Flower Mound 1996-2006: 10 years of living good

This week marks our family's 10th anniversary of moving to Flower Mound. We came here after a brief 18-month stay in Oklahoma City. We moved here so I could go to work at FOX, and my wife could "retire" from television to raise our infant son. A couple of years before, we were finishing up 5 years in Connecticut -- beautiful place, but too expensive to raise a family on one TV-news income. I had grown up in Fort Worth and Arlington and went to school at SMU, so I had spent my first 22 years in the DFW area. But I had never been to Flower Mound before. Our real estate agent showed us Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Carrollton and Flower Mound. We chose Flower Mound, and we've been happy here ever since.

So much has changed in our 10 years here, so I thought it would be fun to share what I recall of Flower Mound in April 1996, and in some cases, a comparison with what we have today.

TRAFFIC:

In 1996, the 2499 flyover had just been completed, and the "new" 2499/International Parkway was paved all the way up to the Lakeside/Spinks area. Long Prairie Road north of Spinks was still a two-lane road that dead-ended at 1171. Once you got off the flyover, you were home-free until you get closer to 3040, as there was no Grapevine Mills Mall, and no traffic lights there. But traffic was a nightmare at rush hour, with lengthy backups at the 2499/3040 light, far longer than what we usually see today.

RESTAURANTS:

Here's what I recall being here -- Salernos, Bari's (old location), Angelinas (1171/Shiloh, now Christinas), Alfornos and the little breakfast diner next to it on Morriss Road, Braums on 1171. That's about it. If you wanted fast food, your best bet was to visit the Kroger at 1171/2499. Their old food court featured 2 or 3 in-store restaurants like Taco Bell and KFC, and perhaps Pizza Hut too.

GROCERY STORES:

The only stores I recall in 1996 were the above-mentioned Kroger, the Food Lion that is now the FM Police and Courts Building, and the Tom Thumb at 1171 and Garden Ridge on the Lewisville border. Other stores could be found in Highland Village and Lewisville.

OTHER DEVELOPMENT:

In April 1996, there was no development at 2499 and 3040. The Tom Thumb shopping center would be started later that year and the next year. Albertsons across the street would follow a year later. Only the Kroger shopping center and the strip-center across the street were developed at 2499 and 1171. Neither of the big shopping centers at 407/Morriss were built. Of course, there was no Target or Lowes or Home Depot in town, but the Ace Hardware in Lewisville was very handy. The Winn-Dixie (now Sprouts) shopping center at 1171/Morriss would come in a couple of years after we moved in.

NEIGHBORHOODS:

No Bridlewood, no Wellington, for starters. Most of the home-building was in the areas south of 1171, north of 3040, east of 2499 and east/west of Morriss.

RECREATION:

In 1996, if you wanted to play baseball or softball, you played on the single fields on 1171/Old Settlers and at Forestwood Middle School, or at Hilltop Park. Gerault Park was finished a couple of years later.

POLITICS:

1996: Voters United - who?
2006: Voters United - where?

SCHOOLS:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in 1996, if you lived south of 1171, your high schoolers went to Lewisville High School. North of 1171 they went to Marcus.

PERSONAL:

1996: One infant son.
2006: One 4th-grade son and one preschool daughter.

1996: Wife retired from TV.
2006: Wife retired from being retired, back in TV.


What do you recall about Flower Mound when you moved here? Post a comment with your own time snapshot here.