condominiums and is very successful.

The round arena portion of the Fort Worth Convention Center is the only part of the original 1968 building that is now visible. The new sections are additions to the original building. These new sections were constructed in the open space around the orginal building that was set back quite a way from the street. The addition is right up to the property line. Across Houston Street is the new parking garage, which in my mind is very successful in that it doesn't look like a parking garage. It also features colored glass and LED colored decorative lighting. Also across from the Convention Center is the new Omni Fort Worth Hotel. That building is 447 feet tall and features luxury condominiums on the upper levels.

[KevinFromTexas]

Looking good. Fort Worth is always nice to see. It's old, but doesn't really feel old. It's historic and modern. And nothing goes to waste. Downtown has the feeling of really being a popular, well loved and cared for area by the city's residents.

[urbanactivist]

Beautiful thread!! It's always great to see the new and exciting ways that Ft. Worth revives it's older building stock. They do such a great job of it there.

See Dallas... you can never silence this city!!!

[diskojoe]

i really liked the norris building. truly a beautiful little gem.