Abilene El Paso Big Spring Lubbock or Amarillo? (San Antonio, Wichita Falls: best city, crime)

[NOTAM]

As an Emergency Room RN i have more choices than i can handle....i really can move anywhere in Texas. I am a Ft Worth/Wichita Falls girl who got misplaced in GA a few years ago and am dying to get back. I am really having trouble deciding. Of the places listed in my title, which would you choose and why?
btw, i am a 41 year old caucasian divorcee and totally cowgirl with no kids, two small dogs...so keep that in mind
my priorities are: dry climate, wide open spaces, cowboy country e.g. rodeo action, and a place where i can afford to finally settle down-buy a home with an acre or so for me and my furbabies

[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.

[Sandoval]

I think El Paso is the best city of the 5 cities that you mentioned. I would not move to Big Spring or Abilene under any circumstances. Lubbock would be my second choice and Amarillo would be my third. To be quite honest I would move all the way to Phoenix before I would move to Lubbock or Amarillo. I would also move out to Tucson before I would move to Lubbock or Amarillo.

Phoenix and Tucson both beat West Texas. Yuma, Arizona also beats west Texas. Prescott, Arizona beats west Texas also but Prescott is pricey. Sierra Vista is about the same as west texas but soon might be better because it is growing like wildfire. I do not consider El Paso to be far west Texas not west Texas.

West Texas is not all that it is cracked up to be.

[Crackerjack]

I am going to take a different approach. Instead of the ones mentioned and with what you are looking for, I would look into Canyon, it is a small city south of Amarillo, it is a nice town and low in crime and a great place to live; Kerrville near San Antonio is a nice city too, look into Buffalo Gap a cowpoke town, near Abilene. I have relatives in Lubbock and they like it but they say the crime is getting bad there and are looking to get out. It is easy to get around there with the Loop and University and such carries traffic really well; it is just the crime I would be concerned about there. You also might look in the San Angelo area, a nice low pace city.

[NOTAM]

oh...i only mean those cities as places to WORK...i would not be living in any of the cities, but rather on the outskirts...i am a country girl and when i lived in Texas, i commuted a far distance to go to work in Ft Worth and Wichita Falls...i would not actually live in a city proper...i just need to have one of these cities within an hour commute of higher paying RN jobs

Originally Posted by Crackerjack

I am going to take a different approach. Instead of the ones mentioned and with what you are looking for, I would look into Canyon, it is a small city south of Amarillo, it is a nice town and low in crime and a great place to live; Kerrville near San Antonio is a nice city too, look into Buffalo Gap a cowpoke town, near Abilene. I have relatives in Lubbock and they like it but they say the crime is getting bad there and are looking to get out. It is easy to get around there with the Loop and University and such carries traffic really well; it is just the crime I would be concerned about there. You also might look in the San Angelo area, a nice low pace city.

[NOTAM]

why no to Big Spring or Abilene?

what do you like about Yuma? i have a job offer there but havent taken it because i have a feeling Yuma might be too "California" for me.

Originally Posted by Sandoval

I think El Paso is the best city of the 5 cities that you mentioned. I would not move to Big Spring or Abilene under any circumstances. Lubbock would be my second choice and Amarillo would be my third. To be quite honest I would move all the way to Phoenix before I would move to Lubbock or Amarillo. I would also move out to Tucson before I would move to Lubbock or Amarillo.

Phoenix and Tucson both beat West Texas. Yuma, Arizona also beats west Texas. Prescott, Arizona beats west Texas also but Prescott is pricey. Sierra Vista is about the same as west texas but soon might be better because it is growing like wildfire. I do not consider El Paso to be far west Texas not west Texas.

West Texas is not all that it is cracked up to be.

[pioneer8]

Sandoval, I'm curious to your aversion to Abilene too. I can't say that I've ever met anyone who has strong opinions one way or the other about Abilene. I don't think it is a city to love or hate- just a good, safe, little city. Sounds like it has potential for BellestarofTexas. Definitely country all around and a Abilene has two hospitals, I think... Bellestar, I wouldn't write it off if I were you. As far as the other places mentioned, I've never been. It sounds like you really do have lots from which to choose. Good Luck. If I can answer anything about Abilene for you, feel free to send me some private messages.

[NOTAM]

thanks so much pioneer.....yeah i felt that way too about Abilene, being familiar with it, having lived within 2 hours of the city....i cant imagine anyone having a strong aversion to it.....

Originally Posted by pioneer8

Sandoval, I'm curious to your aversion to Abilene too. I can't say that I've ever met anyone who has strong opinions one way or the other about Abilene. I don't think it is a city to love or hate- just a good, safe, little city. Sounds like it has potential for BellestarofTexas. Definitely country all around and a Abilene has two hospitals, I think... Bellestar, I wouldn't write it off if I were you. As far as the other places mentioned, I've never been. It sounds like you really do have lots from which to choose. Good Luck. If I can answer anything about Abilene for you, feel free to send me some private messages.

[lifertexan]

Abilene is alright.But Lubbock is tops on the ones listed.Better restaraunts,better shopping that comes with a larger town.More things to do for entertainment,including T Tech football games.Better musical events by far.Lots of top names come to Lubbock.Amazingly,Lubbock is prettier than Abilene also.The surrounding area is nothing but farms,but Lubbock proper is very attractive.

[NOTAM]

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!