Living downtown?? (Fort Worth, Arlington, Bryan: apartments, rentals, buy)

[Skupa]

Hi all,

I'm moving to Fort Worth this summer and I'll be working near Benbrook (close to where Rt. 183 meets I-20). I'm a young, single woman, no kids, so I think the idea of living downtown sounds fun. I'm thinking I'll rent for a year and then hopefully buy after that. I'm hoping to spend somewhere around $800 a month on rent, though I could probably go a bit higher (no more than $1000) if needed.

First, does anyone have any thoughts on what the commute would be like? It seems like I'd be doing a reverse commute, so would it be manageable? I don't want to drive more than about 20 minutes each way. Does the I-35/I-20 interchange get icky in the mornings? How's I-30 westbound from downtown?

Second, are there particular areas of downtown that are especially fun, or areas that are best to avoid for safety reasons? It takes a lot to spook me, safety-wise, so I don't mind things being a little rough around the edges, but I certainly don't want to put myself in danger. What's the lay of the land in downtown?

Finally, are there cool areas between downtown and Benbrook where I should be looking? I would imagine that there is some cool stuff around TCU, but I'm not sure where to look for rentals in that area. I'd love to be within walking distance of *something* - coffee shops, restaurants, a park, etc.

Thank you all for any suggestions or thoughts that you have for me. I've been so impressed by the feedback in the other threads on here - gotta love that Southern/Texan kindness!

[lunebloc]

In addition to downtown, you could look at:
West 7th
LoMo (lower Monticello)
Arlington Heights
Ridglea

There are some apartments right on the Trinity river and the Trinity River Trails that look nice.. They're at Bryant Irvin and River Park.

[LuvsFW]

Originally Posted by lunebloc

In addition to downtown, you could look at:
West 7th
LoMo (lower Monticello)
Arlington Heights
Ridglea

There are some apartments right on the Trinity river and the Trinity River Trails that look nice.. They're at Bryant Irvin and River Park.

I agree with lunebloc. You could also look at the apts. around Colonial CC, there are several...not sure of the names, but they are just west of University Dr. right on the river, behind the Marriott Courtyard. They are new and nice!

Also the new ones in the Magnolia area near the Paris Coffee Shop. Again, I don't know the names....sorry. Those are real urban-ish and in a very booming, fun, young area.