h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just thought I would add -- there are people in Dallas (including my family) who drive to Longview (which is about 2 hours) solely for the food at Bodacious BBQ. I don't remember the address, though.

Another amusing fact about Longview is that I don't think I have ever been anywhere in my life where a larger proportion of the girls participated in beauty pageants!


Mikey

I am looking for information on Longview, Texas. I currently live in England, but would be grateful for the plus and minus points to living in Longview.

Are there any better areas to live either in Longview or surrounding areas.

Any advice would be appreciated.


Babs

Hmm..... Why are you thinking about moving to Longview?

I have to admit I can think of more negatives than positives, but you have to realize that these are all from the perspective of a 26-year-old girl -- my grandparents live there and love it!

Here are a few pros and cons:

pros:
* for a relatively small city in the middle of nowhere, Longview has surprisingly good medical care and educational opportunities within driving distance. there are also lots of good places to eat, a decent shopping mall, etc.
* it's less ugly than many other parts of texas - lots of trees everywhere
* housing prices are dirt cheap
* retired people seem to love it there

cons:
* Longview is not exactly what you would call an open-minded town - they seem to pretty much expect everyone to be white, Christian, and heterosexual. I went to university with several kids from Longview -- some had grown up with the same prejudicial views as their community, others had grown up feeling incredibly oppressed by those views -- sad either way, in my opinion. The movie "Footloose" has always reminded me of Longview.
* For decent cultural opportunities (i.e., plays, concerts, shows above the level of those put on by teenagers), you need to drive to either Dallas or Houston (neither of which is really what I would call a cultural mecca).
* The summers are incredibly, nastily, humid and hot.

Hope this helps some! If you have more specific questions, just ask -- if I don't know, I can always email some of my friends who grew up there.


Mikey

Thats great, thank you very much, at last an honest opinion of the place.

It doesn't sound that bad to me, probably because I am 30 and my husband is 43.

Do you have any information on crime there and what would be the best and safest places to live.

Many thanks


Babs.

Hmmm.... Well, crime rates are somewhat higher than you would expect from a town this size (check the online "relocation crime lab" if you want more info). From what I've seen, most of the crime in the area seems to be either of the alcohol-induced or bored teenager variety. The area I'm most familiar with is the Pine Tree area (it has its own school district and everything). It's a pretty area, very residential, and safe enough that as a young woman I feel comfortable walking a dog by myself after dark.

The "Yahoo! Get Local" site on Longview is pretty informative, too -- has lots of great links.

I hope this is helpful, and I hope you like Longview!


Mikey

Once again, thank you for all your help.


Babs.