Tyler,TX (Dallas, Plano, Odessa: apartment, for rent, car insurance)

[cheekymonkey]

I've been living in the Tyler area since 2000. Specifically, South Tyler, but outside the city limits -- on the border of Flint.

Perhaps some of my recent views of Tyler are colored by my personal circumstances. I've been through a devastating financial setback, and as of just over a year ago, my wife & I have been separated. We had been married for 24 years.

Our one son moved out of the area about two years ago, because he likes California, and that's where my wife's relatives live. That's another story for another day.

By the way, he hated the high school, Robert E. Lee. So many of the administrators and teachers treat the kids like imbeciles, then wonder why they don't act more maturely. H-e-l-l-o...

I don't blame Tyler, per se, for my misfortunes. HOWEVER, the way this town operates has turned into a major thorn in my side. Specifically, I've had to go from being self-employed (not very successfully) to looking for work in the local job market. To say that the local pay scale is low would be the understatement of the century!

If you're not an executive/professional type, or working at one of the better hospital jobs, oil field work, etc., you'll be relegated to the trash heap of $8/hr. crap jobs. So be sure to have a job before you move to Tyler. And hang onto it for dear life unless and until you find something better! Also, be aware that if you don't know the "right people", it's very hard to find GOOD employment.

Ever since I moved here, people continually ask me where I'm from. At first, I thought it was rather quaint, and normally didn't take offense. (I lived in Michigan until I was 14, and apparently after all these years, I still retain a bit of a midwestern accent.) Some people just ask out of curiosity. That I don't particularly mind, because they're not being unkind. But MANY people will treat you nasty if they view you as an "outsider". Yes, that's the truth, and you can take that to the bank!

The cost of HOUSING here is lower than in many other areas of the country. However, with the large influx of newcomers, housing costs have escalated noticeably in recent years. Longview, about 40 miles to the east, offers slightly more affordable housing, but in my opinion, is not as nice as Tyler overall. Different strokes for different folks though.

I would definitely say that home prices are out of proportion to the low wages in the area. And, to be honest, the cost of living here -- except for housing -- is not all that reasonable. (Costs for food, utilities, etc. are comparable to many other places in America where employers DON'T have an "anti-labor" attitude!)

On the surface, Tyler looks like a modern mid-sized Southern city. We have a nice junior college (TJC), a branch of the Univ. of Texas, major medical care facilities, and all the shopping you would need for basics, as well as some luxuries.

The piney woods is very beautiful (although helter-skelter development is causing too many scars across the land). The dogwoods, crepe myrtles, azaleas, and other plantings are gorgeous, and Tyler is a gardener's paradise. The Tyler Rose Garden is wonderful. Having three lakes in the area is also a real plus. The Azalea district and historic areas near downtown also lend a nice atmosphere.

If you can manage to deal with the hot & humid summers, the climate during the rest of the year is pretty nice. We have a mild climate, but still enjoy four distinct seasons.

O.k., LISTEN UP -- if you're a newcomer from another region of the country, it won't necessarily hit home right away that Tyler has a VERY nasty underbelly. Regretfully, the good-ol'-boy syndrome is alive and well. The Southern Baptist elite families who run this town are extremely self-centered, and in some cases, ruthless.

The Sheriff, J. B. Smith, is a corrupt SOB -- the kind of guy you would expect to find in a small backwards southern town straight out of the 1950's. Aside from profiteering off illegal gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, and drugs, he's probably a hell of a nice guy. As for me, I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, or any place else, for that matter!

Oh yeah, and in the last several years, it's turned into a "police state" around here. Radar cops EVERYWHERE, and many of the police have a fascist mentality. Some people on this forum may chastise me for being "negative", but facts are facts!

People often wave, but all too often they're only superficially friendly. And if you're not a "churchy" type of person, it is hard to make friends. (By the way, I don't have anything against religion. I'm pretty much a Libertarian and believe everyone has the right to freely worship as they choose. That said, Tyler seems to have produced a bumper crop of false-Christians who are really obnoxious.)

Driving is getting worse, largely due to the influx of people from other parts of the country, who bring their unique driving styles with them. LOL

Traffic is still not that bad though, especially compared to larger urban areas. You will, however, encounter bottlenecks on the South and Southeast Loop. The loop doesn't function as originally intended, due to over-development.

No doubt, the City of Tyler does not worry very much about that. They're more concerned about collecting city sales tax from retail businesses, so the more development, the merrier!

Broadway (which becomes Hwy. 69) is also frequently clogged. Much of that is due to the fact that there are no parallel arteries to relieve congestion, as is the case with larger cities. A recent road project installed cement medians in the center of the road, going the whole length of South Broadway. It helped somewhat, but overall not much of an improvement.

Culture... Yes, we have it here. But for a city with a population over 100,000, there is surprisingly little going on that is noteworthy. Sometimes there are concerts at the Oil Palace and events at UT-Tyler, but overall there isn't much nightlife, unless you like sleazy bars and some of that unsavory stuff out toward Kilgore.

If you have kids, they may get bored easily. That's not strictly the fault of the community though. Kids aren't as resourceful as they were a few generations ago. Regardless... good parenting will go a long ways toward keeping your little critters off alcohol & drugs.

For a city the size of Tyler, there are more unwholesome influences than you might imagine. And don't let the "dry county" thing fool you. Tyler is known as the wettest dry county in Texas. LOL

[destin04]

Originally Posted by cheekymonkey

I've been living in the Tyler area since 2000. Specifically, South Tyler, but outside the city limits -- on the border of Flint.

Perhaps some of my recent views of Tyler are colored by my personal circumstances. I've been through a devastating financial setback, and as of just over a year ago, my wife & I have been separated. We had been married for 24 years.

Our one son moved out of the area about two years ago, because he likes California, and that's where my wife's relatives live. That's another story for another day.

By the way, he hated the high school, Robert E. Lee. So many of the administrators and teachers treat the kids like imbeciles, then wonder why they don't act more maturely. H-e-l-l-o...

I don't blame Tyler, per se, for my misfortunes. HOWEVER, the way this town operates has turned into a major thorn in my side. Specifically, I've had to go from being self-employed (not very successfully) to looking for work in the local job market. To say that the local pay scale is low would be the understatement of the century!

If you're not an executive/professional type, or working at one of the better hospital jobs, oil field work, etc., you'll be relegated to the trash heap of $8/hr. crap jobs. So be sure to have a job before you move to Tyler. And hang onto it for dear life unless and until you find something better! Also, be aware that if you don't know the "right people", it's very hard to find GOOD employment.

Ever since I moved here, people continually ask me where I'm from. At first, I thought it was rather quaint, and normally didn't take offense. (I lived in Michigan until I was 14, and apparently after all these years, I still retain a bit of a midwestern accent.) Some people just ask out of curiosity. That I don't particularly mind, because they're not being unkind. But MANY people will treat you nasty if they view you as an "outsider". Yes, that's the truth, and you can take that to the bank!

The cost of HOUSING here is lower than in many other areas of the country. However, with the large influx of newcomers, housing costs have escalated noticeably in recent years. Longview, about 40 miles to the east, offers slightly more affordable housing, but in my opinion, is not as nice as Tyler overall. Different strokes for different folks though.

I would definitely say that home prices are out of proportion to the low wages in the area. And, to be honest, the cost of living here -- except for housing -- is not all that reasonable. (Costs for food, utilities, etc. are comparable to many other places in America where employers DON'T have an "anti-labor" attitude!)

On the surface, Tyler looks like a modern mid-sized Southern city. We have a nice junior college (TJC), a branch of the Univ. of Texas, major medical care facilities, and all the shopping you would need for basics, as well as some luxuries.

The piney woods is very beautiful (although helter-skelter development is causing too many scars across the land). The dogwoods, crepe myrtles, azaleas, and other plantings are gorgeous, and Tyler is a gardener's paradise. The Tyler Rose Garden is wonderful. Having three lakes in the area is also a real plus. The Azalea district and historic areas near downtown also lend a nice atmosphere.

If you can manage to deal with the hot & humid summers, the climate during the rest of the year is pretty nice. We have a mild climate, but still enjoy four distinct seasons.

O.k., LISTEN UP -- if you're a newcomer from another region of the country, it won't necessarily hit home right away that Tyler has a VERY nasty underbelly. Regretfully, the good-ol'-boy syndrome is alive and well. The Southern Baptist elite families who run this town are extremely self-centered, and in some cases, ruthless.

The Sheriff, J. B. Smith, is a corrupt SOB -- the kind of guy you would expect to find in a small backwards southern town straight out of the 1950's. Aside from profiteering off illegal gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, and drugs, he's probably a hell of a nice guy. As for me, I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, or any place else, for that matter!

Oh yeah, and in the last several years, it's turned into a "police state" around here. Radar cops EVERYWHERE, and many of the police have a fascist mentality. Some people on this forum may chastise me for being "negative", but facts are facts!

People often wave, but all too often they're only superficially friendly. And if you're not a "churchy" type of person, it is hard to make friends. (By the way, I don't have anything against religion. I'm pretty much a Libertarian and believe everyone has the right to freely worship as they choose. That said, Tyler seems to have produced a bumper crop of false-Christians who are really obnoxious.)

Driving is getting worse, largely due to the influx of people from other parts of the country, who bring their unique driving styles with them. LOL

Traffic is still not that bad though, especially compared to larger urban areas. You will, however, encounter bottlenecks on the South and Southeast Loop. The loop doesn't function as originally intended, due to over-development.

No doubt, the City of Tyler does not worry very much about that. They're more concerned about collecting city sales tax from retail businesses, so the more development, the merrier!

Broadway (which becomes Hwy. 69) is also frequently clogged. Much of that is due to the fact that there are no parallel arteries to relieve congestion, as is the case with larger cities. A recent road project installed cement medians in the center of the road, going the whole length of South Broadway. It helped somewhat, but overall not much of an improvement.

Culture... Yes, we have it here. But for a city with a population over 100,000, there is surprisingly little going on that is noteworthy. Sometimes there are concerts at the Oil Palace and events at UT-Tyler, but overall there isn't much nightlife, unless you like sleazy bars and some of that unsavory stuff out toward Kilgore.

If you have kids, they may get bored easily. That's not strictly the fault of the community though. Kids aren't as resourceful as they were a few generations ago. Regardless... good parenting will go a long ways toward keeping your little critters off alcohol & drugs.

For a city the size of Tyler, there are more unwholesome influences than you might imagine. And don't let the "dry county" thing fool you. Tyler is known as the wettest dry county in Texas. LOL

Yes...sadly every small city has it's issues. However...these are no different than any other place in the country. My husband used to take 35 minutes to drive to work in Dallas.....now it takes 1 hour 20 minutes for the same commute. So the roundtrip commute is now 2 hours 40 minutes. The small community we have reared our children in ....has become nothing but a large rental community...housing prices have dropped to the floor and the school system is trying to handle all the kids that rotate in and out ...some for as little as 6 weeks. Parents of most in this area...both work in order to keep up w/ the bills..therefore their kids run all over town...getting into things they shouldn't be getting into. We too...have policemen who set up radar...but if you aren't speeding ...you don't get a ticket. Our kids have to go to Frisco to find some entertainment...which means you have to have a car or a parent who will drive.
We too...have several families that think they run the community. One who lives across the street from us...Our house just sold and she had the nerve to come over and ask if we knew anything about the people who were buying our house....because "I hate latino music". Which I find funny...because she teaches english as a second language in Dallas ISD.
There is never a perfect place to live. Appreciate what you have..no matter how little...because it can always get worse.

[cheekymonkey]

Originally Posted by destin04

Yes...sadly every small city has it's issues. However...these are no different than any other place in the country. My husband used to take 35 minutes to drive to work in Dallas.....now it takes 1 hour 20 minutes for the same commute. So the roundtrip commute is now 2 hours 40 minutes. The small community we have reared our children in ....has become nothing but a large rental community...housing prices have dropped to the floor and the school system is trying to handle all the kids that rotate in and out ...some for as little as 6 weeks. Parents of most in this area...both work in order to keep up w/ the bills..therefore their kids run all over town...getting into things they shouldn't be getting into. We too...have policemen who set up radar...but if you aren't speeding ...you don't get a ticket. Our kids have to go to Frisco to find some entertainment...which means you have to have a car or a parent who will drive.
We too...have several families that think they run the community. One who lives across the street from us...Our house just sold and she had the nerve to come over and ask if we knew anything about the people who were buying our house....because "I hate latino music". Which I find funny...because she teaches english as a second language in Dallas ISD.
There is never a perfect place to live. Appreciate what you have..no matter how little...because it can always get worse.

You're right. There's no perfect place to live, that's for sure. To anyone expecting perfection, I say, "Good luck in the hereafter"! hahaha

For the sake of objectivity, many of the economic problems in Tyler are caused by factors that are national -- and even global. Big corporations and government are systematically destroying the middle-class through onerous taxation, runaway inflation, and dwindling employment opportunities ("free trade" and similar globaloney).

I'm specifically referring to employment opportunities that pay decent American wages. Not jobs where the husband and wife both have to work until hell freezes over, and they're still broke, so they have to send their dog & cat into the work force to make up the difference.

No matter where anybody lives, once that sky-high stress from being unemployed (and broke) kicks in, life sucks the wazoo badly. Especially if it's been for a prolonged period of time. I could write the book on it.

What irritates me no end is that communities like Tyler don't even consider the lack of decent employment to be a problem that's worthy of being addressed. It's not even on their list of priorities. The prevailing attitude is that as long as the old money that runs this town manages to stay flush, it doesn't really matter what happens to anybody else.

Ultimately, this type of limited thinking (or NON-thinking!) will be the demise of many cities, Tyler included. Too many people who are unemployed or UNDER-employed cannot spend money in retail businesses and stimulate the economy. That causes a domino effect, where other businesses get hurt, inventories build up, and they're forced to lay off THEIR employees. Laid-off employees create more competition for other job seekers, and add to the numbers of people who are unable to spend money at retail businesses and stimulate the economy.

I wish everybody well who wants to move to Tyler. There are worse places you can live, believe me. (The entire state of California, for instance!) But as for me, I'm getting out of here, and moving someplace that has better job opportunities, more genuine people, and a sense of vitality.

By the way, I'm not Latino, but like SOME of the Latino music. I used to live in El Paso, and liked the community. (Of course, it was much smaller back then.) Thinking of heading back there, or better yet, living in Las Cruces or Southern New Mexico. Those areas probably aren't exactly a job bonanza either, but there are more things to do, more live music. Oh yeah, and the best Mexican food... LOL

[P1Josh113]

Hey Everybody . I'm 22 & married and applying to Sonography school at TJC next year. I have just a few questions and if anyone could help me, I'd greatly appreciate it!!! We are coming from Sherman, which is about half the size of Tyler, and we both grew up in Pottsboro which is about a tenth the size of Sherman, lol.. so Tyler will actually be BIG to us!! Anyway, we will most definitely be renting and not buying....Where are the best (crime-free, etc.) places to rent in town (apartments, townhomes, etc.) ?? Also, my wife is an RN, and we were wondering if anyone had info. on the hospitals in Tyler (any reccomendations) ? Are there any really bad areas in town we should just stay away from in general ?? Also, Any other general information you have about the town that you think a newbie should know before moving, I'm all ears!! Thanks guys!!!

[etexlady]

Welcome to Tyler. For rentals confine your search to south or southeast Tyler, specifically in the 75703 zip or nearby. Don't consider anything in the north or east parts of town and there is really nothing in the west part either. Be aware that lately there seems to be quite a lot in the news about criminal activity (breaking into cars, etc.) in the large apartment complexes no matter where they are located but this probably is the case anywhere. There are not too many townhome communities in Tyler so that may not be an option. You might find a nice duplex but in the better areas the monthly rental might be $800 or more. Apartment complexes, the better ones, seem to stay close to 100% occupied. A RN should be able to easily find work. There are two large hospitals in Tyler (Trinity Mother Frances and East Texas Medical Center). Employment opportunties are listed on their websites. The University of Texas Health Center is located a few miles out of Tyler and would certainly have jobs for RNs. There are also many Home Health Agencies that always have ads in the Sunday classifieds seeking RNs if that kind of nursing would appeal to your wife. Check the tylerpaper.com classifieds for rentals and jobs. Good luck.

[texnative]

Originally Posted by destin04

I just read a copy of the latest Lindale News great plans...including a new HS. I've toured the current HS and it's a great school. We are buying a home in HAWL and transferring in from the DFW area. I think the Lindale area is going to be the new Frisco.....(let's hope not) LOL!

__________________________________________________ ___________
destin04,
thanks for the information of the new Lindale HS. Did you read that online or in a newspaper. If you got it online could you post that url? The way I found out about the new Lindale HS info is that a friend of my, his wife is a manager for the Lindale ISD. As mentioned in an earlier post, its said that the Lindale ISD has purchased approx. 83 acres a couple of miles out FM 16 going east from Hwy 69.
Here's some more info I have on Lindale:
1. A new Home Depot is coming. Exactly where we dont know.
2. The new Holiday Inn Express should now be open and ready for business.
Its located across from the new Walmart & Lowe's.
3. Plans for a new Cadillac Dealership @ I-20 & hwy 69.
4. A new Veterans hospital a mile or so on hwy 69 from FM 16.
please post any new information when you get it..
Thanks....

[GlockGirl]

Lived in Tyler for 12 years and loved it- I lived out near the airport so it was kinda out of the city limits- I don't know how much as changed in terms of city living and pay rate but it is a great town that has lots to do and its mostly safe- well I am not sure about those John Tyler football games- just kidding- You have a great baseball atmosphere- lots of softball an sport events- Mercardos is worth the 2 hour drive there- great food- I like it better than Waco

[P1Josh113]

Thanks yall I appreciate it, that helps alot!

[moonhoney2]

We are looking at possibly Tyler/Longview areas. not necessarily in those specific towns, but surrounding as well.

What is it like for non-christians there? Our family is not religious at all. I've been told that there are some towns that would crucify us for our non-beliefs. Is this area one of them?

[x532]

I moved to Tyler for a job 7 weeks ago and I have to say, I find the whole town a bit odd. If you aren't uber religious or into casual sex and drugs then you aren't going to fit in. That seems to be it for social groups. I'm sure there are people somewhere who don't belong to one of those 2 groups, but I haven't found them yet.

Think about it, this is a town where they had a fit because the new anchorwoman was a playboy bunny yet all I hear in the news is about meth labs blowing up, sexual predators and animal cruelty cases. The news creeps me out so I won't even watch it anymore. This is also the town that advertises churches and drug rehabs on the local radio stations. They even have church and drug rehab billboards.

Driving to Lake Palestine to buy beer is bizarre. As soon as you cross the lake there is a place called Fatdog that sells beer and liquor. It is a madhouse. And because you have to drive about 15 minutes or so to get alcohol, everyone stocks up so you'll see people running around with carts full of stuff like that old game show Supermarket Sweep.

Basically, I go to work and then come home as fast as possible to my boyfriend and cats.

As for finding an apartment in this town, unless you know about 6 months in advance, don't bother. Every single complex we went to had a waiting list. The only one that had anything available was the most expensive place in town. So I'm paying $185 dollars more for rent than I did in Dallas. So much for a lower cost of living. And actually, some things are much more expensive here. Everything at Wal-Mart like Coke and toilet paper etc. is more than at the Dallas Wal-Marts. I guess because they don't have a distribution center nearby the cost of gas makes everything higher.

On a positive note, I love the nature. The trees and lakes are beautiful. I am also hopeful that at some point I will find some artsy, new age, computer nerd, comic book loving people like myself that I can hang out with. If not, I'll just move a bunch in from Dallas. :-)