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Eclectic
locale grows more diverse
Heather
Cohen
Skiff Staff
A half mile south of TCU past Berry Street on University
Drive, lies a quaint circle that is tucked away among
older neighborhoods. The area, otherwise known as Bluebonnet
Circle, has been a Fort Worth institution since the 1940s
and is currently in a state of transformation.
The circle, which is home to a little over 30 small businesses,
has welcomed several new stores within the past year.
Full Circle Emporium, Heliotrope, Pizza De Leon, the Olive
Boutique and Trio Hair Concepts have emerged while established
businesses such as the Hong Kong Restaurant have relocated.
Mickie Cooles, owner of Full Circle Emporium, an antique
store that carries jewelry and home and fashion accessories,says
she sees the emergence of new businesses as part of an
attempt to revitalize Bluebonnet Circle. Cooles also says
that all of the newly opened businesses in the Circle
offer goods and services of interest to TCU students,
faculty and parents.
TCU student Mary Jacobs, a junior Advertising/Public Relations
major, says that she couldn’t agree more with Cooles’
statement. Jacobs says she goes to the Circle for everything,
from food to clothing to dry cleaning.
“I am a frequent Circle shopper; I absolutely love
it’s unique atmosphere and all that the businesses
in the Circle have to offer,” Jacobs said.
Driving around Bluebonnet Circle one can see exactly how
diverse its offerings are. Small boutiques, charming restaurants,
professional cleaners, bars, and a variety of other businesses.
Armando Lozano, owner of the Olive Boutique, a trendy
one-of-a-kind clothing store that specializes in carrying
the newest and hottest brands, says that Bluebonnet Circle
definitely has something to offer everyone.
“It offers TCU students, faculty, parents and local
residents places to shop eat, and get their hair or nails
done,” Lozano said.
He says that places such as the Boom Room and Oui Lounge
offer close nightlife options for TCU students who do
not like to travel far from campus.
Many of the circle businesses also offer TCU friendly
discounts. Top Star Nails, which specializes in both waxing
and professional nail care, provides TCU students with
a 15 percent discount on all services. Circle Cleaners
frequently offers student and faculty discounts on their
same day dry-cleaning service in the form of weekly coupons.
The Olive Boutique allows customers to receive a thirty
to sixty percent discount off a purchase the third Thursday
of every month.
Bars such as Oui Lounge, which has been a Fort Worth tradition
for 50 years, and the Boom Room have daily happy hour
specials, and Pizza De Leon offers coupons on every pizza
box.
Heliotrope owners Debby Stein and Jan Edmonds are extremely
enthusiastic about their store’s new location on
the Circle. The two women opened Heliotrope as a way to
share their passion for the arts with others.
“And there’s no better location than near TCU’s
campus to start our venture,” added Stein, a TCU
graduate.
Heliotrope is a gallery for local artists that includes
paintings, sculptures, jewelry, leather, furniture, pottery,
photography and CD’s by local musicians, singers
and songwriters.
“We are so grateful to be able to use our common
passion to communicate to the public the beauty of the
arts,” said Edmonds.
Edmonds and Stein hope that all of the new development
in Bluebonnet Circle will bring a greater sense of community
to the older, more established businesses.
“Hopefully,” Stein said, “with a steady
symbiotic relationship between TCU, neighborhoods, and
circle businesses, Bluebonnet Circle could be a premier
shopping location for all of Fort Worth.” |
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Bluebonnet
Circle Businesses
•Goodwill Donation Station
•Circle Cleaners
•Curt Hinkle D.D.S.
•HRT Computer
•Mann Flooring
•Full Circle Emporium
•Ta’ Lor Nails
•Sugar & Spice Boutique
•Bollin’s AAA Vacuum Cleaner Service
•Dennehey Architects
•Ocean Rock
•On Hold Productions
•Hardie’s Jewelry
•Fort Worth Crisis Pregnancy Center
•Circle Donuts
•Bluebonnet Liquor
•The Boom Room
•Gunns Cleaners
•Ionian Grill
•Marquez Hair Designs
•Brothers II Cleaners
•Trio Hair Concepts
•Top Star Nails
•Oui Lounge
•Jerry’s Barber Shop
•Caro’s Mexican Food
•Blue Bonnet Kwik Mart
•First Street Audio Recording Studio
•Fitness Solutions
•Cowtown Massage
•Pizza De Leon
•Capital Properties
•Chiropractic
•Heliotrope |
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