Corpus Christi -Resort (San Antonio, Austin, San Diego: neighborhoods, purchasing, living in)

[imaterry78259]

Why can't CC become the new San Diego or a resort city on the sea?

This is a real oxymoron city there are no good seafood restaurants in CC??

[Marlow]

I think the first reason is that it's too hot in the summer. Yes, there's a breeze and yes, other places in Texas are hotter, but 95 degrees and 95% humidity is just too much. You have to hide out in the AC from about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to survive. Winter here can be very nice, but most people think of beach towns in the summer.

Another reason is that there are really only 3 things to do--the beach, the aquarium and the Lexington. When you've done those once, you're done.

Third is that we have terrible city leadership who for many years have only been interested in making themselves and their cronies richer. As a result, streets and parks are neglected and the entire city looks run down. The bayfront water can be full of trash and stinks. Who wants to see that on a vacation?

At its heart, CC is an industrial and military city and there's nothing particularly wrong with that, but it's not a good starting point to become a major resort area.

[jackalope48]

Plenty of good seafood. One reason we don't have more specific seafood places is because all restaurants have to have some seafood in order to have business during lent which means there's less market for dedicated seafood specializing restaurants.

Most of San Diego's waterfronts are funded by their port and it's where a huge portion of their environmental mitigation money goes. In our case most environmental mitigation money has gone to purchasing, preserving, and enhancing actual natural habitat. It also takes a gigantic amount of money to fund operations like that on an ongoing basis. For example the San Antonio Riverwalk operations budget is equivalent to the entire Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation budget including meals on wheels and latchkey. It's about 5 times the operational budget of CC Parks and Rec. As it is they stretch the budget really far given what they have to take care of.

Best way to make it happen is to pressure political leadership to focus on quality and being open to paying for it. There are plenty of people who will write not wanting to pay for anything. If that's who they hear from that's who they will listen to.

[Kibby]

I'm not saying that Leadership has nothing to do with it .... BUT the real reason is that Corpus is just too difficult to get to. Air Travel in and out is horrible - that's why Whataburger moved their headquarters to San Antonio.

Could be that the long time locals just keep it secret where to find the best seafood.

[thirdcoast]

I think the main problem is that we're an industrial town. It's hard to be a successful tourist resort and an industrial giant. Corpus is trying to be both, but its main allegiance (money talks) is industry. The island is developing, but to be like San Diego, you'd need more charm and soul than the island has. The island lacks a central gathering place. It's just a bunch of strip malls and suburban neighborhoods. No heart.
Port Aransas developed much longer ago, which is why it's so much quainter than Corpus Christi on the island.
To me, the heart of tourism in Corpus Christi is the SEA District, North Beach and the Bayfront/Marina. There's so much to do there. On the island, your choices are basically going to the beach or going to the beach.

[JH6]

From my friends who moved away from the CC area...

There is nothing to do but the beach, and once you do that they get bored with it.

Also the patches of ghetto areas.

We live in Austin and still love to go down 2-3 times a year, but it would be different living in CC.

[malcorub16]

Corpus Christi along IH 37 is ugly, refineries as far as the eye can see. Shoreline Drive is nice for a drive, but there is not really much to do there.

[Slowpoke_TX]

Originally Posted by imaterry78259

Why can't CC become the new San Diego or a resort city on the sea?

This is a real oxymoron city there are no good seafood restaurants in CC??

Because local leadership doesn't want to spend the money to develop downtown, the bayfront, and North Beach into places where resorts would want to build and tourists would want to visit.

[Dr.Mcninja]

San Diego is a military town with a port. It just happens to have other close towns near it and it has highways going to parts further, so it's on the way for things. Corpus is at the end of one line, and maybe once 69 is complete it will start to grow, but for the time being it will continue being a sleepy beach town, like every other town on the Texas Coast.
It's better today that it was 6 years ago when we moved here, and I expect it will continue to get better. The airport is great because I can arrive at the parking lot 30 minutes before takeoff and still make my flight.
I love it here, but I also go other places.