Californian looking to prospectively live in Galveston TX (Post: housing, weekend getaway)

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by ZanZeBar

Historic documentation of Galveston when it was first being settled by immigrants was eerily positive. For example, explorer Francis Sheridan, upon encountering Galveston, talked about the beaches as having the whitest, firmest, and most beautiful sand he had seen

Some explorers/writers, though, were prone to exaggerating in order to generate excitement and get more support for exploring or for their books. Cabesa de Vaca describes the Galveston area (400 years ago) very similarly to what you see today - except it was during the little ice age and there was ice on the bay occasionally! Crazy stuff .

Also, depending on the tides, you go off-shore by a mile or two (sometimes less) and get crystal clear water.

http://www.tbo.com/list/news-opinion...ifferent-53999

[ZanZeBar]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Some explorers/writers, though, were prone to exaggerating in order to generate excitement and get more support for exploring or for their books. Cabesa de Vaca describes the Galveston area (400 years ago) very similarly to what you see today - except it was during the little ice age and there was ice on the bay occasionally! Crazy stuff .

Also, depending on the tides, you go off-shore by a mile or two (sometimes less) and get crystal clear water.

Why Texas beaches look different | TBO.com

Cabeza De Vaca's comments about Galveston were never related to the water. He called it "The Island of Doom," but that was after being shipwrecked, getting captured by the local Native Americans, as well as encountering disease/mosquitoes. Ice didn't form on the bay, but he did describe chilly weather (thanks to a cold front); then again, he was stranded, and likely not fully clothed.

Galveston was actually promoted as a great beach destination during the entire immigration period. All exaggerations have a basis in reality, so for them to hold it in that high regard, there is no doubt that the Galveston beach we see this day isn't what was encountered in the past.

The article you posted is correct in that oil drilling is unrelated to beach conditions, but false in regards to the sand origin (and aesthetics). The Texas sand came from the many waterways of the state/or from underwater, not from the MS river. The sand may not be Destin white, but it isn't brown either.

[radiolibre99]

I could've sworn being in Galveston and seeing some nice sandy beaches. Not white but still nice. It wasn't in a popular destination on the tourist side but it was still a nice beach I had never noticed in Galveston before. I forgot the name.

[JoninATX]

Galveston waters isn't that bad. If you put the water in a jar or even in your hand you and see all the dirt that's causing it to be brown. There are also days the water is blue as well. Just depends on the ocean current.

[jackalope48]

It's river silt from the Mississippi. It is the result of the Corps of Engineers channelizing the river to stabilize navigation. Prior to that silt got captured in the massive delta system before reaching the Gulf. That's why near shore water in Texas gets clearer/bluer the farther South you go down the coast. The small grain size of Texas sand also encourages turbidity on windy days. Lots of places have "beaches" that people in Texas would describe as rocks or pebbles.

[ZanZeBar]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I could've sworn being in Galveston and seeing some nice sandy beaches. Not white but still nice. It wasn't in a popular destination on the tourist side but it was still a nice beach I had never noticed in Galveston before. I forgot the name.

Probably somewhere on the West End.

Originally Posted by jackalope48

It's river silt from the Mississippi. It is the result of the Corps of Engineers channelizing the river to stabilize navigation. Prior to that silt got captured in the massive delta system before reaching the Gulf. That's why near shore water in Texas gets clearer/bluer the farther South you go down the coast.

Yep, I've explained this earlier in the thread. I think some beaches in Egypt, like those in Alexandria, are super clear, even being scuba diving destinations, despite being right next to the Nile River, due to the delta system.

Originally Posted by jackalope48

The small grain size of Texas sand also encourages turbidity on windy days. Lots of places have "beaches" that people in Texas would describe as rocks or pebbles.

Yes, the sand in Texas is very fine.

[Dallas retail updater]

Originally Posted by New0007

Thanks for replying. A beach is a beach to me but are there parts of Galveston that aren't good because Galveston is not a very big place its more or less an island in a way. I have never been here but am planning on visiting a few times before I move?

Galveston has quite a legacy. Before the hurricane, it was the second wealthiest city in the nation per capita and the luxury retail capital of the south. When the hurricane was coming ashore, people walked down to the beach to watch it approach. The rest is history.

[gabewantsmore]

We love living in Galveston. Beach is perfect for long walks. People surf, but waves are small and nothing like CA. Water is occasionally "chocolate milk" color due to turbidity from the Mississippi River, but most of the time it's greenish teal. (Never clear or turquoise). Late spring usually brings some sargassum seaweed in with the tide but it usually dries up and dissolves fairly quickly.
Main industry is tourism so the island IS congested during summer, especially on weekends and holidays. Pretty easy to avoid the crowds - just avoid driving the seawall after 10am during the summer. We always celebrate in September when the bulk of the tourists leave 😉
Plenty of young adults due to UTMB. Yoga, crossfit, gyms, the gulf itself, and the seawall provide a variety of activity options. Plenty of good restaurants (plenty of tourist traps, too), bars and a few breweries.
East End Historic District is beautiful. Condos downtown are popular as well. Near West End has some condos and apartments that might be less expensive. Million dollar mansions out farther on the west end and far east end. There are some sketchy neighborhoods as in any city. You know 'em when you see 'em. Crime seems mostly theft-related. (Tourists and their cars are frequently targeted.).
Come visit a few times during different times of the year. Fall, winter, and spring - climate is awesome. Summer is monster hot and humid (everyone has refrigerated air, when outside being close enough to the seawall to catch some sea breeze helps. A lot. &#128522

[Hopeful for Life]

Originally Posted by New0007

Hello everyone I am very much considering moving to Texas but looking to live in Galveston in particular. I have never been to Texas ever(stopping in Dallas for a connecting flight doesn't count) but I am moving for a new start, cost of living is more than reasonable and Texas is very SA2 friendly. What are good neighborhoods in Galveston to go for a someone new to Texas? Thank you all.

What is "SA2"?

[BobTex]

Yeah, I wondered what SA2 was also.

One thing nobody has mentioned in a long list of very informative posts is the humidity. Water drips off everything many mornings in the summer. I like Galveston for weekend getaways for me and the Mrs..

One of the better threads, information and accuracy was outstanding, I've read on here in a while.