NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST TEXAS-whats the diff? (Houston, Dallas: fit in, schools)

[country_girl2122]

Okay, i've been looking into texas and whenever i seem to ask people about what is texas like..everybody says; which part? They say Texas is a huge state-and you can't classify it under just one description. So I'm trying to break it up into four sections: east texas, south texas, north texas, and west texas.

Can anyone tell me a bit more on the different parts, if you live there -tell me the way of life...races there...food...traditions..schools...weather..ANYTHIng !! I'd like any input on it, whatever you have to say about one of the sections go ahead and say it, i'm all ears

[love roses]

East Texas: Piney Woods. Hilly and very green. Very down to earth, country people. I'd say relatively diverse. The part I'm familiar with is very neighborly, and families and neighbors are close knit. Food, all sorts.

North Texas: Dallas and further, several different topogrophies. A little more cosmopolitan, oil money, ranching, cowboys, All sorts of food, BBQ is big everywhere in Texas.

West Texas: more desert like. Dryer air. Rocky. Western and Hispanic cultures. Rodeos, BBQ, wide open spaces, more mountainous.

South Texas: Hispanic, German, Czech. Hilly, flat (varied terrain)

But It's so much more than that. Each region also has it's own accent as far as people (natives, of course..) speaking. There is a gulf coast region. Houston is a port city. It's very large, people from all over the world. World class orchestra, opera, ballet, museums, zoo. And don't forget Central Texas, ie the Hill Country. West of 35 it's pretty hilly, East of 35 it's a little flatter and depending on the town, almost completely flat. Lots of farmland. German and Czech and Hispanic and Swedish heritage.

You really need to take a long vacation to get even a smidge of an idea.

[NOTAM]

oh gosh......let me tell ya.....i am from North Texas and just moved to South Texas in October last year (but wont be staying long)...........it is a WHOLE other country.
South Texas is not "Texas" to me in any sense of the word. i feel like I live in Mexico.
very little rodeo, very few cowboys. can you believe that there is not a place that sells WRANGLER JEANS in my town of 25,000? and people here dont listen to country music. and there is NO place to go two steppin.
it is very hispanic, with tejano music.........so obviously not a place i fit in

[bostoner]

I hate to break it to you, belle, but Texas did win its independence from Mexico. What did you expect so close to the border?

[NOTAM]

i really didnt expect it to be THIS unlike the Texas i know......and i am a few hours from the border, so i didnt think it would be this way here.......the point is, it IS, and ya know, i cant help it if i dont "fit in"!?!....you try being a blonde blue eyed tall female anglo here and see if you have any kind of social life.

Originally Posted by houstoner

I hate to break it to you, belle, but Texas did win its independence from Mexico. What did you expect so close to the border?

[midwestmom]

I know North Texas can have more severe thunderstorms and tornado watches. Now, this year has been much worse than usual, according to my local radio station.

East - very humid weather compared to other areas you mentioned. I don't know how long it lasts though.

Anyone know if West Texas (say W of Abilene) has a lot of storms too? I know its supposed to be drier.

[SweedDiva]

Hi Roses

Wow you really gave great information about Texas.
I will be moving to Fort hood in june with my husband and I would like to know what part of texas that would be. Would that be the north side??
And do you know if they have any swedish or german heritage over there as well?? It would be great since I am swedish but who lived in germany for 8 years.
Thanks in advance
TINA

Originally Posted by love roses

East Texas: Piney Woods. Hilly and very green. Very down to earth, country people. I'd say relatively diverse. The part I'm familiar with is very neighborly, and families and neighbors are close knit. Food, all sorts.

North Texas: Dallas and further, several different topogrophies. A little more cosmopolitan, oil money, ranching, cowboys, All sorts of food, BBQ is big everywhere in Texas.

West Texas: more desert like. Dryer air. Rocky. Western and Hispanic cultures. Rodeos, BBQ, wide open spaces, more mountainous.

South Texas: Hispanic, German, Czech. Hilly, flat (varied terrain)

But It's so much more than that. Each region also has it's own accent as far as people (natives, of course..) speaking. There is a gulf coast region. Houston is a port city. It's very large, people from all over the world. World class orchestra, opera, ballet, museums, zoo. And don't forget Central Texas, ie the Hill Country. West of 35 it's pretty hilly, East of 35 it's a little flatter and depending on the town, almost completely flat. Lots of farmland. German and Czech and Hispanic and Swedish heritage.

You really need to take a long vacation to get even a smidge of an idea.

[love roses]

It's halfway between Austin and Waco. You should find German, Swiss and Czech. My husband drives out there for work almost weekly, and said he went into a resturaunt there one day, and it was czech influenced. But I'd say you'll find all 3. And Yes, that would be going North! And just for kicks, if you can get time, you really are not very far from Austin/ North Austin. My husband says waco is like, 1 hr. North, so you may not even be an hour away.

[WestTexan87]

Abilene is wet some years, dry some years. I've lived through both and it's never pretty. We rarely get a happy medium. We either dry up or flood. This year, we've gotten about twice the normal amount of rain for the year and people don't know what to do. It rained almost every day for the last 2 weeks. Weird. Just a couple years ago we went like 70 days with absolutely no precipitation whatsoever. It's a day by day kind of weather pattern out here.

[slpmom]

I live in Lubbock (west tx), and grew up in North Houston (about 10-hr drive). You can't get much more different than these two places. There are good and bad to both. You asked about storms. During the spring is when we receive the majority of rainfall, and it is usually in the form of thunderstorms. Of course we are known for dust storms. Which do happen--but not as often as I had been led to believe being from the Houston area. Usually about 2-4 a year/mostly during Spring. The best thing about West Texas are the summer nights. It can get up to 90-100 during the day, and still cools off to around 75 at night, and always with a breeze. It does get very cold here in the winter, which is tough on me being very cold natured, and I miss the trees in southeast texas, but I can't handle the humidity down there anymore.