Wichita Falls/Iowa Park Area Questions (Dallas, Austin: appointed, credit, houses)

[courtqueen]

I am currently looking into relocating out of the horrible state of California and am looking at possibly moving to Texas. Can anyone tell me anything about these two areas? How friendly are people? How are the schools? I have read a couple posts that said that if you are "not from around there" people can be hard to get to know. I'm not so much worried about that for myself, but for my son who would be going to school there. Any comments/information would be much appreciated.

[faith20]

We lived in Wichita Falls for 5 yrs (2005-2010). We just relocated to the Dallas/FW area due to job changes. Prior to that we lived in Austin, Texas. I really enjoyed living there. People were very friendly. There is a big military base there, so you will meet people from every where. I have 2 children and one is in elementary school. I really liked the school she attended. I found everything I needed within a few miles (dr offices, shopping, church etc). There is very little traffic and therefore very easy to get across town. Dallas/Fort Worth is only 2 hours away if you need a big city hit. Please, if you have any questions I will be happy to answer them.

[Vintrest]

Originally Posted by courtqueen

I am currently looking into relocating out of the horrible state of California and am looking at possibly moving to Texas. Can anyone tell me anything about these two areas? How friendly are people? How are the schools? I have read a couple posts that said that if you are "not from around there" people can be hard to get to know. I'm not so much worried about that for myself, but for my son who would be going to school there. Any comments/information would be much appreciated.

Since I have lived both in (the Bay area) CA as well as Wichita Falls, (where my parents met in high school and later got married) perhaps I can add a little information. Iowa Park is a small bedroom community to the West of Wichita Falls on the road (U.S. 287) to Vernon, TX. It is primarily a smaller working class town similar to other small satellite towns around Wichita Falls such as Burkburnett, TX. I'd say that all of these towns have friendly people but social ties are often formed around religious affiliations, family relations, or being ex-military. Sheppard AFB has long provided plenty of military retirees for the area. Wichita Falls does have a clique-ish old money elite centered around the country club; making friends there might be challenging unless you are a wealthy professional. (or, like most of the folks there, come from old Oil money families)

Midwestern State University is the town's primary claim to fame and both my wife and I are graduates. Wichita Falls is large enough for private school options but I'm not aware of their public schools being outstanding. Even many of the students at Midwestern State only enroll there for a couple of years (to save money) before moving on to more prestigious universities to get their diplomas. Wichita Falls is pretty featureless and lacks the kinds of ammenities and entertainment one can find in Fort Worth or Dallas. A lot depends on what you are looking for. Housing is relatively cheap but not a lot cheaper than DFW. If your sole criteria are schools, you may want to rethink and obtain more local information.

Compared to the scenery in California, you'll be sorely disappointed. Spring storms in Wichita Falls are times for caution-I was there in the Spring of 1978 when a monster twister obliterated a large swath of the town. It is smack in the middle of "tornado alley" along the Red River. There is a hilly recreation area, Arbuckle Wilderness, near Ft. Sill in Oklahoma about an hour's drive to the north of Wichita Falls but not much else scenic-wise nearby. Wichita Falls' downtown is quite dead as most newer development has gravitated towards the southwest and southeast sides of town. My advice would be to make a list of those things most important to you in your choice of relocation and then check item by item to see if Wichita Falls or the immediate area fufills these needs. My wife and I could hardly wait to move away after we graduated as jobs were and still are hard to find in Wichita Falls. Oh, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to pay a visit to Wichita Falls and drive around town. Good Luck!

[Barefoot Daisy]

I'm from Iowa Park and lived there until the end of 2010. We never planned to move away, but the job situation made it necessary. Frankly, and I hate to say it, but Iowa Park schools aren't what they used to be. .. Wichita Falls and even Burkburnett schools are better. Some of the private schools are great, and Bright Ideas charter school has an excellent reputation.

Don't discount Midwestern State University: it was named the best school for the money a couple of years ago, and the business school has achieved the top accreditation (my daughter just graduated and got a great job right away). I'm not completely up to date on all the stats, but a few years ago the science department could boast 100% acceptance to medical school for it's pre-med students. The health-sciences school has an excellent reputation as well. It's affordable, small enough for students to receive personal attention from professors but big enough to have the college experience. .. and it's very welcoming to working people wanting to earn a degree around the job. There are a lot of non-traditional students.

I love the whole area. The people are absolutely wonderful. When there's trouble: seriously ill child, injured adult, there will be a benefit (or several) attended by hundreds. I love going to restaurants and taking 10 or minutes to get to a table because there are so many people you know.

At the same time, with Sheppard Air Force Base, there are people from around the world to bring in a nice mix of cultures.

Your happiness with the social swirl will depend on what you enjoy: there are only two movie theaters, though they have a number of screens each. There are two playhouses in Wichita Falls, both with active schedules. The Wichita Falls Multi-Purpose Event Center has something going almost every weekend, but whether gun shows, dog shows, craft fairs or home/garden shows are to your liking .. well, up to you!

The city's parks and rec department has a number of activities at low cost for young and old alike.

The park system is great, with Lucy Park the jewel in the crown. The city parks director has done an amazing job over the years with homegrown talent, building decorative medians and making beautiful plantings from stock they grow themselves. Lucy Park has a disc golf, a big play area and plenty of acreage for hiking. RiverBend Nature Center, with a big butterfly pavillion and many educational events sits to one side. Other parks have athletic fields, room to roam and just enjoy the outdoors.

The area soccer league is enormous .. pass by Memorial Stadium on any weekend and there will be hundreds of kids out kicking the ball. Little League is big and the YMCA organization runs basketball and football, so kids can be involved in any number of athletic activities.

August in the area is packed with activities: the Texas Ranch Roundup, Hotter 'n Hell Bicycle ride/race. Vernon has the Santa Rosa Roundup in the fall, and area counties have their rodeos/homecoming celebrations.

There are several area lakes, but they're not clear: the area red clay precludes that. Still, swimming/boating/fishing makes great summer fun.

So check it out ..as long as you can make a living, it's a wonderful place to live!

['M']

Vintrest .... having grown up in WFalls, I'd say you pretty much 'nailed it'.

Barefoot Daisy....your post definitely says your glass is half full. It's good to know how another person views living in WFalls.

One thing I have noticed is that people in Texas, especially in small communities, focus on their church and 'religion'. It's a very narrow mindset. If this isn't 'you', then moving there probably isn't for you and your family. I left Texas for college, and lived in Dallas for 6 years before leaving Texas for Colorado. I am always amazed - shocked, actually - at the philosophical differences between Texas and Colorado.

To anyone who is thinking of moving to a small community in Texas, I would definitely recommend taking a trip there for at least two weeks, make it a priority to take the time to mix and mingle with people who live there, and then make up your mind. Yes, the small town people can be friendly and even so, you may not have much in common to warrant moving there and making good friends. It can be very isolating to be around people with whom you have nothing in common in day-to-day living.

It is very sad to me that the religious climate has changed so drastically over the past 40 years, not just in Texas, though, it's happened everywhere. I was raised in a wonderful, loving small church in Texas. I have been on a slightly different path spiritually and now have nothing in common with many of my friends in Texas. I wouldn't trade that small town church experience for anything and consider it one of the best experiences of my life. I find the attitudes in small town Texas lack diversity and tolerance. Sad, but true, for me.