Editor’s note: What was Fort Worth reading in 2017? We are so glad you asked. Here's a look back at the 10 most-read CultureMap stories from the past year. There are many top dining stories we didn't include, by the way, because they got their own list.
1. New Dallas-Fort Worth water park is set to make an epic splash. Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark will be a new recreational facility in Grand Prairie at State Highway 161 and the Waterwood Drive, set to open now in early 2018. The water park will be an indoor-outdoor venue with a retractable roof that's open year round.
2. Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 10 hottest new restaurants for April. Things got cooking in Fort Worth in April. So many new restaurants had opened in the past few months, we needed a list to keep track. For our April edition of Where to Eat, we offered our guide to the 10 hottest restaurants to open in and around Fort Worth.
3. Fort Worth declared one of America's 10 best cities to raise a family. Those born and raised in Fort Worth sure are lucky. Our city was named the third best in America to raise a family, according to a study conducted by SmartAsset, a personal finance company.
4. Sparkling spring-fed pool makes for an ideal day trip from Fort Worth. Summer contributor Stacy Breen headed out on a Texas expedition that included swimming at a landmark pool and dining at a four-star resort. The price wasn't bad, and the best part is that she was able to do it all in a day. The pool was Hancock Springs Pool in Lampasas, 146 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
5. New Fort Worth restaurant mercado does four-star spin on Mexican. A Fort Worth chef with a fine-dining background was heading up a new restaurant concept that played to his roots. Called Americado, it would be a unique combination of restaurant and meat market and come from chef Victor Villarreal. The unique food hall opened in April, then closed suddenly in early November due to lack of business, then reopened about a week later with new menu items and brunch service.
6. 48 Hours revisits one of Fort Worth's most notorious murders. Those who love unsolved crimes, especially with a local angle, roped off an hour on Saturday, May 13, when CBS' 48 Hours examined one of the most notorious cases in Texas history. In "Murder in the Mansion," 48 Hours investigated the 1976 ambush of former college basketball star Stan Farr and his date, Priscilla Davis, who was going through a divorce from her Fort Worth oil millionaire husband Cullen Davis.
7. Prowl secret underground tunnels at this illicit casino east of Fort Worth. Arlington has no shortage of tourist destinations, but a favorite is one of the most offbeat: Top O' Hill Terrace, a former gambling den that's now home to a Baptist college on the western edge of Arlington. This place was built in the 1920s as a restaurant and tea room, but it led a dual life.
8. Forget Marfa: 5 quirky getaways just a few hours from Fort Worth. Whether you’re not about that seven-hour drive out west or you’ve had it up to here with all the hype, Marfa is far from your only option when you’re looking for a unique weekend getaway. There’s plenty of quirk out there that makes for one-of-a-kind escapes. Here are five spots we recommend adding to your travel bucket list.
9. This is how much you need to make to live comfortably in Fort Worth. A new study from GoBankingRates.com revealed that Americans living in 39 of the 50 most populous U.S. cities have incomes below (or far below) what’s needed to live comfortably. Surprisingly, that stat doesn't really seem to apply to Texas, which has seven cities in the study. Perhaps not so surprisingly, Fort Worth is one of the five Lone Star cities where the median salary is actually higher than the magic "comfortability number" calculated by the personal finance website.
10. How to get every possible discount at the 2017 State Fair of Texas. For many, the State Fair of Texas is an annual ritual, a segue from summer to fall and a touchstone of life in Texas, no matter how you enjoy it. For us, it’s all about the discounts. We spent all summer digging up the best State Fair of Texas discounts, and this is the full list.
Peter Strauss and Heather Locklear as Cullen Davis and Priscilla Davis in the TV movie Texas Justice.
Hoisting of a nearly century-old tree in Sundance Square.
Sundance Square