Abilene (Austin, Brownsville, San Angelo: crime rates, house, construction)

[Steel Man]

I was stationed in Abilene (Dyess AFB) back in 1974-1977. There were not ANY malls or HD/Lowe's during that time. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time there, especially hunting for dove and quail. My wife and I went to Abilene from San Antonio about a year ago....boy has it changed....still a nice place from what I saw.

BTW, here is an interesting hardware store competition that happened in San Antonio. Way back when, Handy Dan's was the big store here. Then came Builder's Square which put Handy Dan's out of business. Builder's Square was bought out by HQ, but then came Home Depot. No more HQ here (I think they had other problems too beside local competition). Of course, Lowe's moved in and now both of them compete. Lowe's has more upscale stuff geared to home improvement, while Home Depot is a little cheaper and is geared more to the everyday handyman.

[i-osprey]

Hi, I went to college in San Angelo and lived there a few years after.Personally, I hated it and I wasn't the only one that did. I suspect that if you are from a small town and liked it, then San Angelo is probably cosmopolitan enough for you.The one thing that sticks out in my mind about San Angelo is beauty. Not of the landscape but of the people.I am convinced that San Angelo is where fat, ugly people from all over the world go to spawn. Seriously.SA is the nation's largest city without an interstate. Because of this and other factors it is a popular destination for the Federal Witness Protection Program. The pop radio station is about ten years behind and the city is so isolated that it is a popular test-market for new products. They can practically eliminate outside influence from their marketplace. SA has twice the state average in police officers per capita and twice the state average in DWIs. Other than that it is very safe. Maybe one murder every two or three years and the murderer is usually from out of town. SA also has the highest per capita homosexual population in Texas. There are both types there but the Lesbians are everywhere and they're not the "lipstick" variety.

[NOTAM]

well then, i am glad that i didnt consider San Angelo...if what you say is true...
i wonder why so many homosexuals there? any clue? (p.s. no offense to those who are, but hey sorry, i am a heterosexual female looking for a heterosexual male )

Originally Posted by i-osprey

Hi, I went to college in San Angelo and lived there a few years after.Personally, I hated it and I wasn't the only one that did. I suspect that if you are from a small town and liked it, then San Angelo is probably cosmopolitan enough for you.The one thing that sticks out in my mind about San Angelo is beauty. Not of the landscape but of the people.I am convinced that San Angelo is where fat, ugly people from all over the world go to spawn. Seriously.SA is the nation's largest city without an interstate. Because of this and other factors it is a popular destination for the Federal Witness Protection Program. The pop radio station is about ten years behind and the city is so isolated that it is a popular test-market for new products. They can practically eliminate outside influence from their marketplace. SA has twice the state average in police officers per capita and twice the state average in DWIs. Other than that it is very safe. Maybe one murder every two or three years and the murderer is usually from out of town. SA also has the highest per capita homosexual population in Texas. There are both types there but the Lesbians are everywhere and they're not the "lipstick" variety.

[Willys]

Originally Posted by WestTexan87

I have spent the majority of my life living in Abilene. I have always paid attention to the city and how it has evolved and I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on what it means to live in Abilene.

What about all the abandoned strip shops throughout the city and the older neighborhoods that no one bothers to maintain anymore?

BTW, in Dallas, near Love Field, a new Lowe's is opening directly across the street from a well established Home Depot. Can hardly wait for the sales.

[Willys]

Originally Posted by lifertexan

Having lived in both,I would choose San Angelo.Abilene is not really hilly by any standards other than relative to a totally flat area,although it is more so than San Angelo.The towns themselves are very similar,although I find SA to be a little more laid back than Abilene,possibly owing to a larger Hispanic population than Abilene.Abilene seems to look to DFW for inspiration for the lifestyle,while SA looks southward to San Antonio. For interesting side trips Abilene puts you closer to DFW,but in any other direction you have only Lubbock or Wichita Falls.SA puts you closer to the Hill Country,the Frio and Guadelupe Rivers,and Ft. Davis,Terlingua,and the Big Bend.

That's a pretty good view, lifer. San Angelo is a part of the Hill Country, tho' from Austin, one might not recognize that. Abilene falls just out of the Hill Country and into something of a geographical ditch.

Just south of Abilene is a 'range' of hills creating what is called the Callahan Divide. South of that divide is the Colorado River watershed, north is the Brazos River watershed. Thus, San Angelo's relativity to the Hill Country and Abilene's to the dust bowl.

Cattle drives going north found a passage through that divide called Buffalo Gap. They would drive their herds north, through the Abilene area, thus a railroad stop creating Abilene. The cattle drives would continue north to Kansas City or elsewhere. Sitting at Lake Fort Phantom Hill (love that name) an old gal, Bill Tom Compere (older than my parents), told me how as a young girl she had seen the cattle drives going through what is now that lake. That being the passage from the divide, through that ditch on to the frontier.

[teatime]

Would you believe Lake Fort Phantom Hill flooded recently? Folks said the lake hasn't been anywhere near full for 10 years! What a summer it's been!

Willys, the city is seriously committed to downtown neighborhood beautification and care. They have neighborhood cleanups and started several programs. When I was first looking to move here, I WANTED to live near the downtown! Old Town Abilene has a very active neighborhood association and folks are starting to buy the lovely older homes and renovate them. There are many beautiful historic properties there.

The big reason I didn't was that many of the homes downtown have serious foundation problems. That was too pricey of a problem for me to fix, along with the upgrades an older home needs. If I had the bank account to match the endeavor, I would have done it in a heartbeat!

Speaking of which, there is an INCREDIBLE, gorgeous Victorian home on Sayles Blvd. for sale. It has a historic marker in front of it. Does anyone know anything about the home? I LOVE it. If I won the Lotto, it would be mine!

[Willys]

Originally Posted by teatime

Speaking of which, there is an INCREDIBLE, gorgeous Victorian home on Sayles Blvd. for sale. It has a historic marker in front of it. Does anyone know anything about the home? I LOVE it. If I won the Lotto, it would be mine!

I always asked my mom about the water level at Ft Phantom when we would talk. I've seen the lake flooding and I've seen those long docks sitting on dry ground. My sister used to tell me about 'the witch' of Ft Phantom... the fort supposedly being spooked.

Where on Sayles is the Victorian home? Like, what hundred block or near cross street. I don't recall many, if any, homes on Sayles having much historical value. I do recall the Guitar mansion on N 1st having problems but don't recall why anybody cared about the Guitars. On Hickory at N 3rd (I think) is a fine old home that was restored in the early 70's. It had been vacant for a couple of decades and in disrepair. The family was influential in old Abilene. A son had gone to VMI like in the 20's or 30's and kept a diary. The kid had some good times. Someone took that diary from the vacant home and it eventually passed on to me. I finally got the diary back to the Abilene Library.

[teatime]

Sayles Blvd. has a lot of really lovely homes. This one is maybe a block or two up from the Save-a-Lot plaza on the opposite side of the street. It's probably between S. Third and Fourth streets. You can't miss it -- it's a gorgeous Victorian in super condition and the historic register plaque is in the front yard. I've never stopped and read it.

[case44]

Originally Posted by WestTexan87

Update on Abilene: some more good business news:

Rezoning request passes P&Z board; now goes to Abilene City Council

By Sarah Kleiner Varble / kleiners@reporternews.com
September 7, 2006

A new Lowe's home improvement center is expected to open on Interstate 20 near the burgeoning region around the Wal-Mart Supercenter, a local developer said.

Kenneth L. Musgrave said Wednesday he is weeks away from finalizing a deal with Lowe's to open a second home improvement store in Abilene.

On Tuesday, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approving a zoning change for the plot of land where Lowe's is expected to build. The request will be sent to the Abilene City Council for consideration.

''This is very credible and good news for Abilene,'' Musgrave said.

The Lowe's at 4134 Ridgemont Drive will not close, Musgrave and the store's manager said.

A Lowe's spokeswoman said company policies prohibited her from discussing future stores until the agreements are finalized.

The store is expected to span 117,000 square feet, Musgrave said.

Musgrave said the new Lowe's likely will spark another wave of development along Interstate 20 near State Highway 351. A major theater and several other retailers are inquiring about land in the area, he said.

Abilene's second Wal-Mart Supercenter opened a year ago at the intersection of I-20 and Highway 351. Cracker Barrel and Chili's have added to the development, which Musgrave spearheaded.

Musgrave also has plans for a storage facility for boats and recreational vehicles on Highway 351 east of East Lake Road. Construction could begin in the next 45 days.


At a glance

A new Lowe's home improvement center is expected to begin construction along Interstate 20 in the few months. The site is east of the Wal-Mart Supercenter development at the intersection of I-20 and Highway 351.


*This will be the first city in west Texas to have 2 Lowe's. This may seem like a sad accomplishment, but out here, new stuff is a status symbol. Lubbock and Amarillo each have one, as do Midland, Wichita Falls and San Angelo. Odessa doesn't have one at all! Abilene now boasts a Lowe's and a Home Depot, both on the southwest side of town. A Lowe's on the northeast side would do wonderfully and should lead to rapid development in the area.*

Holy grits! That's absolutely amazing. That stretch is going to explode!

Will there be any new rooftops in that area?

[case44]

Originally Posted by pioneer8

I've been living in (well, 18 miles out) of Abilene for about 9 months. We are on the outskirts, going toward DFW. I don't live in the "city", but I shop there etc. I can say, it's lots smaller than Fort Worth. Since you know Texas, you are already familiar with weather etc... The cost of living (I come from around the Tampa. FL area) is phenomenal! It's less colorful than I like, but it's really growing on me! I know the area is growing as they have a year old Walmart (now two), a new Cracker Barrel, Chilie's, and strip mall all popping up on I20... The city has just made plans to get a Shliterbahn Water Park in 2007. I do think there is much to be said for this area. It is safe and I've seen much less bad news than in Tampa... If your looking for nightlife and such, it's not a big city, but does fairly well trying to keep arts and cultural type events alive. There are three colleges here. All with a religious offiliation, but they also offer some theatrical shows etc... They do have rodeos and all that cowboy stuff! We really like living out in the more "mountanious" region... It's our first time in the country and it is so cool! The train that goes through Abilene comes around our mountain first... Very cool. I think Abilene is a good city, with even more future potential. I can find out more if you have specifics. Good Luck.

Wait a minute. Time out. Schlitterbahn?? In Abilene??