Temple/Killeen TX , any one have any input? (Houston, San Antonio: 2013, apartments)

[Nash3222]

Hello
Looking to move to TX from the Midwest. Looking at San Antonio, but also smaller cities like Temple TX look appealing, or Killeen Tx look appealing also. I am more of a country boy, like quiet.

They both look about an hour away from Austen which would work for me as far as driving for entertainment and such.

Any one have any ideas about Jobs, (I am a nurse), crime, life, housing, life in general in Temple or Killeen? No kids, so schools are not an issue.
It would be either just me or me and G-friend.

thanks

[ChristieP]

No, no. Central Texas, especially right around Fort Hood, is not where you want to be if you have a choice. It's not a nice part of the state at all. Fort Hood just brings in undesirable elements, and the surrounding area is a typical "G.I. Town". Yes, it has lots of chain restaurants, but so does every other decent size city in Texas. The only good jobs are those on the base. You could get something OK at Scott & White, but unless your girlfriend is also a nurse, she will likely have a hard time finding anything decent besides waiting tables or working at a retail store.

What kind of city are you looking for? If you want to be close to Austin itself, look to the south and west. Those are much better areas, and they have more opportunity for both of you.

[texas_nightowl]

I haven't lived in or near Killeen for a number of years, but...just remember it is an Army town. Home to Fort Hood. There is good and often a lot of bad that goes with that. I'll leave it at that since I have not lived there for a while.

As for Temple...a better choice than Killeen in my opinion. Scott & White Hospital is a good hospital/medical center there in Temple. So that is a plus for you. But again, been several years since I've lived in the area. As traffic grows on I-35 every year, I'm sure Temple has changed some.

[KathrynAragon]

Temple would be a better choice than Killeen. Killeen is a military town in the worst sense of the phrase. Fort Hood is one of the largest military installations in the world and the town is not bettered by it's presence. That being said, Temple isn't all that fabulous either - though I'm sure it has some redeeming qualities I don't know about.

Would you consider other metro areas with good medical facilities? DFW, Houston, and the Tyler/Longview area as well as San Antonio and probably ten other mid size cities close-ish to big metro areas might fit the bill.

[JoninATX]

Nash3222 take it from someone who lives here, don't choose either one. Crime is a problem in both, as well as snooty attitudes. I would recommend Georgetown which is the northern part of the Austin metro area. Georgetown has that country vibe without the hustel and bustel of Austin. Although traffic can get bad at times.

[bigben1234]

I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into a patriotic rant, but I am also considering moving to Killeen or Temple and I have a few points.

If someone would like to depict all military personnel as sub-standard citizens, I think it's only fair to cite specific examples or traits. Simply throwing around phrases like "undesirable elements", "G.I. Town", "military town in the worst sense of the phrase" and "often a lot of bad that goes with that" without explaining further just isn't fair. I know this is a PG rated forum, but surely you are intelligent enough to clarify without breaking forum rules.

I joined the Army when I was 17. Four years active duty, one year PA National Guard. I spent three years in Texas (Ft. Bliss). I never broke any laws, I can say the same for most of my fellow soldiers.

Many service members come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They might seem a little rough around the edges, but that doesn't mean they are all bad people. You might live your life a little differently too if you never knew when your number would be called, only to go over there and maybe never come back.

If it wasn't for the Army, I wouldn't have a degree.

I now work in an office with "respectable and educated individuals" who will ********* over and ruin your life without batting an eye.

-Ben

[ChristieP]

FYI: I'm an Army Reservist's wife. My husband has served for 23 years and has done 3 overseas deployments.

But I still would not choose to live near Fort Hood.

[explorer2014]

The advice you have received is good. Killeen is crime ridden and one of the worst places in Texas. Temple is much better. Better again would be Belton.

[metroxian]

Take a look at Baylor Scott & White locations to continue your search for an outside the big city place to live. While I wouldn't agree with the negative input on Killeen, it is a somewhat transient city resulting in less stability. It's really more like a forgotten suburb in a large metro - but it's just stuck out in the dirt plains, equally distant from anywhere else. Actually, a pretty good place for an Army post.

Both Belton and/or Temple would be a better choice, and about twenty miles away from Fort Hood. And for the G-friend, there's plenty of work opportunities but they're not on major through fares with big signs. Just as both Belton and Temple have some great neighborhoods that are fairly hidden. If you don't have a reason to be in them, you wouldn't know they are there.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/arti...INFO/310019978

Good luck with your search. If you have more questions on the Temple/Belton area I'll be glad to try to answer them.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by bigben1234

I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into a patriotic rant, but I am also considering moving to Killeen or Temple and I have a few points.

If someone would like to depict all military personnel as sub-standard citizens, I think it's only fair to cite specific examples or traits. Simply throwing around phrases like "undesirable elements", "G.I. Town", "military town in the worst sense of the phrase" and "often a lot of bad that goes with that" without explaining further just isn't fair. I know this is a PG rated forum, but surely you are intelligent enough to clarify without breaking forum rules.

I joined the Army when I was 17. Four years active duty, one year PA National Guard. I spent three years in Texas (Ft. Bliss). I never broke any laws, I can say the same for most of my fellow soldiers.

Many service members come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They might seem a little rough around the edges, but that doesn't mean they are all bad people. You might live your life a little differently too if you never knew when your number would be called, only to go over there and maybe never come back.

If it wasn't for the Army, I wouldn't have a degree.

I now work in an office with "respectable and educated individuals" who will ********* over and ruin your life without batting an eye.

-Ben

Ben.

I come from a military family and have lived on or around military installations most of my life. I have the highest regard for our military. My father, brother, and three of my four children (as well as their father) have all served in the military, as well as my grandfather and great grandfather, etc etc in every generation all the way back to the Revolutionary War, so please understand that I personally don't need a lecture on the honor and integrity of military service.

I've lived in towns adjacent to small posts, and to huge posts - everywhere from Aberdeen, MD to Norfolk, VA to Columbus, GA, Aschaffenburg Germany, Yokohama Japan, Killeen, TX and everywhere in between. The larger the post, the larger number of single, lower ranking personnel are generally attached to the post. With that demographic comes immaturity and expendable income on very predictable paydays, along with the attitude of "hey, I'm a long way from home," and "I'm about to deploy/just got back from Iraq/here on TDY/about to jump out of perfectly good airplane tomorrow/fill in the blank" and you have the perfect mix to create a boomtown near base/post made up of strip clubs, pawn shops, bars, tattoo parlors, and payday loan places. It's not the sort of wholesome urban growth that creates a pretty town - or a lower crime rate.

Not all military towns have big problems with this - but generally speaking, the larger the military installation, the larger the problem. Not only that, but the general population of such towns/cities is markedly different from the surrounding, more "native" population and the society is much more mobile and therefore also less settled, creating a higher percentage of rented vs owner occupied homes, apartments, etc. as well as higher crime rates. It's just the truth.