nicest and safes parts of texas to live

[whoabuck]

Well, in case you don't happen to be a gazillionaire (and therefore can't afford to live in some of the above mentioned places), a nice compromise is the Bryan/College Station area, where property is among the most undervalued in the country. The presence of a large university (Texas A&M) means there are almost always some concerts, festivals, sporting events, etc. going on. And we're within a two hour drive of Houston and Austin, 3 hours from the coast and the Hill Country. If you're from someplace like New England, that might sound like far away, but it's all highway and you get used to it.

Depending on where you're from (I'm originally from California), you might not want to get too excited about the beach in Galveston. I like it for what it is, but don't go expecting to see waves crashing on the beach and a rugged, interesting coastline. And then there's the hurricane risk. I've hosted many folks during hurricane evacuations from Galveston and even Houston.
Personally, I find the Hill Country from Somervell County (up around Dinosaur Valley State Park) down to Fredricksburg and Kerrville to be the most beautiful part of Texas. But it all depends on what you do for a living, and how many amenities you need close by.

[RGValleyite]

If I wasn't moving to the Rio Grande (Alamo to be exact) I would want to live outside Austin. Some place like Dripping Springs. It is basically in the Hill Country and is close to Austin and all of the Lakes. Austin is 1 hour from San Antonio and 2 1/2 hours from Houston. Lots of very nice people and many things to do.

[tstone]

College Station is a really good place if you're a professor, or you have a connection to a friend who will let you into a truly good job. Some ex-professors have some private, professional industries on lockdown. Much of CS has trapped, underpaid-underemployed folks.

BUT nice rents can be found for dirt cheap and haven't gone up since I lived there 1996-2003. The place trapped me after I graduated for awhile; it was too easy to get by while I waited for a ''real'' job. In CS you can make an average salary and live in a pretty good house.

Socially, if you're over 25 and not yet married, you could be pretty miserable. The average age in the heart of CS was 19 when I lived there.

Car break-ins are higher than anything I've dealt with in Houston. But overall it has always been fairly safe. Much of the town is fairly busy at night so it helps.

CS is literally considered the ''big city'' to the locals in the woodworks on the fringes. Many non-A&M locals inside CS strongly resent A&M and the students.

[mcor3]

Thanks to all of you who posted these beautiful pictures. I'm from the Northeast and have just accepted a job in Kerrville,Texas by fall of this year. Reading all these threads and commenst about Kerrville and its surrounding towns has really made a huge difference. I feel a lot better and less anxious about this big move since I've always lived on the East coast 20 minutes from Manhattan but am now ready for a more peaceful and less stressful life hence the move to Kerrville. Again thanks for all the encouraging words from the people who know Texas the best. Am looking forward to be a Texan in the near future.