Big Spring (San Antonio, Lubbock, Midland: sex offenders, hotel, houses)

[ssdf]

Hello all. Looking for correct info on Big Spring: Lifestyle, wind factor, is water expensive, type of soil, just alot of stuff that most folks don't talk about. Am aware of the college, and the size of the city. Just want more personal stuff. Thanks so much. Looking to retire . . . maybe there?

[befree]

Your post came up while I was googling about soil in Big Spring (where I have lived for 4 years). I know Big Spring is actively out to market itself as a retirement haven. People either love our town or hate it intensely. We're are really a desert, so if you love rivers, lakes, mountains, you won't find that here. On the other had, you have the "big sky" and the stunning sunsets (Really, I've been to tourist places where the sunsets are a big draw, and I think, "huh...we see that every day."). You have very hot summers, at 95-100 degrees, but it is very arid here, so it's far better than the humid climate in the Hill country and the rest of TX. It's windy here, the city water tastes bad so most of us buy bottled water or (if in the country) have wells, the soil is sandy loam or clay, and the lifestyle is very laidback. This is true west Texas, where old-fashioned virtues and values like patriotism, courtesy, honesty, family, and going to church on Sunday are valued. We're a 5 hour drive away from Big Bend, but only an hour away from an international airport. We have all you would need (Wal-Mart, a few restaurants, junior college that has a rodeo team as well as theater, and also a pretty durn good little symphony), but maybe not all you'd ever want - no fancy restaurants,
no Barnes and Nobles, no Starbucks. Big Spring isn't a wealthy little town - there's a lot of poverty here, and a lot of people who live here because of the state and federal aid they get from the VA Hospital, or the state psychiatric hospital. The people I've met are very friendly, very helpful, and it's very easy to get involved in the community. Please feel free to email me with any further questions. (Can you tell I love it here?)

[fish2026]

Big spring is somewhat isolated out near Midland Odessa. On the one hand the air is clean and there isnt any traffic but its not a haven of education. When befree talks about patriotic that means the Big Spring voted big time for George W Bush. Even though 70% of the country thinks hes leading us in the wrong direction -even though he attacked the wrong country and gave us the biggest budget deficit in history- in the small towns in Texas - Miss- Lou and Alabama Bush is still somewhat popular. Of course these are the places that lead the country in illiteracy- LOL

If you're looking for the psych hospital Big Spring can be really helpful and they have all the medications to keep you happy as well as a friendly staff. Big Spring like many small towns is quite friendly.

[mshay]

i had to go to big spring for a cat scan when i was younger, but that was around 15 years ago

[zero]

Only advice I can offer is Don't drink the tap water in Big Spring.

[ssdf]

Thank you all for your information. Befree, I sent you a private message the other day. Quite frankly, I think I might like living in Big Spring.

[Trail Majic]

Originally Posted by befree

Your post came up while I was googling about soil in Big Spring (where I have lived for 4 years). I know Big Spring is actively out to market itself as a retirement haven. People either love our town or hate it intensely. We're are really a desert, so if you love rivers, lakes, mountains, you won't find that here. On the other had, you have the "big sky" and the stunning sunsets (Really, I've been to tourist places where the sunsets are a big draw, and I think, "huh...we see that every day."). You have very hot summers, at 95-100 degrees, but it is very arid here, so it's far better than the humid climate in the Hill country and the rest of TX. It's windy here, the city water tastes bad so most of us buy bottled water or (if in the country) have wells, the soil is sandy loam or clay, and the lifestyle is very laidback. This is true west Texas, where old-fashioned virtues and values like patriotism, courtesy, honesty, family, and going to church on Sunday are valued. We're a 5 hour drive away from Big Bend, but only an hour away from an international airport. We have all you would need (Wal-Mart, a few restaurants, junior college that has a rodeo team as well as theater, and also a pretty durn good little symphony), but maybe not all you'd ever want - no fancy restaurants,
no Barnes and Nobles, no Starbucks. Big Spring isn't a wealthy little town - there's a lot of poverty here, and a lot of people who live here because of the state and federal aid they get from the VA Hospital, or the state psychiatric hospital. The people I've met are very friendly, very helpful, and it's very easy to get involved in the community. Please feel free to email me with any further questions. (Can you tell I love it here?)

There is a good Denny's there.

[gladimnotthere]

I think that enjoyment of living in Big Spring is directly tied to the individual's level of intelligence, aspirations for life, and tolerance for ignorance, prejudice, and the worst of hick accents. (Don't hate me, I was born and raised a Texan and I do not speak like that, and I know many Texans do not! LOL)

Big Spring has nothing much to offer most people. You find much of the adult population drinking at the Eagle's Lodge every night of the week, except maybe Sundays. Of course the Eagles do a lot of good, charitable work with the profits from the lodge and the bingo hall. There are other bars, but that's the nicest.

They have a big fat blowhard of a police chief overseeing a largely dirty group of cops. There's a saying that everyone in town knows, "If you want to get away with murder, come to Big Spring." I'm not sure about that, but I do know the people with authority there (police chief, judges, and such) don't much care about legalities. They do things their way.

It's called the crossroads of west Texas, which translates to lots of drug traffic. For me that was surprising, I thought "small town, less crime"... wrong.
During the time we lived there, a teenage boy was found not two blocks away, dead and naked in a field behind the house where he'd been spending the night with a school "friend". It is said that the two boys that murdered him drove around with the dead boy in a car, bragging about beating him to death. A couple months later there was a big meth bust another block over. I checked online for sex offenders in the area. Eighteen (!!) lived within six blocks. No, we did not live in the worst area of town, not by looks anyway.
I also found that there were two working at my office.

There are lots of signs of poverty and a doomed economy. It is a dying town. It's been dying a long, slow death since the military base closed, early 70's or late 60's.

The town is ugly and not well cared for. There are so many dilapidated, empty houses and buildings. One of the biggest was the old hotel "downtown" - which in past, had been a jewel for the town, hosting many prominent visitors.
It's really lovely when the dust storms come. Oh, and Commanche Trails park, it's run down too. The big spring is full of broken bottles and other trash. Even so, it's still one of the prettier parts of Big Spring. There is a good golf course, though.

Yes, there are some friendly people there. There are some good people there, too. But why? I tend to think that there is something very wrong with a place like that. Why would people of any intellect at all tolerate the crappiness of the place? Most people that have been there most (or all) of their lives say "It's just the way it is, nothing's ever gonna change." I heard the City Elders are responsible .... ? what?

It's a good place to go if you have enough money to travel away frequently, or if you just want to relax and stick your head in the sand, you know, just pretend that it's all good. Hey, there's always the Eagles. You can hang out with all them good ol' boys on their harleys and drink for fun, play bingo and line ol' Billy's pocket. Frankly, there are much nicer places to live, for retirement or even visiting. And there are nice people everywhere. I think it's an odd, strange place to be. No thank you.

[TexasNick]

I passed by Big Spring in 2005 on my way to Lubbock from San Antonio. I enjoyed the drive. I thought Big Spring was pretty interesting because of the hills and the amount of land one can own relatively cheap. Oh, lots of buffalos out there on those ranches.

[tgannaway89]

Big Spring is a beautiful city.... at night.