Tell me more about the "Golden Triangle" (Houston: lease, insurance)

[ColdCanadian]

I hear they have a lot of chemical plants, refineries etc. but that is okay for me, since that's the kind of work I do. I also know it's east of Houston so it'll be very muggy.

Besides that how are they?
Can you find great regional style BBQ restaurants there, population density, are neighbourhoods wooded, friendly people, does this region still have a Texan or southern "feel" to it, any great beaches, lakes or rivers nearby for recreation?

I'd like to know what this area is like, pros, cons, whatever anyone feels like saying is fine with me.

[Trainwreck20]

The 'golden triangle' is the Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange area of Texas. I lived there for a short while in the 80s and worked at the Chevron Refinery. Personally, it is not my favorite area of Texas for several reasons:

• Racial tensions were relatively high in the 80s and the politics were 'suspect', to say the least. Wealth was very unevenly distributed.
• The industry is mostly refining, and they are not new refineries. They are, generally speaking, more archaic than the ones around Houston or Corpus. They stink and leak. Cancer rate was way higher than national average.
• The beaches are not as nice as further down the coast, although there are a couple of nicer areas.
• Not a very developed cultural scene, limited good dining options.

There are some nice aspect:

• Lots of options for fishing, either off-shore or in one of the fairly nearby lakes, or in the Sabine river.
• Nice piney woods, and the 'Big Thicket' is just north of B/PA.
• Low cost of living, although insurance may have gone up after Rita.
• Some really, really good seafood at a couple places.

Now, I have not lived there for over twenty years, but it is growing/changing more slowly than central/East texas. I have been back a couple times to work as an election inspector, but have not really hung out in the area.

I would say thay it definitely had a more laid back feeling than Houston or Dallas, and there is a fairly low population density there. If you lived in the right area, it might be quite nice. My experience was not, but that may have to do with being in dowtown Port Arthur....

[NOTAM]

interesting that you say the cancer rate "was" way higher than national average. to me there is something very scary about it here-i just moved here in October, and in my 15 years as an RN i have NEVER EVER met another nurse who has/had cancer. in the hospital i work at, alone, JUST this hospital, there are at least a handful of nurses who have died of breast cancer in the past 5 years. i even saw a letter to the CEO on the intranet addressing concern about it. and currently there are at least a few who are either in remission or currently i guess going thru chemo since i see them walking around with the head wraps. it is deathly frightening to me, and it is alarming enough for me to move as quick as possible. i have a contract but my life and health are worth more than any money so i will probably move to west texas, hillcountry or panhandle when my lease is up in October

[i am just me]

Originally Posted by ColdCanadian

I hear they have a lot of chemical plants, refineries etc. but that is okay for me, since that's the kind of work I do. I also know it's east of Houston so it'll be very muggy.

Besides that how are they?
Can you find great regional style BBQ restaurants there, population density, are neighbourhoods wooded, friendly people, does this region still have a Texan or southern "feel" to it, any great beaches, lakes or rivers nearby for recreation?

I'd like to know what this area is like, pros, cons, whatever anyone feels like saying is fine with me.

There is bbq aplenty in southeast Texas. The population density will depend on which city you are in...Beaumont is the largest, but there are several small towns scattered throughout.

I would say this region has a nice mix of "Texan", "Cajun", and "Creole" culture because of its close proximity to Louisiana...the main drawback IMO is the lack of cultural diversity and integration. Its weird because (from my experiences) most of the cities are so different from each other even though they aren't that far apart.

There are quite a few rivers in the area, but they aren't that pretty. But then again I have yet to see any "pretty" water ANYWHERE in Texas. Beaumont has a couple parks located on the neches river. Riverfront park is nice. There are a few beaches in the area too, but again don't expect to see beautiful sparkling water there.

Hopefully, you like sports, music, and food because those are the major themes of this area.

Born and bred in Beaumont, Texas

[i am just me]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

interesting that you say the cancer rate "was" way higher than national average. to me there is something very scary about it here-i just moved here in October, and in my 15 years as an RN i have NEVER EVER met another nurse who has/had cancer. in the hospital i work at, alone, JUST this hospital, there are at least a handful of nurses who have died of breast cancer in the past 5 years. i even saw a letter to the CEO on the intranet addressing concern about it. and currently there are at least a few who are either in remission or currently i guess going thru chemo since i see them walking around with the head wraps. it is deathly frightening to me, and it is alarming enough for me to move as quick as possible. i have a contract but my life and health are worth more than any money so i will probably move to west texas, hillcountry or panhandle when my lease is up in October

Wow, what city is this?

I've heard people say that the golden triangle has a high cancer rate, but I guess it depends on where you live or work huh? I had two uncles who contracted lung cancer (they were heavy smokers who began smoking in their teens though). It's a wonder we even have a need for nursing homes here...you know since everyone's got or going to get cancer in the future.

I really wish they would do something to improve the air quality though; the oil companies owe our area that much.

[maggskb]

I grew up in the golden triangle and have lived in almost every little city the area has to offer. I also just recently moved back from Copperas Cove Tx which is about 10 miles from Killeen and while it was very beautiful there with the hills etc, we missed the water. The rivers and beaches may not be beautiful but at least they are not just rock gullys, like in central tx. I think people here are generally friendly and there is plenty of good food around and if you are the outdoorsy type, there is plenty of stuff to do. It is muggy and almost unbearable at times but the grass is green. That is another reason I moved back from central tx because everything was brown and it smelled like dirt. As long as you don't live in walking distance from one of the plants I don't think you will ever smell or see any of the pollution not to say that it isn't there but if you work in a plant already I guess you are probably familiar with that.

[tstone]

I visited Port Arthur recently as I may be working there for a couple years. There is a refinery being expanded into the largest in the country by 2010. There's too much money to be made there for the next couple of years esp in construction management and also in the blue-collar crafts. I will commute from Clear Lake (1 hr 15 min) before I move anywhere near the Golden Triangle. I'm convinced this region has some of the most impoverished, depressing places to be in the entire USA. It's going to require large bribes to get qualified people to simply work in that area, much less move there.

I can't speak for the rest of the G.T., but P.A. is still badly torn up from hurricane Rita. I took a very extensive tour. There are many abandoned, crack-house-looking homes with busted out doors/windows, blue tarps for roofs, and big trees blown down / trash scattered in people's yards. There are a few abandoned businesses, and I noticed one gas station still in business had pieces of a destroyed sign still standing. It's obvious no one takes much pride in anything there.

Around the plants with all the pollution, P.A. is mostly black. Understand history & segregation, mixed with the modern-day Vidor and KKK stories we've all heard & read, and also don't forget Jasper to the north. This whole region of Texas feels stuck in the past, and doesn't seem to be trying to do anything to move forward.

However like I said, for now through 2010, there is a lot of money to be made there. It's going to be in & out, and I'll bet by 2011 things will be no different overall than they are today.

[Guerilla]

^^You can find some nice homes near Baytown, Texas (eastern Houston suburb). Would make it an hour commute each way.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Guerilla

^^You can find some nice homes near Baytown, Texas (eastern Houston suburb). Would make it an hour commute each way.

I understand there's already a group of people right now who are doing that very commute. Depending on where exactly you live could make the drive 50 minutes. I already bought a house over 2 years ago and will just deal with the drive if I get the job. My car is large, comfortable and gets 25+ mpg highway. For the amount I would be getting paid, gas would have to go over $8/gal for me to re-consider. Though if that happened, the energy co's and contractors would take care of their employees just fine!

[case44]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

interesting that you say the cancer rate "was" way higher than national average. to me there is something very scary about it here-i just moved here in October, and in my 15 years as an RN i have NEVER EVER met another nurse who has/had cancer. in the hospital i work at, alone, JUST this hospital, there are at least a handful of nurses who have died of breast cancer in the past 5 years. i even saw a letter to the CEO on the intranet addressing concern about it. and currently there are at least a few who are either in remission or currently i guess going thru chemo since i see them walking around with the head wraps. it is deathly frightening to me, and it is alarming enough for me to move as quick as possible. i have a contract but my life and health are worth more than any money so i will probably move to west texas, hillcountry or panhandle when my lease is up in October

I wouldn't fret over Central Texas and cancer rates there, Belle. I think Trainwreck was only referring to those related to the refining industry down in B/PA. You're safe, as far as I can tell.