By Alisa Maples

I live in Ridglea North in west Fort Worth. I’m not from Fort Worth but my husband, Alan, grew up here on the west side. That brought us to Ridglea, and we don’t want to live anywhere else!

Since we married, we have lived in three homes in Ridglea North, all in the 6000 block on three different streets. We bought our current home in 1996 in anticipation of the birth of our first child. Years later, with two teenage boys and the need to care for my mother, we moved to a larger home in Ridglea Country Club Estates so my mother could have her own space. After more than 10 years, the boys were in college at Texas A&M and my mom, needing more constant care, moved to Brookdale Westover. No longer needing so much space for only two of us, my husband and I moved back to our little house in Ridglea North, which we had leased during our years away.

Downsizing was only one of the reasons we returned to Ridglea. We also returned to many of the same wonderful neighbors. The same postman was so happy to catch us up on all the news of the street. The trees, the varied architecture of the homes, the sounds of the planes practicing at the Naval Air Station (we still call it Carswell), the public library, Berney Park, the friends we had missed — all were reasons to return. We’re back home. We love being here. 

We’re minutes from downtown, the museum district and many trailheads to the Trinity Trails. We are minutes from Clearfork, Dickies and both of our offices. We appreciate the ease of getting from place to place here. We’re within walking distance of the library, two grocery stores, the drugstore, and many wonderful restaurants. Our favorite spot for cocktails is The Basement Lounge, a swanky little hideaway a few blocks away. My husband walks daily to pick up his iced tea at McAlister’s Deli where they have his order ready for him as he walks through the door. He also makes frequent withdrawals from the Little Free Library book-sharing boxes found throughout the neighborhood. We’re close enough to William Monnig Middle School to hear the passing bell and sounds of field day. I see parents and grandmothers walking little ones to Mary Louise Phillips Elementary School in the mornings on my way to work. Archie’s Gardenland is a hidden gem with a secret little restaurant within the gorgeous grounds of the garden center.

People here spend a lot of time outdoors and in their front yards which makes it easy to stop and chat. Young parents push strollers, and folks walk their dogs and exercise in the quiet streets. Berney Park is always busy! T-ball and soccer practices fill the park during the week, and on the weekends it’s full of soccer games, birthday parties and all kinds of fun. 

This neighborhood has large, grand homes as well as smaller starter homes that were built after World War II. In our case, our starter home will also be our finishing home. There is a great mix of younger and older people in the big and little houses. We are surrounded by majestic oak trees, but we also have Berney Park’s open green space which is so important to a vibrant neighborhood.

We have a great neighborhood association that holds events all year, such as National Night Out, a Fourth of July parade, Christmas caroling at the park and special events for families. The local businesses on Camp Bowie are very generous with sponsorships and support. There is an active mom’s club, a yard of the month award and volunteering opportunities at the elementary school.

For us, living here is simple. The people are friendly and caring and constant. The varied styles of the homes are interesting as are the people living in them. The convenience of the location in the midst of busy Fort Worth is a blessing. For my husband, it’s also nostalgic. This is where he is home. As a young wife back in the 1990s, I didn’t quite understand the lure (and necessity) of living on the west side of Fort Worth. But now, I get it — it’s the perfect place.

Alisa and Alan Maples, office manager and lawyer, have lived in the Ridglea North neighborhood since not long after they married in 1990.

Ridglea North

Total population: 4,234
Female: 42% | Male: 58%

Age
0-9: 10%
10-19: 12%
20-29: 15%
30-39: 24%
40-49: 7%
50-59: 10%
60-69: 11%
70-79: 7%
80 and older: 4%

Education
No degree: 10%
High school: 10%
Some college: 25%
Bachelor’s degree: 35%
Post-graduate: 20%

Race
White: 52% | Hispanic: 22% | Black: 21% | Asian: 4% | Two or more: 1%

Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings:

Source: Census Reporter

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