Where I Live: Meadows of Candleridge gives family a front-row seat to evolving city

By Ricky Cotto

In 2013, my wife and I were ready to buy a house. And both our families were ready for us to buy a house. I think they finally grew tired of us hosting dinner parties in our cozy 550-square-foot apartment. Shout-out to “Greenwood Creek Apartments.”

When it came to timing, pricing and availability, we were lucky. As we began to look for a new home, we didn’t care much about the HOA status, or if I had space for a man cave, or a playroom.

What we really wanted was a friendly neighborhood with mature trees and big backyards — a place where neighbors talked to one another and our kids could ride bikes and play outside safely.

We found a little neighborhood called Meadows of Candleridge, east of Chisholm Trail Parkway in southwest Fort Worth, that checked all of our boxes.

I’m not from Fort Worth, but I got here as fast as I could! I was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in south Florida, and came to Fort Worth as I was going into high school. Shout-out to the Paschal Panthers.

My family moved to Fort Worth so my parents could attain higher education and give us better opportunities overall. Affordability was another factor.

Fort Worth quickly became home for my parents, and now it’s home for my children as well.

I think what’s happening in our city right now is exciting.

With so many people moving to Fort Worth, we see growth happening right before our very eyes.

Southwest Fort Worth is booming, and can you blame folks? Fort Worth is really an awesome place to live! It’s friendly, collaborative and accepting; it’s a big city but small-town feel.

Growth means more families, more families means more roofs, more rooftops means more opportunities for retail shops, restaurants, stores and small businesses. It’s all here in southwest Fort Worth.

Near our neighborhood, you also have a variety of options as it comes to your kids’ education. Fort Worth ISD, Idea Schools, Harmony School of Innovation, other charter schools, and even homeschooling is an option — shout-out to Mardel Christian & Education on Hulen.

Tarleton State Fort Worth campus is out here, providing a variety of high-quality, affordable undergraduate and graduate degree options.

If you are a person of faith, you and your family have the opportunity to plug in and

serve in one of many local congregations. Whether you like the megachurch vibe or the small church start-up, southwest Fort Worth offers a variety of places of worship.

Growth is good, but healthy growth is even better.

With growth comes growing pains. We do have some challenges to work through like property taxes, housing and built environment issues. But I am confident that our leadership is working hard to create a sustainable future.

The good news is you can play a part in facilitating solutions.

Fort Worth is filled with organizations to help address these challenges.

What I really enjoy about growth is people! I’ve seen more diversity in this area since 2013. People from different backgrounds, ethnicities, races, religions, etc. are moving here. I truly believe that learning from new ideas, cultures and perspectives can be healthy for any city.

I can honestly say that I am thrilled and hopeful for the future of Fort Worth, especially knowing that my two little girls will be part of an evolving city.
Plus, if it ever gets too crazy out here … there’s always Aledo. : )

Ricky Cotto is the director of community engagement for Blue Zones Project and North Texas Healthy Communities. He is also the pastor at City Post Church. Ricky enjoys spending time with his family, going on adventures with friends, and live music. Ricky lives in Meadows of Candleridge with his wife Rachel and daughters Elaina and Olivia.

Meadows of Candle Ridge

Total population: 2,786
Female: 61% | Male: 39%

Age
0-9: 21%
10-19: 11%
20-29: 12%
30-39: 15%
40-49: 5%
50-59: 19%
60-69: 12%
70-79: 4%
80 and older: 1%

Education
No degree: 6%
High school: 35%
Some college: 20%
Bachelor’s degree: 16%
Post-graduate: 22%

Race
White: 36% | Hispanic: 41% | Black: 20% | Asian: 1% | Two or more: 2%

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

Free. Fair. Local.

Meadows of Candle Ridge

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