Looking to relocate to Amarillo (Houston, Dallas: renting, insurance, crime rate)

[catman]

Originally Posted by davesofficefurniture

I have lived in Amarillo for a few years (in the area my whole life) and the one thing I would say I hate about Amarillo is the driving habits of many people. I'd rather drive in DallasFW for a month, than Amarillo for a weekend.

I regularly drive in Dallas-Ft Worth, and I can't imagine Amarillo being that bad. What is it that Amarillo drivers do that causes you to make such a statement? Here in DFW, it isn't so much that they are all bad drivers (although some certainly are), but there are just too many of them, and at certain hours, 'you can't get there from here'. I almost never get on LBJ Freeway in Dallas.

[JamesAbilene]

Originally Posted by catman

I regularly drive in Dallas-Ft Worth, and I can't imagine Amarillo being that bad. What is it that Amarillo drivers do that causes you to make such a statement? Here in DFW, it isn't so much that they are all bad drivers (although some certainly are), but there are just too many of them, and at certain hours, 'you can't get there from here'. I almost never get on LBJ Freeway in Dallas.

I have lots of family in the Amarillo area, and many of them are very old. My mother, for example, until she died, would drive to Amarillo from Pampa. Because she didn't understand freeway driving, she always came to a dead stop at the end of the on ramp. I tried and tried to teach her to do differently, but she never did. I think lots of folks from small towns around Amarillo are in Amarillo for doctor appointments or weekend shopping, and they simply cannot or will not learn how to drive on freeways.

[case44]

Originally Posted by davesofficefurniture

I have lived in Amarillo for a few years (in the area my whole life) and the one thing I would say I hate about Amarillo is the driving habits of many people. I'd rather drive in DallasFW for a month, than Amarillo for a weekend.

I'm still recovering from a very huge dose of laughter. That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while. How can Amarillo drivers be worse than those in Dallas???! Amarillo's a breeze to drive in.

Give me I-40 over I-635 any day.

[Lyndy]

Amarillo is a FABULOUS place to live. Just tonight, I was out an outdoor jazz concert at Amarillo College called "June Jazz." Live jazz every Tuesday in June. If that does suit you, you can go to Starlite Theater where there is live music every Tuesday in Sam Houston Park all summer long.

Amarillo has a NICE community performing arts center that was just built- The Globe News Center for the Performing Arts. One of the nicest in the country I venture to say!

We have Palo Duro Canyon just next door-- in fact, I'll be camping there on Thursday and Friday.

The schools here are excellent and this community is growing. In fact, the City of Amarillo is currently struggling to pay for all of the infrastructure of the new developments.

Amarillo has an MSA population of about 236,000. It's the perfect size... and as for your commute, you can get anywhere in 15-20 minutes just about.

Need more info? Send me a message. I'll give you 100 more reasons why Amarillo is where I hang my hat!

[tmelwood]

If you're from Michigan the winters will be a breeze. We lived in Amarillo for 2 years and although there were ocassionally heavy snows & ice....it didn't last. We came from rural Midwest & felt the traffic wasn't too bad...except when it snowed or was icy...because drivers didn't know how to slow down.

[davesofficefurniture]

Originally Posted by case44

I'm still recovering from a very huge dose of laughter. That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while. How can Amarillo drivers be worse than those in Dallas???! Amarillo's a breeze to drive in.

Give me I-40 over I-635 any day.

What makes you think that Interstate 40 is what I was talking about? hmm....hehe

[karenew]

to the previous poster from LA...

prepare for a culture shock! We moved here almost 5 years ago from Ventura/Oxnard are of CA.
life is MUCH slower here.

there isn't good seafood available. (unless you count Red Lobster and Joe's crabshack)

Entering i-40 can take some getting used to. The entrance ramps are short and don't have a yield sign, so you have to merge quickly... no stopping on the onramps or you will cause an accident.

To have you car inspected will cost 12.50 a year.

Amarillo is the "big city" and the surrounding smaller communities look to Amarillo for a lot of entertainment.
Lubbock is a 2 hour drive
OKC is 4 hour drive
Albuquerque is about 5 hour drive
DFW (Dallas/Ft. Worth) is about 6 hours

Some people here can be very cliquish. But you can also make small talk with just about anyone. (in line at the grocery store)

It is constantly windy, which can be good as it keeps the temps cooler. Or it can be bad if the winds go through Hereford first (dairy farms and feed lots). In a short time you will have your haircut short or pulled into a ponytail all the time.

We have a baseball team, indoor football, ice hockey for entertainment. As well as a new performing arts center. The bigger bands don't come here, they get as close as Lubbock.

There are 4 seasons, with low humidity.

The SW area is the part that is growing the fastest. The Tradewind area is also growing fast, just not as fast as SW.

if you have more questions..just ask.

[Eliza08]

MAN DO I MISS TX! I lived in San Antonio for about 16 years during the 80's and 90's, but now looking to relocate back to Tx, but I found on a recent trip that SA is too big and congested for me. Hung out in Austin over this last spring break, loved it, but then again too big and expensive. You'll never believe where I landed for the last 6 years, I'm in Dayton, OH better known as sinus valley AND about the second worst place in the country for unemployment. Taxes here are awful and I'm ready to get out! Big government is just too much for me....

So I'm looking at Amarillo or maybe Lubbock. I miss the heat, the sunsets, and the great TX SPIRIT! So I've developed allergies here in the moldy humid midwest, and am thinking the panhandle would be easier on my sinuses. I'm not afraid of the cold but hope the winter season is not as long as up here. Of course there has to be work, I'm in accounting. My daughter will follow and will want to attend a 2 or 4 yr college.

So please don't hold it against me that I'm a yankee, I'm not really, I'm pretty laid back. My daughter was born in SA so that should account for something!

So I'm really looking for advice on these cities and the job climate.

Just looking for a place to settle, have a little fun and be left alone!

[turkeytrot]

I lived in Grand Prairie for twenty five years then moved to the panhandle.
I have yet to see any traffic out here that can compare to even South Cooper in Arlington or 183 through Irving.
Driving in Amarillo is nothing like driving in a major metropolitan area.
I will say after you have been here a while and get use to the traffic, sure it can get frustrating but it can't be compared with DFW sorry.

[GayleTX]

While living and working there til 3 yrs ago, I always felt the only real traffic problem there is the kazillions of trucks that go thru there on I-40...they seem to just bunch up on the part of the road that goes thru town........they either don't slow down and run you off the road or they are pulling in and out of the truck stops and holding up traffic. I found the other city streets, the sidestreets, the Loop all to be easily navigated.