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By Ashlea PierceSometimes a place is so intertwined with memories, it’s hard to separate the two.  That’s how our home in Arlington has become for my family. When we moved here 10 years ago, I mostly knew it by highways and stadiums. “Where do people actually live in Arlington?” I wondered. I came to find out Arlington has such a rich community all over town in little pockets that are each unique and special. I realized people here don’t have to drive to another city to find things to do. The community and fun is right here. I recently entered the Rotary Dream Park Photo Contest hosted by Downtown Arlington and won the “playful” category. My kids were dressed in my 7-year-old son’s baseball uniforms throwing a ball in front of the park’s lighted DREAM sculpture. I thought that was fitting given my son’s current obsession with all things sports. He’s constantly telling his parents his plans to be a three-sport athlete and which colleges and professional sports teams he’ll play for when he gets older.Ashlea Pierce and her family pose at Globe Life Field in Arlington. (Courtesy photo | Ashlea Pierce)He plays in the North Arlington Little League, and it just so happens that his Little League team has only ever been titled “the Rangers,” which is convenient because it matches the Major League team for which he wants to eventually play. He was playing fall ball for his coach-pitch Rangers team when the actual Texas Rangers were battling it out in the 2023 World Series. Because we live in Arlington, the World Series wasn’t just something happening to teams far away, it was literally happening just down the street from his school. Living in Arlington makes the Rangers feel accessible and his professional sports dreams attainable. To me, the DREAM sculpture – and the photo I took – also say something about downtown Arlington. It’s along the idea that the ingredients for all kinds of experiences are here — go make something with it. Aside from two years spent in Amarillo, I didn’t grow up in Texas, and nowhere I’ve lived had a city center like downtown Arlington. My family and I have come to love it. I have so many memories and home videos that I treasure of my tiny toddlers dancing the nights away at Levitt Pavilion. At one point, we visited the amazing George W. Hawkes Downtown Library so often my kids probably thought it was their second home. The building, librarians and programming is unmatched. When my oldest was preschool age, we would meet friends for whatever science/craft activities those wonderful librarians cooked up and then eat our lunch on the upstairs patio enjoying the birds-eye-view of downtown. The library’s glass lobby provided a climate-controlled, safe area to view the cargo trains that pass by and when my son was little, we stopped and watched each one, with wonder. I often worked out of the conference rooms upstairs at the library — and as many times as we’ve all been, we’re always excited to go again. It’s not just Levitt Pavilion and the library that makes downtown so great. I can’t count the times we’ve enjoyed a Friday night on the patio at Grease Monkey Burgers. Some of my favorite personal and client photos have the Kaaboo mural in the background. It’s indisputable that Arlington hosts the best Fourth of July parade in Texas. This is evidenced by the fact that the big Dallas-Fort Worth Airport rescue vehicles participate along with all those guys dressed like the Las Vegas version of Elvis in their matching white jumpsuits stunting on their mini-motorcycles. I love that it takes me 20 minutes from backing out of my garage to sitting on a blanket to watch those Elvises. Another 10 minutes and I’m in Globe Life Field — without having to sit in highway traffic. In 10 years, I’ve seen Arlington’s downtown transformed, and I plan to keep making memories there with my crew.Ashlea Pierce works as a photographer in Arlington. She’s lived in the city with her husband for 10 years, raising two children.Arlington

Total population: 394,266Female: 51.01% | Male: 48.99%

Age0-9: 17%10-19: 11%20-29: 20%30-39: 13%40-49: 9%50-59: 8%60-69: 8%70-79: 9%80 and older: 5%

EducationNo degree: 15.8%High school: 24%Some college: 29.2%Bachelor’s degree: 20.7%Post-graduate: 10.3%

Arlington

RaceWhite: 35% | Asian: 8% | Hispanic: 31% | Black: 23% | Two or more: 14% | Other: 15%

Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings for schools within one mile:

Jean Massieu Academy

Carter JH

Uplift Summit International HS

Premier HS of Arlington

Premier HS of South Irving

Crow Leadership Academy

South Davis Elem

Swift Elem

Arlington HS

Berry Elem

Blanton Elem

Rankin Elem

Speer Elem

Webb Elem

Wimbish World Language Academy