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Dec 22, 2009 9:02 pm US/Central
Fairmount Named 'Best Comeback Neighborhood'
By Melissa Newton
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
One area here in North Texas has weathered the ups and downs of the real estate market for more than a century. And now, Fort Worth's historic Fairmount neighborhood is getting national recognition as its residents strive to restore the area to its original charm.
Graig Delany is new to the Fairmount neighborhood, but his fixer-upper home is not. It has been around since 1922. "They don't make them like they used to," Delany said. "That's not just a saying." And as an architect, he would know.
Delany is also one of the many investors in his historic neighborhood. They are trying to paint a different picture of the Fairmount neighborhood. "It has some of the good qualities, like Magnolia and some of the bars and restaurants that are coming in and all the work they're doing on the hospitals," Delany said.
But for years, this community was not considered an ideal place to live. "When it started out, it wasn't unusual to have gang activity, gunshots, lots of drug activity going on," explained Fred Harper, former president of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association.
But Harper said that the dynamic is now changing. "You're starting to see more renovation," he said. "A lot of people of our age and younger move in, more new houses being built."
That is why Southern Living magazine just named Fairmount one of the best comeback neighborhoods in the south. "People are starting to come back to where they can get to know their neighbors and see them face-to-face all the time," Harper said.
While many of the homes in Fairmount have already been restored to their original glory, others remain run down. Some are beyond repair. "There are plenty of houses left in here that you can get at a great price, and restore it yourself," said Harper.
"It's a lifestyle choice, in a way, to live in a home like this," said Delany. "Because it is going to need a lot of work. But it does have a lot of character and a lot more to add." And Delany is hoping that the added character will also add value down the road.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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