By Dovie Solomon

Where I Live

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I moved to Texas in 2021, soon after my husband and I got married.

I had never been to the state before; my first day here was the day I arrived for good. We started out living in the area near Brentwood Stair Road in east Fort Worth, but it never quite felt like home to me.

After my husband died, I knew I needed a change.

I wanted to move away from the memories and find a place where my kids and I could start fresh. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for, but I knew I needed peace.

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I wanted something calmer, somewhere I could breathe and somewhere my kids could feel safe.

I found the Vista Greens neighborhood by accident, just stopping by for a house showing.

Afterward, I drove around — past the reservoir, through the quiet streets — and I felt it.

This place just felt like peace. Everyone I met was welcoming. They introduced themselves and they offered to help me find schools. Nobody was standoffish or judging me for being a single mom. I thought that this is where I need to be.

The pond was what truly sealed it for me.

My husband loved to fish. I remember taking him over there — I just wanted him to see it.

I knew if he were still here, that’s where he’d be, sitting on the bank with a cigarette in hand, waiting for a bite. That water gave me comfort and it still does.

Our house has the layout I needed, especially the office, since I work from home. But more than anything, it felt like mine. After all we’d been through, that mattered.

I came from Milwaukee, where I worked as a door-to-door saleswoman.

That job opened my eyes to how segregated Milwaukee really was.

I had the police called on me just for knocking. I had someone send me into a neighborhood with Confederate flags flying. It was a lot.

That’s why when people told me, “Texas isn’t a place for a Black family,” I didn’t want to hear it. Because what I’ve found here — at least in this community — is the exact opposite.

Here, my son can walk to the basketball court without anyone telling him to leave. My daughter plays with the little girl across the street. Our neighbors wave, they smile, they’re kind. They decorate the streets with flags during holidays, they keep it clean, it’s quiet and I walk outside at night and feel safe.

There are parks tucked everywhere. The walking trail runs through the neighborhood and ends with a workout area, slides and swings — my kids love it.

We have a Kroger just around the corner, and the Tanger Outlets are only 10 minutes away. My daughter and I have our own nail shop we like.

We don’t have any big landmarks around here in suburban north Fort Worth. But for me, the pond is the landmark. That’s where we named the ducks — Paisley is the one we see most often.

That water carries so much memory and meaning. It’s part of our healing.

We’re renting now, but I’m looking to buy, hopefully right nearby. I want to stay close to this area, close to the place that brought me comfort when I needed it most.

If someone’s thinking about moving here, I’d say: take a walk by the water. Sit still for a minute. Watch the ducks. You’ll know if it’s right.

This place gave me peace and it gave my family a new start.

And in many ways, it still feels like he’s here with us.

Vista Greens

Total population

: 5,332

F

emale

: 51% |

Male

: 49%

Age


0-9: 16%

10-19: 16%

20-29: 9%

30-39: 15%

40-49: 25%

50-59: 11%

60-69: 6%

70-79: 3%

80 and older: 0%

Education


No degree: 2%

High school: 16%

Some college: 40%

Bachelor’s degree: 37%

Post-graduate: 6%

Race


White: 58% | Hispanic: 24% | Black: 9% | Asian: 4% | Two or more: 4%

Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings:

• 
  John M. Tidwell Middle School
  

• 
  J. Lyndal Hughes Elementary
  

• 
  Kay Granger Elementary
  

• 
  Timber Creek High School
  

• 
  Woodland Springs Elementary
  

• 
  Independence Elementary
  

• 
  Caprock Elementary
  

• 
  Trinity Springs Middle School
  

• 
  Keller-Harvel Elementary
  

• 
  Trinity Meadows Intermediate
  

• 
  Ridgeview Elementary
  

Source:

Census Reporter

Dovie Solomon lives in suburban north Fort Worth with her two children, an incoming 12th grader and a second grader.

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Where I Live: Widow finds peace and comfort near pond in suburban north Fort Worth