Tyler, Texas - Would you live here? (Houston, Dallas: military, versus)

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by JustT&Me

First fall here. I've been looking for color, but only a few trees have a bit. Bc it's mostly "Piney Woods" (as you can see from numerous posts about why ppl think this is a great place to live or not), there's not the color that you'd see in other locations. I also noticed that quite a bit of the color I've seen is from trees planted (e.g., in medians) rather than being local fare. I left plenty of color behind at its peak - absolutely beautiful. If you're looking for a place with color (trees), Tyler is not it.

I was just inquiring on how far along the colors were presently, but I am familiar with the autumn scenery in the region. No one will ever mistake Tyler for Boston, but what they do have is considerably nice for Texas. Some years are better than others, and there's generally more color up around Texarkana.

The best displays of color will be away from the city and out in the wilderness and park areas where the original forests can still be found.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by Mark Senior

No claim to have great fall colors. Just compared to anyplace in Texas, there is color in Tyler.

Tyler has a colorful Fall considering this is Texas. Lots of pines, but also everything else mixed in too...oaks, maples, sweet gums, etc.

Go down to Deep East Texas around Lufkin & Nacogdoches you'll see less foliage because its mostly pine trees. Even 40 miles east of Tyler in Longview its mostly pines.

We are fortunate to live in a very wooded region.

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Tyler has a colorful Fall considering this is Texas. Lots of pines, but also everything else mixed in too...oaks, maples, sweet gums, etc.

Go down to Deep East Texas around Lufkin & Nacogdoches you'll see less foliage because its mostly pine trees. Even 40 miles east of Tyler in Longview its mostly pines.

We are fortunate to live in a very wooded region.

In the "urban" part of Nacogdoches you see mostly hardwoods, and there is some nice color in the area.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by Wd5530

Hi I am in college but moving to Tyler for 6 months for a coop. I am from PA and have never been to Texas before.

What is there to do around Tyler?
Is there even a hint of nightlife somewhere nearby?
I'm looking into apartments. Where should I look?
Any other advice for me?

Any help would be appreciated

Things to do in Tyler...

Bike/walking trails of South Tyler
Mountain bike trails at UT Tyler & Lindsey Park
Camping at Tyler State Park
Fishing at Lake Tyler & Lake Palestine
Concerts & events at the Cowan Center UT Tyler
Liberty Theater downtown

Nightlife...

Sucks, but there are a couple of bars on the square & then a few sprinkled in South Tyler. Most people travel 1 1/2 hours to Dallas or Shreveport for nightlife. The streets pretty much roll up after 9 pm in Tyler on weekdays & 12 am on weekends.

Apartments...

South Tyler along Broadway & over by the University in Southeast Tyler is where you will want to look. If you get one along Broadway getting around without a car is possible.

[Mark Senior]

Matt maybe put your response under his thread "Moving to Tyler" just saying lol

[zenmaster50]

well i thought moving 2 tyler from dallas would be a little interesting,but i was wrong.there r very historic landmarks here and various interesting points of interest.but it is 2 slow 4 my pace.however they r improving the south part of tyler with the new villages at cumberland shopping center and that's a change,i do have a problem with some of the people here,they're very antisocial and very inpersonal.not a really popular area if u're looking 4 interracial dating.their mentality is something of a mayberry era instead of the big bang theory era,and it's 2 conservative 4 my taste.if u don't mind green acres and brookshires running the whole town.but this town does show some potential,even though they're 60 years behind everybody.and on top of that,they don't even have an amtrack station.talking about being behind the xs

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by zenmaster50

well i thought moving 2 tyler from dallas would be a little interesting,but i was wrong.there r very historic landmarks here and various interesting points of interest.but it is 2 slow 4 my pace.however they r improving the south part of tyler with the new villages at cumberland shopping center and that's a change,i do have a problem with some of the people here,they're very antisocial and very inpersonal.not a really popular area if u're looking 4 interracial dating.their mentality is something of a mayberry era instead of the big bang theory era,and it's 2 conservative 4 my taste.if u don't mind green acres and brookshires running the whole town.but this town does show some potential,even though they're 60 years behind everybody.and on top of that,they don't even have an amtrack station.talking about being behind the xs

Behind...behind what, Dallas?

Yeah, I can attest to that statement fully.

However, I wouldn't exactly say Tyler is "behind" for its size. The city doubles in population from 100,000 to 200,000 during the work week so that says something. The metro population is right at 216,000 as of last census.

We have 3 institutions of higher learning, a historical junior college, an all Black college (though increasingly becoming more diverse) & a state college, UT Tyler.

We have 3 hospitals offering all the same specialized medical care you would find in Dallas or Houston minus a burn center & dedicated pediatrics hospital.

We have a very nice performing arts with most of the acts that come through Dallas & Houston (even some of the ones that don't)

Yes, Brookshires is a big name around here...so is Green Acres, but our new mayor isn't even Baptist, he's Catholic. We probably even have a larger Catholic community now than Baptists with all of the Hispanics that have moved here.

The pace of life is a lot slower here in East Texas, even Tyler, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I can get to Dallas or Bossier City in less than 1 1/2 hours. Houston in less than 3 hours if I want big city nightlife, shopping, or dining.

[zilam98]

Originally Posted by zenmaster50

well i thought moving 2 tyler from dallas would be a little interesting,but i was wrong.there r very historic landmarks here and various interesting points of interest.but it is 2 slow 4 my pace.however they r improving the south part of tyler with the new villages at cumberland shopping center and that's a change,i do have a problem with some of the people here,they're very antisocial and very inpersonal.not a really popular area if u're looking 4 interracial dating.their mentality is something of a mayberry era instead of the big bang theory era,and it's 2 conservative 4 my taste.if u don't mind green acres and brookshires running the whole town.but this town does show some potential,even though they're 60 years behind everybody.and on top of that,they don't even have an amtrack station.talking about being behind the xs

couldn't be any truer, but i think it's to be expected of a small city/town with less diversity. this is not austin/dallas/LA/SF/portland etc. here in tyler/east texas in general, if you are not white, don't speak with a twang nor wear cowboy boots, the locals/natives are not as welcoming. i remember an acquaintance who was gay considering moving here from west texas, but opted out of it because he's afraid of being alienated here because of his sexual orientation (apart from not being caucasian too).

nevertheless, there's still the southern hospitality that you can't find even in metros/megacities in northern/northeastern states.

[Mark Senior]

Comparing Tyler to Dallas, in some ways make no sense. Now, many of the DFW areas are much the same as Tyler. I drive around North Dallas and Northern Fort Worth suburbs, often. Broadway and the Loop, unfortunately, rival much of the DFW area in traffic.

[tExPatriot]

Originally Posted by zenmaster50

well i thought moving 2 tyler from dallas would be a little interesting,but i was wrong.there r very historic landmarks here and various interesting points of interest.but it is 2 slow 4 my pace.

Originally Posted by zenmaster50

their mentality is something of a mayberry era instead of the big bang theory era,and it's 2 conservative 4 my taste.if u don't mind green acres and brookshires running the whole town.but this town does show some potential,even though they're 60 years behind everybody.and on top of that,they don't even have an amtrack station.talking about being behind the xs

I'm not disputing any of your points, but Tyler is home to about a million Baptist churches, just a handful of bars/clubs, and only recently-relaxed its restrictive alcohol laws. Of COURSE it's going to be conservative!! I knew all of this before I ever set foot in Smith County, just based on a simple Google search. I'm sorry you've had this experience, but I don't understand why you thought it would be any different, unless you did no research whatsoever before moving.

Originally Posted by zenmaster50

i do have a problem with some of the people here,they're very antisocial and very impersonal. not a really popular area if u're looking 4 interracial dating

I wish I could say this surprises me, but it doesn't. A few of my minority friends have echoed the same concerns. But I agree with Zilam; I don't think it's Tyler per se; you'll find this mentality in most small cities/towns.