My husband is a Federal Officer who has been given a promotion in the Fort Worth Federal Institution. We are native New Yorkers, who moved to Orlando, Florida several years ago. We love it here but could not pass up this great opportunity for my husband and my family. I am totally clueless and know nothing about Texas let alone Fort Worth. I am interested in knowing the good areas to live in and to raise a family in Fort Worth. If possible I would greatly appreciate any information that would be helpful. What are the best neighborhoods to live in and their zip codes? What are the best school districts? What are the best areas to work in? etc....
Well I am truly overwhelmed and appreciative by the response from everyone. I can already tell how nice and helpful the people in Texas are. I will truly take into consideration all of the wonderful information and advice given by each of you.
Just to give a little more info. We are not looking to buy a house at the present time because we are trying to sell ours and the way the real estate market is going we have not had much success. So for now we are looking to rent a house. 4 Bedroom/2bath would be preferred, but we will settle for 3 bedrooms, Garage needed. The Institution that my husband will be appointed too is called FCI Fort Worth, the addresss is 3150 HORTON ROAD
FORT WORTH, TX 76119. I have applied for a secretarial position at the same Prison. (As mentioned my husband is a Federal Corrections Officer and I am a Legal Secretary). We dont mind having to travel, I drive about 30 minutes to work now and he travels an hour to work daily. We would like to keep our commute in the 20-30 minute range.
We both are Native New Yorkers (born and raised in Brooklyn) and have adjusted to well to life here in Orlando. So I know that we would not have a problem with adjusting to life in Texas. We love to do things with our kids and enjoy an occasional date night together.
Once again THANK YOU for the great advice.
You can also look outside of Fort Worth. My husband works in FW, but we live in SW Arlington, and the commute is about the same as if we lived in FW. I am also a native New Yorker, and would love to help you adjust and get information however I can. Please feel free to send me a message with specific questions etc. Good luck! :)
Yeah i would look at the outside part of fort worth. Aledo (has a GREAT school district), keller, saginaw....
If you are going to live in fort worth i would recommend the TCU or Hulen/Camp Bowie area, for the older hames with lots of charm but still affordable, if you are waning a really nice area with older homes that are in the high end price range i would look in the Colonial area over by the Fort Worth zoo.....
Also try looking at post on the website: http://www.city-data.com/forum/fort-worth/
You might find more of what you are looking for there.
M. -
Some nice areas to live in for Fort Worth include Tanglewood, Arlington Heights, Mira Vista, Ridglea. I don't know the zip codes. It is my understanding that the best elementary schools are in Tanglewood, but I haven't really heard of any good middle school or high schools. Hopefully, you will get a better response on this question from other Moms. Although--I do know that Fort Worth has numerous private schools that are supposed to be great - Southwest Christian Academy, Trinity Valley, Country Day.
When it comes to areas to work in-----I think downtown is great and any areas in Southwest Fort Worth. I am not as familiar with North or east Fort Worth.
I will say that Fort Worth is a great town----people are very, very friendly and approachable. People are genuine for the most part, and the traffic is NOTHING compared to Dallas.
Good luck!
Where is your husband's office going to be, or where will he have to drive daily. There are area's with bad traffic slow downs daily, and I wouldn't want to drive through them each day. I would be happy to recommend a realtor, are you going to buy or rent property?
I have lived all over the Metroplex since the early 80's, and have a wealth of info to share, if you would like.
P.
I would not recommend the Fort Worth School District. As far as where to live and the good school districts would depend on your budget and where your husband would be traveling to for work. We live in Burleson south of Fort Worth and love it but I would recommend starting your search in the mid cities, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, North Richland Hills, they are on the pricey side but they are convienent to all of Fort Worth.
I don't think I would recommend Ft. Worth ISD if you'll be putting your kids in public school. There are better choices out there. Southlake Carrol ISD has the best scores, but the area is pricey. We live in Keller ISD and there are excellent schools and affordable housing. Lots of folks in our area work at Lockheed, so if your husband will be working at Carswell, it's not a bad commute. If your husband will be working at the Federal faciltiy on the south side of town, you might want to look into Mansfield ISD. Lots of new housing, comparable to Keller ISD in many ways and a closer commute. If he'll be working downtown, either one would work.
Tanglewood is definitely the best public school but for outdoor activities, parks, and good schools (A new middle school is being built)--I would check out Benbrook, TX--we are in FWISD but are a suburb--great home prices and small town feel.
You will get a lot of replies because Texas folks are most gracious and helpful! you will love living here. Fort Worth ISD is not rated very high so only consider 76109 which is the top area. Consider where your husband will be working first because of the traffic. I-35 has extremely heavy traffic, both 1-20 and 1-30 have less in Fort Worth but still formitable! If he is in SE Fort Worth only consider the SW section and then only 76109! Too far to Southlake/Colleyville/Keller etc
which are fantastic areas but I think too heavily trafficed. Good luck!
Check out the HEB School District. It is a great place to live. Hurst has a lot for kids and a Great Recreation program.
Good Luck!
Southlake Texas is a great area - exemplary schools, nice homes, great shopping and easy access to highways. The zip is 76092. Also, Colleyville, Westlake, Keller - anything in Northeast Tarrant county is nice in my opinion. Good luck with the move and hope you enjoy Texas!
We live in the 76133 zip code and love it here; close to everything, Walmart, Kroger, etc. Crowley is highly rated school district. Your husband would only have about a 10-15 min. commute from here. The house next door to us is for sale, 3 bdrm 2 bath, 2 car garage very nice and quiet neighborhood and nice folks! Good luck!
Hi M.,
Welcome to Texas!! I live in West FW and we're in the White Settlement School District 76108. I love the schools, I would definately avoid FWISD.
Good luck!
I would avoid Fort Worth ISD. HEB (Hurst, Euless, Bedford)and Birdville school districts are very good...there may be a short commute for your hubby depending on what part of FW he will be working in. Good luck!
I don't really know of a good neighborhood in Fort Worth, but I do know about the surrounding areas. Burleson 76028, Crowley 76036,and North Richland Hills 76180. Those are the only ones I know about to recomend.
North Richland Hills is nice and in Birdville ISD. Great schools, zip 76180. Also, NE Ft. Worth is nice and still in Birdville ISD, 76137.
You did not put in any $$ housing amount so just for your info, Southlake and Colleyville are expensive, NRH and Colleyville would be the next step down, and Keller and NE Ft. Worth are more reasonable. It all depends on your budget and what you want to pay in property taxes. THe taxes are very expensive here.
Hi M.. Is your husband coming to work at the Prison in Ft. Worth? That is where my husband works. He just started in April. We moved here from IL. I don't know a ton, but if you would like to ask any questions, I will help as much as possible. I know how much it helps to have someone who knows what it's like to re-establish roots.
Will your kids go to public school or private? Also, depending on where your husband will work, I would like to advise you about where there is a TON of traffic ALL THE TIME (not just rush hour) so if you can avoid a house that necessitates you taking the interstate, that might help (the worst is I-35W northbound or southbound. It's crazy!!)
We live in Arlington, but Mansfield is very nice. Higher priced homes though, but good schools. My kids go to private school so I can't really advise you for public schools. I would say that Arlington is a really diverse area, some homes are nice, others are not so much.
Sorry I can't be more help, but our next door neighbor is a realtor and he is AWESOME. If you need a realtor I would love to recommend him. His name is John Jeanes and his cell number is ###-###-####. Good luck!
I am a Dallas transplant and have really grown to love Fort Worth! Berkeley and Mistletoe Heights (zip 76110) are wonderful historic neighborhoods within walking distance to one of the best public elementary schools in FW (Lily B. Clayton). Ryan Place and Park Hill are also great neighborhoods. Ridglea is very popular and Montecito is an upscale gated community.
Tanglewood is an exclusive community also with great schools.
The two most popular private schools are FW Country Day, and Trinity Valley.
There are so many fun things to do in FW...the zoo, botanic gardens, many great museums (Modern, Kimball, Amon Carter, Children's Museum (Science & History) and lots of great rstaurants. You must check out the FW Stock Show and Rodeo (don't worry, I'm not a cowgirl either, but the kids love it!!)
Good luck with your search and your move, and I hope you and your family enjoy Fort Worth!
N.
i've lived in fort worth most of my life. i would say that i prefer the sw area to any other area. tcu, hulen mall, ridgmar areas...all great! as for fort worth isd, every school district will have it's bad schools, but it's excellent schools as well. find out more about what specific schools might be in your area before you make the private/public choice. yes i am a fort worth isd graduate and proud of it. i got a fine education!
Hi M.,
I would recommend all of the following areas: Hurst (76053) or Bedford (76021 0r 76022) in the HEB school districts, North Richland Hills (Birdville school district/top 100 cities to live in US - 76180), Keller (a bit of a drive/high taxes, but nice to live in and good schools - 76248), Summer Fields area (N. Beach/Western Center and in Keller school district - 76137), Grapevine/Colleyville (Historic/good schools), and Southlake. I recommend checking out the pros/cons of each. Some may have good schools, but horrendous traffic to get to Ft. Worth and some may have good/bad areas. Be very selective and take your time! There is so much to do in the DFW area and living next to it isn't always a priority. Oh, and we used John Patterson with Keller Williams. He was honest, patient, and really worked to make sure we found the PERFECT house! His number is ###-###-#### and his e-mail ____@____.com was really wonderful!
Good LUCK!
Hi M.,
I've lived in several US cities and when we decided to "settle" in Fort Worth, we had a lot of things to consider. Commute to work was a big concern. Proximity to downtown (where I can access museums, water gardens, etc) was also a big concern. Are you from NY City? Or upstate New York?
What is important to you? If you and your husband want to be 20 minutes away from work and school, that will effect your choices. Do you like to eat out and go to entertainment events? If so, you may want to be close to downtown for the Bass Performance Hall and Casa Manana.
Fort Worth has the most choices for schooling that I have ever seen. In addition to the ISD (which, of course has good and bad schools), there is an arts academy that goes from Kindergarten to HIgh School. There are charter schools, public montessori schools, applied learning schools, and of course private schools: FW Country Day, All Saints, and several university-model (classical) based schools as well.
I can recommend a wonderful real estate agent. She worked so hard on our closing, which was a fiasco. She ended up paying $250 out of her commission just so we could close and we wouldn't have to pay more ourselves. She will find the right place for you and your family. Feel free to email me if you are interested.
Congratulations on the move. I think it's exciting to move. A new beginning.
Peace,
M.
www.yogapotential.com
Hello M.,
I am in Burleson which is just south of Fort Worth, but still somewhat in Tarrant County. Burleson is 15 min. from Downtown Ft. Worth and has a great school district. I live in the Southern Oaks addition where right now home prices are great for the size home you could obtain. The zip is 76028.
Crowley is a good Choice as well 76123. Far north Ft Worth is pretty in and around the Keller school district area. I am not sure of the zip code there. God bless and I hope you guys find the perfect spot.
My Husband is a Mortgage Broker if you need the help and I sell furniture if you need anything as well. If not and you just need some other assistance or advice just let me know and I'll do my best to help or assist.
Welcome to Texas!
M.,
Welcome to Texas! I have never been to New York, and only know the stereotypes. I am sure that is your current reference to Texas as well. You will find that the Fort Worth area is extremely laid back and friendly. I live in Grand Prairie, a suburb between Dallas and Fort Worth. I can tell you that Grand Prairie currently has wonderful property values compared to some of the surrounding areas. You can purchase more house for less money, and the southers part of Grand Prairie (where I live) is extremely close to Lake Joe Pool. Great boating, fishing, and camping. Our ZIP code here is 75052.
Best of luck as you make your move.
You can't go wrong if you look in the 76109 zip code. It is close to everything and if you don't want to live in a suburb and want to be a part of a city, consider having your agent show you houses in this area. I built a new home 10 years ago and I didn't want to leave our zip code.
Fort Worth is great but I agree about avoiding the Fort Worth ISD. You've received lots of recommendations for NE Tarrant County schools...Keller, Birdville, etc. Those are great schools if you can stand the traffic on that side of town. It's horrendous. But without knowing where your husband will be working and what your price range is, it's hard to give you advice. A good realtor is a must. They will be able to answer your questions. Here's one I recommend - great honest people:
http://www.sloanandsloanrealty.com/
And here's some info on the city:
http://www.fortworth.com/
Good luck and welcome to Cowtown!
Use the Texas Education Agency website to compare school districts.
http://deleon.tea.state.tx.us/sdl/Forms/
If you're considering private school for your children, look into Trinity Valley School. They offer a top-notch education.
http://www.trinityvalleyschool.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
There is a wonderful church here that is very involved in the community and would be able to provide resources for childcare, among other things. It is Christ Church in SW Fort Worth near I-20 and Granbury Road. ###-###-####. We have lived in SW F.W. for 3 yrs now and truly love it. There are good people here with good values. We live in the 76123 zip code which is near Crowley and Burleson, both great places. There is a great hospital (Huguley) in Burleson, about 15 minutes from us, that is 7th Day Adventist.
A number of people have mentioned the Mid-Cities. If you and your husband are going to be working in Fort Worth it will make for horrible traffic. If you want to live close to where you work, or more importantly a "quick drive" you will want to be in Fort Worth proper, Crowley, Burleson, White Settlement, or Aledo. You never know when you might have to go pick up a sick kid. I really like Grapevine, but it can take over an hour to get there from most areas of Fort Worth.
I have been in Fort Worth for 10 years now, and I have only lived in 2 zips- 76109 and 76132. Personally, I think these are the best 2 zips in the city. Other good areas are 76107 (Ridglea) and 76102 (Downtown). I know you just want to get multiple opinions, but you really need a good realtor.
Best of Luck!
Hi... Welcome to Fort Worth! The best area to live for public schools is definately 76109. Tanglewood Elementary is the best public school...rated EXEMPLARY. There are also several private schools in town.
