Is Corpus that bad? (Houston, San Antonio: high crime, college, camping)

[ThanksABunch]

(I apologize if similar questions post twice. My first post mysteriously disappeared!)

So...I just read a terribly negative post about Corpus with several responses that agreed (Quality of life in Corpus thread).

Good lord, is it really that bad?: high crime, discrimination, religious nuts, ignorance and lack of friendliness, bad climate, etc, etc.

I'd love to hear from Corpus folks who like their town and why.

I may be moving to Rockport or Port Aransas...and will be in Corpus now and again for shopping, etc.

Is it really that bad?

[scubashawn]

I have been over a month and love it so far.
I have not seen anything like what the bitter people have described.
I have not seen discrimination...I have not seen high crime....or religious nuts. And the people have been very friendly !
So far it seems like a pretty laid back place to live.
The weather is not too bad...although it will get very humid here soon...but lived in Savannah GA before here and that was far worse.
There's a nice ocean breeze which helps. Only negative that I can really think of is that it gets very windy and the drivers here are really bad....They do not know what a turn signal on there car is for. But to me , those are minor things and you will have that in most cities.
I'd love to answer any questions you may have.

[Muhnay]

I used to go down to Corpus every year. The city is being over run by illegals, as my local friends say. But since I mostly stayed on the beach for the couple weeks I was there, I really had no problems. I loved the climate there. Always has an 8-10 mile an hour wind blowing there, helps keep it cool, and less humid. Some of the people there well most are too busy with their lives or problems to be too friendly to you.. but once you start to chat with them and take time to notice them they open up pretty quick and that Texas charm starts to flow. Guess they are just used to the come and go visitors there and don't want to invest to much time with someone who will be gone in a few weeks.

But thats Corpus.. you'll be in Rockport or Aransas? Those two areas I found to be very friendly, and more relaxed than Corpus. Thats where I planned on moving too as well.. but life took me a bit further down the gulfcoast to Gulfport MS.. more job opportunities here, better pay etc.

Corpus is a nice place given any faults, and I think you can be quite happy there.. it is what you make it after all.

[Marlow]

I'm from CC and after moving away for college and work, moved back about 12 years ago. One reason I'm still here is because of family obligations but I think that while CC is not a perfect place to live, it's a perfectly good place to live.

I've posted a lot about CC on here recently and you can search for those posts. To me, the worst things about CC are the city leadership (really the lack of it and coziness among those who are "leaders"), the miserably hot weather in June-September and the lack of nearby hiking and camping.

The good things about it are the laid-back attitude (you can wear shorts/jeans and flip-flops just about every where, just about all year long), the low cost of housing, the bayfront, the beach, all the water-related activities, short commute times, good Mexican food, friendly people and mild winters.

Things I wish CC had/did: Better public transportation, more trees, a developed downtown, an organized plan of development to avoid sprawl, and people who picked up their trash.

I don't get the bitter attitudes about CC from some of the posters, but I suspect either (1) they'd be unhappy whereever they lived or (2) their dislike of CC has more to do with it being the hometown they couldn't wait to get away from than with the town itself.

So, welcome to the area and I hope you like it!

[NOTAM]

please ignore my negative posts about South Texas. i am from a much different Texas, and that is the reason why I just dont like it down here.
in terms of crime, HA! Corpus aint NOTHING compared to Savannah GA. i was afraid to even SHOP alone in Savannah. i drive to Corpus all the time alone (nearest civilization to where I am) and have NO FEAR of being a victim of crime. accidents? well yes, there are alot of uninsured drivers here. you MUST practice defensive driving. i try to avoid SPID. i absolutely love driving Chapman Ranch Road...........GORGEOUS..so i usually go that way, to Staples/Saratoga/WayOutWeber etc.....

[scubashawn]

You know what I say to the people that post negatives about the city they live in ?
LEAVE if you don't like it. We would probably be better off if you did.

[ThanksABunch]

Thank you, everyone, for all your responses. I really appreciate it greatly! This is a big move for me, so it is nice to hear some positives! As I said, I'll be living in Port A or Rockport..but will shop in Corpus once in awhile.

I guess normal fears of change were spurred by some of the negatives I was hearing. My city (Portland) is far from perfect either...so I have to remember no city is perfect.

Thanks for your help!

Best wishes

[stuckincorpus]

I'm honestly not a bitter person, I just know what lies beyond Corpus Christi. I wish I could leave, but the military tells us where to live.

Honestly, I know that there are worse places in the U.S. to live...worse crime, etc. but, I also have lived in the most amazing places- with little to no crime, clean and beautiful scenery, amazing people, as close to Utopia as I can imagine- so maybe that's why I view Corpus as a concrete jungle with no family quality of life beyond a few visits to the museum and aquarium. Give me the beauty of the Northeast or Northwest any day!

[ruggedindividual]

Originally Posted by stuckincorpus

I'm honestly not a bitter person, I just know what lies beyond Corpus Christi. I wish I could leave, but the military tells us where to live.

I came to Corpus (Ingleside) because of the military too. It's not a bad place. It has it's good and bad points, as any place does. Couple hours to San Antonio (where Sea World is free for military and their families) and a few hours to Houston. If you're in the military, and you can't stand it here...do like you always do in the Navy and make the best out of a bad situation. Lucky for me, I just started terminal leave and will be in Wyoming by this time next month! God bless civilian life.

One note on the ethnicity topic...Corpus Christi is 52% hispanic (legal/illegal...I don't know). Learn Spanish. It'll help immensely.

[stuckincorpus]

We always make the best of every situation- that's what military families do if they're in it for the long haul- and if I didn't have that mentality, I'd be running back to live "home" like some others do. I just don't appreciate the crime rate, the filthiness, and what I see on the news. It's not what I want for our children ultimately. Typically, those I know who "don't mind" or actually like Corpus Christi, are those who grew up in areas where similar crime statistics reign. On the other hand, I have met more (than not) folks who feel as I do, which is why I don't feel in the minority for those transplanted here (mostly through the military). Sure, we drive to San Antonio often, we've fallen in love with the Hill Country area, but we can't LIVE there. Plus, that all takes time and money. Why not live where one enjoys their surroundings, is all I say. This is why we, too, will be leaving the military after Corpus. We don't want to raise our kids here any longer than we have to. I am just offering up my opinion to help other families who may feel the same with regards to wanting a true quality of life.