South Texas VS West Texas (Houston, Dallas: apartments, job, hospital)

[mikey1984]

I lived in Midland for a month. The most boring month of my life!

[NOTAM]

i thought that the weather was pretty boring. i actually love bad thunderstorms, lightning, tornado watches........it was very uneventful in South Texas. i know it sounds crazy that i like extreme weather. to me, it is exciting. nothing like seeing that eerie green tornado watch skies.........

Originally Posted by rstrstx

Ahh South Texas bashing, glad to see it's alive and well. Actually South Texas and West Texas are not that terribly different from a cultural perspective (when I say West Texas I mean real West Texas as in Big Bend and El Paso, not places that more accurately belong in Central Texas). Southwest Texas, hmm, where would that be? Maybe the Carrizo Springs-Eagle Pass area? Personally I love this area of the state, one of the most if not THE most unique part of the United States. I can see why Belle never felt at home here, it is definitely an acquired taste but most people I know who live here like it a lot. But that's because they intentionally moved here and like the area for what it is.

By the way there were a few inaccuracies made about the climate of South Texas that are worth noting. There are few spring storms in the area, it's just too far south and spring is the driest of the 4 seasons. The wind in summer is also higher than most other regions. And most importantly, no part of South Texas experiences a summer monsoonal rainfall pattern.

[Farmer Bob]

"(Sorry West Texans, I really don't think West Texas is just Hilbillies and Trailer Parks, just an example of pure ignorance, given right back to this individual.)"


Is it ignorant to fight "ignorance" with ignorance? Maybe it's twice as ignorant. Maybe it's ignorance squared plus self-indulgent moronity.

[wade_word]

To me, there isn't much of a comparison between either place. It's boring in a lot of ways, and there sure isn't much to do in those places. Too bad there isn't a third option. Outside of good tacos in Laredo, forget about it.

[MacTown87]

I was born and raised in South Texas, McAllen. Whites and Hispanics get a long generally well in my opinion. Race was never an issue unless you yourself made it an issue. My white friend maybe had two instances in his whole life that dealt with him being white but you know what, back then you didn't cry to mommy and daddy, you stood up for yourself and let people know you weren't to be pushed around and it got dealt with. I know that may sound radical in today's terms but I mean that's a part of growing up. I went through it too but you deal with it and life goes on. There is a lot of Valley to Mexican resident hositility here though. Valley people generally arent too fond of Mexican residents and vice versa. Sh.. when we head over there they start to call us Wet(censored)s! No joke. But hey, you know the world isn't perfect, you just got to do your thing you know. Your never going to find the perfect place where there isnt any problems, that type of place just doesnt exist, you make what you can out of it. It just annoys me when people complain so much about everything. For real, I grew up in neighborhood with arguably the highest rate of drug and criminal activity in North McAllen. For god's sake my house used to be one of the biggest crack houses in the North side of McAllen before we moved in. I've had a friend who almost served time in prison, another who became homeless and right now another who's so broke he can't afford the 'o-r' in 'poor', in other words his ass is po', and you're whining about a minor inconvienience? I'm sorry everybody around you doesn't modify their lifestyles to cater to yours.

I'm just being real with you guys thats all. If your white and have a problem being a minority for a change get out plain and simple. There are plenty of white friends of mine who would look at you like you were crazy if they heard all the crap you keep saying. It's no different than upscale white New Yorkers looking awkwardly at a brother from Brooklyn. You just deal with it. Plus just because your from Texas doesn't mean you have a right to say that the Valley is "NOT TEXAS". Just because its not like your area doesn't make it any less Texan than any other place, last time I checked I still have to put 'TX' after McAllen on my mail.

Education is what you make of it. McAllen High Schools aren't worth crap, but that doesn't mean you cant make something of it. As bad as they were I had some GREAT teachers that gave me some of the best education one could ask for. I have a friend who goes to Harvard and another who's at Notre Dame who went to the same high school as me (where about 30% of my classmates dropped out by SR year). Crime is everywhere you go in the U.S. Unless you want to live in a small rural town like Eula, TX where there's not even a stoplight present because its so small.

If your a social person, considerate, funny, and actually have something to offer personality wise you will fit in just like anywhere else. It's when you isolate yourself because for once in your life your the "minority" (which is a label you gave yourself, we never labeled you that), than that's really your own fault.

All in all, the Valley is a great place, if you're looking for a completely new experience then come down. It cant be all that bad if its one of the leading havens for Winter Texans right?

To sum everything up, as long you just be yourself and you're not a total jackass, you'll fit in fine.

[wade_word]

Originally Posted by MacTown87

I was born and raised in South Texas, McAllen. Whites and Hispanics get a long generally well in my opinion. Race was never an issue unless you yourself made it an issue. My white friend maybe had two instances in his whole life that dealt with him being white but you know what, back then you didn't cry to mommy and daddy, you stood up for yourself and let people know you weren't to be pushed around and it got dealt with. I know that may sound radical in today's terms but I mean that's a part of growing up. I went through it too but you deal with it and life goes on. There is a lot of Valley to Mexican resident hositility here though. Valley people generally arent too fond of Mexican residents and vice versa. Sh.. when we head over there they start to call us Wet(censored)s! No joke. But hey, you know the world isn't perfect, you just got to do your thing you know. Your never going to find the perfect place where there isnt any problems, that type of place just doesnt exist, you make what you can out of it. It just annoys me when people complain so much about everything. For real, I grew up in neighborhood with arguably the highest rate of drug and criminal activity in North McAllen. For god's sake my house used to be one of the biggest crack houses in the North side of McAllen before we moved in. I've had a friend who almost served time in prison, another who became homeless and right now another who's so broke he can't afford the 'o-r' in 'poor', in other words his ass is po', and you're whining about a minor inconvienience? I'm sorry everybody around you doesn't modify their lifestyles to cater to yours.

I'm just being real with you guys thats all. If your white and have a problem being a minority for a change get out plain and simple. There are plenty of white friends of mine who would look at you like you were crazy if they heard all the crap you keep saying. It's no different than upscale white New Yorkers looking awkwardly at a brother from Brooklyn. You just deal with it. Plus just because your from Texas doesn't mean you have a right to say that the Valley is "NOT TEXAS". Just because its not like your area doesn't make it any less Texan than any other place, last time I checked I still have to put 'TX' after McAllen on my mail.

Education is what you make of it. McAllen High Schools aren't worth crap, but that doesn't mean you cant make something of it. As bad as they were I had some GREAT teachers that gave me some of the best education one could ask for. I have a friend who goes to Harvard and another who's at Notre Dame who went to the same high school as me (where about 30% of my classmates dropped out by SR year). Crime is everywhere you go in the U.S. Unless you want to live in a small rural town like Eula, TX where there's not even a stoplight present because its so small.

If your a social person, considerate, funny, and actually have something to offer personality wise you will fit in just like anywhere else. It's when you isolate yourself because for once in your life your the "minority" (which is a label you gave yourself, we never labeled you that), than that's really your own fault.

All in all, the Valley is a great place, if you're looking for a completely new experience then come down. It cant be all that bad if its one of the leading havens for Winter Texans right?

To sum everything up, as long you just be yourself and you're not a total jackass, you'll fit in fine.

But they still need to protect those borders!

[traveler guy]

West Texas and South Texas is like night and day. one is semi desert and the other is trees and small towns. I think South Texas is better cause for one it's way more populated and diverse the west Texas and cause it's not as dry as west Texas.

[TexasNick]

If you're the frontier type, cowboy or adventurous person that loves the outdoors and a clean, dry environment and small towns then West Texas is good. If you're the family type, like to eat at good restaurants and like to shop and spend money for entertainment in a very humid and bustling environment, then South Texas works better. That's all there is to it. Pick your poison.

I spent 25 years in the Valley--good for family raisin' and eatin', but that's about it. If you're lucky enough to live next to the beach like I was, then all the better. I left because of two things: lack of business and diversity for my niche.

[lilelaine25]

I just came across this thread and to me, I love everything about the Latin culture. I love the food, being called 'mami' haha, and never once have I met someone Hispanic who was rude or racist to me in anyway.

I am from Canada and I am planning on moving down to some part of Southern Texas in a few months. I want the best of both worlds, Texas with the Latin feel. I could Salsa dance every night and eat real Mexican food..or country line dance while cookin' on the bby and be equally happy. Isn't that what the South is all about?
These comments that are being made on here are really discouraging and I think its just a matter of outlook and how willing a person is to accept a different culture. Me..I want a drastic change from a predominately white, maybe 4 black, Canadian city.

I do have a question..
Is there many Born Again Christians in the South? Like the rest of Texas..are there lots of churches and is it conservative or more liberal?

[love roses]

Texas tends to be more conservative. Texas has hispanic influence in lots of places, but in some cases it's not the romantic image some who don't live so close to the border envision. There are lots and lots more bad eggs coming in, especially from the big drug cartels and gangs. If you picked a place like Laredo, just use caution. I'd imagine most of the other cities South would be fine, even being single. San Antonio, Seguin, Goliad, Sinton, Pleasanton, Brownsville, McAllan, El Paso, Corpus Christi...These would all be towns with heavy hispanic/latin influence, where people coexist peacefully. Many Texans all over even have adopted Spanish customs to the point it's just a regular texas thing, like tamales at Christmas and New Years along with the black eyed peas. You don't have to speak spanish to live in these places, but it doesn't hurt to learn some. But even though I've taken 7 yrs of Spanish throughout high school and college, all I can really do is just read it. You'll find plenty of churches throughout the South, so that is no problem.