Your Expert Guide

Fort Worth's Ryan Place: Timeless homes and enduring charm just south of downtown

There are so many great places to live in Dallas-Fort Worth that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

1112 Elizabeth Blvd Ryan Place house Fort Worth

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty

Welcome to 1112 Elizabeth Blvd., located in Ryan Place.

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Brian Holland has lived in Ryan Place for 15 years, and for nine of them he has made the historic Fort Worth neighborhood the center of his real estate business. Ask him what drew him in — and what keeps him there — and he doesn't hesitate: the old homes, the parks, the schools, the neighbors, the parades, the home tours, and the annual softball games against Fairmount.

"I love the welcoming, relaxed vibe of Ryan Place," the Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty advisor says. "The old tree-lined streets, people walking on the sidewalks, neighbors out on their porches saying hello. I love our neighborhood parks, the events we put on throughout the year, and the diversity of the neighborhood. If I had to sum it up in three words, it would be charming, historic, and welcoming."

Holland's path to real estate had an unusual first act. "I used to play in a band that NPR ranked as having the eighth-worst band name ever," he says with a laugh. And no, he won't share it.

His favorite hidden gem sits at the neighborhood's heart: Elizabeth Boulevard. "It's one of the prettiest streets in Fort Worth, and it has the history to match," he says. "Timeless homes and enduring charm."

Holland offered up a few of his personal favorites about life in Ryan Place. Here's his guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
Holland's touchstone for the neighborhood dining scene is Ellerbe Fine Foods on Magnolia Avenue. "It's my benchmark for great food, amazing service, and a curated wine list," he says.

For seafood, he heads to Walloon's Restaurant, also on Magnolia. "It has one of my favorite bars to sit at and catch up with friends," Holland says.

Where to play
Daggett Park is the neighborhood's gathering place. "It's great for playing catch, walking the track, or chatting with friends while your kids play on the playground," Holland says.

What to see
Location is one of Ryan Place's biggest selling points. From the neighborhood, residents are no more than ten minutes from the Fort Worth Zoo, the Museum District, TCU, downtown, and Ariat Arena, and just 10 blocks from the hospital district and all the restaurants and retail on Magnolia and South Main. "The location is second to none," Holland says.

Where to live
Ryan Place offers an unusually rich blend of architecture and home sizes. Elizabeth Boulevard's historic overlay keeps its grand estates looking majestic, while the rest of the neighborhood mixes styles and eras with ease.

"You'll find everything from a super-modern, highly efficient cube house of around 1,800 square feet to 4,000-square-foot classic English Tudors and Colonial four-squares, and everything in between," Holland says. "Most of the houses are old, built on pier-and-beam foundations, made to last, and they've been cared for and updated as the decades have passed."

A recent sale showcases that character. Holland represented the seller of 1306 Elizabeth Blvd., one of the first 10 houses built on the boulevard. Built in 1915, with an amazing front porch and a gorgeous fireplace, the estate embodies the classic style and details that make the whole neighborhood special.

The seller Holland represented has nothing but praise for his neighborhood expertise: "It was great working with Brian. He was up on the neighborhood market and quick on changes as they occurred."

Holland's insider knowledge runs deep. Over his years in the neighborhood, he has personally remodeled four houses for his family and lived in six different Ryan Place homes, and he has sold a significant number of others. "This is a neighborhood with a good amount of off-market sales," he says. "Knowing someone on the inside is a huge advantage."

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Brian Holland lives, works, and plays in Fort Worth's Ryan Place. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email bholland@briggsfreeman.com, or call 817-313-6206. Follow Brian on Facebook and Instagram @brianhollandrealestate.

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living single

Fort Worth ranks among 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living solo

City of Fort Worth / Facebook

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Not everyone is cut out for living with roommates, but finding an affordable place to live alone can be tricky. Luckily, Dallas-Fort Worth sits among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living by yourself, according to a new report.

Analysts at Apartments.com discovered North Texas renters spend the seventh lowest share of their monthly income on single-bedroom rent out of the 50 biggest metros in the U.S.

The study used a 30 percent "common budgeting guideline" to calculate the share of median renter household income spent on one-bedroom asking rents across the 50 largest U.S. metros, and determined renters can only afford to live alone in 24 of the 50 metros without crossing the 30 percent threshold.

The median annual income of a DFW renter household is $63,172, and the findings show the typical asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment comes out to $1,348 per month. The study determined single renters spend 25.6 percent of their monthly income on rent based on the budgeting suggestion.

Texas' favorable rental market also extends outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex: Austin surprised as the No. 1 most affordable metro for living alone, and San Antonio appeared among the top 10.

Austin renters spend the smallest share of their income on single-bedroom apartment rent, at 23.1 percent. That's based on a median renter household income of $70,008 and a $1,348 monthly one-bedroom asking rent price.

Dwindling rent prices and the prevalence of major tech employers are also attracting new renters, and the city has an 11.6 percent apartment vacancy rate.

"The average rent in Austin has decreased year over year, and construction of new housing increased by 30 percent over the past decade," the report's author wrote. "Tax incentives in Texas draw large tech corporations, like Google and Apple, to the Austin area, which has increased average wages, added more jobs to the local economy, and attracted renters in the process."

San Antonio ranked right above DFW in sixth place nationwide with solo renters spending 25.4 percent of their monthly income on single-bedroom rent, coincidentally the same share as single renters living in Raleigh, North Carolina and Salt Lake City, Utah.

This is the income and one-bedroom rent data in San Antonio:

$51,029 – median renter household income
$1,082 – one-bedroom monthly asking rent

A separate Apartments.com survey found 39 percent of U.S. adults would never feel comfortable living with a roommate, and 16 percent of renters would rather pay more in rent to live alone than consider living with a roommate.

"Factors contributing to lower rents may include recent high levels of construction, rising vacancy rates as renter demand catches up to supply, and fewer regulations, such as flexible zoning and lower development costs compared to other parts of the country," the report said. "Living alone has become a non-negotiable for many renters, and some renters are willing to make tradeoffs to afford this lifestyle."

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living alone are:

No. 1 – Austin
No. 2 – Oklahoma City
No. 3 – Phoenix
No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 5 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 6 – San Antonio
No. 7 – Dallas-Fort Worth
No. 8 – Denver
No. 9 – Portland, Oregon
No. 10 – Columbus, Ohio

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