Okay, it's not the Piazza Navona. But on a scale of 1 to 10 I'll put the new Sundance Square square at a 10.
Marian and I have been for several visits since it opened a few weeks ago and I have the same thought everytime, what a difference space makes to the downtown feel. This makes Fort Worth feel like a city instead of just buildings and streets.
Add the shops, dining, coffee, benches, fountains and some very attractice inverted umbrellas and I give the design and execution an A.
Another observation from a Friday night visit. Downtown was packed with diners, sightseers and shoppers, as in clothes shoppers, downtown, who would have thought that was possible twenty years ago?
Last year I commented on the sound of the vacuum sucking money from downtown to 7th Street -- this should help. Downtown has a solid convention business, especially post Omni, it draws local DFW visitors, and another segment not so widely recognized: vacationeers from Mexico shopping, dining and seeing the sights. It's safe, it's relatively inexpensive travel and Texas is Spanish-speaking friendly. San Antonio is the number one USA destination from Mexico, number two is DFW especially when the Cowboys are playing.
Final thought: the number one location in Fort Worth for a drink and a quality hamburger, salad, or steak is the Del Frisco's Grill on the Square. Great seats inside and out, great food, and plenty of places to go after dinner.
2 comments:
Goes to prove that sometimes you miss things that are right in front of your face. Despite working just south of downtown I have yet to visit the new Sundance Square. As for Del Frisco's Grill, I've been waiting for the one up here in Southlake to open. But now you've given me a good idea about how to spend a nice Friday lunch.
John, it's worth a visit. After re-reading I think maybe I'm over-selling but, in my view it is a significant improvement to the feel of downtown. Once all the shops and restaurants are in it will only be better. And I have seen several instances of squares and promenades imposed on downtowns that don't work so I know it's not an automatic thing.
I don't think you can miss at Del Friscos Grill. Good food -- great location.
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