By Scott Nishimura
Some of our favorite comments to peruse on web articles we publish concern the many names of our great city.
Turns out, the topic can be pretty divisive.
It's the crux of our last September issue, "Are we Cowtown or Funkytown?", wherein we consider two of the most prominent nicknames. There are loyal camps on both sides of the ongoing debate, swearing that Fort Worth is where the west begins, or where a vibrant, culturally rich population call home.
The beauty of it? Nobody's really wrong in their justification. The city's not lacking one bit in its rustic heritage, nor in its continually evolving urban life and amenities. Still, it inspires curiosity to consider how often we've heard Fort Worth called a specific byname.
Editors Brian Kendall, Samantha Calimbahin, Scott Nishimura, and Matt Payne put some thought into the topic for this edition of 4 on 1: What's your favorite Fort Worth nickname?
Brian: To side-step the "Are we Cowtown or Funkytown?" debate, I'm going to go with Panther City. The story of the nickname — a column from a Dallas paper that claimed Fort Worth was so sleepy it didn't notice a sleeping panther in the middle of its downtown — is, in itself, amusing. But the fact that Fort Worth embraced the name is what's most telling about our city. We should consider dubbing ourselves the city of self-deprecation.
Samantha: Panther City. I love the old legend of Fort Worth once being so sleepy, an actual panther was spotted snoozing in front of the courthouse. A ferocious cat who just wants to take a nap — I relate to this on a personal level.
Scott: I'm partial to Fort Worth's new tourism campaign that markets the city as the "Modern West." It's, in parts, honest and aspirational. The city has problems, and our tourism office, Visit Fort Worth, admits marketing doesn't change history or correct wrongs. But the slogan's designed to highlight the many reasons visitors have to come see the city.
Matt: I like nicknames that accurately embody what something’s about, and I think the classic Cowtown still serves that purpose — for now. Fort Worth roots are still firmly planted atop a rich yeehaw culture, as evidenced by a booming Stockyards district, world class rodeos, and wannabe cowboys imagining their F-150s are stallions galloping down the interstate. On the same token, I hope Funkytown picks up more steam as time goes on, and personally think it could become more and more iconic a moniker as the city develops.
