By Terry Williams
Growing up in the metroplex was all I knew about living in Texas.
Living in between Dallas and Fort Worth, I was able to visit each downtown area and really had a chance to understand city living.
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As an adult, I visited both downtowns as a kind of city guide for my visiting friends and relatives. Never thought at my age I would end up living in what I see now is the best downtown city in Texas to live.
At the time, my girlfriend Cyndi Steward and I were living in Hurst in our house, and we both talked about how neat it would be to live downtown.
Our first thought was to look into the residence at The Tower. We found out this was not a good option for us, since we wanted to lease first before buying.
The Tower also does not allow pets when you lease. We have a 6-year-old Boston terrier named Ellie May, so The Tower was not an option.
During a drive through downtown, we spotted a “for rent” sign outside of the Deco building. Deco 969 had just started renting that month. We immediately did a tour, and our guide, Noelle Bean, sold us on living there.
Once we saw all the high-end apartments, and the amenities they offered, we were sold. We immediately fell in love with the place.
We moved in June 2024 and are now getting ready to renew for another term.
The location is perfect, near all the best restaurants, train station and several great bars.
We love to travel and having a place that is turnkey is awesome. Traveling is so easy from downtown, the train to Terminal B at DFW airport is easy and always on time. There is a bus designated for the Stockyards and is a quick ride to Exchange Street.
Living in a highrise downtown is different. Your neighbors are closer, but we have met so many awesome people here at Deco.
Terry Williams poses June 25, 2025, in the Deco 969 apartment building in downtown Fort Worth. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
The staff have done a great job in doing events each month to bring our community together. Mondays are beer and popcorn nights. Wednesday is yappy hour for our pets. They serve pet cocktails, and they give out dog toys.
Deco has started to bring in chefs for cooking lessons in our own teaching kitchen on the 24th floor.
Several of us from time to time cook out together for a nice outdoor dinner.
The amenities here are incredible. We have a resort-style pool, with plenty of lounge chairs and a great hot tub with a super large outdoor TV.
The Broadway 10 steakhouse is opening right in our building in the fall. Residents will have their own private entrance as well as food delivery.
On the 24th floor, we have a large fitness center with all the latest machines and virtual workouts. Plus, there’s a lounge with seating, TVs and a pool table. My fiancée hosted a surprise retirement party for me there in November and we had 72 guests at the event, so there’s plenty of space to entertain. We also rented the space out for my daughter’s baby gender reveal party. The staff is always so helpful.
Being on the 17th floor, we have great views of downtown. Our balcony overlooks the JFK memorial, as well as the Hilton and the convention center.
All of our appliances are high-end, and the interior is very well built. With blackout shades, we can sleep well, and we actually love the city noise at night. Utilities are all-inclusive in the rent up to a certain amount. Overall, the accommodations are very resort-like.
Deco has done a really great job with connecting us to downtown restaurants and events. We go to Del Frisco’s for a great salad at the bar, to Wicked Butcher for a steak. Grace is nearby when we want to grab what we consider is the best burger. So many places to choose from.
We continue to make downtown discoveries, like Branch & Bird’s sunset balcony, the spacious Burnett Park and Jon Smith Subs, by far the freshest sandwich in town.
My best discoveries are the buildings and their many great architectural features.
Living downtown, you want to take time and look up. There are some amazing things to see.
Fort Worth is such a great dog-friendly city. Several businesses place water bowls out and have treats for our dogs. All green areas have bags for cleanup. We have never been turned away from bringing Ellie May into any business downtown.
Downtown has been a great place to live. Cyndi and I look forward to another year living downtown.
We are going to do a pop-up wedding on Main Street. That’s how much we love living here and how much this city is part of our life.
Terry Williams is a retired entrepreneur and coach. He lives in downtown Fort Worth.
Downtown Fort Worth
Total population: 630
Female: 49% | Male: 51%
Age
0-9: 0%
10-19: 0%
20-29: 22%
30-39: 26%
40-49: 9%
50-59: 20%
60-69: 18%
70-79: 3%
80 and older: 2%
Education
No degree: 0%
High school: 17%
Some college: 34%
Bachelor’s degree: 38%
Post-graduate: 11%
Race
White: 63% | Asian: 0% | Hispanic: 9% | Black: 29% | Two or more: 0%
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