TCU Fort Worth

When it's 80 degrees out in the City of Cowboys and Culture, and there's a nice cool breeze floating through the air, there's no better place than a good patio. When in Fort Worth, anything better than a good patio is a great rooftop spot where you can take in the sights and sounds of our buzzing city. Whether you're looking for a beautiful bird's eye view of Sundance Square, TCU or the Stockyards, there's plenty of options!

Live Oak This Near Southside rooftop bar and patio on Magnolia Ave. has a fabulous view of the downtown Fort Worth skyline, 50 beers on tap, and an inventive menu of burgers, sandwiches and entrée salads that far exceeds the usual “bar food.” If you're looking for a change of pace, head downstairs for a sit-down dinner or casual concert hall which showcases marquee-name touring acts in a 500-seat superbly engineered auditorium. 

Dutch's Named after legendary TCU coach Leo “Dutch” Meyer, Dutch’s is a lively TCU-area hangout known for its all-natural, juicy-not-greasy burgers. Whether you're looking for a spot to pre-game or a casual weeknight dinner with family or friends, Dutch's patio is the place to be. Be sure to check out their weekly specials, (including 1/2 price Dutch Burger on Tuesdays) here.

Love Shack Iron Chef winner and owner Tim Love has created a gourmet burger joint featuring outdoor seating, live music, and a menu that will have you coming back for more! Love Shack has two locations, the Stockyards and the University area, but the Love Shack Stockyards offers an unforgettable view of the world-famous Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District! Grab a beer, and get a spot for the twice-daily Cattle Drive (11:30a, 4p)!

Reata Restaurant is not just famous for their down-home cowboy cuisine, but their living-room type ambiance downstairs mixed with the cocktail-party atmosphere upstairs, makes this place perfect for any occasion. Overlooking Sundance Square (and the new plaza this fall), the Reata Rooftop is one of the top Fort Worth spots to take in the city sights and enjoy cocktails with friends! Be sure to share the starter sampler for a true taste of Texas! 

Capital Bar With the additions of the Backyard and the Back House, Capital Bar is one of the top music venues in DFW in addition to having an incredible rooftop bar that offers a spectacular view of the downtown skyline on one side and the park-like Fort Worth Cultural District on the other. Before you go, check out their Summer Music Series on Wednesday nights presented by 95.9 the Ranch! 

Hometown: Fort Worth

Occupation: Concierge 19 years

Ideal Day in Fort Worth: Breakfast at The Paris Coffee Shop, a visit to the Sid Richardson Museum (free of charge), a visit to the Water Gardens (free of charge thank you very much!), Lunch at Esperanzas (not free of charge), cruise down University with stops at the museums, the zoo, the flea market, Botanical Gardens (free of charge), a drink al fresco at The Woodshed, pass through TCU and look at our new football stadium and continue up to 7th Street and close out the day with bowling at Lucky Strike in West 7th.

How would you describe Fort Worth to a visitor? Somewhere you need to be right now.

What do you like most about working in the tourism/hospitality industry? It's always fun to surprise people with information about my hometown (i.e., Amelia Earhardt's plane, The Electra, was built at Lockheed!).

What is the biggest surprise visitors have about Fort Worth? Most are surprised at the great variety of food options in Fort Worth, i.e: Del Frisco's, Ellerbe Fine Foods, or a food truck at the Ballpark. 

What makes Fort Worth different than any other destination?We have an extremely eclectic selection of things to do. (NASCAR, Six Flags, Lone Star Park, Opera at the Bass, Golf at Colonial, or ski, sail, fish or enjoy a quiet sunset at one of our many great lakes).  You could live here your entire life and not see everything there is to see.

Fort Worth native, Jamey Ice, guitarist for Green River Ordinance, is proud to say he grew up in the City of Cowboys and Culture. For the last seven years, he has traveled the country with GRO—playing every major city in America, but any time he’s asked what his favorite city is, he is quick to respond, “Fort Worth...it's my favorite city in the country”. Jamey recently opened up BREWED, a restaurant/ pub / coffeehouse on Magnolia Ave., the main street on one of Fort Worth’s emerging districts, the Near Southside. The vision behind BREWED was to create a “local living room” – a place where people can come to feel at home, be inspired and enjoy great hand-crafted food and drinks. Jamey said, “It was fun because I got to bring a lot of ideas that I have seen in other parts of the country back here to Fort Worth.”

Hometown: The greatest city in America…Fort Worth, Texas!

Occupation: Guitar player in Green River Ordinance & owner of BREWED. 

Favorite Fort Worth District: The Near Southside. It's a ton of fun. I love it because it is a community that supports and embraces local things. There are so many local artists and artisans here, dreamers and thinkers, awesome one-of-a-kind local businesses, and incredible local eateries. It's also a very community-driven area, with vibrant people who are passionate and active about supporting local goods. People are always outside: riding their bikes, working in the community gardens, or walking their dogs. My wife and I live in Fairmount and we are crazy about our neighborhood and the big front porches are a true reflection of  that everyone is always outside hanging out. I literally see my neighbors every day. I cant think of another neighborhood in town that has the community and camaraderie among the neighbors as Fairmount. 

Favorite Fort Worth Restaurant: BREWED?!? Fort Worth has so many killer places to eat, it is so hard to pick. But if I had to pick the one restaurant that I frequent most and has a special place in my heart, it would have to be Benito’s on Magnolia. It is the real deal authentic Mexican food, not the tex-mex stuff (not that there is anything wrong with good tex mex!). They have great authentic menudo, ceviche, chile rellenos, mole, and my favorite dish, queso flameado (a flaming cheese queso)! It's my dad’s favorite restaurant, so we grew up going there every Sunday and has become a weekly staple ever since. 

Describe your ideal day in Fort Worth. I am obsessed with my city, so it's hard for me to pick just a one-day itinerary. I love Fort Worth in the summertime when the weather is warm. My ideal day would have to include walking around Magnolia, some Fairmount front porch hanging out with my neighbors, sipping margaritas at Joe T's, exploring the Modern, riding my bike around the Trinity River, and maybe catching some awesome music and fireworks during the summer concert series at the Botanic Gardens.

Where are your favorite places to listen to live music in Fort Worth? Green River Ordinance literally got our start at The Aardvark on Berry Street. We started playing there in high school and continued through our TCU days, and I still love catching bands there. The new Live Oak Music Lounge is also a great new spot that is bringing in some awesome music. Of course, it doesn’t get much better than seeing someone play at Bass Performance Hall; that place is unreal. It doesn’t matter who is playing because any show at Bass Hall is sure to be amazing!

If you had to describe Fort Worth in a song title/create a song title for Fort Worth, what would it be? Oh man that’s a hard one. There are some good songs about Fort Worth. Steve Earl has the famous “Fort Worth Blues” song. For some reason Pat Greens music always reminds me of home. With GRO, we have spent so much time writing and recording our music here in town that it's hard not to associate Fort Worth with our songs. “West Wind” and “Dancing Shoes” both loosely about our City. 

If you could play a live show anywhere in Fort Worth, somewhere out of the norm, where would that be? We are playing at the Concerts in the Garden this summer. That is literally one of my favorite things to go to every year, so I am pretty pumped for that. Definitely a “Bucket List” show. But something out of the norm....hmmm. It would be fun to do a show on the roof of the 7^th street parking garage. It has a killer view of all of downtown, so that would be pretty fun! 

Your favorite place to get inspired in Fort Worth: The Kimbell Art Museum lawn (before they started construction on the Renzo Piano expansion). I can’t tell you how many Green River Ordinance songs were written right in front of the Kimbell or by the giant vortex statue at the Modern. Whenever we would get writer’s block, we would always grab our guitars and go down to Fort Worth Cultural District. 

Hometown: A born and raised desert dwelling Phoenix girl transplanted to the snowy plains outside Denver, CO

Occupation: Director of Social Influence for Traveling Mom, Travel Blogger at Mom Off Track

Describe Fort Worth in three words: charming, welcoming and full of character!

What is the number one thing you need to know when traveling with a teenage boy? Where to eat, of course. Fort Worth certainly has no shortage of answers to that question. Breakfast at Paris Coffee Shop is the way to start off the day with groggy, hungry teenagers.  Nothing gets their day started off right more than a little pie after a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon. It’s OK. You are on vacation. No one will judge your parenting skills although I may have to judge you if you leave there without at least a little piece of owner Mike’s coconut pie which is made fresh daily by 11 am.  

I travel frequently and I love nothing more than to sneak one of my teenage sons into my suitcase whenever I can. We were excited about seeing the cowboy culture in Ft. Worth, but didn’t realize until we got there for the Family Travel Conference that we would be eating like cowboys—just the way teenage boys like.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch at Joe T. Garcia’s where we had probably the best chicken tortilla soup we have ever had. It reminded me of the authentic Mexican food I grew up eating in Arizona. The patio was gorgeous and the margaritas were the perfect way to top it off for mom. I would have loved more time to just sit there and enjoy a second margarita. But, alas, teenagers are always on the go!

For dinner we headed over to the Stockyards area for some BBQ Texas style, (dry rubbed, not wet) at Riscky’s. There are lots of things on the menu but my teen went right for the All You Can Eat Beef Ribs. For $9.95 you can actually afford to feed a teenager here! After a few plates he slowed down and we decided to walk it off strolling through the Stockyards. He had a blast riding a mechanical bull and having his picture taken on a real one. We took a walk over to Billy Bob’s, billed as the world’s largest honkey tonk, where we took some great photos and bought some fun, logo t-shirts as souvenir’s.

Besides the constant worry of where your teenager will graze, what is the second most important thing you need to know about Fort Worth? There is plenty to do here! We enjoyed several of the museums in the Cultural District. The small cultural district is home to six world class museums. What I loved is that they are so close together that you can just walk from one to the other. So convenient and easy. One of our favorite Cultural Districts museums was the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History where we were able to see the amazingly powerful Titanic Exhibit which closes March 24, 2013 so if you have an early Spring Break, make this a must see on your itinerary.  I wasn’t sure how much my 16-year-old boy would enjoy the National Cowgirl Museum Hall of Fame would be for a 16 year old boy buy we went anyway because we had some time to kill. Turns out he enjoyed it because of the several interactive audio-visual exhibits. He really had fun making a video of himself riding a mechanical horse that he could share with his friends.

During our trip here we also enjoyed visiting JFK Tribute located at the southeast corner of Main and 8th Streets, in downtown’s General Worth Square. This is the last place the nation heard the 35^th President speak and the life-sized bronze sculpture commemorating that moment is stunning.

And, because he’s 16, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a college tour. We chose Texas Christian University because of its small size and community feeling.  TCU students showed the warm and welcoming feeling we felt throughout all of Fort Worth. The campus was beautiful and we enjoyed learning about the history and tradition of the school. We were even able to rub the TCU mascot, The Horned Toad’s, nose for good luck.

The only unfortunate part of our trip was that we were only here for a day and a half. Those of you planning your Spring Break trips have the lucky ability to plan a much longer, relaxed trip. The Fort Worth Zoo was ranked one of the top 5 zoos in the nation by USA Travel Guide and is top of my list for when I have the chance to return. No matter how many days you have the good fortune to stay, I am certain you and the teens will have plenty of fond memories of Fort Worth just like Connor and I have.

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Occupation: Database programmer

Describe Fort Worth in three words: Quintessentially Texas, y’all

My return to Fort Worth comes 30 years after I was last there.  I lived in Fort Worth for about three years in the early 80s – just long enough to attend middle school.  Looking back on my childhood, it was not the brightest time of my life, but that didn’t stop me from showing my wife, Stephanie, some sights and telling tales of a younger, less sure-footed me.

We started at the Fort Worth Stockyards.  I figure if there’s one sight in Fort Worth not to miss, this is it.  Historically, this district is where cattle and other livestock were bought and sold, earning Fort Worth the nickname “Cowtown.”  Now it’s a touristy stretch of bars, western-wear and souvenir shops.  We found some unique, and undeniably Texan items to bring back to the gang in Philadelphia.  We also found a spot where instead of a mechanical bull, you can ride remote controlled mechanical animals including a saddled bass, a TCU horned frog, and a “reinsteer” (a longhorn with horns and reindeer antlers).

Next up were the Fort Worth Water Gardens.  I remember this place (a) from when I was a kid, and (b) from the final scene of the movie “Logan’s Run.”  The Water Gardens feature three different pools of water.  The most famous is the “active pool” where you can walk down stepping stones and watch the water cascade all around you.  It is hard to describe the feeling of being surrounded by water falling all around you at different levels, while you stay dry, beneath the street level in the middle of a city.  There’s also a “Quiet Pool”, which is again below street level, lined by perfect rows of trees, and designed to make you feel very small in the large space around you.  Finally, there’s the Aerated Pool, where sprinkler-like apparatuses spray huge water droplets into the air before they fall back down into the pool.

After this we drove to my old neighborhood, where we saw the house where I lived, the synagogue I attended as a kid, and even the rectory where my Boy Scout troop met.  At the rectory, there is a short drainage culvert that I was afraid to walk through when I was 12, but was able to successfully – and probably illegally – navigate with Stephanie’s help.

We also paid a visit to the Hulen mall where in the early 80s I discovered the joys of video games.  The mall is now a crowded behemoth, especially since we were there two weeks before Christmas, but the cool clock is still hanging inside, so yay.

Every city in Texas seems to have its own personality, but Fort Worth screams “Texas” more than any others.  If you really want to sample a slice of the Lone Star State, start here.

Follow me and Stephanie, the Mile High Duo, as we travel around the world!

Alright Tech Fans, this weekend is the big game, Texas Tech vs. TCU. As a Tech alumn, I thought I would recommend a few places that you might enjoy pre or post game.

1. If you’re a Chimy’s fan in Lubbock you’re in luck! There is a Chimy’s in Fort Worth too. Your favorite margaritas are not that far away!
2. If you’re a Cricket’s fan in Lubbock try Flying Saucer. This great Fort Worth original can offer you a wide range of beers and a great atmosphere in downtown.
3. If you’re a Mesquites fan in Lubbock try Lola’s Saloon. If unique and one of a kind is your thing. This is the place to be.
4. If you’re a Blue Light fan in Lubbock try Magnolia Motor Lounge. Live music lives here! This is a great place to relax and take in some great music!
5. If you’re a Roof Top fan in Lubbock try The Usual. Located on Magnolia Street in the Near Southside district, The Usual will never disappoint! Sip unique cocktails and enjoy this sophisticated atmosphere.

There are so many great places to try in Fort Worth, the City of Cowboys and Culture! Check out our Nightlife Page for more going out ideas or visit our Tech VS. TCU Gameday Weekend Page. 

Whether heading to a TCU football game or taking the kids to the Fort Worth Zoo you might have never known that an escape into the 19th century Texas frontier was just footsteps away!  Log Cabin Village is a living history museum devoted to the preservation of Texas heritage. Historical interpreters wearing 1800s-styled clothes bring our seven log cabins, one-room schoolhouse, smoke house, and blacksmith shop to life. One of the cabins is converted into a working grist mill which grinds more than 600 pounds of corn a year into fresh cornmeal, available for sale in our museum store.

Founders of the Village project in the 19502, Pioneer Texas Heritage Committee and members of the Tarrant County Historical Society realized that log structures, prevalent in the 1800s, were rapidly vanishing from the Texas landscape – and a portion of Texas history was vanishing with them thus providing inspiration to create a Village dedicated to log cabin culture, history and preservation.

Six log houses, dating back to the mid 1800s, were selected from the North Texas region, moved to the present site, and restored in the 1950s to early 1960s. Since 1966, it has been open to the public and operated by the City of Fort Worth.  Today, the Village is seen by more than 27,000 visitors annually from more than 45 different states and 40 countries.  Whether you’ve lived in Fort Worth all your life or are planning your next vacation here, we invite you to escape the present…experience the past at Log Cabin Village!

 

Texas Christian University's entrance to the Big 12 brings about all things big: A brand-new big stadium, sold-out stands and big matchups. The TCU Horned Frogs kicked off the season in the newly renovated Amon G. Carter stadium, with a sold-out game against Grambling State. Highlights from the game included the opening which featured "Rocket Man" landing on the field, and the halftime show where the TCU band and showgirls performed along with the famed Grambling State marching band. Attracting students, season ticket holders and visitors alike, the game finished a TCU victory, 56-0.

In addition to moving from the Mountain West to the Big 12,TCU Football has a new home at the stadium after a $164-million dollar renovation. It now features additional seats, club lounge and suites, along with new escalators and elevators.

 

As a graduating senior, I have gotten to watch as TCU transforms and grows each year. From the Fiesta Bowl, to the impressive Rose Bowl victory, and now the entrance to the Big 12, TCU Football is always exciting. Check out WelcomeBig12.com for the home game schedule and all the big 12 weekends information for things to do and events in Fort Worth. Go Frogs!

 

Football season is just around the corner and with all the excitement of TCU joining the Big 12 Conference,  the FWCVB was inspired to add a new edition to the FortWorth.com covering all things Big 12 TCU football from the innaugural schedule to any news, happenings and events surrounding TCU football and gameday weekends.  We've also added special itineraries for visitors--one for those traveling with kids, and one for traveling without. You'll want to visit our Top 12 lists that cover the best Burgers, brunch, nightlife, live music and more. There is no doubt that with a few glances at these lists, you will have an incredible experience in Fort Worth, the City of Cowboys and Culture. Go Frogs!

 

Only in Fort Worth can you find a music festival that is named for the Norse god of wisdom and attracts artists from some of the world’s best music schools and orchestras. The Mimir Chamber Music Event is hosted by the Texas Christian University Music School. The concerts will take place in the Walsh Center for Performing Arts in the PepsiCo Recital Hall.

Founded in 1997 the Mimir Chamber Music Festival will be celebrating its 15^th anniversary this year. The festival will last two weeks and will hold master classes for aspiring pre-professional musicians. If you are not a musician but would like to enjoy the festival in the evenings guest artists will be performing. There will be five different opportunities to see exciting and unique performances by guest artists.

This year’s festival is expecting to have performances by the Chicago Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra, Winners of the Van Cliburn and Leeds International Piano Competitions, outstanding TCU faculty and other internationally acclaimed musicians. So make sure to mark your calendar and make it out to TCU to see at least one of these performances.

Hometown: Chattanooga, TN

Occupation: Emergency Manager, TX Air National Guard

Ideal Day in Fort Worth: I host international travelers and backpackers throughout the year. My sample tour guide starts in downtown, walking through Sundance Square, then hopping in the car or bike and heading north to the Stockyards to see the cattle drive. Then we'd head down to the Cultural District and visit the Amon Carter or Science and Natural History museum. Then we'd head down Camp Bowie and make our way to Sansom Park's overlook of the Naval Air Station to give a glimpse into our history as a military community. Then we'd head towards TCU, and then head back to downtown for dinner and drinks.

What do you like most about working in the tourism/hospitality industry?
I don't work in the tourism industry, but since I host international travelers, I am automatically an ambassador of the city. There's nothing greater than showing people the city I love, and dispelling the rumors about Americans by showing our true hospitality.

How would you describe Fort Worth to a visitor?
It's a big city with a small town feel. I've lived here for 20 years, and even though our population is swelling to match Dallas', we retain our small town atmosphere.

What makes Fort Worth different than any other destination?
It has literally everything you need. If you like the outdoors, you can canoe, rock climb, hike, bike, trail run. If you're an urbanite, you can can hang out a coffee shop on the Near Southside, or go shopping at a boutique in West 7th. If you're a foodie or craft beer fanatic, amazing food and a refreshing beverage is always a stone's throw away. It has a truly communal feel to it because we believe in not only our city, but ourselves and each other.

Of course, it was much more exciting when Super Bowl 45 was right in our backyard last year, but the "City of Cowboys and Culture" offers plenty of spots to watch the big game this year, so gather your friends and check out these hot spots for Superbowl Sunday!

1. Frankie's Sports Bar
Head to Sundance Square for tons of team-themed specials including New England Clam Chowder and Boston Tea Party Shooters, and for Giants fans, 1/4 lb. dog with sauerkraut and classic Manhattan cocktails.

2. Boomerjack's Grill & Bar
Game Day drink specials include: $2 Domestic Pints, $3 Domestic Talls, $3 Well Drinks, $2 Jack Daniels, $3 Southern Comfort, $4 Tuaca Bombs.

3. The Pour House
Join the Big Game Tailgate with an all-you-can-eat buffet at $7.95 and a chance to win an LG 3DTV as well as play-to-win cash prizes with two chances to win each quarter!

4. Ojos Locos Sports Cantina
Get your "Crazy Eyes" on where you can watch the game on tons of TVs and drink a football-themed balones pitchers with your choice of 60-100 oz of beer!

5. Woody's Tavern
Not only is Woody's throwing a chili cook off (bring your appetite), but they'll be serving 16-oz draft beers for just $2.

6. Buffalo Brothers
Always a favorite among the TCU crowd, Buffalo Bros. serves up some of the finest pizza, wings and subs in Fort Worth-all equally delicious! Wash 'em down with $3 Bloody Mary's.

7. Billy Bob's Texas
What better place to watch the Superbowl in Cowtown than the World's Largest Honky Tonk? Billy Bob's is open daily plus they're family-friendly, so grab the kids and watch the big game!

8. T & P Tavern
Head to downtown Fort Worth where the game will be projected on 5 screens + a giant projector. They're taking reservations, so visit their website to get a seat!

9. Jake's Hamburgers
Visit the downtown or Camp Bowie location and try one of their amazing burgers. With $12 buckets of beer, your friends will be happy you told them about Jake's!

10. Love Shack
Tim Love's So7 location is doing a special that's perfect for a group of six: six Love Burgers, six fries, and six cookies for $50. Is your mouth watering yet?

Deck the halls, it's Christmas season! In Fort Worth, we take pride in our city and the unique shopping that you can only find in the "City of Cowboys and Culture." If you're looking for the quintessential Fort Worth gift, look no further than our 2011 Fort Worth Gift Guide. 

1. Joe T. Garcia’s Salsa
Where do you go for the best Tex-Mex in town? Joe T. Garcia’s, one of the most famous Mexican restaurants in Texas, has been making this salsa for over 70 years! The Garcia Family's salsa is packed with flavor, and best part? You can taste the authentic flavors at home! Joe T. Garcia's salsa can be found in your local grocery

2. TCU Gear
TCU celebrates its 3rd straight Mountain West Conference Championship this year and will play Louisiana Tech in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 21. Any good horned frog knows they can never add enough purple to their wardrobe! Take advantage of 15-50% off hats and jerseys now through 12/15 at Shop.Gofrogs.com.

3. Cowtown Cowboy Boots
When it comes to shopping in Fort Worth, there’s one item that shines above the rest: the cowboy boot. For a custom handmade cowboy boot, Luskey’s, Maverick or Leddy's in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards can get you set up. If you want to give someone the cowboy look without breaking the bank, head to Justin Boots Outlet for great deals on over 15,000 pairs of boots.

4. Total Driving Experience at Texas Motor Speedway
Any dare devils on your list? Give the gift of the rush of adrenaline with 5,10 and 20 lap thrill ride and extreme drive options, all behind the wheel of a 450+ horsepower Z06 Corvette on the Infield Road Course at Texas Motor Speedway! For more information on the Total Driving Experience, click here.

5. Herd Membership
If you ask us, there's no better gift than one that keeps on giving. Give your friends and family a gift they'll not only remember forever, but feel great about too! A Holiday Season Membership to the Fort Worth Herd includes five different levels to choose from that fit your budget. Your donation is tax deductible and will help feed the Herd in 2012!

With such preserved history, Fort Worth is often visited for it's historical western heritage and Cowtown culture. In honor of Halloween, we wanted to share some of Fort Worth's claimed haunted sites.

You can imagine spooky activity going on the Stockyards National Historic District simply because it looks and feels as if you've stepped back into time during the 1800s. Nearly every building in the historic Stockyards houses some sort of ghost story, but sightings include hauntings at The Maverick and General Store of a ghostly woman leaving roses upstairs, ghostly apparitions at the former bordello, Miss Molly's Bed and Breakfast, and of course, the old Spaghetti Warehouse building with at least four reported ghost sightings including an old cowboy that throws glassware and pushes over stools.

Just north of Downtown Fort Worth, previously referred to as Hell's Half Acre during the nineteenth century, you can find many spooky sights such as Pioneer's Rest cemetery. With stones dating back to the early 1800s, you feel as if your walking around the main streets during Fort Worth's 'Hell's Half Acre' days with the famous people who made history during that time of the old Wild West. Also along Samuels Avenue, you can check out the Garvey-Veihl House, which was originally occupied by early Fort Worth wealthy landowner, Baldwin L. Samue during the mid-1800s. The house was abandoned in 1972 for some time until it was saved and eventually renovated. The house represents one of the original grand homes that lined the famous Samuels Avenue at the turn of the century. As you look at the house, you can't help but feel a crisp chill as you imagine the hundreds of years of history that took place on the property.


You may have driven down University drive as you pass through Fort Worth Cultural District and wondered about the haunts of the Log Cabin Village located near TCU. The Log Cabin Village is an entire living history museum devoted to the preservation of Texas heritage. There has been reports of ghostly presences in an upstairs bedroom as well as a female apparition reported in the Foster Cabin. Happy Halloween and Happy Haunting Fort Worth!

We have two sons ages 5 and 8 and we just purchased our first season passes for TCU football! We moved from Denver recently and we are looking forward to spending a lot of time in Fort Worth this fall! We love the vibe of the city! It's got the energy and coolness that we love.

Name: Gina Littlefield
City: Lantana
State: TX

If you haven't made it over to University Park Village in awhile, prepare to be amazed at the transformation. Located two blocks South of I-30 on University and just moments away from TCU, University Park Village is bustling with some of the hottest retailers in Fort Worth! Not just a haven for TCU students anymore, University Park Village has transformed into a shopping plaza that offers something for everyone! From the new Brighton, to the athletic and yoga-inspired, LuLu Lemon, there is a store in this shopping center that suits you!

Head to the 11,000 square -foot Anthropologie which always carries unique and artsy items for your wardrobe or home! If a smaller boutique setting is more your thing, check out Apricot Lane Boutique which opened just three weeks ago. Apricot Lane Boutique offers a wide array of accessories, clothing and all the stylings you need to stay chic in the "City of Cowboys and Culture!"

Of course, there's the long-awaited J.CREW which is under construction and set to open Fall 2011. It's been a long wait, but any go-to J.CREW shopper will surely understand it was worth the wait! The shopping at University Park Village is a "Must Do" on your list for Fort Worth! You can't beat some of the sales and when your through with shopping, there's Menchie's frozen yogurt to cool you down! For more information on Fort Worth Shopping, Click Here. 

Come on out tomorrow night for First Friday on the Green in the Fort Worth's Near Southside District. This month, TCU alum and American Idol favorite, Tim Halperin will perform. If you haven't heard this Fort Worth native's sweet, melodic voice and make you wanna get out of your chair and dance jams, then you are in for a treat! Soul Track Mind from Austin will also be performing at this event. 

As always, First Friday on the Green off of Magnolia in Fort Worth is free to the public and fun for the whole family (even your four-legged loved ones)! Also, Church of Christ is managing a school supply donation drop off to benefit local children in need. 

Photo Credit: Fort Worth Near Southside

The fun starts at 7pm this Friday, August 5th. Bring your own lawn chairs, umbrellas or even fans to beat the heat! There will be kids activities such as face painting provided by State Farm Insurance and food and drinks served by local vendors.  For more events and happenings in the "City of Cowboys and Culture", check out our Events Calendar.