re: McAllen Texas: what is there to do?

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And all the learn/speak Spanish is bullshite.

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I'm not sure what you mean by this.
Are you implying that someone wanting to learn Spanish and living in McAllen (or anywhere else in the RGV for that matter) wouldn't have an opportunity to practice their Spanish everyday?

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Are you implying that someone wanting to learn Spanish and living in McAllen (or anywhere else in the RGV for that matter) wouldn't have an opportunity to practice their Spanish everyday?

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No that is not what I am implying. Certainly it's an opportunity to practice and hone your skills. However I have worked in that area since the early 90's and my Spanish is limited. But I tote the note. When I'm the one making the payroll I don't have to speak Spanish. They learn English in a hurry when you owe them money.

My point being many if not most speak English. Half of them come across the border daily and attend Texas public schools and get free breakfast and lunch. Then go back across the border after school. Which is my point of borderland. It's a very fluid region.

OMLandshark: It's going to suck and you're going to hate your life. You might as well quit your job because a company that will send you to such a $hit hole must not have any confidence in you.

For anyone else who has an open mind to something different and new: McAllen is actually a nice place to be. Like another poster said great food, great people, great culture. There is a hell of a lot of money down there too. There are clubs for douches like landshark and there are places to grab a few and talk with some people who've experienced far more than you could ever imagine in their quest to become US citizens. The valley is a great place, I love when work takes me there.

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Talk about how great Texas is

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He ain't wrong!

I like how people throw around Fortune 500 as if the overwhelming majority of people who work for Fortune 500 companies aren't doing absolute shite work for mediocre salaries.

I grew up in mactown

Food is great. Talent is pretty legit. Drugs are cheap.padre is close.

Once you meet ppl you will settle in, mcallen and corpus are the two best places to live in terms of cities south of san antonio. Go out downtown, roosevelts, cine el rey, house wine, flying walrus, you willmeet some people your age. Gamehaus is pretty legit. Simon sez and cadillac jacks (not sure if still open...in edinburg by utpa)

HEB is the GOAT grocery store. Whataburger and dairy queen everywhere. Delias for tamales, el pato for tacos, palanque will become your go-to post 2am taco joint.peter piper pizza FTW as for real dining, , santa fe, republic of rio grande,oliviers, corner bakery and sahadi are nice spots.

Quinta mazatlan(google) is something unique. Actually going into mexico and shopping used to be neat before 9/11,cartels etc.

There are a lot of ppl in your field down there. Med/pharm and produce are huge industries. Look up some places on twitter, there is usually decent live music. Hillbillys is a country bar that IIRC usually is packed on wednesdays. There are normally good concerts down there, you will get several big time acts a year. Killer bee hockey games are fun as shite, the rockets d league team plays there too.

Artwalk is fun during the fall, SPI is legit, not as nice as fla beaches but solid. Louies back yard, jakes, claytons beach bar, amberjacks, anything on gulf or padre blvd. lighthouse in port isabel, marcellos has great italian food. great fishing in the laguna madre, you can duck/goose/deer hunt if thats your thing. Great dove hunting in september. Mcallen country club is nice.

Traffic sucks, its hot as shite in summer, learn spanish, etc

Basically there are way worse places (laredo, brownsville)

You'll be ok dude

Bump this or look out for me on here when u get there, ill see if i can help further. Havent been down there in a while but still have a ton of friends.

Ps-strip clubs=xoticas, tex mex, whiskers

Good luck, dont get kilt. Arriba!

Eta- great call on stilettos.

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For anyone else who has an open mind to something different and new: McAllen is actually a nice place to be. Like another poster said great food, great people, great culture. There is a hell of a lot of money down there too. There are clubs for douches like landshark and there are places to grab a few and talk with some people who've experienced far more than you could ever imagine in their quest to become US citizens. The valley is a great place, I love when work takes me there.

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Oh please. I'm not doubting the character of the people there. It's just every post has been beating around the bush. In my past threads when I've moved, people have been pretty specific on things I could do there. I may have gotten a few restaurant recs here, but that's really it. Everything else has been incredibly vague, and that's not a good sign.

You kinda sound like a prissy bitch, in that you keep coming back to complain more after getting further advice from people. I don't understand these people that just to be entertained by their city's nightlife and cultural opportunities. They're great to have, sure, but Christ, you're only going to be there for a couple months.

some other things to consider...


a lot of people that have only "been in town on business" are probably staying at hotels on the south side by the airport. the best parts are the mid-city and the north side. once you get past business 83 going south back towards the airport, you are getting toward the more industrial areas if you know what i mean. look for a place on the northside of town. north side is very clean part of town, the city has a great recycling system. this area of town has developed A TON since i moved there in the mid 90s. left in 03 and am amazed every time i go back how it keeps growing. lot of real estate opportunities.

there are some nice bike trails and walking/running trails. bill schupp park is nice. they just built a big arse dog park if you have a mutt. there is a big arse gold's gym on the north side and other places like that.

latinas love white guys. especially if you give off that southern vibe (im profiling you as an ole miss person, i actually lost my virginity to a chick from down there who ended up going to ole piss, but i digress...)

the mcallen mall is actually really nice, only trouble is its usually chock full of mexicans(actual people from mexico, not the hispanics from mcallen) if you go, say, early on a wednesday morning, it isnt so bad. mall is across the street from airport. there is one of those ginormous outlet malls about 25 mins away in mercedes.

im trying to think of other shite for you right now but im pretty blazed. supposed to head down there this summer some time for a friend's wedding, pretty excited.

the valley is good people.

Eta...add spork, peppers(chill spots w excellent food) mrs G's(incredible breakfast tacos...ask for extra salsa)and costa messa to the restaurant list. Sprouts for your farmers market