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By Robert Rogers

My wife, Ellen, and I were brand new in our careers and searching for an affordable home when we moved to the city in 1984.

We had always loved Fort Worth because we grew up in Denton. But we really didn’t know anything about its neighborhoods. Thankfully, we had a really great Realtor who introduced us to Westcliff West, just south of Texas Christian University.

We fell in love with this neighborhood. It’s older, with homes built in the ’40s and ’50s and has lots of mature trees and larger-than-average lots. We just felt really comfortable here.

The homes in our neighborhood were small enough that we were able to afford them. The other thing we liked about the neighborhood was its variety of houses. As our family grew, we were able to move to a larger home just six blocks away from where we originally landed. 

We’ve been in the same neighborhood the entire time we’ve lived in Fort Worth. Over the years, we’d often walk up and down Encanto, which winds and curves around homes. 

Our neighborhood is very close to Fort Worth’s park system. Foster Park is just a couple blocks away. There’s a walking trail that leads to Overton Park and connects with the entire Trinity Trails system.

Ellen and I like to walk a lot, so we’re pretty much in the parks every day. 

As our kids grew up, they went to school in southwest Fort Worth. We always went to church in downtown Fort Worth. My office was in west Fort Worth. This spot is pretty easily accessible for all of those locations.

Ellen and I feel very comfortable living close to TCU. We like being around the students and having them walking and jogging in our neighborhood. 

There have been some challenges for the neighborhood. The growing enrollment at TCU means more students looking for rental homes close to campus. That’s been a little bit of a stress for the neighborhood. 

In general, the homeowners in the neighborhood really want things to work well with the university and the students. Our neighborhood association continues to work to minimize the stresses and make Westcliff West neighborly for everybody.

Fort Worth has a lot of great neighborhoods. People here are friendly, and our proximity to TCU and convenient location make Westcliff West special. We’d be happy in lots of different neighborhoods around town. 

We just happen to really love the one we’re in.

Westcliff West

Total population: 4,230Female: 51.5% | Male: 48.5%

Age0-9: 18.6%10-19: 12.1%20-29: 3.9%30-39: 19.2%40-49: 7.6%50-59: 12.3%60-69: 13%70-79: 7.5%80 and older: 5.9%

EducationNo degree: 0%High school: 4%Some college: 18.1%Bachelor’s degree: 38.4%Post-graduate: 39.4%

RaceWhite: 89.2% | Hispanic: 7.1% | Other: 1.4% | Black: .5% | Two or more: 1.8%

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

McLean Middle School

McLean 6th Grade

Westcliff Elementary

Harmony Science Academy- Fort Worth

Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts

Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts Elementary

Paschal High School

Applied Learning Academy

Rosemont Middle School

Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center

Bruce Shulkey Elementary

South Hills Elementary

Tanglewood Elementary

Westcreek Elementary

Alice D Contreras Elementary

Seminary Hills Park Elementary

Overton Park Elementary

Source: Census Reporter

Robert Rogers is a retired allergist who is president of The Reading League Texas. Rogers and wife Ellen have lived in Fort Worth since 1984. They have two adult children and four grandchildren.