{"id":76553,"date":"2025-07-19T23:17:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T23:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/76553\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T23:17:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T23:17:11","slug":"where-i-live-widow-finds-peace-and-comfort-near-pond-in-suburban-north-fort-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/76553\/","title":{"rendered":"Where I Live: Widow finds peace and comfort near pond in suburban north Fort Worth"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dovie Solomon<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Where<\/a><\/p>\n

Where I Live<\/a> spotlights Tarrant County\u2019s unique neighborhoods, as told by the residents that live there. Submit an essay<\/a> to tell us about your neighborhood. Where I Live is sponsored by Frost Bank<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I moved to Texas in 2021, soon after my husband and I got married.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I had never been to the state before; my first day here was the day I arrived for good. We started out living in the area near Brentwood Stair Road in east Fort Worth, but it never quite felt like home to me.<\/p>\n

After my husband died, I knew I needed a change.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I wanted to move away from the memories and find a place where my kids and I could start fresh. I wasn\u2019t exactly sure what I was looking for, but I knew I needed peace.<\/p>\n

I wanted something calmer, somewhere I could breathe and somewhere my kids could feel safe.<\/p>\n

I found the Vista Greens neighborhood by accident, just stopping by for a house showing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Afterward, I drove around \u2014 past the reservoir, through the quiet streets \u2014 and I felt it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This place just felt like peace. Everyone I met was welcoming. They introduced themselves and they offered to help me find schools. Nobody was standoffish or judging me for being a single mom. I thought that this is where I need to be.<\/p>\n

The pond was what truly sealed it for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My husband loved to fish. I remember taking him over there \u2014 I just wanted him to see it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I knew if he were still here, that\u2019s where he\u2019d be, sitting on the bank with a cigarette in hand, waiting for a bite. That water gave me comfort and it still does.<\/p>\n

Our house has the layout I needed, especially the office, since I work from home. But more than anything, it felt like mine. After all we\u2019d been through, that mattered.<\/p>\n

I came from Milwaukee, where I worked as a door-to-door saleswoman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That job opened my eyes to how segregated Milwaukee really was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I had the police called on me just for knocking. I had someone send me into a neighborhood with Confederate flags flying. It was a lot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why when people told me, \u201cTexas isn\u2019t a place for a Black family,\u201d I didn\u2019t want to hear it. Because what I\u2019ve found here \u2014 at least in this community \u2014 is the exact opposite.<\/p>\n

Here, my son can walk to the basketball court without anyone telling him to leave. My daughter plays with the little girl across the street. Our neighbors wave, they smile, they\u2019re kind. They decorate the streets with flags during holidays, they keep it clean, it\u2019s quiet and I walk outside at night and feel safe.<\/p>\n

There are parks tucked everywhere. The walking trail runs through the neighborhood and ends with a workout area, slides and swings \u2014 my kids love it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We have a Kroger just around the corner, and the Tanger Outlets are only 10 minutes away. My daughter and I have our own nail shop we like.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have any big landmarks around here in suburban north Fort Worth. But for me, the pond is the landmark. That\u2019s where we named the ducks \u2014 Paisley is the one we see most often.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That water carries so much memory and meaning. It\u2019s part of our healing.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re renting now, but I\u2019m looking to buy, hopefully right nearby. I want to stay close to this area, close to the place that brought me comfort when I needed it most.<\/p>\n

If someone\u2019s thinking about moving here, I\u2019d say: take a walk by the water. Sit still for a minute. Watch the ducks. You\u2019ll know if it\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

This place gave me peace and it gave my family a new start.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And in many ways, it still feels like he\u2019s here with us.<\/p>\n

\nVista Greens<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

Total population<\/strong>: 5,332
Female: 51% | Male: 49%<\/p>\n

Age<\/strong>
0-9: 16%
10-19: 16%
20-29: 9%
30-39: 15%
40-49: 25%
50-59: 11%
60-69: 6%
70-79: 3%
80 and older: 0%<\/p>\n

Education<\/strong>
No degree: 2%
High school: 16%
Some college: 40%
Bachelor\u2019s degree: 37%
Post-graduate: 6%<\/p>\n

Race<\/strong>
White: 58% | Hispanic: 24% | Black: 9% | Asian: 4% | Two or more: 4%<\/p>\n

Click on the link to view the schools\u2019 Texas Education Agency ratings:<\/p>\n

Source: Census Reporter<\/a><\/p>\n

Dovie Solomon lives in suburban north Fort Worth with her two children, an incoming 12th grader and a second grader.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n

Republish This Story<\/p>\n

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