Episodios

  • 3.10 - The Main Thing, Part One
    Jun 1 2025
    For over a century, Grapevine Main Street has been synonymous with small-town charm. The very mention of our authentic historic district conjures images of brick buildings, festival crowds, and a single broad street surrounded by humble structures. Now, visitors are more likely to have a different view in mind: the combination rail station, hotel, and public gathering space known as Grapevine Main.

    This is Part One of our miniseries on the City's iconic new Public-Private Partnership:

    00:00-03:35... what Places mean to us
    03:36...06:35... from ugly lot to landmark status
    06:36-08:34... drawing the line between Public and Private
    08:35-09:56... casting vision for a once-in-a-lifetime project
    09:57-11:39... why do we build new things that look old?
    11:40-14:05... how a built environment can shape your subconscious
    14:06-16:07... drawing boundaries and shaping design standards
    16:08-19:47... transitioning from old to new with the Transit District Overlay
    19:48-22:59... little details you felt at Grapevine Main, even if you barely noticed them
    23:00-25:42... a vision comes to life, thanks to two important partnerships
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    26 m
  • 3.9 - The Great (Almost) Fire
    Apr 1 2025
    How close did the City come to losing its most iconic neighborhood? Grapevine Residents have heard the stories: an unwatched candle, a timely partnership, and a crisis narrowly averted. Today, we're looking at the legend of a fire that could have destroyed the Historic District... but ended in a single puddle instead.

    Here's how the investigation unfolds:

    00:00-01:49... the legend as we know it
    01:50-04:49... meet the Grapevine Fire Department, our expert witnesses
    04:50-10:30... how codes and experience help prevent fires
    10:31-12:53... why Historic District buildings aren't up to modern code
    12:54-14:10... the fire suppression mandate
    14:11-17:35... how City officials enabled even the smallest businesses
    17:36-20:15...a crash course in fire science
    20:16-21:51... the criminal profile of a fire: motive, means, and opportunity
    21:52-25:13... how bad could this fire have really gotten?
    25:14-27:49... sprinkler dynamics and the crisis we averted.
    27:50-31:58... concluding the investigation
    Más Menos
    32 m
  • 3.8 - The Party Never Ends
    Mar 1 2025
    Visitor spending fuels Grapevine's economy, especially in the Historic District. The reliable stream of customers drawn to the area by its authentic charm and special events is a key factor in Small Business success. And it's easy to see why: festival days and seasonal activations accounted for every one of the Top 20 busiest days in this strategic neighborhood last year... but most vendors in the area have learned not to depend on those surges for long-term success. Let's talk about what they do instead.

    Here's what we're serving up:

    00:00-04:43... welcome to GrapeFest
    04:44-08:39... the core elements in every successful business
    08:40-10:25... inside Giddens Art Gallery on festival day
    10:26-14:05... Hip Pop's double-storefront approach
    14:06-16:15... the electromagnetic theory of customer retention
    15:16-18:05... an indie bookstore's unrelenting commitment to community engagement
    18:06-20:06... what happens to an auto shop when the streets are closed?
    20:07-22.40... doing business the old-fashioned way
    22:41-24:51... why volunteering is good for any Grapevine business, regardless of location
    24:52-27:16... the invisible, essential benefit of community events
    27:17-28:52... the party doesn't stop when the festival ends
    Más Menos
    29 m
  • 3.7 - A Seat at the Table
    Feb 1 2025
    Destination dining is a key part of the business environment on Main Street. Without gathering spaces and innovative menus to draw visitors in, the Historic District would struggle to generate and hold the crowds it needs to thrive. Most local establishments have been here for some time, supporting and benefiting from the neighborhood's unique culture. But no two are alike, and to prove it, we're talking to a pair of wildly different (and wildly successful) business owners: Steve Brown and Dan Weinberger.

    Here's what we're serving up:

    00:00-04:55... dining demand in the Historic District
    04:56-08:43... the man behind DFW's favorite deli
    08:44-10:15... how Weinberger's almost landed in Southlake
    10:16-13:11... the full-service restaurant no one expected to find
    13:12-15:15... extreme makeover: Funeral Home edition
    15:16-17:00... the Margarita Capital of Texas
    17:01-18:04... why conference attendees need to get away
    18:05-19:38... how Esparza's leads with relationships
    19:39-21:40... Weinberger's, designed with speed in mind
    21:41-25:38... what separates Main Street dining from other restaurant clusters?
    25:39-28:30... decades of success (and one idea that didn't make the cut)
    Más Menos
    29 m
  • 3.6 - Old and Improved
    Jan 1 2025
    Balancing preservation with progress can be tough when the oldest part of a City is also one of its hottest real estate markets. But the Farmer's Market of Grapevine shows how consumers can shape an area as effectively as ordinances and private equity.

    What's on the menu today:

    00:00-04:48... how residents turned a 7-11 into fresh food
    04:49-08:23... the Farmer's Market value proposition
    08:24-10:29... from pop-up to Main Street Staple
    10:30-12:59... risking it all on brick and mortar
    13:00-16:05... the state of historic real estate in Grapevine
    16:06-19:00... protecting the spirit of the City's original marketplace
    19:01-19:54... the benefits of backfilling
    19:55-22:09... much more than fruits and vegetables
    22:10-22:52... how this story sums up Grapevine
    Más Menos
    24 m
  • 3.5 - Tinsel Town
    Dec 1 2024
    You've met the "elves" who decorate Main Street (Season 1, Episode 1)... now meet their supervisors. From planning events that draw massive crowds to the importance of every little detail, here's what makes Main Street so magical during the 40-day Christmas Capital of Texas activation.

    What's on the agenda:

    00:00-02:28... who's in charge here?
    02:29-05:25... the party (planning) never ends
    05:26-8:12... "aiming for Disney" revisited
    8:13-10:34... getting the little things right
    10:35-13:00... the "Leslie Knope" mentality
    13:01-21:18... the data driving this year's revised festivities
    21:19-25:03... how events and activations affect business owners
    25:04-28:06... deck the halls with cute nostalgia
    28:07-30:01... nowhere to go but up
    Más Menos
    30 m
  • 3.4 - Underneath It All
    Nov 1 2024
    Every day, you interact with countless miles of unseen pipes, wires, and utilities that create the illusion of effortless convenience. But behind every charged phone, running sink, and Wi Fi router, there's a team of engineers working to keep your life going smoothly. Here in Grapevine, those folks have an extra layer of challenge: part of the City is over 100 years old. And much of it predates modern computers.

    Here's the roadmap for our exploration of the unseen systems that support our community...


    00:00-03:35... meet our experts
    03:36-06:20... what does "civil engineering" actually mean?
    06:21-10:29... unique utilities, hand-drawn plans, and other historical hiccups
    10:30-14:21... modern solutions to age-old questions
    14:22-19:24... water, water everywhere
    19:25-23:28... weathering winter storm Uri
    23:29-28:20... making the most of a global shutdown
    28:21-29:59... outtro and a Bonus Fun Fact
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    30 m
  • 3.3 - Brick and Mortar
    Oct 1 2024
    Understanding the Historic District starts with understanding local history, so we asked Larry Groebe – Communications Director for the Grapevine Historical Society – to walk us through the early decades of this community. As he breaks down the decades that defined Grape Vine (and, later, Grapevine), we'll discover which things have changed, which almost weren't preserved, and which have been part of Grapevine's DNA from the beginning.

    More importantly, we'll hear why the City still feels authentic after 180 years of change.

    00:00-02:41... a quick tour of the Historic District.
    02:42-04:17... the history that almost wasn't.
    04:18-06:23... meet our resident expert.
    06:24-09:28... a Destination, even in the 1920s.
    09:29-12:59... Main Street through the decades.
    13:00-15:23... the very first businesses.
    15:24-18:32... early innovators - Wilhoite's Garage.
    18:33-24:32... history uncovered - Bermuda Gold & Silver.
    24:33-27:57... the people who saved our City('s history).
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    28 m