Aug 27, 2010 3
By: Kevin Buchanan
The third event of Fort Worth’s reborn Critical Mass group bike ride is tonight. As usual, participants will meet up at Burnett Park in Downtown Fort Worth at 7:00 PM for a laid-back, friendly group bike ride around the central city to spread good bike cheer and let Fort Worth see our burgeoning bike culture. Tonight’s ride will go around Downtown before heading into the Near Southside, then onward to the TCU/Bluebonnet Circle area before returning back through the Near Southside to Downtown.
Aug 13, 2010 Comments Off
By: Kevin Buchanan
Yoga for Cyclists resumes this Sunday! New time, same place. |. Yoga for Cyclists returns to Trinity Bicycles on South Main in the Near Southside this Sunday at 3:00 PM.
Aug 6, 2010 Comments Off
By: Kevin Buchanan
First Friday on the Green, the free live music series at Magnolia Green Park in the Near Southside, rolls out a big three-act lineup tonight. Starting at 7:00 PM, head to Magnolia Green Park (Lipscomb between Magnolia and Rosedale) to see performances by Quaker City Night Hawks, Fate Lions, and Chatterton. Admission is free, though Southside Church of Christ is this month’s charity and will be accepting donations of school supplies. And remember, no outside coolers or containers – food and drink sales, via Chadra Mezza & Grill, help support the concert series.
Aug 6, 2010 4
By: Kevin Buchanan
Just a friendly reminder that there will be a Modern Streetcar Project public meeting on Monday (August 9th), at the Intermodal Transportation Center in Downtown. The festivities start at 5:30 PM with an open house, followed by the meeting proper at 6:00 PM. Members of the Modern Streetcar Task Force will be on hand to provide information and answer questions about the current design process.
It’s important for there to be a strong public showing of support for the streetcar to keep it rolling forward, so if you’re in favor of effective modern central city transit for Fort Worth, stop by and check out the progress.
Aug 2, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
July’s Critical Mass group ride went off incredibly well, and drew a record attendance: over 100 riders took to the streets to promote cycling in Fort Worth. Contrary to the experience of Critical Mass in some other cities, where it is a confrontational event, Fort Worth’s Critical Mass is a positive celebration of cycling and the good it can do, and it’s a much more friendly and fun sort of atmosphere. Several riders carried signs thanking drivers for being patient and accommodating, and the group got a very positive response the whole way.
Here are some photos of the event from its starting point at Burnett Park in Downtown, and the initial departure by the group:
Jul 30, 2010 3
By: Kevin Buchanan
Last night’s tour of the Ridglea Theater by Historic Fort Worth went off really well. They had over 200 people attend, making it the largest by a pretty big margin of all the tours they’ve done. Had the chance to meet with Levi Weaver, who’s trying to round up investors and make a go of purchasing the Ridglea before it can fall to Bank of America’s demolition crews. He comes across as really dedicated to saving the place – let’s hope he can pull it off. Things haven’t improved on the city side – Councilman Zimmerman still won’t move forward with designation, and in fact indications are he’s dead-set on seeing the building meet the wrecking ball for some reason.
So, here are some photos from yesterday’s tour. Historic Fort Worth had to divide everybody into smaller groups due to the volume of people, and we went with architect John T. Roberts, he of the Fort Worth Architecture web site fame. The Ridglea is in really quite decent condition – you’ll see some water damage in some of the last shots in an upstairs area, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. I’ve seen far, far worse buildings get restored in Fort Worth. It would truly be a shame to lose the building, especially for such a regression as a drive-through bank branch that’s at odds with Ridglea’s position as an Urban Village. And if the Ridglea falls, where will it end? Will the rest of the original Ridglea Village complex, built as a group by A. C. Luther, be wiped out for bank branches, strip malls, and other trappings of generic suburbia? There’s nothing stopping it.
Please, everybody, keep pressure up on the Fort Worth City Council to get the building designated. And be sure to visit Levi Weaver’s site, RidgleaTheater.org, to learn more about the efforts to save the building.
Click on the photos for a larger view.
Jul 28, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
Got word that there’s a free concert tonight at Magnolia Green Park in the Near Southside (on Lipscomb between Magnolia and Rosedale). Broadway Baptist Church is sponsoring the event, and will be accepting donations of canned fruits & veggies, socks, travel size toiletries, and school supplies.
Tonight’s concert features Shields-Collins Bray, pianist with the Fort Worth Symphony. Bring blankets or chairs and a picnic dinner (no food sales here as at First Friday on the Green). Park opens at 6:00 PM, concert runs from 7:30-8:15.
Jul 15, 2010 4
By: Kevin Buchanan
Here’s a detour from Fort Worth coverage – took a field trip to the Bastille Day street festival in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts District to see how they did with a real, close-the-street-and-have-a-party street festival type event. It seems planners were expecting around 300 people to come, but more like 1,000 showed up. It was popular, in other words.
Bishop was closed for a couple of blocks in the heart of the district. One portion was lined with tents for the mussel cooking competition that would be held later in the evening. There were also wine-related events, and of course the many and varied merchants of the Bishop Arts District were participating as well.
At this end of the street, parking for bicycles and scooters was set up:
There were plenty of both, especially bikes (which spilled out across the rest of the Bishop Arts District as the parking area filled up).
The event was filled with, as our friends at Walkable DFW pointed out, Texans doing exactly what some people would have you believe Texans would never do – walking, riding bikes, socializing, and playing in an urban public setting, even when it’s hot.
Build spaces for people, and watch as people come from all over to use them thanks to our shortage of great places designed around human beings.
Outside of the core festival area, the sidewalks were bustling with life.
In the second half of the festival area, the street had been taken over by games. One end held a biggie-sized chess board, while the rest of the space featured a dirt bocce ball field.
Bikes & bocce ball – always a fun combination for photos.
Crowds were impressive, and I’m betting the businesses were loving it – they were all packed.
Lovely cruisers parked at the other end of the street.
The view down the festival.
The always-tasty Eno’s was packed to the rafters with activity.
It was an impressive showing, and a big congratulations go to Oak Cliff organizers and activists for creating such a wonderful street festival.
It’s definitely the sort of thing we’d love to see in Fort Worth more often – more intimate and grassroots than the events around here tend to be. The Bishop Arts District is a great example of a maturing Urban Village, with a variety of housing and retail destinations in a human-scaled, human-oriented form.
Jul 2, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
Just got the following note from Fort Worth South about tonight’s First Friday on the Green in the Near Southside:
The bad news: Tonight’s 1st Friday on the Green has been cancelled. The forecast calls for rain, and the park is already soaked. We need to keep the park in good shape.
The good news: We bet these bands will play again, and we’ll come back strong August 6th! For a good time tonight, 1st Friday vendor Chadra Mezza & Grill will have their amazing buffet going at 1622 Park Place. See you next month!
Disappointing, but understandable since Magnolia Green Park is already soaked due to previous rains.
Jun 30, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
The West 7th development is putting on a free concert tonight at Crockett & Norwood, in one of the few undeveloped lots of their project. Starting at 6:00 PM, they’ll be showcasing acts both local and from the larger Texas area. The lineup is thus:
6:00 PM: Kevin Aldridge of Chatterton
7:00 PM: Luke Wade
8:00 PM: Doug Moreland
Bring blankets and lawn chairs. Terra Mediterranean Grill will be selling food and drink. Other participating merchants include Pure Bliss Therapeutic Massage, LA Fitness, Yofé Fresh Fruit & Yogurt Cafe, Backwoods, Paciugo, and Toni & Guy.
Jun 25, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
Do you like music? Sure, we all do. Since you do, you’ll want to head over to the web site of the Fort Worth Weekly, where the nominees for the annual Fort Worth Weekly Music Awards are online.
What’s more, the Weekly’s Music Awards extravaganza is this Sunday, at six clubs around 7th Street: The Backyard at Capital Bar, Fred’s Texas Café, Lola’s Saloon, Poag Mahone’s, The Pour House, and 7th Haven. The show is free, and is going to feature 36 Fort Worth artists (all are nominees): The Orbans, Calhoun, Dove Hunter, Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Josh Weathers and the True+Endeavors, The Burning Hotels, Stella Rose, Goodwin, Clint Niosi, Rivercrest Yacht Club, Stoogeaphilia, Eaton Lake Tonics,Pinkish Black, Quaker City Nighthawks, The Dangits, Chatterton, Fate Lions, Titanmoon, Rabbit’s Got the Gun, KatsüK, Maren Morris, Exit 380, Cityview, The Phuss, The Will Callers, Jefferson Colby, Keegan McInroe, Browningham, Secret Ghost Champion, JZ & Dirty Pool, Phantom Caste, Kristina Morland, My Wooden Leg, Jason Worley, Christian L. Williams, and Vatican Press.
The full schedule and festival program can be found in the current Weekly. If you’re big on local, independent music, you’ll want to check out the Weekly’s festival.
Jun 3, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
A reminder that tomorrow night is the June edition of First Friday on the Green (PDF link) in the Near Southside, a great free live music series put on in Magnolia Green Park. For June, First Friday will be featuring Seryn, Doug Burr, and Calhoun.
Music starts at 6:00 PM. Magnolia Green Park is located on Lipscomb between Magnolia & Rosedale and is easily accessible by walking, bicycle, and the #4 bus. The June charity is Tarrant Area Food Bank’s Pet Food Bank, which will be accepting donations of pet food (either bags or cans). Chadra Mezza & Grill will be on hand serving food and drink – remember, outside coolers and containers are not allowed, as proceeds from food & drink sales support the concert series.
So tomorrow night, get out there and enjoy what should be another great First Friday on the Green.
May 28, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
If you’d like to attend this year’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at the Colonial, but would like to do it in a healthy, environmentally friendly, congestion-reducing manner, the good folks at Streams and Valleys, Inc. have got you covered. Streams and Valleys is providing free, secure, covered parking for bicycles at the Colonial on Saturday and Sunday, whether you use the Trinity Trails or city streets to ride there.
The Streams and Valleys Go Green! tent is just off the trails, at Rogers Road & Colonial Parkway. Check in at that tent, and your bike will be securely locked up while you can enjoy a beverage. For each person registered at the tent, the Crowne Plaza Invitational will donate $10 to Streams and Valleys for their work on improving the Trinity River and the Trinity Trails.
This is a great service from Streams and Valleys, and it’s wonderful to see even more traditional Fort Worth institutions like the Colonial embracing alternate transportation. For more info, check out the page at the Streams and Valleys site.
May 21, 2010 19
By: Kevin Buchanan
Time for the “free beer” part of the first ever Walkable DFW/Fort Worthology join Car-Free Happy Hour tonight at Houston Street Bar & Patio. The first person to comment with the identity of this city and arrive at the Happy Hour car-free (walking, bicycling, transit, or some combination of the three) gets a free beer. Everybody else – still have to pay for beer, but we hope you stop by anyway. It’s from, oh, say, 5:30 until whenever, Houston Street Bar & Patio in Downtown near the Convention Center.
Not getting a lot of hints today on this city. It’s in Europe (obviously), and is a beautiful example of human-scaled walkable urbanism. Plus, they love their bikes. Guess the city!
May 20, 2010 Comments Off
By: Kevin Buchanan
Tomorrow marks the first joint Walkable Dallas-Fort Worth/Fort Worthology Car-Free Happy Hour, and it’s being held in Fort Worth. Downtown, more specifically, due to the proximity of the ITC and timing of trains for Dallas visitors. Bonus points: it’s a place that’s outside of the gaping maw of Sundance Square – the Houston Street Bar & Patio, on Houston Street (of course) in “SoDo” near the Convention Center.
Tomorrow, both sites will post images from traditional urban cities and ask commenters to guess the city being shown. First to correctly guess and to arrive at the Happy Hour location car-free gets a free beer. Otherwise, join us for urbanism/transit/walkability/bicycle/etc. chat.
Details on the TRE for people headed from Dallas, from Walkable Dallas-Fort Worth:
Departure times from Union Station in Downtown Dallas (if you are catching it somewhere else, you are on your own…fortunately, I have the link):
Westbound from Union Station:
4:35 pm
4:55 pm
5:15 pm *
5:35 pm *
5:55 pm *
6:22 pm
6:57 pm* recommended
Where we will get off at the second to last stop along the line.
…
Departure times to get back to Dallas unless you drank too much to catch the train and decide to stay
on the streetin a downtown Fort Worth hotel (you know who you are). And if that is the case, then you are doin’ work and I salute you:Eastbound from Fort Worth Intermodal:
7:46 pm
9:12 pm
10:38 pmFare information:
We will be traversing through 2-zones in the TRE lexicon which equates to a one-way fare of $3.75 or $7.50 for a day pass.
Apr 30, 2010 5
By: Kevin Buchanan
From time to time, it can be useful to set aside the ages-old feud between Fort Worth and Dallas and have some fun. That’s why we’re happy to announce that we’re joining forces with Dallas-based fellow urbanism/transit blog Walkable D/FW to bring you a special edition of their customary Friday Happy Hour meetups on May 21st.
For the first time, Walkable D/FW plans to bring their Happy Hour to Fort Worth, and we’re going to be helping out. At a drink spot somewhere in urban Fort Worth to be announced, we’d like to see Fort Worth urbanists/bike lovers/transit folks/anybody interested in walkable, livable neighborhoods to join us for drinks and chat.
Now, usually, Walkable D/FW offers a free beer to…well, here’s how they put it:
It is also often orchestrated with a free beer from me to the first person who guesses the City shown in various imagery and hints of the City’s history, origins, demographics, morphology, yadda yadda.
The rules typically state that one must be the first person in the comments to correctly identify the city shown *and* arrive at the event car-free to claim your free beer. What is perhaps being hinted at here is that in honor of this newfound, alcohol-fueled spirit of camaraderie between our two cities, there might be TWO cities to guess and TWO free beers on the offering – one from Walkable D/FW, and one from us.
Perhaps? Maybe? We’ll find out! We’re giving people some lead time to allow Dallasites the planning time to get to Fort Worth car-free. Stay tuned for more details to come.
Apr 29, 2010 2
By: Kevin Buchanan
Russ and Laura from PathLessPedaled.com stopped in Fort Worth on their cross-country bike ride, and set up shop at Trinity Bicycles in South Main Village in the Near Southside for a presentation of lessons they’ve learned, stories they’ve found, and photos they’ve taken on the meandering journey they’ve been on from Portland, OR through the United States. The presentation was a lot of fun, talking about how they’ve adjusted to a new life on the road and about all the interesting people they’ve met along the way. There was even a video with a song by a man they met somewhere during the trip, set to photos and video taken while on the move. After the presentation, Russ and Laura did a Q&A with the audience, taking all sorts of questions from “what’s your staple food?” to “how do you maintain the web site while out in the wilderness?”
And what an audience it was. If there was any doubt that Fort Worth is at last developing a real bike culture of its own, seeing the crowd gathered at Trinity Bicycles should put that to rest. The shop was packed with bike fans of all ages and backgrounds (including families). In fact, we’ve learned that this was the largest presentation that Russ and Laura have done thus far – 103 attendees! After the presentation had concluded, before they moved into the Q&A, the audience gave Russ and Laura a wild, loud round of cheers and applause, which got even more excited when Russ compared the Fort Worth crowd to the Austin crowd they’d spoken to before:
Wow, you guys kicked Austin’s ass!
All in all, it was a very informative and entertaining show, and we wish Russ and Laura continued good luck on their incredible cross-country bike expedition. Make sure to check out their site, PathLessPedaled.com.
Also a treat to see last night: the sheer number of bicycles in attendance, which were lashed to signs and light posts. It shows nicely the need for more, better bicycle parking in Fort Worth under the Bike Fort Worth plan:
Many thanks to our friends at Trinity Bicycles for getting Russ & Laura to give Fort Worth a chance to see their presentation. To view more images, click the thumbnails below.
Apr 28, 2010 2
By: Kevin Buchanan
Don’t forget – tonight is the night when Laura and Russ from PathLessPedaled.com are stopping in Fort Worth for a chat about their cross-country bike journey. They’ll be at Trinity Bicycles in the Near Southside from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM – that’s at 207 South Main, not far from the T&P train station.
Apr 27, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
Laura and Russ are riding their bikes across America, looking for interesting sights and people and chronicling them at PathLessPedaled.com. Tomorrow night, their journey will bring them to the Near Southside, where they’ll set up shop at Trinity Bicycles in South Main Village to discuss lessons they’ve learned out on the road, share some incredible photos of the trip, and have a Q&A with the audience about the experience.
Stop by Trinity Bicycles at 207 South Main tomorrow, Wednesday April 27th, from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, for what should prove to be a very cool night of bike awesomeness. They’ve set up a Facebook event so you can let them know if you’re coming.
Apr 22, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
It’s that time of year again – this Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, is Prairie Fest at Tandy Hills Natural Area. As usual, a wide variety of artists, conservationists, green businesses, and musicians will be gathering at Fort Worth’s natural prairie habitat for a day of fun and music. Tours of Tandy Hills will be held from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This year’s lineup of bands:
Brave Combo
Katsuk
Trigger Fish
Kerri Arista
Blackland River Devils
The Ackermans
Fort Worth Scottish Pipes & Drums
Brazen Bellies
Walking Contradictions
Joe Pat Hennan
Barbara Taylor
Oops
Mimi Kayl-Vaughan
For more, check out Prairie Fest’s web site.
Apr 16, 2010 1
By: Kevin Buchanan
Tonight marks the not-quite-Grand-Opening-more-like-Sneak-Preview of the Near Southside’s newest bike shop, Trinity Bicycles. To celebrate, they’re inviting everybody to come to the shop at 207 S. Main (ground floor of the Sawyer Building apartments, next door to Robert Kelly Architects) for a night of fun and beer, as well as the Lonestar Goldsprints. What are the Goldsprints? They’re a league of stationary bike racers. The way it works is that there’s a setup of stationary bikes, and people ride in competition. Large screens are set up behind them, showing how far each rider has gone on the stationary bike. The audience shouts encouragement and other helpful/non-helpful participation, since the competitors can’t see the screens.
The best part is that you can compete – registration starts tonight at 6:00 PM and racing starts not long after. So, stop by Trinity Bicycles tonight to get a sneak preview of our newest local bike shop and to watch/participate in the Goldsprints. Hope to see a lot of folks turn out.
Apr 9, 2010 Comments Off
By: Kevin Buchanan
A reminder from the Department of Cool Things: Modern ’til Midnight is tomorrow night. Running from 6:00 PM to midnight (obviously), the Modern will be open for one of their always-fun parties/gallery showings featuring live music, cocktails, extended hours for Cafe Modern, special activities, and more.
This iteration’s live music list is the following:
In the lobby: DJ Gabriel and DJ Gwendolyn
Outside:
7:00 PM – Monastary
7:50 – Ben Jones
8:50 – The Orbans
9:50 – Seryn
10:50 – Warpaint
At 8:30 PM, the museum will show the film I Shot Andy Warhol.
In addition, there is a costume contest if you’re so inclined: dress like your favorite ’80s celebrity for a chance to win prizes.
Admission is $15, or free for Modern members.
Apr 2, 2010 Comments Off
By: Kevin Buchanan
Just a friendly reminder that the first First Friday on the Green of 2010 is tonight at 6:00 PM at Magnolia Green Park in the Near Southside, on Lipscomb between Magnolia and Rosedale. Featured tonight are Fort Worth’s own Darrin Kobetich and headline act The Gourds from Austin. Admission is free, food and drinks can be purchased at Chadra Mezza’s booth (please, no outside cooler or containers – food and beverage sales help support First Friday on the Green). In addition, Fort Worth South will be running a donation drive to raise money to install two five-bike racks in the park.
Apr 1, 2010 Comments Off
By: Kevin Buchanan
The awesome First Friday on the Green free concert series in the Near Southside returns tomorrow night. Starting at 6:00 PM, come to Magnolia Green Park on Lipscomb between Magnolia and Rosedale for a free concert. The opening act is Fort Worth’s own Darrin Kobetich, and the headliner is The Gourds, who hail from Austin.
The show starts at 6:00 PM. Admission is free. Food & beverages are available to buy, with the tasty items coming from the Near Southside’s own Chadra Mezza & Grill. Please, no outside coolers or containers – food & beverage sales are what helps keep First Friday going. Bring yourself, your family, friends, and well-behaved dogs and some chairs/blankets for a great night of free music under the evening Near Southside sky.
One more note – Fort Worth South will be running a donation drive to get two five-bike racks installed in Magnolia Green Park. Donations can be made at the Fort Worth South table at the concert.
Mar 27, 2010 2
By: Kevin Buchanan
Another quick note about today’s big Fort Worth Sings For Haiti concert today at Magnolia Green Park from noon to 10:00 tonight – you’ll be able to ride your bike to the concert and have plenty of places to park it. The Near Southside’s own Trinity Bicycles is setting up a bike parking corral at the concert. Look for them today near the park’s boundary.
Recent Comments