Mcallen (Houston, San Antonio, Austin: car insurance, buying a home, transfer)

[texas5021]

North McAllen IS awesome...houses and subdivisions rival suburbs of Dallas. The people are nice...there IS wealth...people ARE happy...very happy. Objectively look at this, many people agree as its population increase is the highest in the state...with the strongest economy.

Weather is great, but I like tropical stuff...and love the beach...people are nice...and golf is good! Plenty of courses near South Padre island also...but the McAllen area is still the best. And violence is NOT higher than other areas in Texas...currently OUT-OF-CONTROL in Dallas...even nice areas in Dallas. Crime can be found anywhere...pros and cons to any city. Be smart and do not listen to everything people say.

[texas5021]

Yes, but look at the future TRENDS of hispanics...expected to outnumber Anglos soon...in this state and the nation. Hispanics already are the PREDOMINANT race in the City of Houston (Texas' largest city and the nation's 4th). It is NOT just a border or Rio Grande Valley phenomenon.

[texas5021]

Corpus, unlike McAllen, has an economy in recession. It is not growing...McAllen and the Valley are newer...and booming. Is it too late to reconsider? I have many friends leaving Corpus as businesses leave and it ages. Again, McAllen is getting new and more exciting with time...GROWING!

[texas5021]

HerkyHerk's comments are discredited due to uneducated biased remarks. I am a young doctor in San Antonio who has lived AWAY from McAllen for almost 10 years and I DO NOT share his opinion. True, McAllen or the Valley is NOT a city like Chicago or San Francisco or New York, but as nice as Austin is...NEITHER IS IT! Do not start to think that Austin rivals LARGE international cities like New York or Paris...yet people still live there and are happy! The same can be said for McAllen or any city...they may not be as big or the "best," there will always be some advantages it has over others. Ultimately, it is not the area you live in that makes you happy...but your lifestyle and what makes someone TRUELY happy in this short life...different places are meant for different people...not everyone will or SHOULD share the same opinion. How miserable would it be if we ALL live in the same area? What's the point of bickering and commenting like children?!? I love Austin...but parts of it also are horrible! Again, there are pros and cons to every city...sounds like Herkyherk is bitter...maybe a bad up-bringing in the Valley?

Don't be a hater...people should be more pleasant in nature...see the pros of a city. The Valley is still the fastest growing area in the state (specifically McAllen) and the EDUCATED have taken notice, are moving down here and are very content as they reap the benefits. Also, at the end of the day...people who have a LIFE can find MANY things to do in the Valley that you CAN'T do in other places...one shouldnt' be so pompous as to think if THEY can't find something to do, no one can.

Also, FYI: South Padre Island is the #1 wind-surfing area in the country...several doctors I know in Dallas are envious of this and visit the area often...also for fishing, hunting, the beach, etc....

[bb654]

I'm finally able to get back to the real world. May have to keep a house in McAllen
until it sells, but the Katrina ravaged gulf coast is making a comeback. For me,
living in a 300 yr old coastal town is much better than the RGV. Don't really hate
the place or the people here, but I need diversity rather than an isolated
monoculture.

[TexasTsalagi]

You'd enjoy the Northeast Texas area much better and it should offer you many greater opportunities for a future. The McAllen area is a dirty border town. Most have told you what it is like and they were not exaggerating. If you could stand to last a year there you would surely leave to have any future prospects. The Northeast Texas area offers you much beauty in its rolling hills, pleanty of forrested areas and numerous lakes, all to enjoy. The people in and around the more metropolis areas are progressive and open minded. The shopping is abundant and as fine as anywhere and the restaurants are as varied and exquisite as one could want. I'm talking about the Tyler/Lonview area. lots of attractions to see and visit, close to Shreveport, La and also Dallas, Tx. Close to Canton, one of the biggest flea markets in the world. The area has 4 distinct seasons, but rarely any disastrous weather, no hurricanes, rarely any toranadoes. Good luck with your choice and your future.

[teatime]

Originally Posted by bb654

I need diversity rather than an isolated
monoculture.

That's exactly it. I don't care how many chain stores and strip malls are built, the RGV is geographically and culturally isolated and will always remain so. Some people don't mind that; others, such as myself, do. It is something that must be taken into consideration for people deciding to move there.

[dana1]

I live in Edinburg, practically McAllen. My family is moving out of the valley as we speak. McAllen has a mix of very poor, middle class and upper middle class working people. You will find shacks in this area as well as a lot of beautiful and spacious homes in gated communities. The valley as a whole is growing and McAllen is probably growing the fastest. It's hard to say whether you would like living here, most people I know don't plan on leaving, but then they were born here. Others who are not from here and visit can't wait to leave. I would not recommend anyone move to the valley, I have been wanting to leave all my life and I finally have that opportunity and I'm taking it. I think I could best answer your questions about McAllen and the RGV if I knew what you wanted to know specifically.

[JHouseRules]

Originally Posted by texastech

I'm thinking of moving to Mcallen to take a generous job offer. What can you tell me about the city?

I have lived in this area since 1975 and watched it boom in the past 10 years or so....

I enjoy the diversity of "Mom & Pop's" and 'corporate' shopping, dining, and entertainment in this area....
It's a "mellow" area, and the world moves at it's own pace, here. There are down sides just like everywhere else, but living on the Mexican Border does have some unique issues. The news can seem frightening when vid-bits of soliers with guns in trucks going down the streets of Reynosa... but that is Reynosa....another country away... even though, it's really just across the street.
I enjoy the outdoors life, here... it's hot, true, but where in Texas ISN't it hot...
If you're looking for a fast paced, 24 hour city life, it's not here...but we do have cultural centers.... semi-pro and minor league sports teams...some Theater...and a lifestyle that centers around friends and family. Every weekend one catches the aromas of neighbor's bar-b-ques...
We increase our population by 10's of thousands during the winter months with the "Winter Texans" escaping harsh weather in the northern states...Arriving in late September, they live and play here until Mid-April... so our traffic is more congested, but NOTHING like the CHAOS of Houston, Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio...Navigation is faily simple in McAllen...it was laid out rather well, and has grown in similar fashion.
All the Valley Towns 'blend' together into one huge Metro-Plex...and each manitains it's own personality and independence...schools are different from town to town... you can't smoke in public buildings in McAllen, but you can in Mission...
The cost of living here still isn't very high... and a truly lucrative offer can bring you a much more comfortable lifestyle here than other cities in Texas...the Hispanic Culture is prevalent here, and there is "Culture Shock" for many people that move here from bigger cities. The work place for the most part is the same as everywhere else, but Spanish is spoken as a first language by many. Mexican "Nationals" come here to shop, dine and take Holidays... which adds to the diversity of the area.
I would recommend taking a weekend trip...maybe several...to get a "taste" of the area...
I'm sure that there are "better" places in Texas to live... but for me and my family, it's HOME...and it's a comfortable home... and, no.... I don't work for the Chamber of Commerce....or the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce....

[11samuel]

Hello my family is moving to Mcallen because of our business. Could you please give me some info about the middle schools. We are moving from South Florida. Looking at Sharyland properties. Please hope thank you Lori