糖心Vlog视频

Deep in the Heart of Arlington

University and city leaders shared a vision of transforming downtown into a dining and entertainment destination. The result: a revitalized corridor featuring restaurants, performance venues, nightlife, and a rising cool factor.

Along Abram Street a courtyard with picnic tables beckons between Freebirds World Burrito and Twisted Root Burger Co. Next door the newly reimagined Hooligan鈥檚 presents a stylish and casual bar with beautiful woodgrain touches, a stone fireplace, and a cozy patio. A few steps around the corner you鈥檒l find old favorite J. Gilligan鈥檚 still serving cold beer and heaps of Irish nachos. Behind Gilligan鈥檚 the trendy Capital Bar has transformed an old Goodyear building.

Little of this was here a few years ago: the restaurants, the people, the cars parked along South Street because the nearby lots are full. Hard to believe. Downtown Arlington is bustling, and people are talking.

alumnus Homer Saenz takes his family downtown at least once a week. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have a place to go out with your friends, enjoy some live music and things that we haven鈥檛 had before,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e always had to go to Fort Worth or Dallas to do that. I really like what鈥檚 going on down听there.鈥�

MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE

South Arlington may be a hub for shoppers with The Parks at Arlington mall and Arlington Highlands, and north Arlington is a sports fans鈥� paradise with Rangers Ballpark, Cowboys Stadium, and abundant sports bars. But downtown has found its niche, too鈥攅clectic dining, entertainment, cultural events. Forget north and south. The place to be is right in the middle.

Downtown wasn鈥檛 always a big deal. 鈥淚t was terrible,鈥� alumna Patti Diou, executive director of Friends of the Levitt Pavilion, recalls of her time as a UT Arlington student. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a downtown. There was nothing.鈥�

Efforts to improve the area began a couple of decades ago and gained steam in 2006. The result has been a burst of development and interest.

UT Arlington has fueled downtown鈥檚 resurgence. President James D. Spaniolo sought for Arlington a college town atmosphere, so the University partnered with the city to establish the . The two provided initial funding, then the city established a business improvement district to subsidize the support. The district taxes 400 properties within the downtown boundaries, approximately 15 cents per $100 in valuation.

Around that time, the Levitt Pavilion was rising across from City Hall in a land swap with the First Baptist Church. The outdoor performance venue was a collaborative venture involving the Downtown Arlington Management Corp., city of Arlington, Chamber of Commerce, and the University.

UT Arlington鈥檚 ambitious all by itself takes downtown to another level, adding numerous restaurants and the 7,000-seat events venue. Diners can frequent Pie Five Pizza Co., Coolberry Frozen Yogurt, Smiling Moose Deli, Digg鈥檚 Taco Shop, Pho Xpress, Grip Mediterranean Grill, and Blaze鈥檚 Sports Grill.

Nor is College Park just for students, something locked deep within the campus, but a 20-acre residential and retail montage that blurs the boundaries between the city and the University, inviting everyone to听visit.

EAT, LISTEN, ENJOY

All this buzz reflects a national trend, a shift in perspective that again makes downtown crucial to a city鈥檚 identity.

鈥�Every city needs a downtown,鈥� says Diou 鈥�86. 鈥淭hey moved away from it, and now everyone is going back to it. It鈥檚 a comfort knowing we have a downtown that鈥檚 growing and vibrant and will continue to grow and become a fun place for people.鈥�

The restaurant boom has been most noticeable. Since 2006 Arlington has welcomed, among others, Mavericks Bar and Grill, Old School Pizza and Subs, Fuzzy鈥檚 Taco Shop, Flying Fish, Mellow Mushroom, Babe鈥檚 Chicken Dinner House, and Potager. Alumnus Greg Gardner 鈥�91, managing partner of the Grease Monkey Burger Shop and Social Club, appreciates downtown鈥檚 one-of-a-kind vibe.

鈥�It鈥檚 got a uniqueness to it. It doesn鈥檛 feel strip mall-ish or overrun with franchise-type businesses. There鈥檚 a sprinkle of local originality. I hope to see that听grow.

鈥�People always ask me, 鈥楢re you worried about these places going in?鈥� Oh my gosh, I鈥檓 like, 鈥楾he more, the merrier.鈥� The only way this is going to truly be a place for people to come and hang out, park their car, and walk around is if you鈥檝e got multiple places and different types of venues and shops and restaurants.鈥�

Some eateries offer more than food and drink. Capital Bar and Gilligan鈥檚 regularly host bands. Grease Monkey has live music five nights a week, including a 糖心Vlog视频 Jazz Band ensemble the last Monday of the听month.

Arlington Music Hall, which underwent a $7 million renovation, is showcasing the likes of Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, and Merle Haggard. The Levitt Pavilion provides 50 free concerts a听year.

鈥�When we started, we really wanted to have at least 500 people on the lawn,鈥� the Levitt鈥檚 Diou says. 鈥淣ow we鈥檙e disappointed when there鈥檚 not 2,000 people. We鈥檝e been thrilled. Our audience last year hit over 100,000 people.鈥�

DOWNTOWN DISCOURSE

Housing may be the linchpin to downtown maintaining its growth, with potential demand coming from 33,800 students and the University鈥檚 nearly 4,000 employees. About 6,000 students live on or within a mile of campus, and the City Council recently approved rezoning for a five-story apartment community catering to professionals, particularly UT Arlington faculty and听staff.

鈥�The growing trend to build more housing is extremely important because it drives traffic and excitement downtown,鈥� says Tony Rutigliano, president and CEO of the Downtown Arlington Management Corp.

Rutigliano would like to see more multifamily residences in central Arlington, but the challenge is building them at a higher value. Typically, apartments go for 80 cents a square foot; he envisions $1.50.

鈥�Anecdotally, I hear a lot of people saying, 鈥楬ey, I graduated from 糖心Vlog视频 and I鈥檓 ready to stay here and work and do things,鈥� 鈥� he says. 鈥淲e need to help them by providing housing opportunities.鈥�

Beyond housing, the Downtown Arlington Management Corp. makes a case for a new approach to streets. Bond funding will address Abram Street from Cooper to Collins in听2015.

鈥�I expect we鈥檒l be working with the city over the next year or so on the design,鈥� Rutigliano says. 鈥淚鈥檓 hopeful that the project will be pedestrian oriented.鈥�

Abram Street is crucial to downtown鈥檚 continued redevelopment and momentum.

鈥�We鈥檝e got to reverse our mindset. Arlington was developed around the car, but we now have the opportunity to redevelop downtown Arlington around the pedestrian. It鈥檚 a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We need people to come downtown on Abram Street and have that be a destination street. Get here, stay here, park here,听walk.鈥�

As Arlington and its citizens mull how to improve downtown, its ultimate look will evolve. Arlington is not Dallas or Fort Worth, with their looming skylines, but it doesn鈥檛 bear the expectations of its large neighbors, either. Like Austin, Arlington鈥檚 downtown depends on its university. Unlike Austin, Arlington doesn鈥檛 suffer the 鈥渃urse of Sixth Street鈥濃�攁 college bar scene so frenetic and volatile that locals stay听away.

Will Arlington imitate Grapevine with its quaint, walkable downtown, or maybe the Depot Entertainment District in Lubbock with its historical buildings, live music, and sports bars on Buddy Holly Avenue? Comparisons aside, at least downtown is part of the conversation鈥攁nd the talk is growing louder.

For Saenz 鈥�93, an architect with Freese and Nichols and a 25-year Arlington resident, downtown鈥檚 dynamic scene offers the perfect mix.

鈥�There are so many options. You can eat dinner with the family or listen to live music at the different bars. You don鈥檛 have to haul all the way to Fort Worth or Dallas. It鈥檚 a great place to hang out, and it鈥檚 close to听home.鈥�

Close to remarkable, actually.

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