I'm thinking of moving to Fort Worth, Texas...?

Question

and I'm doing a lot of research online about real estate, jobs, cost of living, recreation, shopping, travel, transportation, night life, everything I could possibly think of. But I would like to get some input from people that have ever lived there or have ever been there. Please give me your opinion about moving to Fort Worth, Texas.

Thank you for your answers so far. I love the honesty. Please anyone tha has anything to say about Fort Worth, good or bad, I need to know it all if I'm going be able to make an educated decision on our move.

If it helps anyone we are moving from the Central Valley in California, near Bakersfield.

Also, we are thinking of moving to the outskirts of Fort Worth, like maybe Midlothian or Mansfield.

Answer 1

Fort Worth really has 3 things going for it

1) Its CHEAP to live here. The housing markets is down on the south end of the city where alot of the new housing developments are. You can get a 2-3 year old house for weeeel below market value, btw (if you're going to live here until the market ticks up again). No income tax, etc etc. If you want housing that will retain its value though, stick with Arlington Heights, Forest Park, or the Mid Cites (north of 183) areas.

2) The museum district. Fort Worth really does have several nice museums (Kimbell, Modern, etc). They always have top quality exhibits for such a small city.

3) Its a great place to raise a family. The schools are pretty good, its easy to get to places, there are lots and lots of young families that live here. And on a whole the town is laid back and pretty low stress.

4) There isn't any traffic. Now people will complain about the 20 minute commute, but having lived in Chicago and Austin I can most assuredly tell you FW has NO traffic.

5) It'll be easy to get work here. Between Lockheed, Sikorsky, Pier One, etc etc, there are tons of jobs available. And since the cost of living is so cheap here, companys tend to stay.

Now the bad things
1) Its a giant suburb. It really doesn't have a nice urban area. People can talk up and down about Sundance Square, but its not really the same. Its easy to get to and the parking is free, but its like a 4 square blocks of city. Ooo.. The nightlife sucks, and you really have to work to find it. There are a couple of ok places, like 8.0s and there are several good blues clubs, and now (FINALLY) a couple of martini bars. Most people go to smaller neighborhood bars on the weekends.

2) The food (restaurants) sucks. People around here don't know what good food is. Now, in the 5 years I've lived here its gotten better (i.e. I can finally get sushi that doesn't make me gag, and there are more and more ethnic restaurants every year). But really, everyone here eats a corporate restaurants, so if you do too, then cool, you'll love it. If not, you'll find the cuisine a bit lacking.

3) It has no self-identified culture. Sure they have the stockyards, and they consider themselves a cowboyish culture here, it doesn't really work. Going to the Stockyards is like going to the Disney wild west village. The closest thing to cultural identity you get around here is Dallas, and that culture is kind of uppity snobery

4) The shopping is ok. There are lots of smalls, but boutique and specialty shops are lacking. If you want that you have to go to Dallas.

5) Recreation is ok too. People don't tend to be very outdoorsy here, not alot of good parks, and the ones they do have tend to be pretty empty. The trails along the 800 branches of the trinity river are nice for walking and biking, but its nothing to write home about. There are a couple of nice sized lakes in the area that are pretty clean.

I hope this all helps. I've lived here 5 years after living in Chicago and Austin so I feel I have a pretty good idea of the city in relation to others. If you have any more questions, e-mail me.

Answer 2

A lot of what you've been told in previous answers may be true, but there are a few things I'd like to clear up. Fort Worth is full of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Although it is a large metroplex and spread out, it has the feel and atmosphere of a small town. Almost anyone who lives here would tell you that. Although Fort Worth and Dallas are just a short distance apart, they could very well be thousands of miles apart. What I mean is the differences in the two cities is like night and day. Those of us who are originally from Fort Worth and live here now, are proud of our heritage. Even though we have the atmosphere of a small town, we are not as "backwards" as some may think. You can drive through downtown and see huge modern buildings and at the same time within the same block you will see a piece of Fort Worth history such as the Court House.

The people and organizations who have spent so much time and money in restoring downtown have been very careful not to ruin the ambiance of Fort Worth. They know how proud we are of Fort Worth and its historical significance and I'm sure they know how upset we would be if it were taken away by modern buildings, concrete, and pretentiosness.

As for modern conveniences, we DO have public transportation. It is not some subway filled to capacity with human bodies. There is a very good bus system that one can take to almost anywhere for very little. We also have the train which you can catch downtown and for a $1.00 or so you can go to the midcities area, Hurst Euless Bedford, DFW International Airport, and Dallas. Many people, including myself, have used the train for transportation to work everyday. We don't do it because we don't have cars, or because theres no place to park the "horse" but because it is a benefit both financially and environmentally.

There are many, many, wonderful restaurants, Anything from a small diner or burger stand thats been here forever to some 5 star gourmet restaurants that would put some of those in dallas to shame.

We have some of the best hospitals in the nation and the medical staff is great. The school district is good but like most cities , it has its share of political problems. However, if my children were still in school, I would choose FWISD over DISD in a heartbeat.

There are so many things I could tell you but I'm sure you will take everything everyone has said and research it. I wish you and your family the best of luck and would like to be the first to welcome you to Fort Worth.

Answer 3

I was born and raised in Dallas and still live here. Personally, I think Dallas is better....call me biased. I have been to Fort Worth many times and it's alright, but it seems like all the good restaurants, shopping and nightlife are in Dallas. The down side to living in Dallas is the fact that there are a lot of snobs. If you prefer more laidback folks, then definitely choose Fort Worth. I have noticed that people are friendlier there. Either way, the cities are conveniently located to each other. DFW Airport is close, cost of living in the metro area is pretty good compared to other US cities. Hope this helps. Happy moving!

Answer 4

I'm 26 and I live in Dallas, but I prefer Ft. Worth in a heartbeat. I have found Ft. Worth to be very laid back and casual. Dallas has a more cosmopolitan feel to it and has the amenities that come with a large city: the professional sports teams, theater, a museum district, more upscale shopping and restaurants, etc. Living in Ft. Worth, you're less than an hour away from all that and you don't have to deal with all the traffic!

Ft. Worth has a great downtown area; it's called Sundance Square. Great bars to check out there are: The Library, The Pour House, 8.0's (pronounced "eight-ohs" has great outdoor concerts during the summer). America's largest honky tonk, Billy Bob's, is located in Ft. Worth. Don't know if you like country music, but it's a place you have to check out at least once.

I don't know if you want a house or an apartment, but houses are affordable and there are lots of new developments going up. The south western area of Ft. Worth has lots of affordable housing options and it's a very nice area. Texas doesn't have state income taxes, so you'll get more in your paycheck, but be prepared for higher sales tax (like 8.5%) and higher property taxes in some of the newer areas.

I don't know where are are moving from, but Ft. Worth is a great place to live. Good luck with your decision!

Answer 5

Fort Worth is a pretty good town; it still has some of its old-west flavor. Shopping is good; schools are ok particularly if you can get your kids into one of the suburban school districts. Cost of living is relatively low; night life is mostly C&W; housing is reasonable; public transportation is almost nil; traffic is bad, but not as bad as Dallas. Believe it or not, they actually have some exceptional museums and arts venues.

My sister lives there; and let's just say that her husband is involved with the city government and leave it at that.

Answer 6

Most of the prior responses are accurate (every one views things differently) I moved to S Fort Worth just over a year ago from the Maryland suburbs. I lived in Dallas 20 years ago when I finished college.

Dallas does have more nightlife , & traffic , & CRIME (sad fact , not a slam) The folks in Dallas strike me as "East Coast" types (hey I'm from there!), everyone is trying to outdo the "Joneses" , so to speak.

When I went to a local pub here in FW , I got an extended hand offered w "Welcome to Cowtown!" ( but not in a "hickish" way)

Traffic here is NOTHING compared to other areas. My work commute was 25 miles one way, & routinely took 28=35 minutes. In MD I lived 3 miles from my office, & it often took the same amount of time for a 3 mile trip.

Rents & real estate are very reasonable. My folks recently bought a 2100 sq ft brick home w 2 car garage, brand new for just $130K. The same house up north is near a half million. (that's why I abandoned my birth state!)

As for sports teams , the Dallas Mavericks & Stars do play in Dallas......BUT the Texas Rangers play in Arlington (5 mins from Mansfield) & the "Dallas" Cowboys are moving to Arlington when their new stadium is completed.

There are some depressed areas of town though, so be sure to do some research before committing to a residence.. Don't know about public schools, but plenty of college opportunities locally (TCU , TWU , TCJC)

There are plenty of country venues, but I also enjoy ROCK, & there are plenty of pubs w rock bands, & most of the big tours stop in Dallas.

Answer 7

It is a Family oriented Town... It is not huge and IT is not small...Schools are O.K. Depends on where you are living of course...Violence does occur but is not a High percentage of inccident, It is pretty safe here. I have been here for 7 years, I like it but I am bored now and I will move to Florida in a couple of years..I miss the Ocean!!!!
Get ready for CHANGING weather BIG time..You will have rain one day and snow the following day and then it will be pretty hot the next day...It does hail once in a while and get ready for alarms sounding off for Tornado Season!!!!

Answer 8

8.0 S Fort Worth