Moving to Edinburg/McAllen (Houston, Dallas: safe area, best schools, living in)

[JoeOfTexas]

Originally Posted by hellpaso

Traffic can get a little congested at times, especially Exp 83, 281, & 10th. The one thing I've noticed here that I have never seen anywhere else in 30 years of driving is the frequency of turns at intersections from the wrong lane. It is not unusual at all to be at a red light, in the far right lane, & have the car next to you in the left lane turn right in front of you. It's crazy! Same with left turns from right lanes!

That is because YOU block the turning lane. There is no turning lanes on most roads, so we do this. Even cops do it.

Also, people in the Valley love driving absurdly slow, and expect them to take the empty lanes.

[hellpaso]

^ Need I say more?

[BigAl22]

Hello, I'm just piggybacking on this discussion. I, too, may be moving to Edinburg/McAllen area to start work at UTPA (UT-RGV) in the fall. I have a small elementary-school aged boy. How is the area in terms of raising small children? How are the public schools? Are there any specific areas or neighborhoods we should be looking at where the public schools are better than others?

I read through the rest of the discussion. Very helpful.

Many, many thanks in advance for your advice.

[NewTexico76]

Originally Posted by JoeOfTexas

That is because YOU block the turning lane. There is no turning lanes on most roads, so we do this. Even cops do it.

Also, people in the Valley love driving absurdly slow, and expect them to take the empty lanes.

I find that people drive either fifteen or more miles below the speed limit, or well above the speed limit (and pass slow cars in bike lanes at full speed!).

[NewTexico76]

Originally Posted by BigAl22

Hello, I'm just piggybacking on this discussion. I, too, may be moving to Edinburg/McAllen area to start work at UTPA (UT-RGV) in the fall. I have a small elementary-school aged boy. How is the area in terms of raising small children? How are the public schools? Are there any specific areas or neighborhoods we should be looking at where the public schools are better than others?

I read through the rest of the discussion. Very helpful.

Many, many thanks in advance for your advice.

One good piece of advice I received is to look for a stable neighborhood in an area that is already built up, such as North McAllen. You may be tempted to move to a less expensive area on the outskirts of Edinburg or Mission - but in those areas - school boundaries are constantly changing, housing is rapidly expanding, and a quick influx of new people can change the schools very quickly.

This is not some veiled comment about race or class (the whole region has fairly uniform demographics), but you don't want to see the schools radically change from one year to another.

[BigAl22]

Thanks for the tip!

Just a few more questions: I'm from the Northeast, but have spent the last five years living in Louisiana. I have family in Texas, but not that far south. In terms of safety, crime, and cross-border issues with gangs: How much of that is blown out of proportion by the media? Is McAllen generally a safe place to live? Generally as safe as any other U.S. city? My main concern is raising a family in the region.

[BigAl22]

As a side note: I'm happy to hear about the slow drivers. I drive like an old fart, so it sounds like I will fit in with at least half of the locals.

[lndigo]

I grew up in North McAllen. In retrospect, it was a great place to be a kid and grow up: biking around the neighborhood with other kids, bloc parties, barbacoa sunday, trick-or-treating, etc. Of course I grew to hate the valley when I got into my teens, as many valley kids do. ;] But really, the valley is very safe, friendly, and incredibly laid back. It's the kind of place where people work to live (and not live to work) and keep close ties with their family.

[gabetx]

Looking at the crime stats... McAllen for a city and a metro area its size, looks very safe. I think it would be boring to be a cop there, lol.

[BigAl22]

Thanks, Everyone!
Good to know. Yes, very laid back sounds good to me!