canyon tx, Arlington tx, san angelo, denton, El paso - where to study? (Dallas: waterpark, buy)

[european27]

Hey everybody. I am a college graduate from Europe and I am comming to Texas to take an english language school. I am trying to choose a right place and school for me.
I am thinking about folowing places: Canyon tx, Arlington tx, Denton tx, San angelo tx and El Paso tx.

I am looking for a good school, interesting place, fun and mayby a nightlife.

I think that advantages and disadvantages are:

Canyon - advantages: close to amarillo (I am interested in this city and area. I hope that Amarillo and canyon are a pretty places)
- disadvantages: canyon is a dry city...mayby is quite boring
Arlington - big cities are pretty close, I love Fort Worth, I have already been there 2 years ago.
- mayby I would like to explore diferent part of texas
Denton and San Angelo - I have no idea
El Paso - great nature and scenery. big city
- mayby ugly downtown, too much hispanic to learn english there, to close to Juarez


This is only what I think about that places. Please help me to find the best place for me. I love Texas and I would like to enjoy it in a pretty city.
I am European, so I don´t understand your dry laws, and I would like to hangout to the bars, for me is really important also nice downtown and some historic and interesting buildings.



Sorry my poor english, I am comming to Texas to improve it.

[stellarvore]

I have heard that El Paso isn't a particularly nice place. I have also heard that problems in Juarez tend to spill over the border. I do not have first-hand knowledge of this, so it may be untrue. Canyon and Amarillo are fairly safe places, but can be dull. Denton and Arlington may be your best bet. You want nightlife, you'll want to be near a big city.

[joqua]

Originally Posted by stellarvore

I have heard that El Paso isn't a particularly nice place.

El Paso is rated as the "second safest city in the USA!" UT El Paso has a large international student body and offers a compact campus.

That having been said, and considering the options the OP has asked about, I would recommend Denton (North Texas Univ).

It's a smaller school, making it easier to get around - with the added plus of being next to Texas Women's Univ.

It's close enough to the Dallas/FW metro area to make weekends adventurous, and not as hectic as Arlington.

[TT Dave]

Based on your criteria, Denton would probably be your best choice. It's a nice, charming little city in it's own right and as stated above, it's a short drive to Dallas or Fort Worth for night life.

[artsyguy]

The University of Texas at Dallas is the best bet. That is located in North Dallas/ Richardson.

[european27]

thank youn for an advices Denton sounds great to me. I dunno why, I am still interested in Canyon, but I am worried, that Canyon is a dry city. I have no idea, what that mean...are there any bars, or nightclubs? Where the students hangout there? Is it such a "bible belt" city? Palo Duro canyon, Amarillo and a western heritage in that area are really interesting for me. Too bad that a language school is not directly in Amarillo.

I have been to Fort Worth, Waxahachie and Corsicana during summer 2009. I have enjoyed that summer and I love Texas, and Texas people....but that small cities - Waxahachie and Corsicana were surprisingly too quiet and dull to compare to simillar size cities here in Europe ( Slovakia, Austria, Czech republic)
Fort Worth and Dallas were amazing great cities, but Arlington seems like a huge suburb...I have seen it only from a highway and I have been just to six flags Waterpark and Rangers stadium.
Mayby driving would be quite complicated for me...I will probably buy a used car there, but at the begining, the transportation could be a problem.
Is there any public trancportation, or cabs in Canyon tx and Amarillo? Is it complicated to get to Amarillo from Canyon?

[european27]

About El paso...I was always so much interested in El Paso and Amarillo and old west heritage, but when I have been to Dallas/FW, everybody there said, that El Paso is ugly, dirty, dusty...and I don´t remember what else. My texan friends said that I must e crazy, if I want to go to EP. I have no idea what to expect there.
I have never been racist...but honestly, isn´t El Paso too much hispanic to learn english there? Do people speak english there, or is spanish a must to survive there?

What about San Angelo? It seems like a pretty place.....
Which city has a prettiest downtown with some nightlife and historical buildings?

[ChristieP]

San Angelo is a cute little West Texas town. My husband and I both graduate from Angelo State University and lived there for about 7 years. I don't know if ASU does an "intensive English" program. My BA from there is in English, but I focused on composition and technical writing.

Amarillo does have the old west heritage. El Paso, not so much. You will get about as much Spanish as English in El Paso. Canyon is a small town and there's not much to see there at all. My husband's brother got his BS from West Texas A&M there.

Personally, I would choose Arlington or Denton. Both of these are close to major metro areas and will ofer a lot more than the smaller towns. If you really want to see western heritage, the two best places to do it are Fort Worth, especially in the Stockyards area, and Oklahoma City.

[european27]

San Angelo is a cute little West Texas town. My husband and I both graduate from Angelo State University and lived there for about 7 years. I don't know if ASU does an "intensive English" program. My BA from there is in English, but I focused on composition and technical writing.

Amarillo does have the old west heritage. El Paso, not so much. You will get about as much Spanish as English in El Paso. Canyon is a small town and there's not much to see there at all. My husband's brother got his BS from West Texas A&M there.

Personally, I would choose Arlington or Denton. Both of these are close to major metro areas and will ofer a lot more than the smaller towns. If you really want to see western heritage, the two best places to do it are Fort Worth, especially in the Stockyards area, and Oklahoma City.

Thank you Actually san angelo and also west texas a&m have intensive english programs. I am thinking about Canyon tx only because it is close to Amarillo. I think that Amarillo has more "soul" than Arlington. I have been to Arlington tx and it looks just like a huge huge suburb...
And yes, Fort Worth stockyards is a great place, I have been there and I have enjoyed it
I am not interested only in western heritage...I am looking for a nice downtown with some activities - some nighlife and shopping.

Are Amarillo, El Paso or San Angelo pretty? Are there some historical buildings, bars, shops in the downtown area?

thank you again this is very helpful for me. Btw. Is the transportation from canyon to amarillo complicated? by bus or cab?

[James2496]

Latest stats indicate that the University of North Texas in Denton is the third largest university in Texas with over 38,000 students. It has everything you need academically, and it is in a great location near both Dallas and Ft. Worth.