West is Among the Best for Culture and shopping-and dining delights

West is Among the Best for Culture and Shopping-and-Dining Delights by Michael H. Price H“Happy to follow the bumpy brick road,” reads a newspaper headline from 1981 — a lasting assertion that Camp Bowie Boulevard’s historic brick pavement must endure, and never mind the occasional traffic-engineering idea of modernizing the pathway with tury, the west side overall has seen its very skyline change with the transformation of a busy West 7th Street into a streamlined conduit connecting the downtown area’s Sundance Square development with the Cultural District. Heading west (naturally) from concrete and asphalt. downtown Fort Worth, one finds the Cultural Now as then, seekers of entertainment, District radiating from the intersection where adventure, and dining experiences remain Seventh Street crosses University Drive and,

“happy to follow the bumpy brick road,” as a in the process, morphs into the historic, brickprincipal gateway to Fort Worth’s west side paved Camp Bowie Boulevard. and its many commercial and civic offshoots. Visitors in search of western-style dis-

The attractions range from a burgeoning coveries — from plain-and-fancy dining, to

West 7th Street district to a broadening cul- fine art and varied entertainment — will find tural and historical district – connecting such delights in volume on the west side. southward with University Park Village, west- Cultural attractions, restaurants, mainstream ward with the Chapel Hill shopping-and- and special-interest shopping, and lavish entertainment development, and branching natural gardens flourish as a reminder of out further with new moviegoing venues, how Fort Worth has built upon its frontier boutique eateries, and varied opportunities for origins. Several of the world’s finer museums, strolling and sightseeing amid architectural playhouses and galleries anchor a vast Cultural innovations on a comfortably human scale. District. The hand-laid red-brick pavement Pioneering publisher and civic booster of Camp Bowie Boulevard is an attraction in

Amon Carter characterized Fort Worth as itself, lined with an ever-expanding array of

“where the West begins.” And for locals and art galleries, stage-and-screen auditoriums, visitors alike, the west side marks the begin- boutiques, scholarly museums, restaurants and ning of that beginning: The West hardly lounges, and shopping malls. could have picked a keener starting point One long-standing favorite, Domain than Fort Worth. XCIV, 3100 W. 7th Street, originated in

Prominent among the newer landmarks 1994 along Camp Bowie Boulevard. Persistent is Dickies Arena, a versatile 14,000-seat growth has led to a 6,500-square-foot showshowplace named after the Fort Worth- case, combining fine furniture and vintage based manufacturer of workplace clothing. European treasures and accessories. Collections

Located at 1911 Montgomery Street within include Theodore Alexander, Wesley Hall, the Will Rogers Memorial Center, Dickies and Guild Master. Domain XCIV has

Arena complements and expands the scope long supplied anchorage for the villageof the adjacent Will Rogers Complex, pro- within-a-city developments of the West 7th viding a new home for the Fort Worth Stock Street area.

Show Rodeo. A newly settled popular attraction, the And Fort Worth, in turn, hardly could Grand Berry Theatre at 2712 Weisenberger have picked a site more right for its burgeon- Drive, emerges as a showplace for indepening west side Cultural District. Rippling with dent and art-house motion pictures, comheavy-duty commercial, artistic, and residen- plementing the mainstream Hollywood tial growth since the dawn of the 21st cen- movies at Movie Tavern West 7th and

enhancing the art-film fare that the Modern Art Museum has brought since the early 2000s via its Magnolia at the Modern screening series. The Grand Berry is an early example of the expanding entertainment potential of the historic Foundry District, located north of Montgomery Plaza.

Farther along to the west of the west, the newly dedicated Como Community Center’s $12 million complex at 4660 Horne Street has installed a gymnasium, a library, after-school activity centers, and all-ages activity programs.

Luncheon attractions, sparked by the addition of Alabama-based Chicken Salad Chick in Ridglea Village, have grown to include such established draws as Blue

Bonnet Bakery, Feastivities, Secret Garden

Restaurant, and The Lunch Box. Wild Acre Brewing Co. has opened a Camp Bowie location to complement its downtown home base. A longtime popular favorite, Ol’ South Pancake House at 1509 S. University Drive, anchors the lower reaches of the west-by-south side and lends a sense of history to the immediate area’s dining opportunities.

University Park Village, too, is rich in variety — a high-end shopping district offering such popular brands as Ann

Taylor, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn,

Anthropogenie, and lululemon, among casual and fine-dining experiences alike, and the high-tech wonderland of the Apple Store.

The Cultural District

The Fort Worth Museum of Science & History commands the westward view of the district from Montgomery Street, and just northward are additional cultural touchstones: Designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art houses a definitive collection of American paintings, photography, and sculpture. The collection spans early nineteenth-century art to mid-twentieth century modernism. It is also home to nearly 400 works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Nearby is the Kimbell Art Museum still living up to Newsweek’s description as “arguably the most beautiful museum in America” including its new Renzo Piano Pavilion addition. The neighboring Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is the oldest such museum in Texas — housed in a work-of-art 2002 building designed by world-renowned Japanese architect, Tadao Ando, and featuring bold gallery exhibitions, concert attractions and, every weekend, leading-edge independentstudio films.

The Museum of Science & History, anchoring a campus within the Cultural District, has been designed by similarly renowned architects Ricardo and Victor Legorreta. Inside the Museum of Science & History, one finds vast galleries of Texasbred dinosaur specimens and the state’s oiland-gas heritage, in addition to the Cattle Raisers Museum, the Fort Worth Children’s Museum, Stars Café, and the digital Noble Planetarium. The Omni Theater, an IMAX® superscreen dome, links with the Museum of Science & History and boasts a new digital sound system and enhanced lighting. The

National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of

Fame is next door to the FWMS&H. The NCM&HF honors women of the American West from those who lived and worked on ranches or who led an expedition, or sat before an easel, aimed a rifle and hit the bull’s eye, or sat on the Supreme Court.

When the museum meanderings trigger an appetite for fine dining, two long-established, museum-based cafés stand ready to serve. The Kimbell Buffet Restaurant offers indoor or patio lunch and a light evening menu within one of the most beautiful modern buildings in America. The Modern Art Museum’s 250-seat Café Modern, with an outdoor terrace, overlooks a serene reflecting pond. The Modern’s full-service kitchen delivers superb cuisine for lunch, Sunday brunch, and scheduled seasonal dinners.

Neighboring the museum community is the city’s landmark Will Rogers Memorial Center, a versatile 85-acre entertainment complex — with 45 acres housing the Will Rogers Coliseum & Auditorium. Its majestic Pioneer Tower dates from the Texas Centennial Celebration of 1936. Still a dominant feature within the district, the coliseum holds pride of place as the first domed structure of its kind in the world. The complex also boasts an equestrian center and exhibit halls, home to the annual Fort Worth Stock Show.

Showplaces of Heritage and Artistry and Nature

Southward off University Drive, visitors can experience the glories of nature at Trinity Park, a pristine oasis bordered by a fork of the placid Trinity River. Here, picnickers, joggers, and strollers can explore meandering pathways or travel on a miniature railroad. Opposite the park, across University Drive, Fort Worth’s Botanic Garden beckons — the oldest such site in Texas, a lush 109-acre tapestry of dappled shade accented by vibrant splashes of color. The Garden is home to thousands of species of native and exotic plants in 21 specialty gardens. The Europeandesigned Rose Garden features more than 3,400 roses, and the 10,000-square-foot Conservatory houses tropical flowers and foliage from around the world. An on-site Gardens Restaurant serves light lunches and refreshments — with a view of the Garden and a varied gallery that often displays the work of local artists. Adjacent to the Botanic Garden is the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) whose mission is to “reduce

its footprint on the natural world as well as protect and restore ecosystem services.” BRIT’s building was designed as an example of how much of this can be accomplished.

A short distance southward lies the illustrious Fort Worth Zoo, nationally ranked among the finest. The Zoo is home to thousands of animals, both native and exotic. Viewing facilities and natural habitat exhibits are set up for optimal views of the animals, often separated from their observers by only a river, a waterfall, or a large window. Shaded rest spots and picnic tables are available, with several on-site eateries.

Across from the Zoo, Log Cabin Village offers another view of the city’s rich frontier history boasting seven authentic log homes, dating from the mid-to-late 1800s. Perioddressed interpreters greet visitors inside each cabin offering a living history of the home and its origin.

The mood to explore might be triggered by art, dining, shopping, or the wonders of nature. Fort Worth’s west side meets all these interests and then some!

MARK BRADFORD END PAPERS

MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH Through January 10 www.themodern.org

Lead exhibition support is generously provided by the Texas Commission on the Arts. Major support is provided by Hauser & Wirth and the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District, with additional support from Suzanne McFayden. Pictured: Juice, 2003 (detail). Mixed media on canvas. 72 × 84 inches. Private Collection. © Mark Bradford. Photo: Charles White