Moving to Oklahoma/Texas... Wichita Falls folk, some info? (Dallas: crime, buying a house)

[tadaasana]

So, I posted about moving to Oklahoma, but truth be told: Wichita Falls is looking pretty good, and it's close enough to count. So...

Neff Avenue: Ghetto? Or decent neighbourhood? If there's bad stuff happening, what is it? (Theft, break-ins, murders, rapes, drugs, etc) How common are these things? And, while I'm not prejudice, how welcoming would the folk be of a young white family from VT/OK/CA be?

Schools: What's good for majoring in English? What about getting a Graphic Design certificate? What sort of schools are around? How selective are they? What are the fees and tuition?

Job Market: Are there a lot of available jobs? Or very few? What sorts of jobs are available? What do most people do? What are the wages?

Social: Is there anything to do or anywhere to go? What shops are available? Are prices reasonable, considering the wages?

Weather: Is there a lot of extreme weather? If so, what kind?

Any other information is great, too. ^___^;

Thanks in advance.

[case44]

We'll need a few more specifics about you. Are you a student, by any chance? If so, then Wichita Falls has Midwestern State University. I think, as a whole, you'll like the city, as it has big-city amenities with a small-town feel. And why the reference to Neff Avenue?

WF has great weather year-round, but then, most of Texas does. It can get really cold in the winter months (probably as low as 10 to 15 degrees), but it can also get real hot in the summer, sometimes even hotter than Dallas gets.

Assuming (and hoping) that this is a legitimate inquiry, can you give us a few more specifics? I know you mentioned graphic design, but do you have a job right now? And if so, what?

[tadaasana]

Yes, I'm a student, and considering that as my school if I move there... is it terribly selective? And.. I'm married, and do NOT want to live on campus for two years... we're buying a house, for Christ's sake. Do they waiver that requirement if that's the case?

Neff Avenue is where one of the houses we were thinking of buying is. Is it a decent neighbourhood? Or a lot of crime? =/

Cold weather isn't a big deal for me, I'm from VT, so... it's usually below freezing during the winter here. The heat will be harder, but they have aircon for a reason.

I'm a freelance graphic/web designer, right now, and am finishing some school here. (I had to drop out of high school when I was younger, family problems, finishing now... better late than never) Then I want to start college. Get my graphic design certificate and start my English degree. Will probably keep working freelance, until I find something stable... I've got a little backup money. I'll eventually be in the publishing business, though.

Wichita Falls sounds really great... just hope that street isn't too bad.

[tadaasana]

Okay, so... another street, if anyone has information...

Ridgemont Drive, Wichita Falls, TX 76309

It looks really nice... here's the Realtor.com Listing (http://www.realtor.com/realestate/wichita+falls-tx-76309-1105313540/ - broken link) and I found a Google Earth/Map/whatever has the street view, which says at least the outside of the house is still in the same shape, completely intact, really nice. The other houses around it seem nice, too. What am I missing? Is the price wrong? Or is the neighbourhood bad? o_O;

[GayleTX]

Midwestern is a very good school....also very inexpensive; caring, involved faculty in most departments. Campus is located in a very nice part of town. You will not be required to live on campus.

Wichita Falls is a middle class town. There are a few very wealthy families (oil money), but most are just working people. The medical field offers more jobs than any other one field (it's pretty much a medical center for North Texas/Southern Oklahoma).

Unless you have a teaching certificate I think your opportunities in graphic design and English will be quite limited. I have a relative who is a graphic artist and computer whiz - she has struggled to make a living for years in Wichita Falls and has been forced to remain in a job beneath her abilities because there are simply very few other opportunities. Many of the jobs there are connected to the agriculture and/or oil field industry and you almost have to have a background in that field to be successful or even comfortable in that.

It's an inexpensive place to live, good shopping, good places to eat (all the usual franchises) very hot in the summer (google the Hotter'n Hell Bike Rally - somebody nearly always has a heart attack),pretty cold in the winter, but at least it does have four seasons. It's a nice place to raise a family. There is a large military presence there (which makes it open and accustomed to people from other places), but most of the locals have a farm or ranch background or attitude....schools sponsor rodeo's, FFA, etc, but that doesn't mean they are hicks. I have always found it a comfortable and friendly place to be.

[tadaasana]

GayleTX, thanks so much for the information. =] Also, honestly, I'm not planning on staying in Wichita Falls after graduation, unless I really fall in love with the place - my husband and I might like to travel some or something of the sort. But I've lived in Vermont all my life, and he and I both have family in OK/TX, so it seems like the perfect place to be for the time being. All in all, though, I do a lot of correspondence work, since offices and I have a hard time getting along, and I'm pretty nocturnal, to be quite honest... 9-5 was never much my thing. The job market for me isn't my biggest concern.

I've seen/heard a lot of people say that the south and west parts of town are the best... I'm not sure how to determine which streets qualify as "south" or "west" though, to be honest. I've heard things about being west of a certain highway, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. Can anyone tell me specifically, "from this street to this street is generally okay, from this street to this street is generally crap, etc etc"... I would be so appreciative. =]

ETA: What's the cluster of streets just south of 287, west of Hawk Ridge Golf Club and 281/44, like? Any good? And how's Burkburnett?

[boaters]

Burkburnett is a great community. We have lived here 2 1/2 years, I will miss it when we transfer. The people are very friendly. It is a safe community with great schools.

[txsizzler]

Originally Posted by tadaasana

So, I posted about moving to Oklahoma, but truth be told: Wichita Falls is looking pretty good, and it's close enough to count. So...

Neff Avenue: Ghetto? Or decent neighbourhood? If there's bad stuff happening, what is it? (Theft, break-ins, murders, rapes, drugs, etc) How common are these things? And, while I'm not prejudice, how welcoming would the folk be of a young white family from VT/OK/CA be?

Schools: What's good for majoring in English? What about getting a Graphic Design certificate? What sort of schools are around? How selective are they? What are the fees and tuition?

Job Market: Are there a lot of available jobs? Or very few? What sorts of jobs are available? What do most people do? What are the wages?

Social: Is there anything to do or anywhere to go? What shops are available? Are prices reasonable, considering the wages?

Weather: Is there a lot of extreme weather? If so, what kind?

Any other information is great, too. ^___^;

Thanks in advance.

I live in Wichita Falls. Been here for about 15 years. To answer your questions:

1.) Neff Ave. This area is in the eastside of Wichita Falls. This area is pretty rundown, and in the past, there was alot of crime and gang problems. For a caucasian individual, I would probably look elsewhere, as you will most DEFINATELY be the minority in this area of town. There are still drug and gang problems out in the area around Neff, and there has been proported prostitution (I work at the wastewater plant near there, and I haven't seen any personally).

-- as far as Ridgemont Ave goes, it is a VERY NICE area (known as Tanglewood). It is off of Seymour Hwy, between Loop 11 and McNiel Ave. This area tends to have the more expensive homes in town (most homes in this area go for $150k to $350k). Very nice... if you can afford it! I live in the City View area, near the new high school, and its nice. Other nice areas of town are on the western side (pretty much all areas west of McNiel Ave.), as well as around the Missle Road area near the base.

2.) Schools-- you mentioned you are a college student, so you will be looking at going to Midwestern State University, or Vernon Regional Junior College. MSU has a nice, fairly large campus. Its in an easy access area of town, and is a couple of minutes away from major shopping areas. VRJC tends to be more for your entry level classes, as well as technical training. They have a good LVN training progam there.

3.) Job Market-- as mentioned prior, alot of the jobs available are more of the blue-collared type jobs. Seems as of late, the local newspaper here (Times Record News), has had alot fewer jobs being advertised. I am sure this has alot to do with the economy. Some of the factory jobs here have been laying off (Cryovac, Washex), and some factory places have completely shut their doors (Certainteed, Delphi).

4.) Social-- Well, I wouldn't call Wichita Falls a place of extreme culture. Wichita Falls tends to be more of a farming/ranching town, and there is alot catered towards those areas. We do have a fair share of bars, so there is a nightlife if that is what you are looking for. We do have 3 movie theateres (including a $2 theater). We also have the Wichita Theater which preforms plays, many of which are good. We also have the MPEC and the AG stadium where we do get some big-ticket names (Jerry Sienfeld, Cher, George Lopez come immediately to mind). We also have a great park system, with alot of good walking trails. 3 lakes are close to Wichita Falls.

5.) Weather-- As previously mentioned, we do have some very hot summers, and rather erratic winters. Summers tend to stay above 90 about 85% of the time, with an average of 32 days a year hitting or going above 100. Only one year did I see Wichita Falls having fewer than five 100 degree + days, yet I have seen a summer where we went over 100 degrees 72 times! Winters tend to alternate between cold to warm. One day it will be in the 70's to lower 80's, the next day will struggle to hit near 40! Our frost free season lasts from around the latter half of March through mid November. Spring time is when we usually get our big storms. Wichita Falls has had 3 major tornadoes in the past 55 years, and there are tornadoes around the area nearly every year. Since I have been here, I have witnessed 2 tornadoes (within 10 miles of Wichita Falls), plus a number of funnel clouds.

Anyhow, I hope that answers your questions. Wichita Falls overall is a nice community, a bit aging, but nice. Good place to raise a family. Its situated in a good area too (2 hours away from DFW and OKC). Good choice for the college student.


Ian

[tadaasana]

txsizzler: Thank you! That was INCREDIBLY helpful! =D

[extexanwannabe]

Tornado alley...both of them. Wichita Falls, Texas has some of the country's worst weather. Brutally hot and dry summers, extremely cold winters with ice and snow, and spring flooding.