The Arena
The Wings will play at the $78 million, 7,000-seat College Park Center, which opened in 2012 on the UT Arlington campus. The double-decked arena still looks brand new and is a quality home floor for the transplanted franchise.
Still, a part of me wishes that the team played at Texas Hall. The home to UTA’s basketball and volleyball teams for more than four decades, Texas Hall was meant more for concerts and theater. For sports, a court was set up on the auditorium’s stage, and so every game looked like an elaborate play.
There was, and is, nothing like it.
The Area
College Park Center is in UTA’s College Park District, part of the school’s effort to transform its commuter-school image. In addition to a large green space, its main component is College Park, a live/work/play development like Mockingbird Station or West Village. It contains two residential complexes (Vandergriff Hall and The Lofts at College Park), a bookstore, a police substation, the university’s welcome center, and a small handful of restaurants.
Only problem: the concept doesn’t seem to have fully caught on, partly because UTA is still mostly a commuter school. Three restaurants have opened and closed already.
But if you’re looking to grab a pre-game bite or a beer, it’s still possible. Texadelphia is still open at College Park, and you can enjoy a cheesesteak on the patio. Not much of a view—it’s leafier on the other side of the building—but, hey, you’ll be outside.
Just a bit farther away, about a half-mile, near what is allegedly downtown Arlington, is The Grease Monkey. In the long shadow of AT&T Stadium, it has burgers and local beers (Rahr & Sons, Revolver, and Grapevine Craft Brewery are on the menu) and offers an authentic Arlington experience.
Make a Day of It
