Flooding in Abilene? (Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Mesquite: apartments, rent, homes)

[TexasRose]

I am thinking of moving to Abilene but recently heard on TXCN news about flooding there? I did not get to hear the whole story. I might move there this fall with my mother (who is elderly) and my disabled sister. Are there senior citizen apartments/duplexes there? Also, does the city have parks with walking trails and are there many trees in the city? I work in the healthcare field. I am also thinking of the Lindale/Tyler area but that would be my second choice. Thanks for any info ya'll can provide!

[teatime]

Yes, we had some flooding this past weekend. As with most of Texas, it's been a rainy summer and Tropical Storm Erin decided to rotate around the Big Country. We got 7 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. Little Elm Creek flooded, affecting the neighborhoods around it. It wasn't a citywide thing -- I live on the Northeast side and we didn't have any flooding. Lots of other areas didn't, either.

Yes, Abilene has several nice parks all over town, plus the recreation area at Kirby Lake. The City Council just voted to put even more money into the parks and recreation areas. There's a nice senior citizens center in Rose Park, as well as other activities. They have free outdoor movies in the summer. And, yes, we have many trees. Downtown has lovely, wide, shady sidewalks and it's fun to browse the shops and window shop. Every month, we have Art Walk downtown and you can visit the museums for free, plus enjoy arts and crafts demonstrations and musical performances.

I don't know the specifics about elderly housing but I do know we have lots of options. Abilene is a popular city in which to retire, from what I've read. Plus, there's the City Link bus service that will send a handicapped accessible van to take you wherever you need to go. I am disabled and haven't used the service, but it comes for one of my neighbors frequently.

[Willys]

TexasRose, where are you coming from? Abilene is okay for some but having gone to public schools there I want to throw up a big red flag.

Don't worry about the threat of flooding as it doesn't usually rain enough to substitute for watering the yard. I've seen maybe up to a foot or so of water in some streets but that does not happen often.

As far as parks, there are some but not necessarily attractive. The soil in Abilene is a red clay and is typically a fairly hard surface. Grass will grow in the parks but only at city coercion. Most trees are Mesquite trees. I've learned to appreciate shade from clouds. Some parks will be well maintained but I couldn't point them out to you.

There is lots of seniors living in Abilene. From standard nursing homes to independent/assisted living apartment style homes. My mom lived in one of the inde homes. Research may help to uncover a suitable location. If you need some starter info I'll be glad to share what I know.

I was in Abilene for six months last year, getting mom situated. Having grown up a military brat, in Abilene, I was comforted by the morning roar of the B1 Bombers at Dyess.

[goingnorth]

recently ive been meaning to move.want to know why?oh yeah, i live in abilene.hey,this place is great,if you want to "serve"the religous right wing illuminatti.well i guess thats all i have to say.come here if you are greedy and want to horde knowledge and money.dont come if you are not.oh by the way wait and see how many persons come out to destroy me for saying it.that part will be the most fun.

[teatime]

Well, I'm not a member of the "Religious Right" and I'm happy here, with no problems at all. You must be hanging out in the wrong places! I always had door-to-door preachers showing up on my doorstep in Brownsville -- not one has bugged me here.

[TexasRose]

Thank you, teatime and Willys for the helpful info. We're coming from McAllen. I won't go into why I don't like it here...it's a long story. Actually, I've lived in SA, Kerrville, Devine, Corpus Christi, and Edinburg. I liked Kerrville the most but couldn't find a job there!
We're probably going to make a trip to Abilene later in September. I was just curious but is there a lot of noise coming from Dyess or is it on the outskirts? I don't care about jet noise but my mom is kind of picky.

[Willys]

TexasRose, coming from McAllen, Abilene will probably be okay for you. In high school, our band director was from McA/Pharr, Walter Greip. I am fortunate to have known him.

The noise from Dyess is not bad, it is a few miles away from the city and the runways are on the far side of the base. It's mostly a rumble but makes me feel secure, reminding me that our military is there. Militarily speaking, Abilene is probably one of the safest places in the nation.

Abilene has changed a lot since I was in school, a very long time ago. Seems as though most of the city has moved either north towards Hardin-Simmons U and Abilene Christian or south towards Buffalo Gap. There are many strip shops in what used to be the core of the city that appear abandoned, giving Abilene something of a desolate appearance. Much of the housing built in the 50's and later is still current and well populated. That would typically be west of Mockingbird/Barrow and of course on the hill, near ACU. Most of the housing east of M'bird/Barrow is in older neighborhoods. There are some very old neighborhoods, scattered around town, that are very nice.

[teatime]

TexasRose,
I moved here from Brownsville last November! I think you'll really like it here. For one thing, it's not hot and humid nine months out of the year, LOL. Also, coming from McAllen, you are going to LOVE the fact that Abilene is spread out and traffic problems are non-existent!

I don't live that far from Dyess AFB and the noise isn't bad. Besides, they contribute a lot to the community. I'm disabled, and when I went to Neighborhood Services to see if I could get help with a ramp in front of my house, they said that Dyess has a volunteer group that does just that thing!

Abilene has a Ballet Company, Philharmonic orchestra, Opera Society, and community chorus. Plus, there are three universities here -- Hardin Simmons, Abilene Christian, and McMurry -- which also offer lots of plays and cultural events. There are several museums and art galleries downtown, too.

I'm pleased that I moved here! Folks are really friendly! When I went downtown to the post office to put the mailbox in my name, one of the postal employees gave me a big smile and called out, "Welcome to Abilene! Our city is a better place now that you're here!" It made me feel so good! And, you know, one Sunday morning when I went out to eat, strangers at the next table paid check! I was shocked! They didn't even say anything to me but the waitress told me my check had been paid when I asked her for the slip! This city is full of random acts of kindness like that.

If I can answer questions for you, feel free to ask. I know what a pain it is to move from the Valley!

[goingnorth]

ok,ive grown up. so i dont "hang out"anymore.all i know is this...i took a 5 dollar per hour cut in pay to move to the "great republic of texas"only to be told that my previous skill tree did not matter here.oh well, welcome to texas!by the way,that was 3 to 4 years ago and the economy drove me from the skill i loved to a new field so i could pay inflated rent for a crappy,treeless,clay dirt ugly landscape.and now,i make what i did in ,years ago,umm 10years ago, in my home state.dont even get at my attitude, i can hide that at work,smile say yes sir and everything,but seriously i could replace 3 guys at the ,site in question,and good old boy politics prevented me from advancing.they actually told me to my face ."we cant let you take over..."and i quote,really they said that to me.in abilene its who you know not what you know."know this"seriously.honestly ,i thought coming to the"last republic" would help not hurt.i wear no ring, nor will i pledge.period.im a good citizen, i let them take the maximum ,taxes,for many years,to no avail.HEAR THIS if you dont know the HAND SHAKE you are not in the know, here.please note this to ,your value, i take a big chance saying it.