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Old 10-12-2010, 03:12 PM
 
7 posts, read 18,702 times
Reputation: 13

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I will soon relocate to McAllen/Harlingen. I'm a single 30 yr old male and I already have my job waiting for me there, it is a good a opportunity. I'm moving from Gainesville, FL a nice college town in North Florida.

I've been doing some online research for my house hunting trip, which will be probably next week, but I still have questions:

1. Safest and convenient areas to live? (have heard of Sharyland..)
2. Is there any historical downtown with nice historic houses/ apartments?
3. Safety issues regarding the last month news on the border/drugs/mafia?
4. Should I consider Harlingen?
5. Places to absolutely avoid in my search?
6. Cultural venues and entertainment?

Any other advice is welcome!

Thanks!
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Old 10-12-2010, 03:17 PM
 
198 posts, read 502,017 times
Reputation: 235
Default shoot yourself now...

Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisca70 View Post
I will soon relocate to McAllen/Harlingen. I'm a single 30 yr old male and I already have my job waiting for me there, it is a good a opportunity. I'm moving from Gainesville, FL a nice college town in North Florida.

I've been doing some online research for my house hunting trip, which will be probably next week, but I still have questions:

1. Safest and convenient areas to live? (have heard of Sharyland..)
2. Is there any historical downtown with nice historic houses/ apartments?
3. Safety issues regarding the last month news on the border/drugs/mafia?
4. Should I consider Harlingen?
5. Places to absolutely avoid in my search?
6. Cultural venues and entertainment?

Any other advice is welcome!

Thanks!
There aint shizzle their man.. i dont care how much more money they offer you its dead...to answer your questions..
1. good luck.
2. Ha!
3. Dont go to mexico
4. thats like saying do i go from the armpit to the shizzlehole
5. yeah..200 miles radius of the valley
6. tacos, tortillas, tacos, tortillas...

good luck and BTW im from there...i got out as soon as I got some cash!
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Old 10-12-2010, 04:07 PM
 
Location: Portland, TX. (next to Corpus Christi)
1,678 posts, read 4,010,003 times
Reputation: 3814
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisca70 View Post
I will soon relocate to McAllen/Harlingen. I'm a single 30 yr old male and I already have my job waiting for me there, it is a good a opportunity. I'm moving from Gainesville, FL a nice college town in North Florida.

I've been doing some online research for my house hunting trip, which will be probably next week, but I still have questions:

1. Safest and convenient areas to live? (have heard of Sharyland..)
2. Is there any historical downtown with nice historic houses/ apartments?
3. Safety issues regarding the last month news on the border/drugs/mafia?
4. Should I consider Harlingen?
5. Places to absolutely avoid in my search?
6. Cultural venues and entertainment?

Any other advice is welcome!

Thanks!
Wow.. tbone99tx seems awfully harsh of McAllen. I live about 2 hours north of McAllen, have been through there a few times. Not near as bad as tbone is making it out to be, although I am sure some parts of the Valley would be indicative of what he said.

As far as point #3 goes, there are still alot of people heading across the border to Progresso to shop and what not. You just need to stay in the safe areas, and not wander off. Generally, the people who get killed by the Mexican mafia gangs, are the people involved with the drugs somehow anyways, whether its with the policing against it, or the peddling/users of it. Just keep your nose clean .

For point #4, I wouldn't recommend living all the way in Harlingen. Too long of a drive to McAllen, in my opinion. Although, I do like Harlingen.


Ian
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Old 10-12-2010, 05:32 PM
 
7 posts, read 18,702 times
Reputation: 13
Ian, thanks for your answer. My workplace is actually in Weslaco, so I'll take Harlingen into account....
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Old 10-12-2010, 09:45 PM
 
Location: San Antonio
4,422 posts, read 6,254,874 times
Reputation: 5429
Quote:
Originally Posted by tbone9900tx View Post
There aint shizzle their man.. i dont care how much more money they offer you its dead...to answer your questions..
1. good luck.
2. Ha!
3. Dont go to mexico
4. thats like saying do i go from the armpit to the shizzlehole
5. yeah..200 miles radius of the valley
6. tacos, tortillas, tacos, tortillas...

good luck and BTW im from there...i got out as soon as I got some cash!
I would like to emphasize number 3. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO MEXICO...EVER!!!! It's just not worth your life. Do not do any drugs of any kind. You never know if any cartel activity could slip across from Mexico....and it's just not healthy, anyway.

On a positive note, you can always escape to nearby SPI or take a weekend up in SA or Austin, about a 5 hour ride but well worth it. I would talk about the weather but you're coming from Gainesville. Enough said. Welcome to TX. Btw, I see number 6 as a positive.
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Old 10-12-2010, 11:56 PM
 
Location: Austin,Tx
1,694 posts, read 3,621,070 times
Reputation: 709
Out of the two cities I would go with McAllen Harlingen is nice but if your looking for more of a city vibe McAllen has more in terms if entertainment and restaurants not that Harlingen doesn't there's just more in McAllen my mom grew up in the Mission/McAllen area and I go down to the Valley all the time so I know McAllen pretty well. Weslaco is halfway between Harlingen and McAllen so either city would work. Here's some links to McAllen entertainment,shopping ect...

McAllen CVB | McAllen, Texas

State Farm Arena

Downtown McAllen - Your Guide to Night Life in McAllen, Texas

La Plaza Mall - McAllen, TX 78503 | Simon Malls

Palms Crossing - McAllen, TX 78501 | Simon Malls

Quinta Mazatlan

imasonline.org

Museum of South Texas History

McAllen MCA

Explore McAllen


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU2jbPFXWPs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ITyWxzKsSo


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlfoArhhdPg

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Old 10-13-2010, 09:42 AM
 
Location: McAllen, TX
5,947 posts, read 5,467,804 times
Reputation: 6747
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisca70 View Post
I will soon relocate to McAllen/Harlingen. I'm a single 30 yr old male and I already have my job waiting for me there, it is a good a opportunity. I'm moving from Gainesville, FL a nice college town in North Florida.

I've been doing some online research for my house hunting trip, which will be probably next week, but I still have questions:

1. Safest and convenient areas to live? (have heard of Sharyland..)
2. Is there any historical downtown with nice historic houses/ apartments?
3. Safety issues regarding the last month news on the border/drugs/mafia?
4. Should I consider Harlingen?
5. Places to absolutely avoid in my search?
6. Cultural venues and entertainment?

Any other advice is welcome!

Thanks!
I live and work in McAllen and I can tell you first hand..

First of all don't listen to opinions based on ignorance and bias (tsk tsk tbone).. If you don't know then keep quiet and it sounds that way, oh and I'm being nice.

1. McAllen is safe in most areas.. Sharyland and Mission are nice as well.. Stay north of Pecan blvd (SH 495) and you should be fine. Let me know what kind of place you are looking for and maybe I can recommend something.

2. McAllen as a city is a little more than a 100 years old and the oldest part of town (downtown) is currently being re-vamped as an arts and entertainment district. So no old buildings and that sort of thing.

3. Just use common sense. Do not go to Reynosa, Progresso is fine as a quick border crossing for liquor/meds.

4. I would not and it's not because I live here. Mcallen is larger and has more to offer IMO. Entertainment, shopping, restaurants, parks etc.

5. read #1

6. Culture ? Check here
Fine Arts : TheMonitor.com (http://www.themonitor.com/sections/finearts/ - broken link)
There are many entertainment and nightlife choice, too many to list.

Yes Mcallen has a high percentage of hispanics but that should not matter anything. There are many decent hard working people here. Sure there is crime but the same goes for any other American city unless you live in the sticks somewhere. We are not right on the border (10 to 20 miles north) so that should not be a factor.
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Old 10-13-2010, 09:52 AM
 
7 posts, read 18,702 times
Reputation: 13
gguerra, great to hear your answers! I have no problem with the Hispanic population, I speak perfect Spanish and have traveled many times through several countries in Central and South America.

As for my housing preferences, all I'm looking for is a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment or a small house in a nice quiet area, where I can walk or jog around the neighborhood without safety concerns. I like privately owned houses but I would consider also condo complexes. I'm planning to spend around $600 in rent.

Thanks again, all this information is great!
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Old 10-13-2010, 09:57 AM
 
Location: League City, Texas
2,919 posts, read 5,948,315 times
Reputation: 6260
Don't go to Mexico. That's my main advice. I've been here a little over 3 years & actually live in South McAllen, where there are a few nice areas. I wouldn't recommend Sharyland--the people I know that live there have had quite a few crime issues. I think Sharyland has a really good PR setup, as it seems everyone thinks that's the place to be. The airport here is small, but you can be in Houston in less than an hour. We're just a 3-4 hour drive from San Antonio and the Hill Country, so even though it's a little isolated there are plenty of places to go on the weekends. This board is infamous for all the people that hate the Rio Grande Valley, so take what you get here with a grain of salt.
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Old 10-13-2010, 12:14 PM
 
Location: McAllen, TX
5,947 posts, read 5,467,804 times
Reputation: 6747
@ chrisca70

Here are a few links to get you started, by no means a comprehensive listing

Free Apartment Listings - ShowMeTheRent.com
http://apartments.oodle.com/
mcallen / edinburg apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist
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