Possible Move To Abilene Need Info (Lubbock, Wylie: crime, how much, homes)

[sweetldy47]

Can anyone give me info regarding best areas to live in Abilene? How is the crime rate? It actually sounds like a lovely place to live from what I've read on here but I thought I would check on this. Also, what kind of winters do you have there?
Thank you so much!

[teatime]

Hi,
I moved here almost a year ago and I like it a lot! I'm disabled with serious health problems and have found the medical care to be very good. A lot of affordable housing is available and I had no trouble finding what I wanted in my quite low price range. It's laid-back here -- no traffic jams or congestion -- and Abilene is surrounded by gorgeous plateaus. We're 2 1/2 hours from Ft. Worth and Lubbock and close to the Hill Country so if you need specialty services of any sort, you can easily visit one of the big metro areas for a day trip.

I haven't needed to go to DFW or Lubbock, though. Abilene has lots of stores and shopping centers, plus a thriving downtown area with lots of locally owned businesses. We have all of the major restaurant and store chains (except Hooters, which someone was complaining about in the local newspaper) with more moving in. (Kohl's is set to open in a few weeks.) I'm a BIG fan of local stores and restaurants, though, and that's something I love about Abilene and West Texas.

For its size, Abilene has a lot of things even many larger cities don't, such as a Ballet company, an Opera Society, a Broadway theater series, a Philharmonic Orchestra, and museums. On the second Thursday of every month, there is Art Walk downtown and you can visit the museums and galleries for free, plus there is street entertainment and artisans displaying crafts. Usually, there's an Art Walk theme and the beautiful, restored Paramount Theater downtown shows a theme-related film. The Paramount also hosts various events and performances. It's fun to stroll along the tree-shaded sidewalks of Pine and Cypress streets, popping into galleries, cafes and real bakeries.

The younger crowd complains there isn't much for them to do, and I can understand that. This isn't a city that has lots of night clubs and bars. There's bowling, several movie theaters/complexes, miniature golf, and parks and recreation areas, with three lakes. However, a big, state-of-the-art entertainment center is opening on Oct. 1 with go karts, virtual reality theater, more sophisticated miniature golf and bowling, etc. Phase 2 will be an indoor water park and ice skating rink.

I really like it here and I haven't done even half of the things offered. What I really like is the number of choices available for grocery shopping and such.

I've only been here for one winter and the locals tell me it was a bit more active than most years. It snowed a bit two or three times and we had some ice storms. It doesn't get super-cold, usually, though. I found it refreshing. A big reason I moved here was to escape the 8 months of high heat and humidity of South Texas. So, this climate suits me fine! A 40-degree temperature here doesn't feel as bone-chilling as it did in South Texas because it's not nearly as humid here.

[teatime]

Ooops, forgot about crime and such, LOL. I think Abilene is about average and probably low in some categories. There aren't many murders here and I haven't read about any gang activity.

I really can't advise you on areas of town because it depends on what you want. I REALLY wanted to live downtown in Old Town Abilene because I was hoping to buy an older home with character that I could fix up. But I quickly found that some areas of downtown flood and the homes can have foundation problems. Downtown has the reputation for having the most crime in the city but I corresponded with the president of the neighborhood association and knew they were really forming community there. She, too, had a disability and lived there with her elderly mom and they reported having no problems and felt safe.

Depends on how much money you want to spend, too. There are beautiful neighborhoods on the southwest side near Abilene Regional Medical Center. Close to town, Sayles Blvd. has beautiful, well-maintained older homes. Some neighborhoods near Shotwell Stadium and the zoo look nice, too. (There's one called Canterbury Trales that caught my eye because I used to teach British Lit., LOL.) Lots of nice places out in the country, too.

[Willys]

Originally Posted by sweetldy47

Can anyone give me info regarding best areas to live in Abilene? How is the crime rate? It actually sounds like a lovely place to live from what I've read on here but I thought I would check on this. Also, what kind of winters do you have there?
Thank you so much!

Ahh, sweet lady, where you coming from, what sort of atmospheres suit your pleasures. I always said, 'Abilene is a good place to raise a kid but you wouldn't want to live there'. However, some of the posters here who live in Abilene wouldn't agree. I'll give them their rights and for some Abilene is a good place.

Most new construction is in the NE of town, near the church colleges and along the interstate, or SW of town towards... nowhere. Well, towards the
windmills. Those ranchers will do almost anything to keep those cows cooled off

It's like country living in the city. Everything you need is there.

[hellpaso]

this is from a different perspective, but my husband worked there for a few months and was absolutely miserable. all anyone wanted to talk about was what they did at church. it was nauseating. so if you are not a christian protestant, you'll get tired of it really quick. just my two cents.

[case44]

You'll be quite surprised. That region is called the Big Country. I don't think you'll have any problems in Abilene with what you're looking for. It's a delicate balance between big-city amenities and country living. You'll like the scenery south, east, and west of town.

[teatime]

Bumped up for Sweetldy

[sweetldy47]

Thank you all so much!! You've been very helpful! I just was wondering if there are any neighborhoods I should avoid when looking for a place to live.

[LeneCityThrasher]

stay away from the northcentral, southcentral, and west of the highway..its a "bad" area.

[JamesAbilene]

For resale value, look in zip codes 79606, the south and east parts of 79602, and the northeast part of 79601. 06 is probably the best for resale. 79605 has a number of nice older homes that are reasonably priced and a few excellent neighborhoods. There are good homes in other zip codes, but the resale value is not there. Homes in 06 that are in the Wylie School District have the highest resale value.