re: Possible Move to Midland, TX

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If they did have lakes and fishing spots man that place would be really jumping.

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Midland has a big as Tracker boat dealer right on the 250 loop.
bigger than any of the boat dealers in Houma

there also a place on I-20 that sells though big arse ski boats with the deep V hull.
and we're 3 hours at a minimum from anywhere with water deep enough for them things.

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Ive never seen the boat stores there but never really looked for them neither.

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the tracker one is right at the corner of 191 and the 250 loop. can't miss it if you're coming from Odessa and turn north on the loop.

the one i was thinking was on I-20 is close enough to a gas station that I noticed it while filling up. but I think it was a little further east, maybe on eastern end of Midland.

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All i do know is theres a Stripes gas station on every corner lol

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Barbaco tacos!

I called on W. TX, including Midland-Odessa, for years in medical device sales. I was based out if Dallas at the time. My last visit was in June 2020. It's an interesting place if you're into photography, storm chasing, and phenomenal sunrises/sunsets. There's a lot to photograph if you want to portray a desolate, dystopian, landscape. I always describe it as the real life "Mad Max" movie. It's really flat, no vegetation, dust to no end, & the land has been ravaged, for better or worse. You see pick-up trucks that have been jeri-rigged & modified to carry a very specific part for a rig. Every business along the interstate is a pre-fab building with rig parts in the lots. It's ugly, but it's the economic reason that city exists.

Just get used to the idea of extreme storms in the spring with tornadoes & hail. Long, hot, dry, summers, and winters with snow. Others have commented about the wind and they're right. 30 mph days aren't uncommon. A pool will be a necessity. Get a stellar allergist. You'll need it.

The people there remind me a lot of Bayou folks: really self-sufficient, salt-of-the-earth types. Even the MDs I worked with were pretty cool. Most of the people I know there are like everyone else: born and raised there, went away for school, eventually moved back. They're not suspicious of people not from there. If you make the effort, they'll welcome you into their community.

Dallas is 5.5 hours away. Austin is a haul, too. A good reminder when you or wife start feeling like you want to go do something. Closest Level 1 Trauma Center is UMC in Lubbock. If you or your wife have a bad accident (not to be overlooked with unfortunate hard drug and alcohol problems there) or emergency involving spine or head trauma (i.e. you fall off a ladder), prepare to be airlifted 2 hours north. Midland hospital is good. It looks really nice, but for healthcare, go to MCH. It's the better facility.

Restaurants & entertainment probably aren't that much different than CenLa. Just don't expect any decent seafood or fish.

Midland is a couple hours from Big Bend State Park. If you like the outdoors, this is one of the best places to be in spring & fall. McDonald Observatory is there if you're into astronomy or just learning about the night sky. One of my best friends in Covington has been going to Big Bend for 15+ years and loves it. Deer hunting in the fall is also pretty big from Abilene westward down to San Angelo.

Forget about LSU ball out that way. It's all Texas Tech or UT. Now that UT is in SEC, there will be more interest in the conference as a whole, but you'll be hard pressed to find a bar or restaurant to watch a big LSU game with like-minded fans.

I grew up on the Northshore in SELA, but have moved around a bit in Texas since leaving in 2010. In Houston now. Before you commit to the new role and making what will be a big change, take a long weekend and fly out to Midland to see it for yourself. Your company should pay for it. If they're offering big bucks to make the transition, make sure you get an understanding of what the minimum commitment to staying in Midland is. You may wind up loving it there & never leaving or hating it after 6 months and planning your next move after a year.

One bullet is all you need.

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On Watley

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On Watley

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Wadley

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worst place to live in Texas outside of Harlingen

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what's wrong w/ Harlingen? I've never been but stumbled arcoss some real estate listing there and, not being familiar, went down the rabbit trail. Seemed interesting for the prices shown; I'm not going there just curious what's "wrong" with the area?

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Midland/Odessa is thriving. You right no water anywhere around like we use to down here. If they did have lakes and fishing spots man that place would be really jumping.

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Amistad, Allen Henry or OH Ivy. All require a little drive of two hours or more. I had an old colleague who fished and had no problem making the drives.

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what's wrong w/ Harlingen? I've never been but stumbled arcoss some real estate listing there and, not being familiar, went down the rabbit trail. Seemed interesting for the prices shown; I'm not going there just curious what's "wrong" with the area?

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Harlingen is one of the better towns with more amenities in the valley.

Donna, San Benito, Raymondville La Feria, Los Fresnos, Hidalgo, Rio Grande City, etc. are way way worse.

i'd actualy rank the cities:

McAllen, Port Isabell, Sharyland, Mission, Harlingen.... and then everything lower than that.

Weird take.

Pretty nice weather down in midland for February for sure

I think parts of mission Edinburg and maybe a couple other cities are sharyland but it’s basically northeast mission. It’s sort of not picking based on schools. The entire northwest McAllen, northeast mission area is pretty damn nice. Not what people think when they think of the RGV