By Andrew Asdel
Euless. The neglected middle sibling of the HEB acronym (Hurst-Euless-Bedford) popular among locals. Ask a Realtor, and they are just as likely to categorize it as part of the “Grapevine-Euless area.” Mention it to practically anyone from outside of the Mid-Cities, and they’ll probably just respond with, “Where?” Or some variation of the profoundly original pun shamelessly exploited in the above title. But fear not, geographically challenged Texan! Allow me to make some introductions.
If you consider yourself a legal geek, trivia fan, or ascribe to a Afro-Cuban folk religion, you may be interested to know that a Euless resident and Santeria priest won a lawsuit against the city not long ago in Merced v. Kasson, and declared “Sic semper Tarrant-is!” (according to some). The landmark 2009 ruling ordered that Mr. Merced could continue conducting ritual animal sacrifices in his home temple, thus guaranteeing the religious liberty of certain pantheists, while striking fatal blows to (literally) bleeding-heart goats everywhere.
Geographically, the city of Euless is situated in the northeast portion of Tarrant County. By car, it takes about 25 minutes to get to the center of Dallas and roughly the same amount of time to reach the center of Fort Worth. However due to some very clever boundary drawing, we actually share a boundary with the city of Fort Worth along our southern extremity. Our western boundary touches Bedford, as well as Colleyville and Hurst to a smaller extent, while our easterly neighbor also happens to be the second-largest airport in the United States. Glade Road marks the boundary between Euless and Grapevine to the north, and it’s a good thing, too, or you could be forgiven for not being able to tell them apart, given the current state of Grapevine’s vineyards. This area is serviced by State Highway 121, and for these reasons, our northernmost neighborhood is sometimes called Glade 121.
Glade 121 also happens to be the neighborhood I call home, and what a neighborhood it is! Any kind of retailer or restaurant one could reasonably want can be reached within a 10-minute drive. There is also thoughtfully constructed infrastructure for residents such as myself who prefer to get around on two wheels. Just to our north, there is a paved bike and walking path that offers easy access to parks and sports fields. Follow this trail farther north, and it connects to a much longer trail that parallels the TEXRail tracks clear from North Richland Hills to downtown Grapevine, with its many offerings. The informal southern boundary of Glade 121 is formed by the string of city parks along the banks of Little Bear Creek, which include sports facilities, picnic areas, wildflowers, a dog park and more. This string of parks is connected by yet another bike and pedestrian path that runs east-to-west, offering safe passage under Highway 121 and access to the many establishments on the other side.
This neighborhood also offers economic access, with everything from apartments and duplexes to larger single-family homes and everything in between. It is a great place for seniors, families or even first-time home buyers like myself. We have Lowe’s, Chipotle and other suburban staples, but also mom-and-pop shops like the one operated by my favorite barber, Ann. Many of my neighbors purchased their houses when they were first built in the early 1980s. When children came, they stayed for the quality schools. When the children grew into adults, parents remained for the quality community, and some of those children have bought their own homes here for the same reasons. It’s the kind of place where neighbors exchange Christmas cookies and salsa made from home-grown chili peppers.
Considering I moved to Euless and Glade 121 just last summer, I was unfortunately 110 years too late to have the pleasure of knowing the city’s namesake, Mr. Elisha Adam Euless. Like the rock band Sublime, I don’t practice Santeria or have a crystal ball. Yet in the short time I have lived here, Euless has earned a place as central to my heart as it is to Dallas and Fort Worth.
Euless
Total population: 55,763
Female: 51% | Male: 49%
Age
0-9: 13%
10-19: 12%
20-29: 14%
30-39: 18%
40-49: 14%
50-59: 13%
60-69: 10%
70-79: 5%
80 and older: 2%
Education
No degree: 10%
High school: 21%
Some college: 33%
Bachelor’s degree: 23%
Post-graduate: 13%
Race
White: 50% | Hispanic: 21% | Asian: 12% | Black: 12% | Two or more: 3% | 1% Islander
Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings:
Andrew Asdel lives in Euless with Rosie, his pet robotic vacuum. A Lockheed Martin engineer (and occasionally pilot) by trade, he is sometimes described as an “unhinged political moderate.” In his free time, Andrew can be found pedaling his steed across the plains, picking fights on behalf of wind turbines or ranting about the benefits of fluoride.
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what a fun read Andrew! makes me want to visit Euless some day