looking for a smaller town (Lubbock, Longview: for sale, violent crime, how much)

[catman]

Tarrant County will be one big urban area before long. I'd probably pick Aledo for a small town, but it's growing fast. You might expand your search to Parker County just to the west.

[daisy_duke]

lots of places,you've all been a big help
theres so many to choose from i havent been able to look at all of them yet but i'm working on it
i'll keep yall posted on which i choose
by the way are any of yall farmiliar with jefferson is it nice would i be able to find any of what i'm looking for
thanks again

[daisy_duke]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

Todays logic would say you may be a bit young to be wanting to move out of the growth rather than into it but I admire you. When I was 6 years younger than you are now (40 years ago), I came to the barren, arid, hot/cold, windy, dusty southern High Plains of Texas from the lush, green, temperate climate of the beautiful Pineywoods of deep east Texas. I have never desired to return. Most small west Texas towns have town events with small parades of old cars, tractors, wagons and codgers. Fourth of July celebrations are normally huge. To live in a small west Texas town one needs only a hardy spirit and a love for freedom. Best of luck in your decision.

i dont really care about todays logic lol
although i do love to go hiking and for what you described of west texas i dont think i'll be able to find any of it still seems more what i'm looking for thankyou
any towns you like?

[Back2TX]

Hi daisy... I see that you are coming from Lexington, KY. I grew up in TX but have lived in Louisville, KY for the past 5 yrs. Are you wanting to find similar scenery like the beautiful lush state of KY? If so.... you might look into east Texas. We are moving to a nice smaller town (in a week) called Longview... however; there are lots of nice small towns all around that area. Good luck on your adventure... I hope you love Texas like we do!

[GayleTX]

Jefferson is small and quaint - only industry is tourism and it is limited - mostly older people go for the antiques and tour the Victorian houses. It's a lovely place to visit but wouldn't want to live there to raise children....

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by daisy_duke

i dont really care about todays logic lol
although i do love to go hiking and for what you described of west texas i dont think i'll be able to find any of it still seems more what i'm looking for thankyou
any towns you like?

Good for you for disregarding today's logic. I came to west Texas and eastern New Mexico forty years ago as a AF serviceman. As I recall, I had two types of acquaintances among the men I served with who were from all over the country. There were those who absolutely despised the High Plains for its weather (we have weather not climate) and its wide open spaces. We have towns with names like Plainview, Broadview and Levelland. And then there were those folks like me who were silently amazed by the wide open expanses and the sunsets that illuminated the evening summer skies with colors even Crayola couldn't reproduce. As a young serviceman man, I've stood on a flightline and watched the twisting tails of tornadoes dip down and rip out a few clumps of snakeweed or tumbleweed, or a shed or fence, then return to the clouds above as they moved from southwest to northeast. Being from very tame-weather eastern Texas, I was drawn to the area simply by wonderment. It was not so with that first group of boys who despised the area. When it came time to leave the Service, they quickly went home to Chicago, L.A., N.Y., Maine, and many other places very unlike the High Plains. Not me though. I stayed and, although a career in biology took me away for numerous years, the wonderment of the High Plains has never worn off.

But to be fair, I probably should also mention that my beautiful wife now of 36 years is from the High Plains of Texas and I also dearly loved her folks (now deceased.) In short, I have built a lifetime of good memories out here.

As far as recommending west Texas towns, I probably could live anywhere within 100 miles of Lubbock in any direction. In fact, my wife and I are currently looking at rural homes with acreage around Shallowater, northwest of Lubbock. Lake Ransom Canyon and Buffalo Springs southeast of Lubbock have some really nice areas with a lake but homes can be a little higher in comparison to other areas of the City.

The one thing I would highly recommend if you plan to buy a home in any Texas county. Closely examine the tax structure of that county first. Texas pretty well leaves property taxes up to each county so there can be huge differences in what you pay on the same property from county to county.

Again, best of luck in your pursuit of a Texas home.

[NOTAM]

HPR...how beautifully descriptive...i could almost feel the beauty of the High Plains right here from my couch....wow!

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

Good for you for disregarding today's logic. I came to west Texas and eastern New Mexico forty years ago as a AF serviceman. As I recall, I had two types of acquaintances among the men I served with who were from all over the country. There were those who absolutely despised the High Plains for its weather (we have weather not climate) and its wide open spaces. We have towns with names like Plainview, Broadview and Levelland. And then there were those folks like me who were silently amazed by the wide open expanses and the sunsets that illuminated the evening summer skies with colors even Crayola couldn't reproduce. As a young serviceman man, I've stood on a flightline and watched the twisting tails of tornadoes dip down and rip out a few clumps of snakeweed or tumbleweed, or a shed or fence, then return to the clouds above as they moved from southwest to northeast. Being from very tame-weather eastern Texas, I was drawn to the area simply by wonderment. It was not so with that first group of boys who despised the area. When it came time to leave the Service, they quickly went home to Chicago, L.A., N.Y., Maine, and many other places very unlike the High Plains. Not me though. I stayed and, although a career in biology took me away for numerous years, the wonderment of the High Plains has never worn off.

But to be fair, I probably should also mention that my beautiful wife now of 36 years is from the High Plains of Texas and I also dearly loved her folks (now deceased.) In short, I have built a lifetime of good memories out here.

As far as recommending west Texas towns, I probably could live anywhere within 100 miles of Lubbock in any direction. In fact, my wife and I are currently looking at rural homes with acreage around Shallowater, northwest of Lubbock. Lake Ransom Canyon and Buffalo Springs southeast of Lubbock have some really nice areas with a lake but homes can be a little higher in comparison to other areas of the City.

The one thing I would highly recommend if you plan to buy a home in any Texas county. Closely examine the tax structure of that county first. Texas pretty well leaves property taxes up to each county so there can be huge differences in what you pay on the same property from county to county.

Again, best of luck in your pursuit of a Texas home.

[catman]

High_Plains_Retired: Very well said. I have always been awed by the expanses of West Texas. I rather like the little town of Post about 40 miles SE of Lubbock. The escarpment at the edge of the High Plains fascinates me, especially along FM 669. You're right, people either love it or hate it out there. George's Cafe in Post (I hope it's still there) has the best chicken-fried steak I have ever had.

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by catman

.....I rather like the little town of Post about 40 miles SE of Lubbock. ....... George's Cafe in Post (I hope it's still there) has the best chicken-fried steak I have ever had.

The area around Post is indeed interesting with its southern caprock topography. We haven't tried George's Cafe but, if it's still there, I'm betting we will try it the next time we travel through Post on our way to visit family in east Texas.

In two weeks I am taking my brother and sister and their spouses from the Lufkin area to the Big Texan Steakhouse at Amarillo. It's a requirement of theirs whenever they visit. And no, I will not be trying the restaurant's free-if-you-can-eat-it 72-ounce steak.

[case44]

I still love small towns, but I'm so spoiled by big-city living that I'm not so sure I could get accustomed to it if I had the choice. But make no mistake about it, they are nice places to spend a day and visit.

And daisy_duke, if you're still out there, I wish I could offer one or two places that would be right for you, but this state is so dang huge that I might not be able to stop at two or three suggestions to suit your taste. It really will depend on what terrain will best fit you, since there are various types of terrain in Texas. My advice, at this point, is to take a look at everyone's offerings, do a little research, and decide what's right for you. In my opinion, everything we've talked about so far sounds good.