Moving to Beaumont TX (Houston, Austin: sale, apartments, low crime)
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I think they looked at my house last week. The husband needed to go to Beaumont, but the wife would not move there. Honest to G--. They will commute from Houston.
I was born in Beaumont and lived there for awhile as a child (before the divorce and we moved to Houston). I've lived in several places across the country. We do go back to Beaumont. My Dad and the rest of my family lives there in Beaumont, Vidor, Nederland, Pt. Arthur and Groves.
It is definitely an odd little place in its own time. What I've always gathered is that something happens and people just don't leave. You grow up, go to Lamar University, probably drop out halfway through, get yourself a spouse and a couple kids and go to high school football games on the weekends to relive the glory days.
That being said, if you can look objectively, it is a nice enough little place. Cute playground in Port Neches. People definitely know each other. The whole area has a small town feel.
Yes, the towns are divided racially--- but I've seen this in half of the other places I've lived as well, including the affluent Houston suburb "The Woodlands" (where we last lived). It didn't get called "The Whitelands" for nothing. Again, we've seen much worse racism (and were much more scared for our own safety) when we lived in the Triangle in North Carolina.
But again-- you can find good people. Find people who don't judge by race. And when you do, don't let go.
As for schools, a lot of people do Kelly, if I remember correctly. I probably wouldn't send my kids to school in BMT, but would possibly consider some of the other small towns.
High school football is king here. Even at 31-years-old, I still get a thrill when I hear PN-G's (Port Neches-Groves) music.
Go for a couple days. Drive around town. Do what normal people would do-- hit the grocery stores, check out the malls...the playgrounds...the pools. Talk to people while out. Say hi. See how they react (of all races). Friendly? Not? Rude?
I definitely do not consider bore-mont (as I've heard it called) a thriving metropolis, but I've seen (and lived) in enough places to know that there's good and bad everywhere.
Some of you guys make this area seem like a third world country. My mom's parents live in Bridge City and coincidentally my dad had a job in Port Arthur when they had me. We moved out of there before I was three years old, but I pretty much go there every month to be able to spend time with my grandparents who are almost 90 years old now. They have great knowledge of the history of the area all the way back to when Bridge City was unincorporated and dubbed Prairie View and to whomever said that it is predominantly crooks and thieves I don't really see that over there. Bridge City is a quiet bedroom community between Port Arthur and Orange, but you have to go to either of the two for the big stores and such and Beaumont if the others don't meet your needs.
The area does have this strange sense about it that I can't put in words. For the past 2 to 3 decades the economy has been mostly stagnant so I can see why people would be depressed living around there. Ever since Hurricane Rita and then Ike I tend to see a lot more of the lower class people around everywhere. Also like another person said, the area to avoid in the Golden Triangle is definitely the older parts of Port Arthur east of 73 along Gulfway (87) and 9th Ave. I sometimes get to see where we lived there off of 9th Ave. and it looks like a junkyard now. They have done some revitalization but the energy is just not there and either the businesses are empty or are Taquerias or dollar stores. Around Central Mall there are newer, more modern style developments (white flight) and I think Groves, Port Neches, and Nederland (Mid-County) are not bad to commute to Beaumont from. With that said Beaumont is not a complete slum like people have said. The area just seems behind as a whole. Even the roads are not maintained in the same manner as the rest of Texas.
All in all I could probably make due living in Beaumont or surrounding areas if I did have a good job and no kids (if living in Beaumont "Good Ol Boys" ISD). Don't let people scare you off. The area has what most people need to get by. It is divided racially but it's not Vidor--or Port Arthur for that matter. There are plenty of restaurants and things like that but maybe not much in the way of urban activities. Sports and fishing are a big past-time if you drive down the bridge approaching Bridge City people are always stopped at the swamp on the side of 73 fishing in the swamps.
Although it is not scenic and unimpressive and maybe behind in the times it is much better then what you get in neighboring Lake Charles and the rest of Louisiana. I hope the poster that suggested that was joking or on something because that it ludicrous. Beaumont at least has a usable public school system in L.C. you better pony up for a private school. And Beaumont is quite bigger. Lake Charles is like a bigger Port Arthur with even worse infrastructure.
I am also not trying to over-hype the area I just happen to know quite a bit from going there all my life and seeing how things have progressed. Just be prepared for more of what my mom likes to refer to as a "well-paid blue collar" class of people since many work long hours in refineries but make better than decent livings. It's too slow for me to enjoy, but I have a soft spot for it since I'm technically from there and go there all the time.
I am also not trying to over-hype the area I just happen to know quite a bit from going there all my life and seeing how things have progressed. Just be prepared for more of what my mom likes to refer to as a "well-paid blue collar" class of people since many work long hours in refineries but make better than decent livings. It's too slow for me to enjoy, but I have a soft spot for it since I'm technically from there and go there all the time.
CRBoyd91 - has probably posted one of the few nuanced "reviews" of the Golden Triangle that is honest about its warts but not so over-the-top negative. Good thoughts CRB.
CRBoyd91 - has probably posted one of the few nuanced "reviews" of the Golden Triangle that is honest about its warts but not so over-the-top negative. Good thoughts CRB.
I try to be helpful when I can and I just want them to know that it has issues but is a very livable area. Hell I wish Houston still had Time Warner Cable like they do...
Although it is not scenic and unimpressive and maybe behind in the times it is much better then what you get in neighboring Lake Charles and the rest of Louisiana. I hope the poster that suggested that was joking or on something because that it ludicrous. Beaumont at least has a usable public school system in L.C. you better pony up for a private school. And Beaumont is quite bigger. Lake Charles is like a bigger Port Arthur with even worse infrastructure.
I've worked in PA for 3 years and pit-stopped for 30 minutes in Lake Charles just last week. The boardwalk, playground & park /carnival area near downtown on Lake Charles is more lively mid-day and better than anything PA has to offer, and lacked the creepy & surly Golden Triangle vibe. (Not saying that means anything else)
You're right that the whole Triangle seems depressed. These guys seem to agree, too:
When I lived there a hundred years ago, all the moms passed around tranquilizers like M&M's.
from what i've read that was basically just the 50s and 60s in America
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