Written by Omar Aguilar
I grew up on View Street in east Fort Worth, across from what is now the Tandy Hills Nature Preserve.
Of course, back then things weren’t like they are now. But it didn’t matter. 200 acres of forested glade was our backyard.
We hiked for hours and sometimes found unique things, like an old car in a stream half covered in dirt. They also built a “sandlot” style baseball field using sand stolen from the park and chopped up carpet for the bases. Yes, it was a fun day playing with my friend who happened to live next door.
Times have changed, and fewer and fewer children are playing outside.
Fewer kids are knocking on the neighbor’s door to see if Jimmy can come out and play.
My family and I currently live 25 minutes southwest of where I grew up. We live in Benbrook in a cozy neighborhood called Westpark Estates, or simply Westpark.
We purchased our home in 2019 and moved in on March 13, 2020, the same week as the infamous COVID-19 shutdown. It wasn’t a very good time to move to a new area. There is a young couple living next door, but when we passed each other all we could do was wave and say hello. Across the street lived a middle-aged couple who began moving to Stephenville a few months after we arrived. And across the street from us lived a retired 86 year old gentleman with his wife.
West Park was built in the 1980s, and when we moved in, many of the original homeowners were still here, and their children had long since grown up and left. Silence surrounded us.
After the shutdown continued, we tried to start an event where our neighbors could meet their neighbors in the form of a block party. The attempt had little success as most people were still wary of COVID-19 and a simple sneeze or cough meant a death stare for everyone.
Enough time has passed that we can properly introduce ourselves to those around us.
I remember disapprovingly telling my wife that I had seen my neighbor’s mountain bike and golf clubs in his garage and that we might eventually become friends. These are two things I really enjoy.
I don’t usually like my neighbors coming over to my house to chat. I’m very happy just waving and saying hello from afar. So having that interest would complicate my “not very friendly with my neighbors” policy.
After decades of living in the same community, longtime homeowners are beginning to move in, opening the door to new families. Although dated, their immaculately maintained homes offer the perfect combination for families wanting an affordable home they can build themselves.
This will bring big changes to West Park.
Once silent streets are now alive with children running, laughing and playing.
It’s a place where you’ll find adults sitting on the grass under the shade of mature trees, watching over children as they run through the sprinklers, wondering who’s who and what game to play next.
My “not so friendly with my neighbors” policy is long gone.
This is happening not only in our city blocks, but all around us. As you drive through West Park, you’ll see groups of kids playing baseball, riding bikes, and playing tag.
West Park is changing and becoming a hub for young families raising young children. On my afternoon runs, I always pass several other families pushing strollers.
I dropped my phone while running and had no idea where it fell. I knew I would have to buy something else and go through the hassle that comes with it.
However, about 15 minutes later, my mother received a phone call from a stranger who told her he had found her phone and called “Mom.” She provided my wife’s information and within minutes I had the phone back in my pocket. Our neighbors at West Park are friendly, honest, and thoughtful.
Another reason West Park is becoming a paradise for young families is because of its phenomenal schools. We are fortunate to have West Park Elementary School, Basis Benbrook, and Benbrook Middle and High School all within our community. Not to mention, there are plenty of activities for kids and adults within a 5-minute drive.
This type of life is one that people thought was extinct in the 90s. However, you can still find it here in a little corner of West Park.
Omar Aguilar, 36, is from Benbrook and a resident of the West Park neighborhood. Aguilar works as a financial advisor for Blue Ladder Financial Planning LLC.
west park
Total population: 3,802
Male: 48% | Female 52%
year
0-9: 17%
10-19: 13%
20-29: 8%
30-39: 14%
40-49: 16%
50-59: 10%
60-69: 9%
70-79: 8%
Over 80 years old: 5%
education
No degree: 3%
High school: 14%
Some universities: 33%
Bachelor’s degree: 33%
Graduate students: 17%
Race:
White: 68% |Black: 4% |Hispanic: 18% |Asian: 6% |Two or more: 2%
Click on the link to view the school’s Texas Education Agency rating.
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