Will Tyler get a freeway system in the future? (Houston: best city, apartment)

[Mark Senior]

No freeways will NOT be built in Tyler. How many years to we want to look forward? 100 maybe? Tyler city officials have always wanted Tyler to stay pretty much as is. Tyler has grown inspite of itself. The last attempt at over passes not even freeways was some 7 or 8 years ago or before, prior to the Walmart super center of the West Loop. TXDOT as the city if they wanted the West Loop to have over passes at Highway 31 and 64 west as they cross the loop, the city as usual passed on that.

About my comment on growth, Tyler does offer tax incentive's and abatements for growth but so does pretty much any city of any size. But Tyler will not or has not gone the last competing step in the last 13 years and that is to pay per job. Such as 1,000 per job that is created and kept for lest say, two years, the company would be handed 500,000 dollars for 500 good paying jobs. Tyler instead again uses it tax money to lower city property taxes to the lowest in the state for any place over 15,000 but not for job growth and also is a debt free city - pay as you go. Jacksonville near Tyler, 14,000 pop being small, had to pay 2 or 3 thousand dollars per job for a 300 job call center to locate to their city, not even high paying job. Several years ago Longview paid I think 750 pe job for the Burlington Coat Factory to move to thier city. Those are the steps you take to compete when you are not connected to a major pop market.

But getting back to the question of freeways no way. That would encourage rampant growth so the city father think.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by hamiltonpl

I really don't know what DFW sprawl has to do with any of this. Aren't we talking about Tyler?

I was in downtown Tyler last summer. It wasn't apparent that anything had changed. Maybe a new restaurant on the square? But they've had those for a few years and they don't appear to be popular.

I've got nothing but warm wishes for Tyler. I think its a good town. But it is not nearly sprawling or dense enough for light-rail service. High speed rail to Dallas and Houston would be great though. I think commerce between those cities would really help Tyler grow. But even that is a pipe dream with budget cutbacks.

Also, it seems like as long as Tyler is in a dry county, it is going to have a hard time becoming urban. That is one thing that tells outsiders that you're living in the past.

Since I lived in Tyler, I know the culture. Tylerites are extremely proud, but sheltered people. They often travel to Dallas and compare just about everything in Tyler to it. They think they know and have seen it all. I know because I was one of them.

I can say without a doubt that the snobbiest people I've ever met were in Tyler. There's nothing worse than a big fish in a small pond. People in Highland Park were downright humble in comparison. I think that small town snobbery is something that also drives newcomers from Tyler. A lot of people thinking they're cosmopolitan when they're anything but can be annoying. Hopefully that will change.

Smith County is constantly touted as the "wettest dry county" in Texas. Winona, which is in northern Smith County recently went wet a year or so ago. You can buy liqueur less than 10 miles north of Downtown Tyler for crying out loud!

We have an upscale winery down near Bullard also 10 miles outside of Tyler called Kiepersol & another location across from Broadway Square Mall where you can wine test & purchase some of the finest of wines Texas has to offer all while listening to a live pianist.

The new Brookshires Fresh organic food market you can actually have a cold one, or two, or three while you shop or get plastered out on the patio over looking the rolling hills & tree line of South Tyler while waiting on your freshly steamed African Trout. There is also the Gelato bar (Italian Ice Cream for all you non cosmopolitan people) which is absolutely delicious. Everything used in the construction of this concept grocery store was from sustainable & recycled materials. Even all of the parking lot lights are ultra low power consuming LED's (100 watts max) versus your typical sodium or metal halide parking lot flood lights which use up to 1,000 watts a piece.

Tyler just got a BJ's Brewhouse near the mall. Uptown Tyler is growing like crazy these days. A Chuy's Mexican Restaurant is going in as we speak & should be complete in the next few weeks.

Hows all that for a so called dry county in a wanna be cosmopolitan city?

My travels have taken me outside of Tyler & well beyond Dallas my friend. As a matter of fact, I've lived in both Dallas (2 years) & Houston (5 years) while traveling to both more times than I can even begin to count during my lifetime...Houston is like my second home. I've been to LA, SF, SJ, SA, ATX, NO, CHI, DC, & NYC just to name a few cities.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by hamiltonpl

I really don't know what DFW sprawl has to do with any of this. Aren't we talking about Tyler?

I was in downtown Tyler last summer. It wasn't apparent that anything had changed. Maybe a new restaurant on the square? But they've had those for a few years and they don't appear to be popular.

I've got nothing but warm wishes for Tyler. I think its a good town. But it is not nearly sprawling or dense enough for light-rail service. High speed rail to Dallas and Houston would be great though. I think commerce between those cities would really help Tyler grow. But even that is a pipe dream with budget cutbacks.

Also, it seems like as long as Tyler is in a dry county, it is going to have a hard time becoming urban. That is one thing that tells outsiders that you're living in the past.

Since I lived in Tyler, I know the culture. Tylerites are extremely proud, but sheltered people. They often travel to Dallas and compare just about everything in Tyler to it. They think they know and have seen it all. I know because I was one of them.

I can say without a doubt that the snobbiest people I've ever met were in Tyler. There's nothing worse than a big fish in a small pond. People in Highland Park were downright humble in comparison. I think that small town snobbery is something that also drives newcomers from Tyler. A lot of people thinking they're cosmopolitan when they're anything but can be annoying. Hopefully that will change.

Tell me about it. Annoys the hell out of me when my relatives from small cities act like I'm the one who lives in a small city. "Why yall don't got this? We got that back [insert small little city like Tyler]".

[Bo]

Posts above were deleted and edited. Discuss the topic, not each other. There's absolutely no reason to take swipes at posters you disagree with and the board has rules against it.

[TxStorm72]

I agree it would never happen, but Tyler sure needs to do something with Loop 323 to make it to where you don't incur red light after red light. Concrete medians isn't enough and can cause increased congestion. Loop 49 isn't enough for those who live inside Tyler or near the loop.

[First24]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Smith County is constantly touted as the "wettest dry county" in Texas. Winona, which is in northern Smith County recently went wet a year or so ago. You can buy liqueur less than 10 miles north of Downtown Tyler for crying out loud!

We have an upscale winery down near Bullard also 10 miles outside of Tyler called Kiepersol & another location across from Broadway Square Mall where you can wine test & purchase some of the finest of wines Texas has to offer all while listening to a live pianist.

The new Brookshires Fresh organic food market you can actually have a cold one, or two, or three while you shop or get plastered out on the patio over looking the rolling hills & tree line of South Tyler while waiting on your freshly steamed African Trout. There is also the Gelato bar (Italian Ice Cream for all you non cosmopolitan people) which is absolutely delicious. Everything used in the construction of this concept grocery store was from sustainable & recycled materials. Even all of the parking lot lights are ultra low power consuming LED's (100 watts max) versus your typical sodium or metal halide parking lot flood lights which use up to 1,000 watts a piece.

Tyler just got a BJ's Brewhouse near the mall. Uptown Tyler is growing like crazy these days. A Chuy's Mexican Restaurant is going in as we speak & should be complete in the next few weeks.

Hows all that for a so called dry county in a wanna be cosmopolitan city?

My travels have taken me outside of Tyler & well beyond Dallas my friend. As a matter of fact, I've lived in both Dallas (2 years) & Houston (5 years) while traveling to both more times than I can even begin to count during my lifetime...Houston is like my second home. I've been to LA, SF, SJ, SA, ATX, NO, CHI, DC, & NYC just to name a few cities.

Eating African Trout at Brookshires and having a Texas-based Mexican Food joint set up shop, doesn't exactly qualify as being cosmopolitan.

Also, set the record straight Matt. I've seen posts where you've claimed to have lived in Arlington, TX during your stay in the Metroplex.

[solytaire]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Smith County is constantly touted as the "wettest dry county" in Texas. Winona, which is in northern Smith County recently went wet a year or so ago. You can buy liqueur less than 10 miles north of Downtown Tyler for crying out loud!

We have an upscale winery down near Bullard also 10 miles outside of Tyler called Kiepersol & another location across from Broadway Square Mall where you can wine test & purchase some of the finest of wines Texas has to offer all while listening to a live pianist.

The new Brookshires Fresh organic food market you can actually have a cold one, or two, or three while you shop or get plastered out on the patio over looking the rolling hills & tree line of South Tyler while waiting on your freshly steamed African Trout. There is also the Gelato bar (Italian Ice Cream for all you non cosmopolitan people) which is absolutely delicious. Everything used in the construction of this concept grocery store was from sustainable & recycled materials. Even all of the parking lot lights are ultra low power consuming LED's (100 watts max) versus your typical sodium or metal halide parking lot flood lights which use up to 1,000 watts a piece.

Tyler just got a BJ's Brewhouse near the mall. Uptown Tyler is growing like crazy these days. A Chuy's Mexican Restaurant is going in as we speak & should be complete in the next few weeks.

Hows all that for a so called dry county in a wanna be cosmopolitan city?

My travels have taken me outside of Tyler & well beyond Dallas my friend. As a matter of fact, I've lived in both Dallas (2 years) & Houston (5 years) while traveling to both more times than I can even begin to count during my lifetime...Houston is like my second home. I've been to LA, SF, SJ, SA, ATX, NO, CHI, DC, & NYC just to name a few cities.

Quit trying to make Tyler something it isnt. Places like Boston or San Fran or Seattle are far more urban than either Dallas or Houston will ever be, and yet are smaller by comparison. Whether a city is considered a "big" city or not, isnt what determines how cosmopolitan it is. If people dont think Tyler has cosmopolitan amenities because it is small compared to Houston or DFW, then let them.

[Trae713]

Urban does not equal cosmopolitan.

[JoninATX]

Tyler is growing and will continue to grow. right now there is a 7st. Hospital being build http://www.tmfhs.org/ a redevelopment of a downtown building being converted into a hotel, County sells old Carlton Hotel - KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather Sports and much more.

[jeffari-al-texani]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Tyler's welcome mat is a several thousand square foot Target distribution center

So Lindale is Tyler's welcome mat?