Metroplexing

Behind This Wall - The Hidden Section of Fort Worth's Water Garden

What's behind this wall on Lancaster Avenue and why should we tear it down?

In 2001, The Highway Department removed the outdated portion of Interstate 30 over Lancaster Avenue, rebuilding it on the south side of the old T&P Terminal.

The east bound lanes of Lancaster Avenue, in the shadow of the old freeway.

With the removal of the freeway and the acquisition of 4 additional acres of right of way, the city pounced on an opportunity to revitalize Lancaster into a grand avenue. Sidewalks were widened and landscaped. A series of dramatic sculptures adorned the median. Condos and apartments popped up and future developments are actively being pursued.

Lancaster Avenue during the early days of revitalization.

Even though the city worked passionately to remove any sign of the interstate, one relic remained. A wall on the north side of Lancaster between Main and Houston Streets. At one time the wall butted up against the street, keeping what was on the other side separate from the traffic outside.

The wall between Houston and Main on Lancaster Ave.

What I saw when I peeked over the wall.

I decided to climb the small ledge and peek over the wall. Behind it laid one of the few, if only, green spaces in downtown Fort Worth, an overlooked area of the Water Gardens called The Stage. I asked a bicycle cop patrolling the area if many people used this lawn. He replied that a few people come here at lunch, but he couldn't remember any organized activity ever using the lawn or the stage.

   At one time, walling off this area made sense. Lancaster Avenue was a pedestrians nightmare, noisy, dark and filled with the fumes trapped by the overhead freeway. The Water Gardens were designed to be the antithesis to the noise and exhaust.
   But the southern end of downtown has changed immensely sense the Gardens were designed. Not only has the freeway been moved, but apartments, hotels, condos, landscaped sidewalks and a law school are now neighbors with the park. It might be time to examine tearing down the wall on the Lancaster and altering the area.

PROS:

1: The park has entrances on every side but the Lancaster Avenue side. With the freeway gone and the addition of new development, it make sense to open up the remaining side.

2: There is a lack of green space in downtown. One can argue that this space already exists and this wouldn't add any additional space. But this beautiful area is hidden. Even if you're in the Water Gardens, you could easily over look it, being that it is on the other side of a large feature called The Mountain.
   Removing the wall would not only create an inviting public space, it would also create more access to the park.

Most Water Garden visitors never find lawn, unless they follow these steps behind The Mountain

CONS:

1. The Water Gardens were designed by noted architect Phillip Johnson and it would be wrong to alter his original design. An interesting argument but not a valid one. The Water Gardens have already been altered for safety issues. And it had a major alteration when the Convention Center was expanded on the west side, creating a new entrance into the Gardens.

2: Altering the Water Gardens would create added cost to an already stretched city budget. True, the city budget is a bit tight, but the park was created with funds from the Amon Carter Foundation. Plus downtown as TIF funds that can be used for the project. There are ways to acquire funding.

It's a simple project that could yield beautiful results.

The newest entrance to the Water Garden, created after the Convention Center expanded.

The Water Garden's Quiet Pool

The Aerating Pool, which was also altered for safety concerns.

The signature Active Pool.

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Dallas' Hidden Oasis; aka 'The Redneck Country Club'

At the end of this overgrown, bumpy road in east Dallas, you'll find the 'Redneck Country Club"

   Let me start by saying that I love to swim. I carry trunks in my car, just in case the opportunity arises, lest I be unprepared. Not having my own swimming pool though leaves me few options.
   I could go to the public pool in Lakewood. But an unaccompanied adult male hanging at the public pool, that looks a little weird.

  Being new to East Dallas, a neighbor suggested I try the 'Redneck Country Club'. The RCC is the nickname given to the Eagles Lodge 3108 which graciously allows their east Dallas neighbors to use their pool for a mere $7.00. The only problem, even though it's really close to the Dallas Arboretum, you'd only find it if you had really good directions.

Follow this obscure road and look for the sign below

When you see this, you know you've found it.

Once you do find it, you may balk at the $7.00 entrance fee. But it's well worth it when you consider that the Eagles Lodge has a liquor license. This is a really big deal in east Dallas, which had been dry for over 50 years. Not only can you buy a beer and lay out by the pool, but you can also buy mixed drinks! And you don't have to show your unicard, like you did at the only other bar in East Dallas, Chili's.

The Oasis of East Dallas

Be prepared for a scene unlike any in Dallas. First, you must walk through the Eagles Lodge Bar to pay and get your adult wrist band. Be prepared to feel as if you walked back to 1971. The photos of past Eagles presidents look down upon you and proudly proclaim that the city's smoking ordinance isn't enforced here.

Out by the pool you'll notice perhaps the most unusual mix of people in Dallas. Families with young kids, retired Eagles Lodge member and tattooed hipsters who found the last place in North Texas to smoke. (warning, there is a lot of smoking here, just like in 1971). But who cares; the weather's hot and the pool and the beer are cold. Come on over and enjoy a swim.

To find the Eagles Lodge, turn east onto Lakeland Drive from Garland Road (across for the Dallas Arboretum). Cross the train tracks and then right on Arturo Road. Take Arturo past the overgrown vacant lots, the home with the horse pen and abandoned house, to the dirt road into the Lodge grounds. Or follow this map. Park anywhere.

For more information on Eagle Lodge 3108, click here

Update -2018

It's been 7 years since I wrote the original post. A few things have changed since 2011. First it's now $10 to visit during the weekends.

Secondly, East Dallas has passed new liquor laws and you no longer need the Unicard to get a drink at Chilis. In fact, there are numerous place that now serve liquor in East Dallas. The added competition has done little to temper the popularity of the Eagle's pool. It's seem more popular than ever, and they have added a number of outdoor bars for the weekends.

And t is still one of the last place is Dallas that allows smoking. There is still a lot of smoking here.

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Downtown Fort Worth's Forgotten Gem

(Note: This Friday I will be participating in Over the Edge, a fundraiser for Downtown Fort Worth Inc. The rehabilitation on this forgotten downtown park is one of the project DFWI is working on. This story was originally published in January 2011)

Can you have a city park designed by a prominent landscape architect and have nobody notice when it closes? The answer is yes, which is easy to understand when you consider that few people have ever noticed that the park even existed. What makes this story so unbelievable is that the park is on a busy downtown corner across the street from the Tarrant County Courthouse.

Heritage Park was opened on the corner of Belknap and Main in downtown Fort Worth to commemorate the founding of the original military post in 1849. The park, designed by noted architect Lawrence Halprin, opened in 1976. It featured numerous water features intermingled with shaded paths and a cantilevered walkway built over the bluff overlooking the Trinity River.

But even though the park was located on a busy intersection, it was one with little foot traffic. Few people noticed Heritage Park. And even fewer noticed in 2007 when the park fell into disrepair and was closed.

It's been three years since the park has closed. But there is little public uproar to reopen the grounds. I contacted the city of Fort Worth and received a reply from Fernando Costa, the Assistant City Manager. He wrote that the city is working with Downtown Fort Worth Inc. to raise funds to repair and upgrade the park. But in the past three years, little has been done. Meanwhile, the park is slowly being taking over by nature.

The cantilevered walkway can still be seen on the bluff above the Trinity, even though the trees have begun to block the view.

The Water Wall behind chain link.

An ironic caption 'The Vision Endures" on the sign outside the park

A Water Wall that includes the map of the original settlement sits behind chain link.

An urban oasis on the other side of the fence.

A diminished view of the park from the Main Street Street Bridge.

The Forgotten Mansions of Fair Park

   That's right, I said Fair Park.

   Fair Park, as in Corny Dogs, Big Tex and 'Oh my God, is my car going to be here when I get back?"

   Many feel that Fair Park is not the safest part of Dallas. But did you know that some of the most beautiful homes in Dallas are neighbors to the Fair Grounds?

If you take I-45 and exit Martin Luther King Boulevard to get to Fair Park, you might have noticed some rather large older homes on MLK that have been converted to businesses.
This was my first clue to take a left and see if there might be any other large homes in the area. Much to my surprise, I found a hidden gem, the Park Row - South Boulevard Historic District.

These two streets were once home to the most prominent Jewish families in Dallas during the first part of the twentieth century. Anchoring this neighborhood was the Temple Emanu-el at the corner of Harwood and South Blvd. A few blocks away sat Forest Avenue High School, the finest and best equipped high school in the city.

The community was home to some of Dallas' most prominent citizens, like the Sanger Brothers (Sanger - Harris Department Stores) and Linz family (Linz Jewelers). Many of the homes were designed by the most noted architects of the era.

After World War II, the neighborhood declined rapidly. US - 175 was built, splitting Park Row and South Boulevard in two. Temple Emanu-el moved to a new location in North Dallas. One by one, the Jewish families left for Highland Park and North Dallas.

Some of the homes were bought by distinguished members of the black community, others became boarding houses, and some were torn down or simply fell into disrepair.

In the 1970's the city of Dallas designated Park Row - South Boulevard as a historic district. Many of the homes have been restored to their prior elegance. Others have either decayed due to neglect or have simply vanished.

Not all of the homes have been restored. (below) The lonely front steps to no where are the only clue that a house once sat here.

Each year, hundreds of thousands visit Fair Park via I-45 , but few realize that these historic homes are just blocks away from the Cotton Bowl exit. (Sadly, the vacant Neo- Classical Temple Emanu-el was torn down in 1972 when I-45 was built) But there are still a few clues that this once was one of Dallas most exclusive neighborhoods.

The majestic campus of Forest Avenue High School still sits today on Martin Luther King Boulevard, renamed James Madison High. The Linz Mansion on the corner of Ervay and South Boulevard is still there, but operates today as a funeral home and many of the fine homes of Park Row and South Boulevard have survived. Next time you head out to the Fair, take a few minutes to drive through the district and discover a part of Dallas that few State Fair goers have ever seen.

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Downtown McKinney - What Took Me So Long?

I have always been a fan of metroplex downtowns . Mesquite, Plano, Irving and Carrolton have all grown past their humble beginnings as a small town. But if you search, you can find their original downtowns. Some are quaint, some have become home to antique shops and a restuarant or two, but few could be called vibrant.

But vibrant is exactly the word I would choose for downtown McKinney. I am bit embarrassed that I haven't found it before. (It is a pretty for from Fort Worth, where I lived for most of the past many years) But next to downtown Fort Worth, I can't think of another downtown that has this much to offer. I snapped a few pictures Saturday night when I discovered downtown McKinney for the first time.