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Rhonda Grundy was born and raised in the Meadowbrook neighborhood. The home she lives in, which was formerly her parents, turned 100 years old in 2023. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)
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By Rhonda Grundy 

I became an eastsider at birth, when my parents bought the Meadowbrook home I still live in. This charming and quirky old house turned 100 in 2023. I live next door to the neighbor who used to babysit me. Our parents were neighbors back in the mid-1950s, and we look after each other still.

I have deep roots here. I attended both Meadowbrook Elementary School and Meadowbrook Middle School. I walked to each school. I also walked to church at St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church. It might seem unsafe for a kid to walk everywhere, but it was a different time 50 years ago. It was just what we did.

The neighborhood has changed over the years, and my friends are sometimes concerned about my safety. But I never feel unsafe. I enjoy the diversity and feel like it adds to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the overall average income has decreased so the area is probably considered a lower-middle class area. Part of the cause of this is that retail in the area has relocated, so we are lacking in grocery stores without having to drive quite a distance. I imagine this lack of shopping options probably deters folks from considering this area when purchasing a home. That’s a shame because it really is a great place to live.

To address the problem of attaining fresh food locally, 4Saints & Friends Episcopal Food Pantry, now located at Meadowbrook-Poly United Methodist Church, has been flourishing for the past seven years. It is a place that offers community-building along with food. Young people can take cooking classes, and books are distributed to families free of charge. I’ve volunteered since the pantry opened and have built solid friendships.

It really is a beautiful part of the city. Tandy Hills Natural Area is just off Meadowbrook Drive and offers undisturbed hiking trails and wildflower growth. The view of downtown Fort Worth from Broadcast Hill Street is spectacular. The pecan trees lining Oakland Boulevard offer a beautiful canopy as one exits I-35, and those trees all wear red ribbons and bows between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. Each year as the ribbons appear, I think “Oh, yeah. This is another thing I love about my neighborhood.”

Meadowbrook is located with easy access to either Fort Worth or Arlington and on to Dallas. So even though businesses and stores aren’t close by, they are easy to get to. We are lucky to have the East Regional Library just off of the highway, and sports fans are just a few exits away from the Rangers and the Cowboys. I’m proud to say that I’m a Fort Worth eastsider to this day. 

Rhonda Grundy was born and raised in the Meadowbrook neighborhood. The home she lives in, which was formerly her parents, turned 100 years old in 2023. She volunteers at 4Saints & Friends Episcopal Food Pantry in her community. 

West Meadowbrook

Total population: 4,690Female: 50% | Male: 50%

Age

0-9: 16%10-19: 16%20-29: 14%30-39: 16%40-49: 13%50-59:12%60-69: 8%70-79: 4%80 and older: 2%

EducationNo degree: 29%High school: 30%Some college: 19%Bachelor’s degree: 11%Post-graduate: 11%

RaceWhite: 21% | Black: 16% | Hispanic: 59% | Asian: 0% | Two or more: 4%

Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings:

Meadowbrook Middle School

Meadowbrook Elementary

Sagamore Hill Elementary

Eastern Hills High School

Polytechnic High School

James Middle School

Young Men’s Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy at Maude I. Logan Elementary

Eastern Hills Elementary

Trinity Charter Schools – Fort Worth Campus

Uplift Mighty Preparatory

East Fort Worth Montessori Academy

ILTexas Woodhaven Elementary

ILTexas Woodhaven Middle School

IDEA Achieve College Preparatory

IDEA Achieve Academy

Newman International Academy at Fort Worth

Dunbar High School

Jacquet Middle School

Jean McClung Middle School

West Handley Elementary

Christine C. Moss Elementary

Mitchell Boulevard Elementary

Natha Howell Elementary

A.M. Pate Elementary

Versia Williams Elementary

Maudrie Walton Elementary

Sunrise McMillan Elementary

T.A. Sims Elementary