Study: Young professionals enjoy Fort Worth culture, nightlife

by Kendall Morris of TCU 360

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Study tries to identify city's image, according to its young professionals.

FORT WORTH — Young professionals are satisfied living in Fort Worth, according to a study conducted by Neeley School of Business marketing professors Stacy Grau and Susan Kleiser.

Kleiser said the respondents gave positive responses to leisure amenities and cultural aspects. A developed downtown, good nightlife, museums, parks, and recreation contributed to the overall affirmative rating for this category, she said.

The survey was created in order to "understand the image of Fort Worth, in order to attract and retain creative professional young people to Fort Worth,” according to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, which hired the professors to do the study.

The study was part of the Chamber’s Vision Fort Worth program, with 870 people between the ages of 21 and 40 responding to Gray and Kleiser's survey.

While Fort Worth professionals responded well to parts of the survey, some dissatisfaction was found in other areas, including public services and cleanliness.

“They didn’t like the transportation or the infrastructure,” Kleiser said. “And they don’t particularly care for the public school system.”

Cultural diversity and air quality were other considerations young professionals did not respond to well, Kleiser said.

Brianna Broussard, director of the Chamber of Commerce's Vision Fort Worth program, said the city is working on improving its overall image. The overall young professional perception is that Fort Worth is just a town for cowboys, Broussard said.

She said the city is in plans to rebrand the city to blend "cow town" with urban modernization. The newly developed West 7th Street area affirms the rebranding objectives of Vision Fort Worth to modernize the city, she said.

Young professionals will be attracted to a city that is modernized and developed, said John Fainter, vice president of development at Cypress Equities. With a growing trend of young professionals wanting to live in a city with an urban environment for work, life, and play, the city of Fort Worth will continue to grow organically, he said.

The survey was important for assessing the opinions of a key demographic, Kleiser said. Whether young professionals reside in Fort Worth for the leisure activities, social good, or stability, their attraction to the city is essential.

“Young professionals are the future of the city,” Kleiser said. “If you want your city to be on the forefront of technology or whatever it might be, you need the young people.”

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