SperlingViews - Odessa, Texas

I got caught in Odessa five years ago. I am hoping to relocate shortly. Over half of Odessa is a slum, garbage and litter seems to grow out of the ground. This is the only place in the country that I witnessed a woman throw a garbage bag of food trash on her front lawn then walk into her house. I have never seem anyplace in the country that has more sickness and serious illnesses, with the worst hospital I have ever seen. Odessa has a very poor health care system, a poor selection of medical doctors. I personally known numerous people that have gone for minor surgery at the local hospital and unfortunately died. The excuse is always the same, they were allergic to the anesthesia. There is plenty of crime and drugs. The police force can't keep up with the crime. They don't seen to care. The schools are horrible, standards are very low. Texas as a state spends more per student than Odessa or Midland. Texas is rated 49 out of 50 states in education. So if you would enjoy living in a dirty, disease ridden, crime infested, city hurry down. Odessa and Midland have lots of Oil related jobs, great if you are an oil field worker. The cost of living is low. I hardly this makes up for the problems.There is also nothing to do. No decent restaurants, no cultural events, one movie house for the city. [read more...]

We recently moved back to Odessa from Plano, Texas. We have a 10 year old who is severely autistic and doesn't speak. We were very nervous about his quality of education to say the least! But, to our relief and delight, we found Odessa schools to be top notch. The teachers and administration are absolutely the best anywhere! My son dreaded school in Plano his last 2 years there. Here he is thriving and social. We have two other children who are also thriving in Odessa schools. Judging a school district by what they spend per student is shortsighted. Odessa may not have the budget of Plano schools but the staff are all heart.[read more...]

I have moved away several times, but moved back when I had kids, so the grandparents could enjoy the children. Now I am completing college, and I am leaving as soon as I finish! I have never liked this place. I have never been given a reason to. You can find nice people anywhere, I've seen more spectacular sunsets in other places. Those are the two selling points of this place. The schools system is a joke, as is the county government (the city govt. is average). You're in the oilfield, or you are in a service industry. No hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. Nothing to do except drink and drive. A low cost of living is not worth it. If you have to be in West Texas, go to Midland. They are stuck up, but the town is nicer.[read more...]

Good: Some nice neighborhoods. A job on every corner. Very Low Cost of living. A lot of nice playgrounds. A LOT of Churches. You can always move to Midland which is the town next door and is much prettier. Bad: Some slum lords. The most aggravating street layout and streetlight system that you can possibly imagine-The red lights last for days, are in the weirdest places and the order seems to be entirely random. There is no drainage system other than all the streets running on a slope to the intersections, so on the occasions that it does rain half of the town (especially the intersections) floods. An evening of rain can have you abandoning your floating car to wade home in knee deep water if you live on the low side. A lot of old people still have civil war flags all over the place. It rarely snows, but half an inch of snow Will cause at least 5 wrecks before noon. There is usually at least one homeless man hanging out at the library or going through a nearby dumpster. Depending on where you work and live, you are likely to see spiders (including tarantulas), scorpions, snakes (including rattle snakes), and/or roaches. If you move here, Exterminate. Exterminate. Exterminate.[read more...]

Odessa has its own charms: High School Football. Mexican food (Rosa's, anyone?). The friendly people. I grew up in Odessa until time for college. The school system is actually better than adequate, even a very high level. While not nationally known for it, I know many in my class that have become doctors, lawyers, etc. more so than most my friends hometowns. Unlike what the previous poster said (who lived there as a child), the people of Odessa are very friendly. They won't snub their nose at you if you're an outsider. Also, while oil is the main industry, Odessa had to become more varied after the crash in 1987. So you'll find more businesses there than there used to be. Better for the economy I suppose. I would recommend Odessa to most anyone. You might have to look a little harder to find the good qualities about it, but they're there. And go Bronchos![read more...]

I was born and spent some of my childhood here. We moved to New Mexico later on. My memory may be a bit vague of this place but I'll give it a shot. Things I remember: It stank horribly. If it's not the oil refineries and drilling it's the tire factory. Everytime I drive past an oil refinery the stench reminds me of Odessa. Lot's of wildlife. It's hot. Not many friendly people, in fact they're the meanest in the country. My mother said that Odessa was once the murder capitol of the country but I never noticed. I remember that the neighborhoods were actually pretty nice. I'm mixed on whether or not that Odessa was a good experience.[read more...]