The More Alamo the Better

Long-awaited Alamo Drafthouse premieres first Tarrant County theater

Alamo Drafthouse in North Richland Hills will officially open to the public on April 25, marking the theater chain’s sixth location in North Texas and the first in Tarrant County.

The timing of the opening is no accident, as it coincides with the release of what will likely be the highest-grossing movie of the year, Avengers: Endgame. Other films that will be screened during the theater's grand opening include Shazam!, Dumbo, and Breakthrough. Tickets for all grand opening films will be available as of 3 pm on April 17 (click on links for tickets).

The theater (located at 8380 Davis Blvd.) will feature eight auditoriums with full-service dine-in options and luxury recliners at every seat. There will be a combined seating for 927 people, including a 240-seat Premium Large Format theater. As is the case with all Alamo Drafthouse locations, it will feature Alamo's signature mix of first-run films and curated specialty programming, with scratch-made menus often themed to the specific film on the screen.

This location is looking to be attractive to families, as it will place an emphasis on family events with a separate party room, feature a kid-friendly twist on its food and drink menu, and include a kid and pet-friendly patio outside of Vetted Well, a stand-alone restaurant and sports bar attached to the theater.

Continuing in the family-friendly theme, the theater's hallways are lined with a wide range of vintage and ultra-rare Walt Disney movie posters, as well as modern movie poster reinterpretations of Disney classics by the art and collectibles company Mondo.

April 25 is actually considered to be a "soft opening" as it is the start of staff training days for all the new employees. During the soft opening, going on through May 9, guests will enjoy discounted food and non-alcoholic drinks while the staff gets the hang of their roles in the new space. There will be a 25 percent discount from April 25-May 2, and a 10 percent discount from May 3-9.

Alamo Drafthouse North Richland Hills will continue to celebrate its grand opening throughout the month of May, culminating with an Aladdin-themed bazaar on Saturday, May 25 following the film's opening on May 24.

As with all other Alamo Drafthouse locations, the theater will enforce the chain's famous and strict “No Talking or Texting” during the film policy. Guests are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes early to enjoy pre-show entertainment, featuring rare (and often hilarious) clips specifically tailored to the feature film instead of a barrage of advertising.

Alamo Drafthouse North Richland Hills will open to the public on April 25.

Photo by Kathy Tran

Alamo Drafthouse North Richland Hills will open to the public on April 25.

movies

share the road

Texas is one of the most unfriendly states for riding a bicycle

Photo by Coen van de Broek on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in Fort Worth, you already know how true this is.

Fort Worth has a vibrant bicycling community, but the state of Texas is not so bicycle-friendly. A new report called the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S." puts Texas at nearly at the bottom of the list.

Texas comes in at No. 47, with only three other states that are worse: Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, which is the least cycle-friendly state of all.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas' has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."

texas reports rankings