If you live in east Texas...

[Jane Elliot]

How long have you lived there?

 

What do you like about living there?

 

What do you dislike?

 

TIA!

[Jane Elliot]

OK. How about if I change the question? If you live in Texas (any part of it).....

[Jugglin'5]

OK. How about if I change the question? If you live in Texas (any part of it).....

 

Well, I live in Southeast Texas and I love it, but I'm a native. East Texas is the greenest part of Texas - lots of trees. Do you want to PM me about the particular part of Texas you are moving too?

[Okie]

Well, I USED to live in east TX, and my in-laws still do. They live in Kilgore, between Tyler and Longview. It's just a nice easy place to live. Decent cost of living, EXCELLENT homeschool laws, reasonable availability of consumer goods in Tyler or Longview, and best of all- BODACIOUS BBQ!! It's fairly green with lots of pine trees. Decent amount of waterways. Weather is hot, winters mild, storms can get sporty, but tornadoes are not the norm. They get the occasional hurricane remnants coming up from the gulf. Snow is rare. The people are down-to-earth and friendly.

 

On the negative side, they have fire ants. That's manageable though.

 

Can you tell I like Texas?

 

We're just five hours north and visit several times a year.

[happygrrl]

Texas is so diverse that it could easily be separate states! I grew up in the west, which is another world than the east (where i mived to at age 12). And then there is Austin!:)

 

I lived in East TX for much of my life, and like most places there are good and bad things. I dislike the low availability of healthy restaurants and sidewalks. It seems like E.Txns like to drive everywhere, even across the street! Racism is alive and well, as well as classism and religious intolerance, though I see evidence of slow change when I go back to visit.

 

On the other hand, the economy is (relatively) more stable than most states due to conservative banking laws. The people take seriously the ideas of a strong work ethic and fierce independence.

 

The culture is very Christian, in that though the a person may be only nominally Christian but socially will adhere to very conservative ways.

A good example of this is that the senior class at the local high school watched a film *in school* after their tests. It was "Facing The Giants". Here in Oregon whoever suggested that would be involved in lawsuits before the film was over!

 

I am sure I will get a few flames from TXns (but hey! I was born and raised there!) but those are my quick thoughts.

[happygrrl]

Well, I USED to live in east TX, and my in-laws still do. They live in Kilgore, between Tyler and Longview. It's just a nice easy place to live. Decent cost of living, EXCELLENT homeschool laws, reasonable availability of consumer goods in Tyler or Longview, and best of all- BODACIOUS BBQ!! It's fairly green with lots of pine trees. Decent amount of waterways. Weather is hot, winters mild, storms can get sporty, but tornadoes are not the norm. They get the occasional hurricane remnants coming up from the gulf. Snow is rare. The people are down-to-earth and friendly.

 

On the negative side, they have fire ants. That's manageable though.

 

Can you tell I like Texas?

 

We're just five hours north and visit several times a year.

 

I grew up in Kilgore! :) Well, at Liberty City outside of it. I forgot to mention that the Com. College in Kilgore is amazing and affordable. It is hard to think about the trees and water accurately now that I live in Oregon LOL.

Bodacious does make up for a LOT, however. Even better- the etouffe at Dudley's in Longview! Did you know Kilgore has a for-real coffeehouse now? Good Day, on Main Street. It is really cute, and they are very friendly.

[Jane Elliot]

Thanks for these responses! I'm having great fun reading them.

[Ferdie]

We moved from CA to DFW area of TX 3 years ago. I love the people, (so nice), love the youth culture and love the cost of living. We also have a large hs population so there are plenty of learning and social opportunities.

 

Down side is the mosquitoes. In the summer they frequent our yard in the early evening - just when it is cooling off enough to go outside. Last week we had a family time in our pool and I got two bites on my face which were the only parts of my body not underwater. My dh and kids all had several bite, too. Ugh!

[Orthodox6]

This is rather like asking which country in Europe is your favorite place ! :)

 

Central Texas scrub, lakes, and hills. (Beautiful ! ! ! )

Coastal zone.

Far western mountains. (Beautiful ! ! !)

Panhandle plains.

East Texas trees. (Pretty)

South Texas drought and nasty heat.

North central flatlands. (Ugly ! ! !) (Yes, I mean Dallas-Fort Worth.)

 

I lived in Houston (hot, humid) from the age of 15 months until 22. (Time off to escape to college in N.C.).

Lived in Austin for 8 years following that.

Moved to Alabama (:)) for 8 years.

Back to Texas (DFW), now here for 12 years.

 

I absolutely love Texas ! . . . but I would flee Dallas-area in a millisecond of a heartbeat.

 

 

OK. How about if I change the question? If you live in Texas (any part of it).....

[Jane Elliot]

This is rather like asking which country in Europe is your favorite place ! :)

 

 

Hehe. I knew that. ;) I was still curious.

[elfinbaby]

I lived my whole life in the same podunk SE TX town until I went to college in Lubbock (10 hrs. away). I grew up between Lufkin and Beaumont, almost equidistant. It can be a wonderful place to grow up as a child. There's a freedom my children feel there b/c everybody knows everybody but, since I like my privacy:), I am happy to visit and send the kids to their grandma.

 

I have lived in SE TX (in proximity to Houston), Lubbock (Panhandle), DFW, and, now, Austin. I'll be honest with you, it's HOT here. So hot that this native Texan wonders if we shouldn't move! Plus, I've worn myself out on TX. I love to visit my hometown but I've never been a fan of DFW (10 yrs. there) nor Houston. I do, however, love Austin. Austin does not feel like a typical TX city - in a good way. If it weren't for Austin, I would be looking to move. Austin is a great place to raise a family. Real estate can be pricey but there is such a diverse community and beautiful landscapes are within driving distance. The downside of living in central TX is that if you want to take a little road trip to see something different, you have to drive 6 hrs. or more just to get out of TX!

 

Do you have any specific questions? I feel pretty well versed on living in TX:tongue_smilie: My dh is from WI - he'd probably be able to give a more objective opinion. In general, he seems to be fascinated by the whole TX mystique and has a growing interest in TX history.

 

What do I like? I like to *visit* my hometown to see my family. I love Austin because it is brimming with creative energy, good, thoughtful people, and diversity. Plus we have some kind of festival almost every weekend! And the weekends we don't, there's a marathon of some sort! What I don't like? It's HOT! Mosquitoes. Aside from that, I'm not a fan of TX. I hated DFW. There are some good things going on there, but, in general, it felt like a rat race. I have some pretty harsh ideas about Dallas. Houston is a bit better. Definitely better museums but it's not my style either. The panhandle area was fun. It was college! But, aside from Austinites, I'd say people in SE TX and the Panhandle are some of the kindest.

Edited August 13, 2009 by elfinbaby
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[redmom3]

I grew up near Waco. Have lived in SC and Grand Rapids, MI. Now we live were Dh grew up in East Texas.

Lots of Homeschoolers.

We live in a quiet neighborhood, but very near a decent mall, grocery stores and just about anything you could ask for in the restaurant department (including Bodacious BBQ-but not Panderas :(

Almost everyone around would say they were Christian, although we don't see the commitment level we saw in MI.

We have several nice local things to do, but my complaint is not many day or overnight family trips close by like we had in SC. My parents live in DFW and I do not care for the traffic etc at all.

It is HOT here===alot!! Bugs love it here, but so do all kinds of birds. I can't grow anything outside for the life of me because we don't have an automatic sprinkler system.

Ecomony is very good here-my Dh is self-employed and an associate pastor and things have gotten bad financially for only a few people we know. We are looking for a church all over the country and I know we couldn't find a comparible house for what we paid for this one. It makes me sad to think of leaving my family and Texas if we have to, but Dh is ready for his own church.

Best things about Texas--Blue Bell Ice Cream, Clean Cities, Nice Roads, Cowboy hats, Relaxed homeschool laws, lots of Tex-Mex, People at grocery stores etc will talk to you, did I say Blue Bell?:D

[Avila]

Sorry for the hijack, but what is so terrible about the Dallas area? Does anybody have anything to say about Plano or McKinney?

[Orthodox6]

Plano gets a bum rap from many people because of two stereotypes. They are stereotypes, yes, but with some valid bases. One is the perceived income level. Not everybody in Plano has lots of money. (Our relatives and friends who live there don't !) Many families are, however, wealthy enough to spawn a lot of "conspicuous consumption" jokes. The other stereotype is of a rampant drug problem among the city's youth. There was one year when I recall Plano nicknamed the "heroin capital".

 

Some consider Frisco to be "the next Plano" because of its rapid, up-scale growth.

 

McKinney is growing rapidly, also, from what I pick up. I never have been there -- just have driven through on 75 in order to visit a friend who used to live in Anna.

 

I think I'm the primary poster with negative remarks about Dallas. Many people really, really like it here. I just happen to someone who considers the weather heathenly hot and unbearable. (I would use another "h" word, but shall refrain from doing so.) I also find the place very dull, overall. There are enjoyable activities and organizations, if I had the money for such luxuries. (museums and classical musical concerts) Lastly, I find the terrain hideous.

 

So don't listen to me. Listen to somebody who likes Dallas !

 

Sorry for the hijack, but what is so terrible about the Dallas area? Does anybody have anything to say about Plano or McKinney?

[elfinbaby]

Just for an FYI - I lived in FW for 2 yrs. (going to college), Dallas about 5 years, and Plano for about 3 years.

 

This is solely based on my personal experience. FW can be a friendly, fun city. I have no beef there:tongue_smilie: Dallas - yuck. Traffic was terrible, construction, I wasn't a fan of the people I encountered (I spent several years around SMU in grad school) for the most part, for such a large city it took real effort to find something stimulating to do and/or family friendly (however, I do love the state fair there!). When it came down to it, it felt superficial, everybody working towards having stuff and more stuff. I hated that there were feeder PRE-SCHOOLS that fed into the "right" K that fed into... It felt so contrived. That's jmo and my experience.

 

We ventured out into Plano and it is definitely more family friendly. The suburbs around there are trying to do things "right." There are sidewalks, trails (with teeny tine replanted trees), a good rec dept. but it has no character. It is Plain - O. However, it also had the overtones of people being fuelled by wealth. When we first moved there there was a huge herion problem among priveleged teens. There was a dealer living across from one of the wealthiest high schools and there were more than a dozen deaths due to overdose. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plano,_Texas Too many wealthy parents leaving their kids at home with too much spending money.

 

I know some people love it. Our realtor here in Austin is very Dallas. She loves to shop, has had lots of plastic surgery, enjoys the life of a socialite and hates Austin. Different strokes. There are going to be pockets of people and niches that suit those with alternate lifestyles/goals but, in general, the whole Dallas area rubs me the wrong way.

[happygrrl]

(I would use another "h" word, but shall refrain from doing so.)

 

:lol: OK, that settles it. When I come down to visit my parents this winter I simply must meet you for real!

[Ferdie]

Sorry for the hijack, but what is so terrible about the Dallas area? Does anybody have anything to say about Plano or McKinney?

 

We live in Flower Mound which is about 20 minutes from the DFW airport. I think it is beautiful here, (compared with CA). Lots of trees and walking trails. We are nestled between two lakes, Grapevine Lake and Lake Lewisville, which are great hiking/biking spots.

 

We have an amazing community center:

 

http://www.flower-mound.com/cac/

 

and fantastic library:

 

http://www.cityoflewisville.com/wcmsite/publishing.nsf/Content/Children+Programs

 

We have great places to shop/eat out, and lots of youth activities.

 

The summer heat takes a little getting used to, but since we didn't have AC in CA it hasn't been as bad as I thought. We run most of our errands in the early morning or evening when it is cooler. We also have a pool and a water part at our community center so we have some great cool off options. They also have great indoor facilities for youth activities, (playgrounds, miniture golf, skateboard park, dollar movie theatre), which are good outing options if we need to get out of the house in the heat of the day.

 

If you are looking to move to the Dallas area I would also recommend Highland Village and Carrollton area too.

 

Good luck!

[Ferdie]

Plano gets a bum rap from many people because of two stereotypes. They are stereotypes, yes, but with some valid bases. One is the perceived income level. Not everybody in Plano has lots of money. (Our relatives and friends who live there don't !) Many families are, however, wealthy enough to spawn a lot of "conspicuous consumption" jokes. The other stereotype is of a rampant drug problem among the city's youth. There was one year when I recall Plano nicknamed the "heroin capital".

 

Some consider Frisco to be "the next Plano" because of its rapid, up-scale growth.

 

McKinney is growing rapidly, also, from what I pick up. I never have been there -- just have driven through on 75 in order to visit a friend who used to live in Anna.

 

I think I'm the primary poster with negative remarks about Dallas. Many people really, really like it here. I just happen to someone who considers the weather heathenly hot and unbearable. (I would use another "h" word, but shall refrain from doing so.) I also find the place very dull, overall. There are enjoyable activities and organizations, if I had the money for such luxuries. (museums and classical musical concerts) Lastly, I find the terrain hideous.

 

So don't listen to me. Listen to somebody who likes Dallas !

 

Girl, come move to Flower Mound. I promise you will love it here. The house next door to me is going on the market. Do you need a big ol' Texas house?

[Okie]

I grew up in Kilgore! :) Well, at Liberty City outside of it. I forgot to mention that the Com. College in Kilgore is amazing and affordable. It is hard to think about the trees and water accurately now that I live in Oregon LOL.

Bodacious does make up for a LOT, however. Even better- the etouffe at Dudley's in Longview! Did you know Kilgore has a for-real coffeehouse now? Good Day, on Main Street. It is really cute, and they are very friendly.

Might have to try that out when we visit in a couple weeks! Have you been to the East TX Oil Museum in Kilgore?

[happygrrl]

Might have to try that out when we visit in a couple weeks! Have you been to the East TX Oil Museum in Kilgore?

 

I went on a field trip in Jr. High so I really don't remember much. It is one of those places I always mean to go back to, so perhaps I will. I do know that the exhibits were used for the academy-award nominated film "There Will Be Blood". I know that they have been re-doing much of the downtown, and perhaps they have updated the museum as well. That settles it- it is on my list of things to do when we go for Christmas!

[Mrs Mungo]

Well, I USED to live in east TX, and my in-laws still do. They live in Kilgore, between Tyler and Longview. It's just a nice easy place to live. Decent cost of living, EXCELLENT homeschool laws, reasonable availability of consumer goods in Tyler or Longview, and best of all- BODACIOUS BBQ!! It's fairly green with lots of pine trees. Decent amount of waterways. Weather is hot, winters mild, storms can get sporty, but tornadoes are not the norm. They get the occasional hurricane remnants coming up from the gulf. Snow is rare. The people are down-to-earth and friendly.

 

On the negative side, they have fire ants. That's manageable though.

 

Can you tell I like Texas?

 

We're just five hours north and visit several times a year.

 

My MIL used to live in Longview and then she lived in Kilgore until a few years ago when she retired and moved to be close to her sister. I miss visiting Papacita's when we were in town. :(

[KidsHappen]

I spent a great deal of my youth in East Texas, Sulpher Springs - home of ZZ Top and yes a great deal of the population looks like that, my brother being just one. My mother's family lives in Winston and I believe that is where Sissy Spacek is from. I got married the first time in Wood County. We had to drive to the next county to buy alcohol. One of my brothers owns a home in Princeton which is about halfway between Sulpher Springs and Dallas. My mother lived in Allen which is the town immediately to the north of Plano until she died. We used to live in Plano and that's when my oldest dd left PS for good. My youngest dd was born in Dallas. Sulpher Springs in an entirely different world than Dallas and where exactly you are talking about between the two would make a world of difference. It would be easier to answer specific questions or maybe narrow the aread down a little.