Why shouldn't I move to East Texas? (Beaumont, Tyler: college, quality of life)

[Mark Senior]

Originally Posted by westhou

I don't really think East Texas is a great place to raise a family. The only people that would be happy in East Texas are those that are retired.

What do you base your opinion "on"? Just curious. Then I can tell you how you are wrong. I too, lived in Houston for 25 years, oh, liked Houston too, for all the really large city stuff. Tyler, really love it. Tell you why later, if you ask.

[westhou]

Originally Posted by Mark-Tyler is Special

What do you base your opinion "on"? Just curious. Then I can tell you how you are wrong. I too, lived in Houston for 25 years, oh, liked Houston too, for all the really large city stuff. Tyler, really love it. Tell you why later, if you ask.

I have a lot of family that lives in East Texas so I visit the area often (Lufkin). There is not much in the way of entertainment. I feel that retired people would enjoy the slow pace of the piney woods. My parents are actually considering retiring there someday (they own land north of Lufkin). I would hate to have to drive all the way to Houston or Dallas just to enjoy decent shopping, dinning, and other forms of entertainment that may be hard or impossible to find in the small towns of East Texas.

just my opinion of course

[case44]

Originally Posted by Matthaeus

Specifically, in the Longview/Tyler area (Kilgore).

I am going to be moving there from Maryland (Annapolis) in the next couiple months (job-related), and I am very excited. However, I am someone who always wants both sides of the story. So, someone try to scare me off. Tell me, why shouldn't I move to East Texas?

So come on, try to abate my enthusiasm, and tell me why I shouldn't move to East Texas and/or Kilgore specifically.

You should. Just come on over. Great food, lots of pine trees, and real serenity. All you need and much more. You'll like it there.

[Mark Senior]

I see what you are referring to, your experience is limited to the Lufkin area. Sounds like you haven't been on up to Tyler/Longview areas. You are absolutely correct we in the Tyler/Longview area do not have the entertainment of the the fourth largest city in the country Houston or DFW areas, for kids in particualar. There are two water parks a Science Discovery Museum, ranked 10th in the country for it's type. A wildlife museum, Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge, Caldwell Zoo compared to the quality of other large citiy zoos, attended by over 400,000 people per year, many from DFW and children from school systems 75 to 100 miles away, even Oklahoma, the Rose Mesum, the Oil Meseum in Kilgore (25 Miles East). You see the Tyler/Longview area just West of Kilgore, have metros of 325,000 population but to most of us seems small, it really is but Tyler in particular has much more to offer adults than most cities it's size of 100,000 pop, inside the city limits. East Texas Symphony, which I compared to Houston, when I lived there, and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality. The UT Tyler Cowen Performance Center with plays, opera and performances from NY or overseas and many hit plays - some of the same shows that perform in DFW. Lakes, golf course, high rise condo upscale shopping and "downsacle" for that matter and just 1/ 1/2 to Big "D" lowest city property tax rate of any city over 30,000 pop in Texas etc.

[destin04]

Originally Posted by westhou

I have a lot of family that lives in East Texas so I visit the area often (Lufkin). There is not much in the way of entertainment. I feel that retired people would enjoy the slow pace of the piney woods. My parents are actually considering retiring there someday (they own land north of Lufkin). I would hate to have to drive all the way to Houston or Dallas just to enjoy decent shopping, dinning, and other forms of entertainment that may be hard or impossible to find in the small towns of East Texas.

just my opinion of course

I know this sounds crazy but I don't consider Lufkin ...East Texas...I know it is...but I call that SE Texas. I live on the "upper" east side of Texas. I'm only a little over an hour to east DFW. When we lived in Frisco I lived 3 miles from Stonebriar Mall and sometimes it would take me 45 minutes to get there......I don't see much difference...just a little more in gas....

[westhou]

Originally Posted by Mark-Tyler is Special

I see what you are referring to, your experience is limited to the Lufkin area. Sounds like you haven't been on up to Tyler/Longview areas. You are absolutely correct we in the Tyler/Longview area do not have the entertainment of the the fourth largest city in the country Houston or DFW areas, for kids in particualar. There are two water parks a Science Discovery Museum, ranked 10th in the country for it's type. A wildlife museum, Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge, Caldwell Zoo compared to the quality of other large citiy zoos, attended by over 400,000 people per year, many from DFW and children from school systems 75 to 100 miles away, even Oklahoma, the Rose Mesum, the Oil Meseum in Kilgore (25 Miles East). You see the Tyler/Longview area just West of Kilgore, have metros of 325,000 population but to most of us seems small, it really is but Tyler in particular has much more to offer adults than most cities it's size of 100,000 pop, inside the city limits. East Texas Symphony, which I compared to Houston, when I lived there, and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality. The UT Tyler Cowen Performance Center with plays, opera and performances from NY or overseas and many hit plays - some of the same shows that perform in DFW. Lakes, golf course, high rise condo upscale shopping and "downsacle" for that matter and just 1/ 1/2 to Big "D" lowest city property tax rate of any city over 30,000 pop in Texas etc.

I've never been to Tyler. From what you describe it sounds like a great place.

[westhou]

Originally Posted by destin04

I know this sounds crazy but I don't consider Lufkin ...East Texas...I know it is...but I call that SE Texas. I live on the "upper" east side of Texas. I'm only a little over an hour to east DFW. When we lived in Frisco I lived 3 miles from Stonebriar Mall and sometimes it would take me 45 minutes to get there......I don't see much difference...just a little more in gas....

I consider Livingston and everything north of that to be East Texas.

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by Matthaeus

Tell me, why shouldn't I move to East Texas?

To give you a little background:


So come on, try to abate my enthusiasm, and tell me why I shouldn't move to East Texas and/or Kilgore specifically.

Having lived in Anne Arundel County, Maryland for almost a decade and having grown up in the Pineywoods of Angelina County, Texas, I'll certainly not be the one to try and dissuade you from your move. Central east Texas has some of the most beautiful environments in Texas. AA County was not a bad place but certainly could not compare to the quality of life anywhere in Texas,... except perhaps Houston which is one of the armpits of America.

Now the rest of the story. I moved away from lush green east Texas at age 18 to the desolate wind-swept plains of west Texas and have never regretted it for a moment. If you tend to be moderately conservative, you will probably like east Texas as it is becoming urbanized very fast. As a fiscal and social conservative, I find that west Texas is one of the few remaining refuges for what I call 100% conservatism. We have our moonbats out here as well but they usually get sucked up in a tornado while they are trying to get photos for their school paper on global warming.

[Mark Senior]

Well, now you'll get everybody off subject, by talking about Houston. I'll start, lived there for 25 years and I really enjoyed - now, don't forget I enjoyed all the things you couldn't enjoy back in the beautiful woods of East Texas and actually had a great time and the people were friendly. Enjoyed them being from everywhere in the country or world. Learned much from them in my 25 years there. A real "adrenaline rush" city, but hey no boredum. Yep I know all the faults too, that many may want to share, it's hot, "poluty" etc, ie, ...back to East Texas topic

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by Mark-Tyler is Special

Well, now you'll get everybody off subject, by talking about Houston. I'll start, lived there for 25 years and I really enjoyed - now, don't forget I enjoyed all the things you couldn't enjoy back in the beautiful woods of East Texas and actually had a great time and the people were friendly. Enjoyed them being from everywhere in the country or world. Learned much from them in my 25 years there. A real "adrenaline rush" city, but hey no boredum. Yep I know all the faults too, that many may want to share, it's hot, "poluty" etc, ie, ...back to East Texas topic

Not to continue our travels away from the topic at hand but I started school (first grade) in Houston, mmm ca 1955(?). I likely don't give the City the credit it deserves as I probably only inherited my dad's dislike for it. His dislike for Houston was so intense I can still recall it 50 years later. Houston probably has its good points and I am just being biased. I still have family down there.

But back to the subject at hand.