Fort Worth Star-Telegram Sundance Square Plaza Sponsor Propaganda

In the past 24 hours the subject of Fort Worth Star-Telegram irresponsible propaganda, and inept reporting of local newsworthy news, came up on Facebook due to an opinion piece by a long ago Star-Telegram reporter who verbalized a cluelessly ironic warning about how a town without a newspaper could easily be corrupted.

This was then blogged about in Bob Schieffer Warns Fort Worth Corruption Will Rise Without Real Newspaper.

And then this morning's Star-Telegram delivered a classic example of that pitifully sad newspaper's hyperbolic propaganda style in Sundance Square Plaza lands a sponsorship deal.

Okay, for those who do not know. Sundance Square Plaza is a little plaza in downtown Fort Worth, built on a parking lot. For decades Fort Worth had been confusing its few tourists with signage which pointed to Sundance Square, where there was no square.

And then, in 2013, after years of Sundance Square confusion, an actual square was added to Fort Worth's downtown.

I remember soon upon my arrival in Texas being confused by those Sundance Square directional signs. And asking locals where Sundance Square was. Usually I would be pointed to parking lots at the location where an actual square eventually appeared. It was years after that I learned that Sundance Square is/was the name of the development effort developed to try and renovate Fort Worth's rundown downtown. I remember learning that and thinking, yikes, it used to actually be worse?

And now, four years after finally getting an actual downtown square, I mean, plaza, that plaza has a sponsorship deal.

Downtown Fort Worth's tiny one acre plaza needed a sponsorship deal?

Have other towns, you know, towns wearing their big city pants, made similar sponsorship deals for their downtown plazas? I suspect not.

Last summer I was in Tacoma, a town much smaller than Fort Worth. Tacoma has several areas in town one might refer to as a plaza. All larger than Fort Worth's little downtown plaza.

I blogged about two of these Tacoma areas, both with large interactive water features.

In the first blogging Point Ruston Ruby, Theo & David Surrey Survey Of Tacoma's New Waterfront Development it ends with a video at one of Tacoma's unsponsored plazas. The second blogging, Ruby, David & Theo Thea Foss Waterway Uncle Walk Vision, looks at what amounts to a sprawling linear plaza, with a marina.

All built during the same time frame in which Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision has been dawdling along with little to be seen.

And now some of the embarrassing propaganda bits from the Star-Telegram article about Sundance Square Plaza getting a sponsor...

Since Sundance Square Plaza opened in 2013, it has become a downtown centerpiece. Flanked by high-rise office buildings and an interactive fountain underneath a Chisholm Trail mural that celebrates the city’s history, the plaza has become a gathering place with free movie nights and concerts. The city’s Christmas Tree will installed on Nov. 13, welcoming everyone home for the holidays. And soon you may find a car or SUV parked out there.

I copied without editing, so that missing "be" word was missed by the Star-Telegram editors, not me.

Soon you will find cars parked on the little plaza?

To help pay for its free programs — and possibly more — Sundance Square has signed a one-year sponsorship deal with Nissan USA that lets the automaker display its vehicles, put up signage and be included in advertising for the plaza. It won’t, however, put its name on the plaza.

Nissan signs and cars? And then there's this...

“We continually work on developing new ideas and partnerships that keep customers engaged and excited,” said Tracy Gilmour, Sundance Square’s marketing director. “Nissan is a perfect fit — they have a focus on community and providing exciting moments. Working together, we will bring even more excitement to our visitors.”

If I were the Star-Telegram I would have asked that Sundance Square marketing director for examples of some of those new developing ideas. I would also have asked how it is determined "customers" are engaged and excited. And how will working with Nissan bring even more excitement? Elaborate, please, on what exactly the current existing excitement is regarding this little plaza. Movies and concerts? Yes, that type thing is unique and very exciting.

And also this...

Sundance has been approached “from Day One” about company sponsorships and will continue to look at them on an individual basis, said spokeswoman Carolyn Alvey. The one-acre plaza was built on former parking lots and is flanked by The Westbrook on the west and The Commerce to the east. The brick plaza, which also includes a stage and pavilion, breaks up Main Street but offers a stunning views of the historic Tarrant County Courthouse and the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Now Sundance Square Plaza has been reduced to one word. Sundance. Like Cher or Elvis or Trump. Been approached since day one. Really? Can you tell us who has made some of those approaches?

Stunning views of the Tarrant County Courthouse and the Convention Center. Really? The courthouse is a distance to the north. Who finds this a stunning view? And why? As for the Convention Center. From Sundance Square Plaza all one sees of the Convention Center is the bizarre homage to a giant flying saucer that is always in the running for the Top Downtown Fort Worth Eyesore Award. So, yeah, it's pretty stunning to look at.

And one more thing, that photo accompanying the Sundance Square Plaza sponsor article, which you see at the top, is visual propaganda. That photo makes this little plaza look like the Taj Mahal.

Why does the Star-Telegram perpetually print propaganda of this trite type? It seems so shallow, so stupid and so not big city worthy...

A Visit With A Lonesome Square Before A New Gateway Park Overlook

I had to venture to downtown Fort Worth this morning to do a title transfer thing at the tax office.

After that taxing matter was taken care of I decided to enjoy the sun in Sundance Square Plaza to have myself a mighty fine time doing some people watching at the bustling plaza.

Well, that was the plan, but people did not cooperate, as in there was very little bustling going on.

Leaving the downtown zone I decided to exit at Beach Street to check out the current status of the Gateway Park Trinity River Overlooks.

Above is the completed Overlook at the west side of the park. I assume the Overlook at the east side of the park is also completed. This Overlook is a vast improvement over the old boarded up boardwalk that had been an embarrassing eyesore for many years.

I believe the Overlook upgrades are a product of the Trinity River Vision Central City Uptown Panther Island Vision.

Speaking of America's Biggest Boondoggle. And who isn't? Continuing on with my trek eastward I headed north on Beach Street, turning right onto 1st Avenue East/Randol Mill Road.

I was curious to see how the road and bridge construction was going.

Well, unlike the aforementioned Boondoggle, the three bridges for the new road appear to be completed, built in about a year's time, with one of the bridges actually built over water known as the Trinity River, which can flow fast and wild at this location.

Saturday Morning Walk Around Downtown Fort Worth With Sundance Square Plaza Video

Sundance Selfie

This first Saturday of October I walked around what many, well some, bizarrely believe to be the Best Downtown in America.

Fort Worth, Texas.

I think I have mentioned before that a time or two or maybe more others have opined that I have too much fun making fun of Fort Worth.

To which I say I do not make fun of Fort Worth. I make fun of goofy stuff in Fort Worth or goofy stuff some say about Fort Worth.

Such as claiming that Fort Worth's downtown is the best in America. That is just a super silly claim to make.

Now, let me be real clear, if I have not been previously. Fort Worth's downtown is one of the nicest downtowns I have ever walked around in. It's good-looking, nicely landscaped, easy to walk around in and is just overall an attractive downtown.

However, downtown Fort Worth is a bit unlively at times. Like this morning. Or on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Now, in most downtowns in America one would not consider it to be a good jogging location. But as you see above, in downtown Fort Worth you can safely jog on the mostly car-free streets. I saw multiple joggers jogging the downtown Fort Worth streets this morning.

Make note of the wide sidewalk above, and below.

If I remember right I have complained a time or two about Fort Worth's lacking in the sidewalk department. That is true in the Fort Worth hinterlands, but not true in downtown Fort Worth where one finds wide, landscaped sidewalks, many paved with bricks.

Downtown Fort Worth has an interesting mix of old and new buildings. Many from the Art Deco era.

In this photo you are standing in Sundance Square Plaza, looking slightly northeast. You see those three buildings? In the back is a modern short skyscraper. In front of the modern short skyscraper is a brick four story building that looks like it could date back to the 1890s. In front of the brick four story building is a building that looks like, I don't know, the Parthenon in Athens?

See what I mean about the eclectic mix of architecture in downtown Fort Worth?

Today I walked by Fort Worth Firehouse #1, a small, short brick building surrounded by big new buildings, with Firehouse #1 being some sort of museum or historical relic.

Walking around downtown Fort Worth one walks by a lot of history in the form of old buildings. These are scattered all over the downtown. A newer town's downtown, like Seattle for instance, does not have this type blend of old and new. Seattle does have the Pioneer Square part of downtown, but it is just not the same type thing as one sees walking around downtown Fort Worth.

Downtown Fort Worth looks so much better than when I first laid my eyes on the town, late in the last century. I remember being perplexed by many things back then. Like where is this Sundance Square all these signs are pointing to? And what's up with that ugly fake facade Courthouse Annex stuck to the cool looking Tarrant County Courthouse?

Well, both those problems have been solved. Well, the ugly Courthouse Annex has been solved. Fort Worth is still calling its downtown Sundance Square. But the town is confusing fewer of its few tourists because there actually now is a square in Sundance Square, goofily called Sundance Square Plaza.

The ugly Courthouse Annex has been removed, restoring Tarrant County Courthouse to its former glory, complete with new landscaping.

That cannon you see above is stationed on the east side of the aforementioned Tarrant County Courthouse. The cannon is pointing to the south side of the new Tarrant County Courthouse Annex. I rather like the design of this new building.

In the video below I am walking around Sundance Square Plaza. Soon after leaving Sundance Square Plaza I walked around the Tarrant County Courthouse, to its north side, to check out the current state of Fort Worth's Heritage Park. I took video of what I found. But, that will have to wait for a new blogging, likely tomorrow morning.....

In Italy Mr. & Mrs.Galtex Found A Possible Parking Lot Turned Into Turin's Piazza Castello

Fort Worth globetrotters, Mr. and Mrs. Galtex, are currently in Italy, today in the Mediterranean port city of Genoa, a few days ago in Turin, also known as Torino.

While in Turin, Mr. Galtex used Facebook to ask me the trick question you read above the picture.

I had to ponder Mr. Gatlex's trick question a few minutes and then answered with...

Fort Worth has changed a lot since you kids have been out of town, but I am almost certain Fort Worth's teeny little plaza has not grown to big city size, so I'm gonna guess the above is Turin's Piazza....

Fort Worth calls its teeny little  plaza Sundance Square Plaza. Apparently Turin calls its big city plaza Turin Piazza Castello. Does Castello mean square in Italian? Making the name of the Turin plaza, Turin Plaza Square?

Or did the Turinians have the common sense to realize redundantly naming their plaza Turin Plaza Square was a bit ridiculous?

Or maybe Turin  confused its multitude of tourists, for decades, by referring to the Turin downtown as Turin Plaza, where there was no plaza, but plenty of parking lots, which many of the Turin tourists assumed must be the Turin Plaza. And then did Turin decide to turn one of their big parking lots into an actual plaza and then name it Turin Plaza Square?

I suspect that is not how Turin's plaza came to be.

The Italian reports from Mr.and Mrs. Galtex have been causing me some serious Italian food cravings.

One of which is a craving for Pecorino Spaghetti. I have acquired all the ingredients for this version of spaghetti, except for the Pecorino.

Mr. Galtex has let me know it is difficult to replicate the made in Italy version. Mr. Galtex has tried to do so, on some of those rare occasions when he and the Mrs. are stateside, and failed.

However, I have the advantage of having never enjoyed the real thing, so I'll likely be happy with however mine turns out.

And really, how can you go wrong with noodles, butter, pepper and really sharp cheese?

Does Arlington's Founders Plaza Make Arlington The Top Downtown In America?

The past week or two we seem to have been inundated with propaganda puffery pieces from Fort Worth's Ministers of Propaganda.

Top Downtown in America. Sundance Square Plaza is an award winning novelty, which towns across America should emulate. Panther Island Pavilion is a huge success drawing thousands to festival after festival.

I have blogged about my various perplexations on these subjects in several bloggings, such as...

Did The Prophet JD Granger Foresee The Irving Music Factory Making Panther Island Pavilion Look Like A Hillbilly Mudpit? and The Futile Search For The Missing Pavilion, Island & Panther At Fort Worth's Panther Island Pavilion and Elsie Hotpepper Helped Me Learn How Fort Worth Became The Top Downtown In America.

I'd come to terms with the fact that there is no island or pavilion in Panther Island Pavilion. I'd already sort of addressed the fact that the music events that take place at the erroneously named Panther Island Pavilion are not as "special" as Trinity River Vision Boondogglers, like J.D. Granger, propagandasize.

But what has been nagging me in the back of my memory is the thing where the Fort Worth Ministers of Propaganda spew the propaganda that Sundance Square Plaza in Sundance Square, a square which suffered for decades without a real square, is anything all that special.

And then it came to me what has been nagging my memory.

The repetitive pattern of the Fort Worth propaganda.

I think the first time I was burned by Fort Worth propaganda was when I read, over and over again, in the main propaganda spewer, the Star-Telegram, that a new enterprise in Fort Worth, the Santa Fe Rail Market, was going to be the first public market in Texas, and was modeled after Seattle's Pike Place Market and public markets in Europe.

Well, you can go to the webpage I made about being appalled about various aspects of this Sante Fe Market propaganda and see quite clearly why it clearly aggravated me. That being the propaganda that this totally lame group of "stores" was the first public market in Texas and was modeled after Seattle's Pike Place Market, with both claims being not even remotely legit.

What further aggravated me was just a short distance to the east, in this town called Dallas, there is a public market which every single one of my visitors from the Pacific Northwest have opined reminded them of Pike Place Market, that being the Dallas Farmers Market.

Okay, now let's switch to the subject of this little plaza that downtown Fort Worth's propaganda spewers are currently touting is drawing thousands of visitors a week.

There are a couple plazas in Dallas which actually do draw a lot of visitors. One is called Dealey Plaza. The other is called Pioneer Plaza. Dealey Plaza is known world-wide in a way I seriously hope Fort Worth's plaza never is. I have been in Dealey Plaza at an event, along with several thousand people, many more people than I think can cram into Fort Worth's Sundance Square Plaza.

But it is not in Dallas where the plaza is located that I finally remembered and realized came along before Fort Worth's, and is very similar to Fort Worth's. And is bigger.

The little town of Arlington, sandwiched between Dallas and Fort Worth, at its city center, you will find Founders Plaza. Founders Plaza has an actual pavilion, called Levitt Pavilion. There is no imaginary island surrounding Levitt Pavilion.

That is a screencap of the Founders Plaza Levitt Pavilion website at the top. Below  is a screen cap of a lot of people in Founders Plaza enjoying one of the 50 free music events held at Levitt Pavilion annually.

A description from the Founders Plaza website informs us that it has every feature you will find in the Fort Worth plaza. And more. Did the Fort Worth plaza people copy Arlington, I am wondering?

The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts is inside Founders Plaza, a city park in the heart of Downtown Arlington at 100 W. Abram St. on the corner of Center and Abram streets directly across the street from City Hall. Founders Plaza is the crown jewel in the revitalization of Downtown Arlington and has become a favorite place for an impromptu picnic lunch, community gatherings and celebrations. The park includes a spacious lawn, walkways, seating walls, beautiful trees and flower beds, an interactive water fountain generously donated by the Junior League of Arlington, public art, a history garden and the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts.

Inside Founders Plaza, visitors will find two special areas: the History Garden and the Meditation Grove. The History Garden, near the northeast entrance to Founders Plaza directly across from City Hall and the library, features historical markers about Arlington and its founders along with native plants. The Meditation Grove, nestled in the southwest corner behind the Junior League fountain, offers a tranquil area for reflection.

I have been to an event at Founders Plaza, several years ago. I remember, also years ago, when the Super Bowl took place in Arlington, with ESPN setting up on a downtown Fort Worth parking lot, wondering why they did not use that plaza in downtown Arlington.

And then I forgot about that plaza til today.

So, did those who make what little happens in downtown Fort Worth get Green with Envy, years ago, upon seeing what Arlington had done, plaza-wise, and finally decide it was time to add a square to Sundance Square?

Modeled after the square in Arlington?

We all know how Fort Worth likes to model things after other things, like Pike Place Market. Only this time they did a good job of modeling. The similarities between the two plazas really are striking, however, with Arlington having a real stage, more landscaping, trees and a lawn.....

Elsie Hotpepper Helped Me Learn How Fort Worth Became The Top Downtown In America

Yesterday Elsie Hotpepper text messaged me telling me to check out the Sundance Square Facebook page.

I always do what Elsie tells me to do.

I'd already blogged about the subject Elsie was pointing me to in a blogging from early September titled Mr. & Mrs. Galtex Are In Argentina Where They Learned Fort Worth Has America's Top Downtown.

In that blogging I wondered what demented entity deemed Fort Worth's to be the Top Downtown in America.

Well.

That to which Elsie Hotpepper pointed me quickly had me understanding that no entity deemed Fort Worth's to be the Top Downtown in America. This bogus claim is just one more example of the same embarrassing propaganda puffery that pervades this part of America

The Sundance Square Facebook page had a link to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article titled Sundance Square wins top downtown award for new plaza.

So, while it may be sort of true that an entity did award an aspect of downtown Fort Worth an award, that entity did not in any way indicate that Fort Worth has the Top Downtown in America. The award was for downtown Fort Worth's tiny plaza known as Sundance Square Plaza.

The entity making this prestigious award which has sent Fort Worth into a spasm of city wide celebrating is the International Downtown Association. Yeah, I'd never heard of it either.

You can go to the IDA website and read the list of their 2014 Pinnacle Award winners. Note the words "list" and "winners" indicating more than one Pinnacle Award winner.

Multiple towns won Pinnacle Awards from the IDA. But only one of those towns, near as I can tell, is spewing propaganda claiming that due to this award that town's downtown is the Top Downtown in America. Most towns have a real newspaper, not a propaganda purveyor like the Star-Telegram, so such nonsense does not get spewed.

Three paragraphs from the Star-Telegram article...

“Each year, the IDA awards jury honors the very best programs and projects in each category to recognize great work and most importantly to set the standard for best practice in our industry. The Sundance Square Plaza is a wonderful example for all cities to emulate.”

The 1-acre plaza, which opened in November, received one of two Pinnacle Awards. The other went to the Wichita Downtown Development Corp. for a $500,000 downtown master plan. Seven merit awards were also given.

“The addition of the plaza created a centerpiece in downtown Fort Worth that has quickly become a destination for North Texas residents and visitors from all around the world,” Johnny Campbell, president and CEO of Sundance Square, said in a statement.

So, Fort Worth is sharing an award category with Wichita and that town's downtown master plan? And Fort Worth's teeny downtown plaza is something all cities should emulate? Yes, I can see towns all over the planet copying Fort Worth's little downtown plaza, except for all those towns which already have downtown plazas. And most ridiculous, this plaza has become a destination for the people of North Texas and visitors from around the world?

Sundance Square Plaza is a perfectly fine thing, I'm not suggesting otherwise. And it is a huge improvement over the parking lots which Fort Worth's few out of town visitors thought were Sundance Square. But this plaza is NOT some sort of special destination drawing anyone to it.

How did the International Downtown Association learn about the wonder which is Sundance Square Plaza I am sure you are wondering.

Well.

Apparently Sundance Square submitted Sundance Square Plaza for consideration for this prestigious award which permits a town to claim to be the Top Downtown in America.

Now, I really do not think there is anything wrong about entering something you represent into any sort of award competition.

However.

You can read the Sundance Square Plaza Award Submission document in its entirety, a reading of which will have you seeing the award submission is full of the patented propaganda puffery of the sort the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is notorious for.

Two paragraphs from the Award Submission propaganda to illustrate the propaganda point....

Sundance Square Plaza has been an enormous success, attracting thousands of visitors weekly, including many families with children. The project has also boosted the success of restaurants and retail stores in Sundance Square, led to new soft-goods retail leases in adjacent buildings and helped attract commercial leases in the new office buildings. In its first six months of operation, Sundance Square Plaza hosted an elaborate Christmas celebration, a huge (even though unadvertised) New Year’s Eve Celebration and the four-day MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival. In March, ESPN used Sundance Square Plaza as its broadcast headquarters during coverage of the NCAA Final Four. The Plaza also hosts regular events such as morning yoga, outdoor movie nights for families and a free Sunday Jazz Series.

Here’s another proof of success: out-of-town developers are asking DFWI, “How close can I get to the Plaza?” Hotel and multifamily developers are now jockeying for position near the Plaza. A modestly performing, historic Class C office building one block away has been purchased, and plans are underway to convert it into a boutique hotel. New market pressure has been added to the center of downtown, adding demand four streets away where there was none before – purely because the plaza is perceived as such a valuable attraction and developers want their projects to be within walking distance.

This plaza is one acre in size. Do you know how big one acre is? Not very big. This little plaza attracts thousands of visitors weekly? Including many families? With children?

I think Mr. Galtex, he being who first let me know that Fort Worth now had the Top Downtown in America, said it best when he opined the following....

For the life of me, I've never been able to figure out why the Fort Worth locals are not content to simply say they have a nice downtown, a good this, and a swell that, instead of labeling everything with ridiculous superlatives. Fort Worth would be even nicer without a chip on its shoulder.

Hiking The Tandy Hills Had Me Wondering Why ESPN Is Covering Arlington's Final Four Basketball Games From Fort Worth

On the left you are on the Tandy Hills, looking west, across a sea of green, to where the west begins, looking at the stunning skyline of what has been scientifically determined to be the best downtown in the United States of America, the downtown of Fort Worth, Texas.

This weekend, a town a few miles to the east, Arlington, Final Four basketball games are being played in the Dallas Cowboy Basketball Stadium, also known as AT & T Stadium.

While the basketball games are being played in the football stadium which the voters of Arlington voted to abuse eminent domain and tax themselves to build, ESPN is doing its Final Four basketball coverage from Fort Worth's Sundance Square Plaza, in what used to be a parking lot, before Fort Worth decided a plaza really should be added to Sundance Square and thus end, for all time, the mystery of the missing square which confused Fort Worth's few tourists when they saw directional signs pointing the way to the non-existent Sundance Square.

Why is ESPN broadcasting from Sundance Square Plaza rather than the plaza which is in beautiful downtown Arlington? If I remember right the Arlington venue is called Founder's Plaza. That plaza is very well designed, with a covered stage, water features and is bigger than Fort Worth's downtown plaza. Plus the Arlington plaza is walking distance to where the basketball games are being played, that is, if one enjoys a slightly long walk.

I would think the good citizens of Arlington, who voted to help pay for the giant silver spaceship, would feel a bit cranky that ESPN has not located its broadcast operation in their town, rather than Fort Worth.

Maybe no one thought to show ESPN Arlington's downtown plaza.

Changing the subject back to something that makes sense.

As you can see, the latest iteration of the Tandy Hills Hoodoo appears to be the most precarious balancing rock piece of artwork yet.

Hiking the Tandy Hills today was a bit chilly. I sped up my already fast hill hiking to help facilitate getting warm.

I came upon a scene I'd not seen before on the Tandy Hills.

West of the Tandy Hills Outdoor Auditorium benches, near where a trail leads to the hills from View Street, I came upon a pair of what looked to be parental units with a brood of a lot of kids. The kids looked to be of a similar size, so I suspect this was not a family unit, so brood is likely the wrong word to use.

The group was sitting off the trail, on the ground, having a picnic. I howdied the group as I walked by, then as I descended the trail to the west it occurred to me that they might not be aware of the bench seats available a short distance to the east.

I am very wary when I get grounded on the Tandy Hills, like when I get down on the ground to take a Hoodoo picture. I check for fire ants and other insect vermin before I ground myself. My worst fire ant episode ever happened on the Tandy Hills whilst taking a photo of a wildflower.

Since it is Saturday, after a bout of hill hiking, I was off to Town Talk for some treasure hunting. Found nothing noteworthy today. Unless one counts two pounds of Welch's strawberries as noteworthy. 50 cents a pound. That sounds cheap to me. And they actually sort of taste like strawberries. Also got a small block of Romano cheese. I guess that is slightly noteworthy. The rest of what I got was rabbit food. And yogurt.

A couple days ago, or maybe it was yesterday, Mr. and  Mrs. Galtex went Town Talk treasure hunting. On Facebook Mr. Galtex had this to say about that....

We went on our weekly treasure hunt at Town Talk Foods and found Uncle Oinker's Gummy Bacon. (Farm Fresh Flavor!) I'll wait until Durango tries it before we buy some.

Well.

I looked all over for Uncle Oinker's Gummy Bacon to no avail.  I asked a couple of the Town Talkers if they still had Uncle Oinker's Gummy Bacon, also to no avail.

I've learned with Town Talk that some good stuff will only be available for a very short duration. The Galtex's should have taken a Gummy Bacon risk, while they had the chance.

Speaking of Mr. and Mrs. Galtex, and who isn't? That pair of jet setters is currently in Boston because Mr. Galtex likes to fill himself up with cream pie and lobster rolls and because Boston's Wilbur Theatre  is where Mr. Galtex can laugh at his favorite funny man, some guy I've never heard of named Brad Morris.

I have never been to Boston, so I don't know what cream  pie is. I do know what a lobster is, but I don't know what a lobster roll is.

My ignorance about so many things used to vex me, til Google came along...

I Did Not Get Lost In The Black Friday Crowd At Fort Worth's Sundance Square Plaza Today

I finally made it to the goofily named Sundance Square Plaza today for the first time since its Grand Opening hoopla a month or two ago.

From photos, previously seen, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what this plaza was going to look like.

That and last April I saw the space under construction, so I had an inkling as to the size of the space.

Well.

Did I like what I saw today? The answer to that question is YES.

Sundance Square Plaza is a HUGE improvement over the parking lots which previously occupied this piece of prime downtown Fort Worth real estate.

I have liked the Chisholm Trail mural, you see in the first photo, from the first I ever saw it. But, at that point in time the mural looked out over parking lots.

Now the mural looks out over a much more aesthetically pleasing view.

However.

I know today was Black Friday. Black Friday is a day when downtown Fort Worth is pretty much a ghost town during the day, coming alive Black Friday night, as we previously discussed, earlier today.

So, today, Sundance Square Plaza was not sporting much human activity.

But I can sure see where this space could come alive at night, particularly during the HOT days of spring, summer and fall.

Currently, due to the excesses of the holidays, the plaza is looking at bit cluttered.

I suspect the plaza looks much nicer holiday clutter-free.

I can see how the water feature of the spouting fountains variety is going to be HUGE hit come the HOT times of the year.

That is the fountain water feature in the photo at the top, with a couple kids being a bit tenuous about walking out into the water zone. At one point the fountains did erupt, but not as spectacularly as what was portrayed in a photograph taken by the persnickety Mr. Galtex, which I feloniously purloined and used on this blog.

Maybe the fountains were operating at low pressure today.

My biggest surprise today came from another plaza which I had not previously seen  That previously unseen, by me, plaza, well, I give that plaza a total double thumbs up.

Impressive.

And big city plaza worthy of any big city.

Anywhere.

I don't think I can say that about Sundance Square Plaza.

I will blog photos of my favorite downtown Fort Worth plaza in a subsequent blogging.....

Sundance Square Plaza Redundancy Along With Goofy Propaganda Puffery & Other Questions

Sundance Square Plaza Photo by Mr. & Mrs. Galtex

On the left you are looking at fountains spouting in the oddly named Sundance Square Plaza.

When I hear Sundance Square Plaza the word 'redundant' comes to mind.

Redundant and goofy.

There are reasons some well known downtown public spaces are not known as Times Square Plaza, Westlake Center Square, Pioneer Square Plaza, Trafalgar Square Plaza or Dealey Plaza Square.

Well, you get the point.

The newly opened downtown Fort Worth public plaza is featured on the cover of this week's DFW.com Ink Edition, along with an article titled Hip to be Squared.

Before I got to the article I learned via the cover that the newly opened downtown Fort Worth plaza cost  $110 million. I don't remember funding for this project being voted on in any sort of bond election. So, I am curious, how was this $110 million financed?

DFW.com is a Fort Worth Star-Telegram production, hence the overblown Chamber of Commerce type propaganda puffery the Star-Telegram is known for, in this article.

Regarding the long standing mystery of there being no square in Sundance Square the Hip to be Squared article included these three paragraphs....

“We get the ‘Where is Sundance Square?’ questions. ‘How do I know I’m in this place that people are talking about?’” says Johnny Campbell, Sundance Square president and CEO. “So we ask them where they are. They say, ‘I’m at Third and Main.’ We say, ‘You’re standing right in the middle of it.’”

That’s long been the mystery of Sundance Square. To paraphrase Gertrude Stein, “There is no square there.”

And yet, Sundance Square has become as emblematic of Fort Worth as the Stockyards. A magnet for retail, restaurants, entertainment and people-watching, Sundance Square is one of the main reasons Fort Worth is regularly recognized among the nation’s best downtowns.
Really?

Sundance Square has been as emblematic of Fort Worth as the Stockyards? Who, other than Fort Worth locals, has the slightest idea of what Sundance Square is? Did not the article just mention the fact that this non-existent square has long been a mystery?

This mysterious, non-existent square is one of the main reasons Fort Worth is regularly recognized among the nation's best downtowns?

Really?

Classic Fort Worth Star-Telegram propaganda.

Who is it that is regularly recognizing Fort Worth's as one of the nation's best downtowns?

No one I know, outside of Texas, knows anything about downtown Fort Worth. The only thing I ever have mentioned to me is people knowing of the Fort Worth Stockyards.

How many people would the Star-Telegram have to randomly call, outside of Texas, asking the persons called what the person knows about downtown Fort Worth before, finally, after a million or two phone calls someone says, "Well, Fort Worth is regularly recognized among the nation's best downtowns."

How many million people would the Star-Telegram have to randomly call, asking the person called if they know what Fort Worth's Sundance Square is, before the person called answered, "Well, that's that mysterious non-existent downtown square that has been perplexing visitors for decades."

Why must the Star-Telegram, in its various forms, always resort to this type nonsensical propaganda puffery?

There are plenty of reality based good things one can say about downtown Fort Worth. Instead of pretending that downtown Fort Worth is on the nation's radar screen, why not focus on why downtown Fort Worth is a national non-entity that is not on the nation's radar screen, rather than pretend that is it nationally known and recognized?

This type propaganda is very perplexing. And sort of embarrassing....

The First Monday Of November Dawns Cloudy Thinking About Sundance Square Plaza

As you can see, via the photo on the left, this first Monday of November, Day 4 of the 11th Month of 2013, appears to be stormy at my location on the planet.

Rain is in the forecast for today and the next couple days.

So far I have seen nary a drop.

The outer world was warmed to 55 degrees when I ventured out to that turquoise oasis you see under the cloudy sky.

The temperature of the water has taken a dive towards chilly since yesterday, which had today's morning swim requiring 3 retreats to the hot tub.

Changing the subject to something else.

I have heard nothing but good things about downtown Fort Worth's newly opened Sundance Square (Plaza). Some of the good things have come from the usual Chamber of Commerce propaganda puffing sorts.

So, I did not know how reliable the glowing new plaza descriptions were, burned as I have been, more than once, by downtown Fort Worth Santa Fe Rail Market type deceptive reporting.

And then there was what the Galtex's had to say about the new plaza. The Galtex's live in downtown Fort Worth. They are world travelers, so unlike many of the locals, the Galtex's have been to other cities in other states than Texas and other countries than the United States.

On Facebook this is what Mr. Galtex had to say.......

The new Sundance Square has completely changed my perception of downtown Fort Worth; at last it feels like a real city. This afternoon we enjoyed Rockestra, an electric string quartet performing Lady Gaga songs, and Alex McDonald performing a Haydn piano sonata.

And this is what Mrs. Galtex had to say on Facebook...

We live downtown and aren't big fans of Sundance Square. BUT... Sundance actually has a SQUARE now (rather than a parking lot) and it is AMAZING. I feel like I finally live in a real city with lots of cool events to get me out of the house. YAY!

I have not yet made it to downtown Fort Worth to check out the finished plaza. I am guessing when I do see it I am going to like it, like I like the Water Gardens at the south end of downtown, and used to like Heritage Park at the north end of downtown, until the irresponsible Fort Worth powers that be allowed Heritage Park to turn into a boarded up eyesore.

Except for the aforementioned boarded up eyesore, downtown Fort Worth has had itself a lot of positive changes in the past year. Getting rid of that embarrassing Courthouse Annex may be the #1 improvement.

I think I will likely make my first visit to Sundance Square Plaza on Black Friday, that being the Day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year, when there will surely be throngs of shoppers thronging all the stores in downtown Fort Worth, with Sundance Square Plaza packed with Holiday Celebrators.....

Sundance Square Plaza Opens Friday Under Teflon Umbrellas In Downtown Fort Worth

On the left is a scanned image of a full page ad I saw this morning in this week's Fort Worth Weekly.

The ad is very clever. Near as I can tell, two things are being advertised.

Sundance Square and Sundance Square Plaza.

The ad has 15 lines, starting at the top, each line gets shorter til the last line is only 4 words.

The top line says THIS IS THE PLACE TO LOOK DEEP INTO THE EYES OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE AND GO OH YEAH.

The last line says THIS IS THE PLACE TO...

And directly below THIS IS THE PLACE TO... we see that that place is SUNDANCE SQUARE.

Those who are familiar with other towns and their public squares may be thinking that Sundance Square is one of those type public squares. One would be wrong thinking that. What Sundance Square is is the downtown Fort Worth collection of parking lots, restaurants, hotels, galleries, clubs and stores, covering a multi-block area.

Well, having signs pointing to something called Sundance Square confused many of the millions of tourists who visit downtown Fort Worth, with those tourists perplexedly inquiring where Sundance Square is as they are standing in one of the parking lots they just parked in, finding themselves being told they are in Sundance Square, then continuing to be perplexed as they ask "So, this parking lot is Sundance Square?" to be told that no, it is not just this parking lot.

The powers that be who came up with the Sundance Square idea decided it was time to alleviate the tourist confusion and get downtown Fort Worth an actual public square, so the locals could point those millions of tourists to an actual Sundance Square.

Only, well, we've got a problem. Those powers that be somehow thought it a good idea to name Fort Worth's new downtown square SUNDANCE SQUARE PLAZA.

So now tourists can ask where Sundance Square is to be told it is all around you, and then when further inquiring as to why there is no square in Sundance Square to be told that for that you need to find Sundance Square Plaza.

Sundance Square Plaza has its Grand Opening with a three day celebration starting this Friday, November 1. Sundance Square has its own website touting the wonders of what will be happening at Sundance Square Plaza in Sundance Square. That is a screencap of the Sundance Square website below.

A blurb from the website about Sundance Square Plaza and its Grand Opening celebration...

Join us for the Opening Celebration of the highly anticipated Sundance Square Plaza, November 1-3. Come and go during this weekend celebration. Enjoy music and fun while taking in the new sights of the 36-foot Teflon umbrellas and the 216 jet water feature. See the wave wall and much more! Enjoy this 55,000 square foot space, bookended by two new beautiful buildings: The Westbrook and the Commerce Building will be sure to impress. This Sundance Square Plaza is the new heart of downtown Fort Worth. Come celebrate with us!

I am so looking forward to seeing those Teflon umbrellas....