By Rick Mauch
Candy’s Dirt Contributor
When you mention Arlington, you think of the vast networks of subdivisions with Texas-style brick homes covering a big chunk of its 100 square miles.
You don’t give much thought to an actual downtown.
Cities with populations of nearly 400,000 usually have skyscrapers. Downtown Arlington is not a downtown with skyscrapers.
But it is a place in Arlington with lots to do, and much of it is within walking distance for its residents. The neighborhood has numerous shopping, culture, and dining options — and development is creating more amenities.
As a neighborhood, Downtown Arlington has been defined as a portion of central Arlington that has FM157/Collins Street bordering on the east, West Division Street on the north, North Davis Drive on the west, and West Abram Street and UTA Boulevard on the south. The eastern portion has a broader, more robust, north-south configuration. There are other definitions of the neighborhood’s boundaries.
The area is also served by the Heart of Arlington Neighborhood Association. The Downtown Arlington Management Corp.. a private, nonprofit community development organization, also forges alliances between property owners, business interests, residents, and the city to improve and enhance the economic vitality and overall environment of Downtown Arlington.
To say a lot is going on in Downtown Arlington would be an understatement.
Downtown Arlington began developing in 1875 when planners of the Texas and Pacific Railroad decided it would be a logical stop transportation stop between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Planners divided a half-mile square divided into hundred-yard blocks, split in the middle by Central and Main streets. This was the beginning of a hub that helped Arlington grow into the nation’s 49th-most-populous city. More on Downtown Arlington’s history, here.
If you’re a resident, here’s what’s available in and around Downtown Arlington:
- Housing: The area includes high-rise-living modern apartments and condos.
- Dining: Hurtado Barbecue, Hayters Bar and Lounge, Cartel Taco Bar, J.R. Bentley’s English Pub, Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery, The Hive Arlington, Division Brewing, The Tipsy Oak, 225 BBQ, and Twisted Root Burger Company.
- Display arts: Arlington Museum of Art, the Gallery at the University of Texas at Arlington, Board and Brush, and Catalyst Creative Arts.
- Performing arts: Theatre Arlington, Levitt Pavilion, Arlington Music Hall.
- Sports: To the east of Downtown Arlington, the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys are nearby. Within walking distance is the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Dallas Wings at UTA’s College Park Center in addition to college basketball at the same venue. The college also fields other sports, from baseball to track and field. Beyond walking distance is AT&T Stadium, which will host 2026 World Cup matches.
In December, Dodson Commercial Real Estate announced an expansion of Downtown Arlington’s Urban Union district. The expansion includes five new mixed-use buildings, which will house restaurants, retailers, and apartments along 50,000 square feet along Front Street.
Construction could start as early as this summer and tenants could move in later this year, Dodson Commercial Real Estate said in a statement.
“The redevelopment of Front Street in downtown Arlington has been such a fun and rewarding experience for our company,” Ryan Dodson, Dodson Commercial Real Estate Managing Partner, said in a statement.
“The 50,000-square-foot addition is the next step in our vision for the Urban Union district. It will continue the theme of a walkable downtown Arlington full of vibrant, locally owned business.”
