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CC needs some good charismatic leaders and boosters. market yourself to Northerners and Midwesterners during the winter. South Americans during the summer.
build up your university, have it specialize in something and be in the top 10 at it (like nanotech, AI, biotech, etc...)
and now for a question for me, whats the spanish/english situation?
Although many people are bilingual, almost everyone speaks English. The only time you'll run across someone who doesn't speak enough English to get by is if you are in a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant or if you're trying to talk to someone on a construction site. You will often hear people speaking Spanish among themselves, but if you ask a question in English they will answer in English.
Time for me to check in and weigh in again since some changes to our orginal plans regarding moving to Corpus have delayed our arrival. The home we had been negotiating on for months in Calallen fell thru last month, so the search began again. We found a home the 2nd day we arrived in Corpus for the 4th week and we close Jan 15th on new construction in a new development in Flour Bluff. On Jan 2nd, it will be exactly 1 year since we began our research into relocating to the south from Minnesota. After thorough research into Arizona, Florida and southern California we decided on Texas. Upon thorough research of Texas we investigated Corpus. Since we are semi-retiring and my wifes owns her own business we had many issues to consider from cost of homes, to taxes (income, retirement and corporate taxes) to cost of living and to a retirement friendly city, neighborhood and medical care. We even checked out Harlingen and McAllen but they were no comparison in any of the areas we were concerned about with Corpus.
Since my career is in urban planning and public transportation, I recognized that Corpus has so much potential and with the projected growth due to baby boomers moving south, I felt I might be able to end my 35 year career in a city that needs to look ahead and address public transportation, residential, commercial and retail development.
Corpus, like most cities, have missed the boat on some issues regarding growth and development and have done many things right on these issues as well. My wifes retirement planning business (35 years) enables us to know what to check, how to check and where to check when it comes to planning retirement.
We narrowed our choices early to 4 cities in 4 states and Corpus won out hands down in all categories. Ironically, 3 business assoicates also chose Corpus and will be relocating from Minnesota in the next 6 months and we nor they were aware that the other had decided to relocate to Corpus. Once we were aware that we were all relocating to Corpus we compared research and discoverd we all chose Corpus for the same reasons. They also are semi-retiring (by semi-retiring, we turn 65 in about 10 years).
I can only speak from the view points and aspects of people looking for retirement homes, therefore, Corpus may not be a popular choice for people beginning their working careers, looking for lots of entertainment choices or looking for a large arts community.
I can tell you this, in the offices of the local government in Corpus, the Corpus Chamber, the Coprus, Flour Bluff and southside Business Associations and the investing communities, Corpus is on everyones radar and the news is traveling throughout the country, that Corpus is indeed a diamond in the rough, a hidden gem, a gulf secret and an investors golden opportunity that will be polished, found, talked about and money in the pocket in the coming decades.
Lets all hope that the growth is done well and not rushed like so many growing cities have experienced.
One last point, if a city is popular with everyone, if it is "perfect" in the majority of the populations mind, you will pay top dollar to get in, those already in will many times be forced out and the luster will be enjoyed only by those with money to burn.
We are still going to have coffee when we get settled in Marlow and scuba.
I've only lived in Corpus Christi about a year. I'm a Navy girl, so I go where they say Go. I lived in Pensacola Florida before here, and San Diego (Cali, not Texas) before that. My point being, I've lived in costal communities most of my life. I think Corpus has some potential as a tourism attraction, but not as much as people would like to think. Truth be told, our beaches are not great. They are not white-sand, blue-water beaches. There is not a great deal of night-life on the waterfront either. After visiting a lot of Florida beach communities, I'm just saying, it's not where it needs to be to become a tourism mecca for Texas. There are things I think they could do to help with that, but currently, it's not there.
That is the bad news.
The good news is that Corpus has some great attractions outside the beach area. I mean in terms of things to do, there's Whataburger Field, the museums are expanding, there are plans for Crosstown Commons and hopefully soon, a new plan for the old Coliseum. The American Bank Center, Concrete Street and Brewster Street bring live music and events to Corpus as well. PLUS - the second International Boat Show is coming in April; the first was a huge success and they're adding several more boat slips for this year's event.
On the Economic front, there are a lot of things in the works and with the opening of the Joe Fulton Trade Corridor, there will be more large-scale power, manufacturing and Industrial-type business moving in. Believe me, there is a LOT in the works here.
I think change comes over time, and our time is truly coming. This isn't a statement delivered in blind hope either - read the Caller-Times business section and see what they are reporting on; today there is a story about the Port of Corpus Christi commissioners voting to grant leases for Chase Power Development and Nueces Syngas. Chase Power hopes to develop a power plant and Nueces Syngas hopes to develop a synthetic gas plant.
Quote from the paper: John LaRue, the port's executive director, said the company plans to use petroleum coke, a sandy residue left over from the refining process, and coal as well as import limestone. "We're talking about a significant investment, upwards of $2 billion," LaRue said. "It's one of the largest projects since the refineries went up."
Okay, I wrote a novel! But you get the picture. I think it's going to be a matter of time before those sick of living in land-locked Texas cities make the move to this coastal gem.
I think Corpus has potential. I really do. It is nice, has pretty beaches and great weather. But they have been saying Corpus is about to explode about as long as they have been saying soccer is going to become the next big thing. I think neither is going to happen.
You obviously haven't seen the Houston Dynamo playoff games this year where over 30,000 showed up for all of them:
Back to Corpus Christi, I really see CC exploding in the future though. I haven't been there, but have seen many photos and it looks really nice. Have there been many nationwide homebuilders setting up shop in Corpus? I know many have in the Valley.
I lived in Corpus for 3 mos. Though the weather was superb, the people were very snobbish, and didn't have a pod to put a pea in. Though the government is off in the entire country, it's really crooked in Corpus. The laziness of the people shines there. Even adults have the attitude, "I'm here, pay me for my presence." Their courts make up the law as they go, they don't care about Texas Court Rules. But guess who won? And I'm no attorney. The stubbornish of Texans, bites them everytime. Avoid Corpus by all means.
Hmm, intesting thread. I've always thought Corpus is a neat place once you drive past the refineries, Shoreline Drive is the nicest part. With the coast and that pleasant subtropical look it's kinda like a poor man's Florida. Sure SPI has better beaches but most people in the state don't want to drive that extra 150 miles.
While I do wish the city had more jobs in a way I'm glad that Corpus HASN'T grown out-of-control, every time I go to Florida I shrug, the place is being ruined by overcrowding. How much charm would Rockport have with 100,000 snowbirds? If the price and hassle of living in FL continues to go up you would expect at least some growth in Corpus, no matter how badly the locals may be running the place.
And bellestar, you sure are on a mission aren't you? WE GET IT, YOU DON'T LIKE THE PLACE!!!!!!! Back off a little! All the negative badmouthing in post after post could be mistaken for trolling you know. Glad you like Central Texas, personally I really enjoy South Texas. Too bad you never made it to Monterrey for the weekend
everyone is entitled to their opinion and i think people should hear all views. if they just hear folks sugarcoat a place, they may get the wrong idea. i am not the only one who does not like the Corpus Christi/South Texas area. there is a post one or two just above yours below that said "avoid the place".
i was watching a Lockup MSNBC show last night, the show about prisons, and one inmate said about his experience in a certain maximum security facility "it's like i'm alive but i am dead"....that's what the one year felt like living down there-like i was dead. i lost my spirit, the lack of vibrancy and hope-nothing but indigent people and welfare folks, just depressing, and i should have REALLY gotten the hint when my coworkers said after they found out i was NOT a Navy wife and therefore stationed there involuntarily but actually came on my OWN will, "why would you want to move HERE???"
no one asks that question here where i live now. that's because it is clearly obvious why someone would voluntarily want to live here.........i want to live where folks are PROUD of their community, LIKE living where they live....and i have found it here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rstrstx
Hmm, intesting thread. I've always thought Corpus is a neat place once you drive past the refineries, Shoreline Drive is the nicest part. With the coast and that pleasant subtropical look it's kinda like a poor man's Florida. Sure SPI has better beaches but most people in the state don't want to drive that extra 150 miles.
While I do wish the city had more jobs in a way I'm glad that Corpus HASN'T grown out-of-control, every time I go to Florida I shrug, the place is being ruined by overcrowding. How much charm would Rockport have with 100,000 snowbirds? If the price and hassle of living in FL continues to go up you would expect at least some growth in Corpus, no matter how badly the locals may be running the place.
And bellestar, you sure are on a mission aren't you? WE GET IT, YOU DON'T LIKE THE PLACE!!!!!!! Back off a little! All the negative badmouthing in post after post could be mistaken for trolling you know. Glad you like Central Texas, personally I really enjoy South Texas. Too bad you never made it to Monterrey for the weekend
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Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
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