SperlingViews - Burleson, Texas

Having lived here for over a year, Burleson is experiencing rapid growth and the folks who have lived here a long time are very tight-knit and wary of strangers. Bubba politics rule. Police seem unfriendly, in fact at the station you enter a small room and have to speak thru a microphone and be "buzzed" in after you are screened to even just say hi. After people see you around a while, they slowly warm up. Housing is cheap and abundant. Crime is low. Town has a reputatio(even among the neighboring towns) of being closed minded and racist in past, but growth is forcing that attitude out. Schools are mediocre. The town does put out a good monthly magazine, the library is outstanding and except for a car, you can buy pretty close to anything here and they have a good variety of places to eat without venturing into Fort Worth too often. The doctors are not that great, the good ones have closed their practices to new patients. The local hospital is poor quality- go into Fort Worth for better care. Better yet, if you can , go to Dallas for the real good specialists. There are a lot of coyotes that run wild in the new burbs, and they'll eat your small pets. We know, we and four of our neighbors have all lost pets. Trash cans are not allowed. You have to put the garbage bags at the curb and the wildlife get into them. They do have a wonderful recycle program here. They take just about anything and do not require you to sort plastics, glass or cans- just ask you to keep paper dry and separate. If you are not used to prairie winds- watch out. They often gust to 35 mph and we lose power a lot when the winds kick up. Humidity is low.[read more...]

This is not just my view but my experiences as an African American male married to a Mexican female - for more than 25 years. We have been been here in the D/FW "metroplex" for nearly two years and have made few good friends, Black, Hispanic or White. Being both Pentecostal Christians, we have found as much, or more, racism in the churches as in the work and public places. At least in the work placs your associates feel obligated to work with each other and in the public places they only care about the color of your money. But in the churches, which are nothing more than religious social clubs, hatred and prejudice is open from the church leaders to the pew warmers - in both the Black churches and in the others. We live in middle class neighborhood and know the names of only one of my neighbors; all attemptes to introduce myself to others is greeted by a turning of the back and then walking away. However, people here do mind their own business and tolerate each other - because they are afraid not too; after all, this is the wild, wild west and you can get shot for offending the wrong person - even on the freeways where, yes, they do drive like maniacs (especially in the Dallas area). And by the way; I was born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma; having lived in four other states and one foreign country (not military) I wanted to come back home. Oh well; so much for dreams of a wondrful retirement "back home". God "help" America.[read more...]

I lived just outside Burleson in the East Renfro area about 2 miles out of town and there is a very friendly close-knit group of people out there that I miss terribly. The entire neighborhood just seemed to take me under their wing and into their hearts. I grew up in a small town in WY where I was related to 3/4 of the town and I never felt at home there as much as I did in Burleson. If small neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone else is not your cup of tea then live inside city limits, not out on E. Renfro. Or try one of the larger Fort Worth suburbs instead. Burleson is just 6 miles south (touches it actually). By the way, most of Burleson is in a dry county meaning no alcohol sales unless you join one of the private clubs. Suited me just fine but not for everyone. Jobs pay reasonable and housing costs at the time were still reasonable but on the rise so I doubt that the info above is acurate anymore. Good school system, especially since my son had learning problems, they dealt well with him. Lots of new dining and shopping choices at the north end of Burleson. The weather is nice with four seasons, mild winters and summers aren't as hot as you might expect with the light breezes that help on most summer days. We got snow only about 3 times in the 2 years I lived there, but beware because when it does snow more than an inch people just tend to stop on the interstates and not let those who can drive in snow pass by. Plenty of culture and night life in nearby Fort Worth or Dallas.[read more...]