Abilene El Paso Big Spring Lubbock or Amarillo?

[NativeTXn]

Originally Posted by Crackerjack

NativeTxn, you seem to have the issues. I just stated what I feel. It has only 18 percent white people and you have to know fluent Spanish to live there. Everytime I went through there I mostly heard Spanish. There are a lot of illegal aliens there and they do not report crime by and large for fear of being deported and it is well known with people there as with all my family, who happen to be Hispanic on my brother's wife's side, and they say the economy is depressed there and crime is under reported so more people will come there. Just read the El Paso thread and read about others saying what I say about it being a depressed economy, dirty and strictly a Spanish city. I feel like I am in Mexico there and not America. Enough said. If you like El Paso, that is your right, I just know I am glad I don't live there.

You do not need to be fluent in Spanish to live here, that is just not true. My Spanish is not very good at all and my wife doesn't speak one word of Spanish and we get around just fine, truthfully we actually had a lot more trouble getting around in Los Angeles than we do here. We live here everyday and experience life in El Paso everyday, I think we know this city a lot more than you do. I actually think it's very nice that the large majority of Hispanics here are bilingual and can speak both languages.

Where are the illegal aliens? A news article came out a few weeks ago explaining how most illegal aliens that would pass through the El Paso region would usually keep going to other destinations across the country, they actually fear staying in El Paso because of the very large border patrol presence..it is sort of like prisoners who break out of a jail..they don't hang around the outside of the jail walls, they actually try to get as far away as possible. The report also stated that most of the people who have migrated here over the past, have done it legally, either from across the country or through legal immigration.

The economy here is steadily improving, and I can actually say has a bright future. With two new hospitals opening up in a couple of years, a new 4-year medical school opening up in 2009, Ft Bliss gaining more than 21,000 new troops within the next couple of years (60,000-70,000 including their families), The Army's Future Combat Systems will be setting up shop here by 2007 adding thousands of new hi-tech jobs, Boeing, Science Applications International Corp., and other hi-tech companies have already started building their new facilities which will employ thousands of new high paying jobs. El Paso's Downtown is about to get a new facelift with a possible $1 billion dollar investment by the private sector to renovate El Paso's Downtown and create thousands more new jobs in the downtown area. I can go on and on, but there really is no need.

I actually love living in this safe community, you can feel safe walking down the street and going wherever..something I didn't feel in California. I'm sorry you don't have good feelings about El Paso and it is your right to feel however you'd like. I'll respect your opinion Crackerjack, and wish you the best of luck..I will not start a fight here, I guess we will just agree to disagree.

[Crackerjack]

I don't want to fight either NativeTxn. I guess we do disagree but I truly accept that you love El Paso and I am going to go see my family there in about two weeks and because of you, I'll give El Paso a fresh beginning. I will block out the past and look at it as if it is the first time I have been there and who knows, maybe I'll like it better. Take care!

[NativeTXn]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

Yes, I currently live in El Paso (moved back after almost a decade in Southern California) and thanks for the good luck, but I don't need it, I have recently purchased a very beautiful large house in a great neighborhood that rivals any in the country, the best part of it all was that it cost me a fraction of what a house would cost in other large cities. My family feels safe in this town and there are plenty of things to do here.

El Paso definitely has its own charms....and a very different atmosphere from the rest of TX. I almost moved there 10 years ago, but things fell through twice. I love the mountains and the fact that it is in TX with NM right there, too.

It does have a seamy side, but then so do all large cities...just goes with the territory. I talked to my car insurance agent, and for the same vehicle/coverage in ELP, my rate would double because of the high car theft rate.

I know now that I would have gotten tired of the heat, just like I have here, so I guess it's a good thing that it didn't pan out!

Enjoy your new homey house!

Thank you Cathy

El Paso is indeed very unique and very different than every other city in Texas. This city has has an old west, armytown, desert/mountainous, Mexican/Spanish, Texan, and New Mexican feel to it. It is really safe for the most part..ofcourse it has its bad sides as we all know but every major city has that. The mountains around here do give us some awesome sunsets and great views. Another good thing about El Paso is that there are no natural disasters that happen around here..the chances for tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards are just about zilch.

Crime has gone way down in El Paso over the past ten years..but just this past year car thefts have gone up recently and that was the only major category in which crime went up around here, so I can see why car insurance rates can be a little high around here.

The heat can be hard some times in El Paso, but atleast it's a dry heat..the humidity rate around here is on usually 25% or lower..so it doesn't feel so bad. When it rains it gets more humid ofcourse but the temperatures usually drop down. I'm just glad we don't have to suffer the extreme heat that Phoenix does, but I'm sure the people there get used to it aswell.

Good luck to you Cathy.

[NativeTXn]

Originally Posted by Crackerjack

I don't want to fight either NativeTxn. I guess we do disagree but I truly accept that you love El Paso and I am going to go see my family there in about two weeks and because of you, I'll give El Paso a fresh beginning. I will block out the past and look at it as if it is the first time I have been there and who knows, maybe I'll like it better. Take care!

Thank you Crackerjack, I hope your next trip is a better one, I admit my city still has a lot of work to do..but it will get there. I hope you have some great Mexican food and a have a great time with your family in El Paso.

Good luck and take care.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by NativeTXn

El Paso is indeed very unique and very different than every other city in Texas. This city has has an old west, armytown, desert/mountainous, Mexican/Spanish, Texan, and New Mexican feel to it.

The heat can be hard some times in El Paso, but atleast it's a dry heat..the humidity rate around here is on usually 25% or lower..so it doesn't feel so bad. When it rains it gets more humid ofcourse but the temperatures usually drop down. I'm just glad we don't have to suffer the extreme heat that Phoenix does, but I'm sure the people there get used to it aswell.

Yes, it does indeed have that feel. It's one of the reasons I love it.

Our temps usually run about the same as y'alls do--our average humidity is only slightly higher (around 30%) because we get a little more rain (in some years) than ELP does. We just had a great gully washer last night--we were at 4 inches YTD, so that will help.

I have lived in WT and its heat all of my life, and I find myself tolerating it less and less the older I get. Another reason I considered ELP was because of its proximity to Ruidoso/skiing, but they haven't had much snow in recent years, and Ski Apache never was more than 12-15% open all of last season, so I had to go a lot farther NW last season.

We're planning a visit to Hueco Tanks, the Franklin Mts State Park and Guadalupe Mts also one year!

[cajuntexan]

Originally Posted by lifertexan

Lubbock hands down.It has almost all the big city amenities with few of the big city problems.Traffic isn't bad except on 4th Street where they are tearing the road up big time.It ranks with San Antonio in ease of getting around in.Lots of nice green parks with small lakes.Lots of younger people with T Tech being there.

Abilene a very distant second,El Paso third if for no other reason than a change of pace and culture.The other two I would not live in myself.

But I have seen a number of people rate EP very highly.It just doesn't even seem like a part of Texas to me,it is so far out there.

Lubbock, but not for the reasons you state. Let's be honest -- we do have problems here -- you need to live in a safe area -- I suggest Wolfforth -- just 10 miles outside of Lubbock. We have a great music scene, and the hospitals are the best. For an RN, we offer the best opportunities.

But no problems? I guess if you call the 9th highest crime rate in the state with drive by shootings, home invasions, and nightly shootings and robberies no problems -- then ok. As for traffic, be careful that you don't get run over by people who don't drive defensively and will run red lights and not signal when they turn. We are under constant construction. The Marsha Sharpe Freeway will be a work of art when it is finished -- absolutely beautiful.

We have several museums here, but not much to offer by way of artist guilds. However, reading your post, I think our climate will be right up your ally and you will love our area with all of its attractions. Just don't go to the parks alone. They can be a little dangerous.

Still, you have to use common sense anywhere you live. Lubbock is growing and has a lot to offer. It is really larger than it seems. I've lived in Houston and can honestly say I much prefer Lubbock.

[cajuntexan]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

but lifertexan...how would a 41 year old divorcee do in such a college town? i would think that my social circles would be limited since i aint in my 20's anymore!

Don't think of Lubbock as just a college town. There are a lot of people your age here. I moved here to be with my fiance. There are lots of single men here.

People come to Lubbock for a lot of reasons -- not just college. THere is a lot of work here. The airforce base nearby (Clovis) just recently added a lot of people and most of those people moved to our area. That means new homes -- bringing new construction. New homes sell before they are even built. Students are nto the ones buying them, I can assure you. That means a lot of mature, responsible adults in our area.

You would find opportunity and people here. Just be aware of your surroundings and use common sense. As for a place to live, Wolfforth offers a country environment just 10 miles south of Lubbock. It is nice.

[case44]

Guys, I believe this thread is more than a year old, and Belle has since settled elsewhere. It's all moot now.

[kittytoes2006]

Well, I am going to have to get away from all the big cities you've mentioned. I am going to have to go with suggesting Tyler (about 80 miles east of Dallas). Tyler is a beautiful city, large enough to have all the necessary places a woman needs from time to time (i.e. a nice shopping mall with Dillard's, Macy's, etc.) yet still country enough in the surrounding areas to be able to live in the country yet commute to work without spending everything you make in gasoline. Tyler is also a medical "mecca" for the east Texas area. There is UT Southwest Medical School/Hospital, East Texas Medical Center and Trinity Mother Frances Hospital System. ALL of them are excellent hospitals. I would definitely look into Tyler. All the best in your search for your perfect home for you and your furbabies. This time when you get back where you belong, don't leave. hee hee