McAllen's aiming to be "the new Austin" (Houston: sales, cheap house)

[An0nym0us88]

Originally Posted by Mr. Solis

We are in our own world down here. Many of us like it that way, even those of us who arent even from here.

The way you do but most of us from outside of South Texas would say it is a very much Mexican feeling... Oh wait, your going to say that I've never been there. Oh please, don't give me that because it is.

Originally Posted by Mr. Solis

The valley offers something that no where else in Texas can ever offer. Depends on what a person wants out of life.

They offer drugs since it is a huge drug border town?

What do they offer or are you just giving all this McAllen hyped that they're going to be an awesome city. At least, it's pretty close to South Padre Island.

[texdav]

I thnik any where in south Texas is going to have a hard time being thought of as progressive really.South Texas has a reputaion for corruption that just seem to grow.

[MrDezi]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

There is one problem. Half of McAllen doesn't even have a high school diploma, much less a college degree. And those that do graduate from UTPA tend to leave. The problem with McAllen is its reputation. They can't attract big companies because the ISD's are sub-par, the health care system isn't the greatest and there are no museums, pro sports teams, beautiful parks or any other amenities that Austin, Houston and other Texas cities have. Let's be honest. If you worked your rear end off to move up to C.E.O. you are going to want a little bit more than Best Buy, Cracker Barrel, malls over run with about the rudest people in North America (Mexican Nationals) and school districts that churn out impressive 50 percent graduation rates.

The part of half of McAllen does not even have a high school diploma is just wrong!

College degree!? Every Semester THOUSANDS of students graduate from UT PANAM and the new South Texas College. Now this might not be much compared to big cities like Austin that have nationally recognized universities, but it is great given the size of McAllen.

The rest of what you said if mostly true. Most of the best graduates leave the city. Things will change however; the rate at which McAllen and neighbors cities are growing is greater than other Texas cities.

[teclog]

Like I told you haters earlier, 26 percent of McAllen residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, that's better than Amarillo, Corpus, Ft. Worth, Beaumont, Laredo and lots of other cites. Its a higher rate than Texas and almost the national rate of 27 percent. No one is saying McAllen doesn't have challenges, but for those who always think that SA and Austin are better just cuz they are further north are mightly mistaken.

Austin is cool, I love it. The music, downtown, the bars and scene is all good. But Austin is also racked with racial and police problems on the east side, environmental issues and city hall and the transit system can never seem to get things right. SA is also cool. Downtown, the river, all the history and great museums and Hispanic culture. But have ever seen SA's parks? Uggh. The streets are terrible. Corruption is a problem and so many neighborhoods suffer from neglect and crime.

No place is perfect. McAllen is in there with the rest, but it also has lots of upside. Lots of well kept parks(with more on the way and region's first dog park), new libraries with a huge new one coming, 17th Street is shaping up nicely, hike and bike trails with more on the way, new developments, a tennis center on the way, good holiday celebrations like New Year's eve (its young). Lots of restaurants and cafes. And you have to have jobs. More jobs were created in the McAllen area last year than in San Antonio, according to a report I read recently.

We're getting there. Its not perfect, but getting much better.

[MCTOWN]

crbcrbrgv makes the most interesting point ... the valley is creating an identity of its own ... I dont think we can compare ourselves to austin or sa or any other cities in texas or the nation .. I know an enormous amount of 1st generation americans in McAllen .. The healthcare field (to name 1) is bringing an enormous amount of diversity to a region that is already mixed ... Diversity=Education

[orbius]

Originally Posted by 956kidd

FESTIVA: Welcome to the new Downtown McAllen

Moderator cut: full text of the article. The title now links to the original article.

So when are they shipping in their first homeless transsexual into town?

[mikey1984]

Originally Posted by teclog

Like I told you haters earlier, 26 percent of McAllen residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, that's better than Amarillo, Corpus, Ft. Worth, Beaumont, Laredo and lots of other cites. Its a higher rate than Texas and almost the national rate of 27 percent. No one is saying McAllen doesn't have challenges, but for those who always think that SA and Austin are better just cuz they are further north are mightly mistaken.

Austin is cool, I love it. The music, downtown, the bars and scene is all good. But Austin is also racked with racial and police problems on the east side, environmental issues and city hall and the transit system can never seem to get things right. SA is also cool. Downtown, the river, all the history and great museums and Hispanic culture. But have ever seen SA's parks? Uggh. The streets are terrible. Corruption is a problem and so many neighborhoods suffer from neglect and crime.

No place is perfect. McAllen is in there with the rest, but it also has lots of upside. Lots of well kept parks(with more on the way and region's first dog park), new libraries with a huge new one coming, 17th Street is shaping up nicely, hike and bike trails with more on the way, new developments, a tennis center on the way, good holiday celebrations like New Year's eve (its young). Lots of restaurants and cafes. And you have to have jobs. More jobs were created in the McAllen area last year than in San Antonio, according to a report I read recently.

We're getting there. Its not perfect, but getting much better.

Mcallen created more jobs than Houston, S.A, Austin and Dallas, for one period, but the overall economy can't compare to the big tx cities. The big four created tens of thousands of more jobs during the past few years, and, higher paying ones. But still good news for the valley, jobs are jobs, low paying or not, at least the majority.

[teclog]

McAllen is not Utopia. I know. I live here. But I also spend lots of time working in SA and Austin and those cities also have some seriouis problems. I keep telling you McAllen haters, before you throw stones look at your "dream" cities. I especially love the comments that McAllen is all drugs and dropouts. Give me a freakin break. Have been to Houston lately? How bout Dallas (Texas' murder capital) or dead cities like Abilene and San Angelo? Every big city in this country is full of drugs and Texas overall has a not so shiny record on education. So c'mon, its not about McAllen. Like I've mentioned here before, McAllen has a higher percentage of bachelor degrees among its residents (26 percent) than Texas overall and than cities like Fort Worth, Amarillo, Corpus, Beaumont and even places like Tucson. Plus UTPA opened a extension in McAllen and filled every seat in record time. The national averagae is 27 percent. We're still growing, too and the city has more cool projects on the way like 5 big new parks including the Valley's first Dog Park, a splash park and big fishing and day-camping park at Bus. 83 and 2nd street. McAllen will also expand its trails within the next two years with several more miles. Is it perfect, no, but we're better off than a lot of other cities. Personally, what I wish we had is a AA baseball team and stadium like Corpus (a city that hasn't grown in 30 years by the way).

[joelaldo]

Originally Posted by teclog

Austin is cool, I love it. The music, downtown, the bars and scene is all good. But Austin is also racked with racial and police problems on the east side, environmental issues and city hall and the transit system can never seem to get things right. SA is also cool. Downtown, the river, all the history and great museums and Hispanic culture. But have ever seen SA's parks? Uggh. The streets are terrible. Corruption is a problem and so many neighborhoods suffer from neglect and crime.

No place is perfect. McAllen is in there with the rest, but it also has lots of upside. Lots of well kept parks(with more on the way and region's first dog park), new libraries with a huge new one coming, 17th Street is shaping up nicely, hike and bike trails with more on the way, new developments, a tennis center on the way, good holiday celebrations like New Year's eve (its young). Lots of restaurants and cafes. And you have to have jobs. More jobs were created in the McAllen area last year than in San Antonio, according to a report I read recently.

We're getting there. Its not perfect, but getting much better.

Well... so is that why San Antonio, Austin, Houston are full of annoying ghetto people from the Valley. People just can't handle McAllen's awesomeness and they want to leave.

#1 Austin's transit system is pretty comprehensive. Traffic is a bit awful, but they have a comprehensive bus system... in fact, I know many Austinites who don't own cars and ride the bus. And they are middle class people who just forego cars. Can't say McAllen is even close to a comprehensive transit system. As far as racial problems... Austin is the state's most progressive city. And there's more opportunities for CAREERS, not just fruit processing plants. Quit making fictitious crap up and posting is as truth on CD.

#2 San Antonio has the best highway systems in the state that doesn't currently include a toll road. There are problems on the north part of the city, but that's mainly middle and upper middle class developments growing faster than the city planners know what to do with it. And where in San Antonio where you hanging out? San Antonio is actually one of the safer metro areas in the country. And what parks are you talking about? The ones on the southside? Have you been to McAllister park? Brackenridge? Op Schnable? Eisenhower? Probably not. I have seen the 'parks' in McAllen... they're more like playgrounds. Not to mention the ecosystem in S.A. is a lot more favorable for trees and shade. And they have 3 dog parks. ;-) ... and San Antonio has corruption problems, but pick up a paper and compare over the course of a year, and it pales in comparison to the problems of the valley.

#3 McAllen just plain sucks. It's not on the way to anywhere except SPI (which also sucks), and even then you can bypass it through Harlingen. Not only that, but it lacks any sort of history that would make it a somewhat interesting place to go to. For everything McAllen offers, I'd rather go to El Paso. As far as job growth and economic performance... yeah you can't go any lower than poorest, so I guess they weathered the recession ok. But the 'growth' associated with McAllen has to do with retirees moving to McAllen for cheap houses and warm weather, and agriculture and trade (which Laredo does a better job at anyway)... not really an environment that foments professional job needs. If San Antonio needed 3 nurses and 5 doctors, and McAllen needed 25 fruit packers, Mcallen has a higher job growth? Yeah, according to the census bureau.

Ask anyone: If you had a job and a house guaranteed to you, would you rather live in San Antonio or McAllen? In Austin or McAllen? You'd be hardpressed to find a majority that would prefer to live in that unknown cultural wasteland you call McAllen.

[joelaldo]

Ok I may have been to harsh earlier. Sorry guys.