Re-locating to Lubbock from Indiana (Amarillo, Midland: rental, employment, schools)

[Jim Finn]

I Hve been in SW Lubbock a year now........ there are New houses here for sale in the $90,000 range up tp $500,000 Great weather and WONDERFUL people

[jgean]

Jim are ther many rental's around you? We want to rent at first to make sure Lubbock is for us.

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by jgean

Jim are ther many rental's around you? We want to rent at first to make sure Lubbock is for us.

I am biased but I think you will find Lubbock IS for you! I was born and raised there (lived in Dallas area for many years now but not necessarily by choice!)

I still think Lubbock would be a great place to live. Again, it is my hometown so take my opinion for whatever it's worth!

[jgean]

it's hard to get a feel for a town until you see it. My wife and I will be there the third week of July. I hope all goes well.

[Beach Mom]

Originally Posted by jgean

I am looking to relocate from Indiana to Lubbock for my new job with my wife and two kids. I was wondering where the best place to live is? My new job is located on the south east side. I will be looking to rent at first to make sure all goes well, then hopefully to buy. It seems a lot of rentals are geared toward Tech and it's student's. Any help would be great.

Hello,

I used to live in Lubbock for 24 years! I grew up in Lamesa, a little town 60 miles south of Lubbock, but, I went to Texas Tech and graduated in 1978. I lived on the SOUTHWEST SIDE of town while I lived there and that's the BEST area around! I have since moved to Corpus Christi, Texas along the Gulf Coast and it is WONDERFUL here!

Aside from the CULTURE SHOCK we realized upon moving to Corpus Christi (it's about 4 hours away from the Mexican border) the CITY is beautiful! However, I think Lubbock is ONE of the cleanest cities I have ever seen! The people are very friendly in Lubbock to be sure! The CITY is "dead" on the weekend (downtown) and that's sad, to be sure.

If you like 50's music The Buddy Holly Museum is there and nice to visit since he was from Lubbock! We used to give Buddy Holly tours when we lived there (we've been gone for almost 4 years now) and that was great fun!

The cost of living in Lubbock is very reasonable compared to where we live now in Corpus Christi. Also, the taxes are lower as well.

The MAJOR problem with Lubbock is that it's an "island" unto itself and IF you want to traverse to nearby "Cities" you have to go at LEAST 6 hours away. That's why it's called the "Hub of the Plains"....because there really is nothing else out there aside from Amarillo which is 2 hours north.

Plenty of restaurants for your dining pleasure, but, not water if you like water. You do have Buffalo Springs Lake which is nice for what it is, but, is still small. And it's 10 miles east of the city.

At Christmastime LUBBOCK decorates more than ANY PLACE ELSE in Texas and it is BEAUTIFUL!!!! If you have small kids they would enjoy JOYLAND which is an amusement park that is really great! Not too big or too small. And also at Christmastime there's SANTA LAND which is great for parents and children.

What we miss the most is a variety of food when you go to the Grocery Stores! ALL we have here is H.E.B. and there you have UNITED SUPERMARKET which is #1!!! If you're ever in the KINGSGATE United off of Quaker and 82nd Street PLEASE say hello to "Kirby" for us....he's the SMILEY one....just a WONDERFUL guy! We miss HIM HORRIBLY!

There's also the COTTON KINGS HOCKEY team if you like that! If you like concerts there's the UNITED-SPIRIT Arena by Texas Tech. And yes, you are right it is geared toward Tech students. If Tech were to ever "disappear" so would Lubbock!

If you like to go to Church, FIRST METHODIST DOWNTOWN is huge!!! It's called the "Cathedral of the West" and has the BEST PASTOR EVER!!!! He's Dr. Jay Horton and he's wonderful! He likes to play his guitar---ELVIS STYLE and knows how to have a good time!

Texas Tech has BOBBY KNIGHT and sports are BIG there...."college sports" if you're a sports nut. Golf is good as well if you like golf.

The roads are nice and wide which is different, BUT...there are lots of accidents as people there do NOT know how to drive very well.

If you're an outdoors person, the ONLY outdoors thing in Lubbock to do is GOLF.

They did build a "Wind Museum" on the "east side" and has started opening on Buddy Holly Avenue different nightclubs and eating establishments in an attempt to bring more "commerce" to Lubbock.

I have heard that Lubbock has truly changed in the almost 4 years that we have been gone. We WILL be back (if not sooner) in 2009 to see the BEST BUDDY HOLLY FESTIVAL since Maria Elena, Buddy's widowed wife will no longer have RIGHTS to his name or anything else. It took 50 years, but, it's finally here! So, we WILL be there then to celebrate. It's been rumored that Paul McCartney will be there, too...so, we'll see!

That's about all I can think of, but, BEST OF LUCK in your new adventure! It's NOT a bad place...it is a NICE place to raise your kids----in the "Bible Belt" and it IS clean as I said. So, let me know HOW you like it, OK?

Thanks!

[jgean]

Thanks for the info. I will let you know how we like it.

[silverbells]

Ugh, read the handbooks from the various school districts mentioned. VERY restrictive to the students...no "long hair" on boys, no earrings on males, no "unnatural" hair colors, so on and so forth...Lubbock schools are SO bad that Tech made its own district. With TAKS scores like West Texas has, you'd think they'd concentrate on something more substantial than guys wearing earrings.

Be that as it may, Lubbock is nice, but too bad about the red light district...they need a stronger sheriff and police chief than they have. Too much concern over keeping Lubbock dry...not enough concern with stopping the vandalism and property crimes...

I think the Tech students kind of gum up the works in Lubbock...

Levelland is very pretty and you get lots more for your money. But it's very small.

[jgean]

Why do you think the scores are so bad? I could understand some areas being low but there must be schools that are rather high. What do you mean by red light district? Is prostitution a problem there? If it is that usually means other problrms like drugs.

[Scholar]

Okay, no city or town is a utopia, but Lubbock is a nice place to raise a family. The facts can help you better decide if it is the right place for your family.

Lubbock has many educational opportunities available to its citizens. TTU-ISD is an accredited homeschool program. Tech offers many distance and outreach programs to a wide range of ages of people. Texas Tech University :: Outreach and Distance Education I have never heard the "Lubbock schools are SO bad that Tech made its own district" argument. Homeschool is a growing educational choice in Texas, and Tech capitalizes on the opportunity to offer accredited learning to homeschoolers.

The hair and earring debate has been going on for years, and it never really amounts to the big problem that some people would lead others to believe.

You can check LISD: Student Assessment, and click on the "School Ratings" link. This may help you decide what part of town to live in when you move. For example, Murfee isn't SW Lubbock, but it is one of the best elementary schools.

Lubbock also has a number of charter schools and private schools, and the state homeschool organization is based in Lubbock. Lubbock is full of educational choices. Don't forget that Frenship is also a popular choice.

Lubbock, of course, has unsafe areas, but I don't understand the above "Red Light District" comment. I haven't heard that phrase in years. There is no such thing as a drug-free, crime free city, but Lubbock is full of very good people who take care of one another. People watch out for one another. They watch each other's homes and property. I have always heard that the sheriff is pretty tough. The police force needs to be enlarged, but the police are very dedicated. They even have a mobile unit that they move around the city to make police more accessible to citizens, so they can hear and address citizen concerns.

As for Tech students that "kind of gum up the works", Texas Tech and the city of Lubbock have been developing a closer relationship between students and citizens. Lubbock is very proud of its relationship with Texas Tech and the other universities and colleges in the community: Wayland Baptist, Lubbock Christian University and South Plains College. Students contribute greatly to the economy and don't cause as many problems as some would suggest.

Don't move to Lubbock looking for perfection. It doesn't exist -- anywhere. Move to Lubbock because it is a good family-oriented community with loving people.

[jgean]

It seem's to me that either people love or hate Lubbock. There seems to be no middle ground. I will see for myself in a couple of weeks.