Corpus Christi-Good place to move to? (South Padre Island: buying, college, to live)

[gabetx]

Originally Posted by KerryB

Last time I went to that mall there was (summer of '07). It was on one of those side areas thats close to the side entrance doors. There was a little mini convenient store next to it. But yes, all that was inside the mall & they did sell guns (I think for hunting).

No, I'm not high class nor snobby, just stating the facts. No I dont think JCPenney's sucks (I buy slacks from there). Just saying its not considered high end, so no need to pretend like it is. If you've been to San Antonio, go to The Shops At La Cantera. Thats what people refer to when they think of more high end malls, not JCPenney's anchored malls. OK?? Its not an insult.

Not once did I flame anyone or Corpus for that matter. I spoke highly of it in some regards. I called the people in charge ass-backwards, but I think most residents who have lived there would agree with that.

I think you need to stop being so defensive. Just saying, don't BS people, Corpus is what it is. Some like it, some don't don't. Deal with it.

Oh, I haven't seen the gun shop. Maybe its not there anymore? A lot of lower end shops are leaving Padre Staples Mall

The Crosstown Commons Lifestyles Center is going to begin construction soon. The company is comparing it to La Cantera in San Antonio. So the high end shops will come with time. Not to mention an outlet mall similar to the one in Mercedes is suppossed to be built out here as well.

Anyways, I didn't adress the flaming to you personally, but some people do flame the city and you know its true. Some people even make up flat out lies. Like someone stated "there is trash everywhere!" That is a lie!

Anyways, I am not just trying to defend Corpus, I am bringing out facts of the city that maybe people from out of town haven't heard. Just to let them know the city is changing. So people can know the pros and cons of the city, and what is true and whats not.

Not once did I BS on anything, so don't say I did. And I would admit some people in charge are well, lets just say wrong.

Anyways, sorry if I offended you or made you upset in any way. It was unintentional. My causes were to bring out the pros of the city and to let people hear the good side of the story.

[KerryB]

No prob, no offense taken :-) Same to you.

To be honest, I do miss Corpus at times. The pros I mentioned are pretty good pros if you're into those things. We lived on The Island, so it was nice to have peace & quietness with the ocean breeze. I miss walking to the beach, I miss rollerblading downtown next to the water, I miss Small Planet Delicatessen (AWEOME DELI, best I've ever had...EVER!) & Yin-Yang Fandango (great little store/deli for vegetarians).

But, I still stick by what I said. The most frustrating thing is that Corpus has sooo much potential to be a great & unique city if they would just let it grow a bit. It would be a lot more diverse & cultural, attracting different types of people more than it does. Maybe thats what the locals don't want though? Who knows.

[awecelot]

KerryB, I live less than two miles from Northpark Center in Dallas...I know what high-end is. Is Padre Staples high-end? No. Does it have some stores that can be considered high-end? Yes (albeit they are few and far between).

Is Corpus' city leadership poor? Yes. Are they starting to get better? Maybe - they have built a few new stadiums and such recently...but they have also turned down huge projects that would have brought in thousands of tourist dollars (Landry's Marina; the development on the island; etc.). Time will tell.

What does Corpus need to be competitive in the future? More white-collar jobs. It's no secret that Corpus is, first and foremost, a blue-collar town. CC's city leadership needs to work on attracting white-collar jobs that will bring in higher income levels to the city. With these higher income levels, high-end entertainment and shopping will come.

[gabetx]

Originally Posted by KerryB

No prob, no offense taken :-) Same to you.

To be honest, I do miss Corpus at times. The pros I mentioned are pretty good pros if you're into those things. We lived on The Island, so it was nice to have peace & quietness with the ocean breeze. I miss walking to the beach, I miss rollerblading downtown next to the water, I miss Small Planet Delicatessen (AWEOME DELI, best I've ever had...EVER!) & Yin-Yang Fandango (great little store/deli for vegetarians).

But, I still stick by what I said. The most frustrating thing is that Corpus has sooo much potential to be a great & unique city if they would just let it grow a bit. It would be a lot more diverse & cultural, attracting different types of people more than it does. Maybe thats what the locals don't want though? Who knows.

Thanks, same here. And ya Corpus isn't too shabby.

And I think everyone agrees that Corpus has so much potential. But the city doesn't want to take advantage of it. I guess they dont want the city to be another Orlando or just another city with suburban sprawl 30-50 miles from downtown. Its something that I would like to see, but I guess not the city council.

Is Corpus' city leadership poor? Yes. Are they starting to get better? Maybe - they have built a few new stadiums and such recently...but they have also turned down huge projects that would have brought in thousands of tourist dollars (Landry's Marina; the development on the island; etc.). Time will tell.

What does Corpus need to be competitive in the future? More white-collar jobs. It's no secret that Corpus is, first and foremost, a blue-collar town. CC's city leadership needs to work on attracting white-collar jobs that will bring in higher income levels to the city. With these higher income levels, high-end entertainment and shopping will come.

I totally agree with you with all of that!

And to answer the maybe question. I think the leadership issue is slowly turning around. Not too much to do with it, but I just want to throw it out there, Henry Garrett is definately a better mayor than what Lloyd Neil was. He is way more open to development that what Neil was. Neil would have never have let Whataburger Field be built or the American Bank Center knowing him.

[latetotheparty]

Hi All......

born and raised mostly in Houston..... spent A LOT of my youth in the Rockport/Aransas Pass/Port Aransas areas.....

moved to the st. louis area in late 1986 (anybody old enough to remember our economy then will understand why) and am now beginning to make plans to return "home."

i know i will not go back to houston ..... too danged big for me now....

considering corpus or victoria.....

i am a certified energy rater .... we rate and certify houses for energy star compliance and tax credit qualification. i understand that this industry is much larger in texas than in most other areas of the country.... i am one of about 5 in the ENTIRE state of missouri.....

Where I am going with this i guess is here ....... it has been a LONG time since i was able to spend any appreciable time in this area..... I am a single woman and will be buying a house.... what are some areas to focus on and what are some areas to avoid?? i am fully aware of how there are problem neighbors in EVERY neighborhood (you should see my next door neighbor RIGHT NOW.... **sigh** ), but would really like to try to focus on areas that are neat, clean, middle class, etc. .... I suspect that a lot of my job will be traveling around the coastal bend, as house building calls ...... i do a lot of my work from my home, so am not sure at this point if we will be opening a "branch office" wherever i wind up or if i will actually be searching for an employer.....

has this area been slammed as hard as the rest of the country by the subprime debacle?? how is the economy?? are housing prices holding steady or dropping?? is the area still as big a draw for the "snowbirds" as it was in my youth?? are we boomers heading into the area for retirement??

i saw the article about the development being planned for the old seagun resort at goose island park and that really caught my attention.

[gabetx]

Hi All......

born and raised mostly in Houston..... spent A LOT of my youth in the Rockport/Aransas Pass/Port Aransas areas.....

moved to the st. louis area in late 1986 (anybody old enough to remember our economy then will understand why) and am now beginning to make plans to return "home."

i know i will not go back to houston ..... too danged big for me now....

considering corpus or victoria.....

i am a certified energy rater .... we rate and certify houses for energy star compliance and tax credit qualification. i understand that this industry is much larger in texas than in most other areas of the country.... i am one of about 5 in the ENTIRE state of missouri.....

Where I am going with this i guess is here ....... it has been a LONG time since i was able to spend any appreciable time in this area..... I am a single woman and will be buying a house.... what are some areas to focus on and what are some areas to avoid?? i am fully aware of how there are problem neighbors in EVERY neighborhood (you should see my next door neighbor RIGHT NOW.... **sigh** ), but would really like to try to focus on areas that are neat, clean, middle class, etc. .... I suspect that a lot of my job will be traveling around the coastal bend, as house building calls ...... i do a lot of my work from my home, so am not sure at this point if we will be opening a "branch office" wherever i wind up or if i will actually be searching for an employer.....

has this area been slammed as hard as the rest of the country by the subprime debacle?? how is the economy?? are housing prices holding steady or dropping?? is the area still as big a draw for the "snowbirds" as it was in my youth?? are we boomers heading into the area for retirement??

i saw the article about the development being planned for the old seagun resort at goose island park and that really caught my attention.

Hi. I am glad you are considering the area. My mom is a realtor. The business is strong and house prices remain steady here. Lately a lot of developement has and is springing up in Calallen, Flour Bluff, and on the southside on both sides of Oso Creek. Portland is developing a lot as well.

I think you would find it easy to get a job like that here. If you have anymore questions I will be happy to answer!

[latetotheparty]

thanks!! i am in the early stages of beginning to plan this move .... right now, i am thinking it will be about 2 years .... would be awesome if i could make it happen sooner, but i bought my house here in november, 2004 .... right at the peak of the housing market, and we've taken a hit with the housing market debacle ..... granted, not as bad as most other parts of the country, but still .... think the market should right itself in about a year or so.....

also need to get our business here a bit more established, although this year looks to rock n roll.....

i LOVE this site and am delighted i stumbled across it .... it is HIGH in my bookmarks now...... i spent ENTIRELY too much time yesterday afternoon and evening reading through different threads, and i have to say ..... some of the negative posts about corpus were really making me think twice about looking in that area ...... and am still also considering victoria ...... but as i continued to read, it became clear that corpus really doesn't have any worse problems than any other major to mid-size city.... thanks to those of you who posted your positive thoughts .... it was also apparent that the most negative posts were mostly from people who were transplants......

[johnbain]

I lived next to Corpus Christi for 20 years and the town is NOT pretty...it sucks!
High crime...LOTS of drugs....and I mean LOTS....your children will be offered drugs and alcohol starting in at least 6th grade from their friends..their friends parents, etc.
Now for all of you that say I am wrong....it happened to my children and many others I know....I also have a relative that works for the police....so....once again...it happens...South Texas SUCKS...period...to much drug money...people look the other way...

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by johnbain

I lived next to Corpus Christi for 20 years and the town is NOT pretty...it sucks!
High crime...LOTS of drugs....and I mean LOTS....your children will be offered drugs and alcohol starting in at least 6th grade from their friends..their friends parents, etc.
Now for all of you that say I am wrong....it happened to my children and many others I know....I also have a relative that works for the police....so....once again...it happens...South Texas SUCKS...period...to much drug money...people look the other way...

which kinds of drugs are you talking about? i grew up in corpus and never really saw many drugs there, except for pot, which i don't really consider a real drug.

[NOTAM]

you dont consider pot/marijuana a "real drug"? so are you saying you wouldnt be upset if your kids (if you have any), were smoking pot???????????????

Originally Posted by wehotex

which kinds of drugs are you talking about? i grew up in corpus and never really saw many drugs there, except for pot, which i don't really consider a real drug.