Beaumont (Houston, Port Arthur, Orange: violent crime, townhouse, neighborhoods)

[texasrelo2012]

Ready to relo to Beaumont area. Read a lot of negative comments. Is it really that bad? What is the best area to live in? How about Lumberton? Are there Any quality public schools in the area grades 3 and 6? I am really concerned After hearing all the negative comments but want a true picture of the areA.

[achickenchaser]

Lumberton is fine if you're white. The schools are also some of the best in the area.

Not all of Beaumont is bad. The west end all up and down Dowlen is pretty nice. Really, Beaumont isn't much different from other places people choose to live. You'll have your nice areas, and you'll have the parts you want to stay away from.

The entire city isn't a complete dump where you have to worry about dodging bullets every time you go outside or anything.

[llmrkc07]

achickenchaser hit it right on..Mid county is not bad either (school wise)...but Beaumont is a better option. I grew up in the area, its all in what you make it. Lumberton is okay school district but Beaumont has some real good school as well (its all in where you stay).

I would live in Beaumont, you will be close to everything the region has to offer. The West end of BMT is the booming part of the region. Nice homes, mall and everything is located on that side of town.

FYI:
The further south of I10 you go the worst it gets....

[katyb]

It really IS what you make it. It's not the worst. When I go home, I get by. I'd avoid Lumberton and stick to the West end of Beaumont or even Nederland. Not Port Arthur.

[historygrad]

i have never had a problem with port arthur...its all those other little towns past beaumont

[BobTex]

All the partial and misinformation and strictly opinion and essentially no useful info. I'll try to cut away some fluff and give some fact with some editorializing. Let me qualify this by saying I have lived in most of the cities/towns mentioned or alluded to in this thread.

Beaumont itself first. With the population >100K this will be the #1 commercialized place so yes, there is a mall. Multiple strip centers for more shopping. But if you want diversified shopping then Houston is the place. But day to day stuff Beaumont works. Safety ... hmmm ... I could be torched here. I lived here in the late 80's ... in a townhouse. Had my truck broken into, stolen, and my townhouse broken into. Also the majority of violent crime in the "Golden Triangle" occurs here. I don't live there now and I'm on guard when there. I work at the largest hospital and deal with trauma there so I know of much that never makes the "news".

West End of Beaumont has nice housing, tree lined streets in many areas and as long as you stay in those areas there is much less danger of encounters with dangerous situations although the dangerous types do cruise those areas. There are some limited access upper end neighborhoods. Some good schools but the best academically is private and Catholic. Good school!

I don't like Beaumont. Port Arthur is 10X more dangerous ... especially "old Port Arthur". I'd be hard pressed to live there. I did live there in the early 80's. I know of it's deterioration since then. I was working out of Groves at that time.

I have also lived in Port Neches (Mid County) in the 1960's (growing up) and bought property and lived there in the late 80's-1996. Very safe place with some upscale housing as does the neighboring town of Nederland. Nederland has the mall and much more shopping. Both the school districts have pretty good schools ... I'd send my kids there. Lots of activities for kids. I would live there again but think the whole area is aesthetically unappealing.

Lumberton probably has the best public school district along with the Bridge City school district (SW corner of Orange County). Newer upscale housing/neighborhoods and more forested areas are also present. But Lumberton has more unregulated/unzoned neighborhoods resulting in mobile homes and also multiple mobile home parks throughout the town. Also Lumberton has grown tremendously in the last 15-20 years and some infrastructure has suffered from that ... drainage in some areas can be suspect and some roads. (This is true of the whole region though as it is flat). From Lumberton to the mall in Beaumont is 15 minutes or less ... mostly less and is mostly interstate type roadway. . . easy drive. This is a very safe town. Also Beaumont and all areas south are very susceptible to hordes of saltwater mosquitoes which don't get quite as far north as here. I like Lumberton the most.


I now live north of Beaumont almost an hour away. My kids (I have 3 from 9 to 14) go to a small school district not noted as "good" but I also feel school is what you make of it. We work with our kids to keep them ahead of the pack. We both work too.

I have no bone to pick and made an honest assessment IMO. I also have lived in multiple other states from Maine to Fla. including Tennessee and Michigan. I have never lived out West though (regrettably). There are other outlying areas which could be good notably areas serviced by the Hardin Jefferson school district ... very good schools and also roughly 15 minutes out of Beaumont. There is a lot of commuting into Beaumont from all outlying areas.

Post specifics if you have more questions and let us know your decision(s).

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by historygrad

i have never had a problem with port arthur...its all those other little towns past beaumont

I was wondering ... what problems with the other little towns and what towns ?

[historygrad]

mainly people from vidor and lumberton ...i dont think i need to go into specifics as to what types of problems. As for the ignorance involving port arthur, people need to lay off...i saw two horrible fights that happened in beaumont at crockett st. Ive lived in port arthur on and off and ive never had a problem, however ive had guns pulled on me several times in port neches, groves and yes beaumont. As for it is what you make of it...i dont know about that..people here are EXTREMELY close minded and if you dont go with what they consider the norm then you are the wierdo..just keep that in mind.

[BobTex]

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Violent crime always higher than the nat'l average and usually higher than the statewide average.

And Port Neches violent crime:

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You make the call !!!