By Rick Mauch
Candy’s Dirt Contributor
Even if you’re not a Saint, a north Mansfield neighborhood has street names that could make you feel like one. The Antigua neighborhood has street names that include Saint Johns, Saint Eric, Saint Amanda, and Saint Matthews.
The neighborhood, which dates back to 1997, can celebrate its 25th birthday. According to Nextdoor.com, which used Census Bureau data, the neighborhood has 3,753 residents with an average age of 44.
Antigua is bordered mostly by North Walnut Creek Drive to the west, Matlock Road to the east, Debbie Lane to the south, and Turner-Warnell Road to the north.
Though it’s a young neighborhood, Antigua has close access to some of the top-rated public schools in Texas, according to Niche.
Mansfield High School is rated No. 135. Down the street on Walnut Creek Drive, Asa Low Intermediate School is rated No. 222, and Brooks Wester Middle School No. 223.
The neighborhood is surrounded by big-box retailers. At Debbie Lane and Matlock Road to the east of the neighborhood is a retailer cluster that includes Kroger, a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, and an Aldi. The city also has a Tom Thumb and a soon-to-be H-E-B farther down U.S. 287.
A new Chick-fil-A is coming up on Debbie Lane, joining other fast-food restaurants less than a mile away.
And if residents get too much fast food in their systems, they can work it out at a full-size Life Time fitness center.
On the west end of Debbie Lane near U.S. 287 is a cluster of more big-box retailers, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, and more strip shopping centers.
If residents aren’t working in the city of about 71,419 (2020 Census Bureau), commuting is a breeze. It’s 27 minutes to downtown Fort Worth and 40 minutes to downtown Dallas. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is a 31-minute drive.
Antigua residents have several recreation areas nearby. In Mansfield, they can hang out at Elmer Oliver Nature Park and Katherine Rose Memorial Park. Both parks are a part of a hike and biking trail that winds through the city.
For entertainment, residents have the Farr Best Theater in downtown Mansfield. The historic downtown also has several amenities.
So, yes, Antigua seems like a saintly place to live and play.
