Fort Worth, TX

Established in 1849 as an army outpost overlooking the Trinity River, Fort Worth, Texas, is now a vibrant center of business and culture. The city spans approximately 300 square miles of northern Texas and successfully blends its cowboy heritage with the traditional architecture and design of a sophisticated urban area. With a population of 702,850, it is the fifth largest city in the state and 17th largest in the country.

Twenty-two percent of Fort Worth residents have obtained at least a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the national average. Fort Worth also has a diverse population, with 16 percent of its residents born outside the United States. From its historic stockyards to its dynamic downtown, Fort Worth offers rich cultural and recreation options for visitors and residents.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing communities in the nation and is considered one of the most livable. The downtown area is recognized for the art deco style of its buildings.

The top ten neighborhoods according to house value are:

• Loop 820 Service Road/Quebec Street
• Hulen Street/Bellaire Drive
• Bryant Irvin Road/Bellaire Drive
• Bellaire Drive/Overton Park Drive
• Southwest Boulevard/Bellaire Drive
• Southwest Boulevard/River Park Drive
• Camp Bowie Boulevard/Crestline Road
• Hildring Drive/Selkirk Drive
• Texas Christian University/University Drive
• Oakmont Trail/Dutch Drive

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

In the 1800s, Fort Worth was known as "Cowtown" and was a renowned stop for cattle drives along the Old Chisholm Trail. Today, the city's economy is based on its diverse manufacturing sector, which produces electronic, communication and refrigeration equipment, machinery, pharmaceuticals, aircraft, food products, computers, clothing, grain, and leather. Fort Worth hosts 8.7 million visitors each year, so tourism also contributes to the local economy.

Major Fort Worth employers include:

• American Airlines
• Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems
• Bell Helicopter Textron
• Radio Shack Corporation
• SABRE
• Pier 1 Imports
• Burlington Northern Santa Fe

FAMILY FUN

• Billy Bob's Texas, at three acres long, is the biggest honky-tonk in the world. The facility contains an indoor rodeo arena, dance floor, arcade, general store, and several bars and restaurants. The Wall of Fame showcases a variety of celebrity handprints.
• Sundance Square, an eight-block entertainment district featuring theaters, art galleries, museums, nightclubs, restaurants, and boutiques, is located in downtown Fort Worth.
• Fort Worth Water Gardens offer a tranquil oasis for downtown residents with lush greenery and three pools of water. The gardens were used to shoot the final scenes of the 1976 science-fiction film Logan's Run.

BEST BETS

Fort Worth bills itself as "the museum capital of the Southwest" and has a thriving arts scene that offers yearly performances of symphony, ballet, theater, and opera.

The Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall is the permanent home to major performing arts organizations of Fort Worth, such as the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and Cliburn Concerts. It also hosts special productions of Casa Mañana Musicals, and presents Performing Arts Fort Worth's "Hall Series", a popular array of eclectic entertainment.

Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District provides the flavor of the Old West with its daily longhorn cattle drives through the streets and lively reenactments. The district contains gift shops, Western-music venues, and restaurants. Western wear also can be found at numerous well-stocked shops in the Historic Stockyards District, including Luskey's Western Stores, which has sold saddles and custom boots in that location since 1919.

Log Cabin Village allows visitors to enjoy the full experience of Texas life in the 19th century. Visitors tour nine historic structures while interpreters demonstrate chores such as spinning, weaving, and candle making.

Local museums include:

• National Cowboys of Color Museum
• National Cowgirl Museum
• Cattle Raisers Museum
• Kimball Art Museum

EVENTS

• Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, held annually from mid-January to February, includes a carnival, indoor rodeo, livestock shows, shopping, and more.
• Main Street Arts Festival is a four-day event featuring a juried art fair, live concerts, and street performers along a nine-block stretch of Main Street.
• Texas Frontier Forts Days allow visitors to witness the re-creation of authentic encampments at ten forts inside the Stockyards Historic District. The weekend-long event highlights frontier life with military parades and demonstrations of the infantry and cavalry.

EDUCATION

Institutes of higher learning located in Fort Worth include:

• Texas Christian University
• Tarrant County College
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Texas Wesleyan University

LOCAL MEDIA

Fort Worth publishes one daily newspaper, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and one alternative weekly paper which comes out on Wednesdays, The Fort Worth Weekly. The city is also covered in The Dallas Morning News.

Fort Worth residents enjoy all of the TV and radio stations that broadcast in Dallas and the surrounding areas, as well as some of their own.

Some of the radio stations that broadcast from Fort Worth include:

• KHVN (970 AM)
• KFJZ (870 AM)
• KNAX (1630 AM)
• KTCU (88.7 FM)
• KPLX (99.5 FM)
• KLNO (94.1 FM)
• KDGE (102.1 FM)

TV stations broadcasting from Fort Worth include:

• KUVN-CA (Channel 31)
• KFWD (Channel 52)
• KXAS-TV (Channel 5)
• KTVT (Channel 11)
• KTXA (Channel 21)
• KVFW-LP (Channel 65)