Fort Worth is called the city "Where the West Begins," and 100 years ago, the neighborhood known as Fairmount was where the south side ended. Now considered inner city, the Fairmount Southside Historic District is actually numerous smaller subdivisions including the largest, the Fairmount addition, and the smallest, the dubiously named Swastika Place. The neighborhoods were home to early merchants, lawyers, judges, artists, and small-business owners-many of whom went on to local and national fame. Today that legacy continues. Fairmount welcomes new generations of urban pioneers and benefits from a neighborhood renaissance that has brought this historically and architecturally significant gem of the city back from the brink of extinction.

This new book, first in our Newcomer?s Handbook Neighborhood Guide series, focuses on the neighborhoods within Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin, as well as on all the surrounding suburban communities. It provides detailed information about the types of housing and recreational opportunities found in each community, the character of each area, and helpful data on post offices, police departments, hospitals, libraries, schools, public transportation, and community publications and resources. Part of the Newcomer?s Handbook series, called ?invaluable? and ?highly recommended? by Library Journal.

In 1924, civic leader and developer John P. King promoted Fort Worth's Oakhurst neighborhood as "country life for the city man." He appealed to those who wanted space for artesian water, cool breezes, gardens in a hillside setting, and a utopian atmosphere for their children. King--the creator of a confectionery company known for "King's candies for American queens"--made a park-like neighborhood in a part of Riverside just a few miles from downtown Fort Worth. Thoughtful landscape design and charming architecture are hallmarks of this all-American neighborhood, beloved for its small-town, community feel well into its 90th year.

Keep this handy guide in your glove compartment or purse. Historic sites and buildings in this book have some type of official historical designation. Maps guide you to sites in Fort Worth and surrounding communities, and lively text expands on the history of each entry.