Abilene, Abilene, prettiest city I ever seen - 11/11/2020

I've lived in 9 states, traveled over much of the U.S., and Abilene TEXAS is by far the best city I've ever lived. I find it beautiful here, love the climate and low humidity, scenic hills, clean air, beautiful blue skies and gorgeous sunsets. I've also met the friendliest people I've ever encountered right here in "The Friendly Frontier". The city has nice parks, plenty of events, lots of dining and shopping, increased tourism, lots of new construction. City leaders have Abilene on a good path for continued growth and prosperity. I love Abilene, and it's great to live in a city where you get to see and hear the sound of freedom of the Mighty B1 Bomber based at Dyess AFB.

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Don"t move here! - 6/15/2020

We moved to Abilene for a military assignment and have never got out of here. We stayed initially for children and grandchildren then elderly parents. Now we can't afford to leave. We've lived here for over 30 years and I feel like my life was wasted here. Unlike the natives of this town I have been blessed to live in other places so I do know what it's like elsewhere. Do not move here. It's ugly, very little rain, and people are only superficially friendly. I've been extremely lonely here and have never found friends or felt like I really belong anywhere. This is unlike everywhere else I have lived where I was a part of a group of good friends. I've really tried here, joining groups, going to church, getting a college degree, volunteering etc., but nothing has worked. The city government is severely lacking. The town is full of trash, shacks, and enforcement of zoning is pathetic. You will drive down one street and see beautiful well kept houses and shacks next to them. Again, Do Not move here.

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Abilene, A Family Friendly Christian City - 5/20/2020

I've lived in Abilene for the last 45 years and It's the best place to raise a family. Great churches, schools, jobs and sense of community. There is always something "family" to do here. While I hear some complain that there's nothing to do it's because we don't have a ton of huge bars and/or night clubs nor big concerts on a regular basis. We have great museums, parks, a zoo, a couple public pools and a few small lakes for fishing. Plenty of "wholesome" family friendly activities plus plenty of Downtown nightlife places for the grownups. God lives here.

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There's worse places. Boring but with opportunitie - 7/25/2019

Living here 10 years after moving from New Jersey. Abilene is simple to explain 1) It is no doubt very boring, uneventful, reserved-family life style 2) Crime has grown but the chances are so unnoticeable, theres no loss of sleep 3) Traffic is not bad at all, just terrible drivers 4) Although expenses have grown over the years, still great cost of living, good housing market; expensive medical costs 5) It is called West Texas but it's really more so Central, where all the connecting major highways are accessible and will take you to any major city 2-6hrs away & 6) PAY IS NOT GREAT. WORK IS AVAILABLE and income increases have only just started to grow slowly. NOT for single people looking to meet someone with no baggage or anyone really. 3 Large universitys but HIGHLY religious town, to the point its irritating. This is a great place to make an investment on a home or business and cash in, then retire. It's no secret this place is boring and lackluster but it does offer opportunities.

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Abilene- A truly terrible place to live - 5/3/2019

There is nothing here but terribly bad weather and winds, no rivers, mountains or decent lakes to even swim in. No outdoor activities, flooding rains or torturous heat and 20-30 mph winds. There are potholes everywhere because the city streets are not maintained, there are no jobs to speak of here. IDK why anyone ever decided to move here and start a town. It is beyond me, unless its because these people have never lived anywhere else and have no idea what they're missing out on in life.

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This place is literally hell - 4/15/2018

I will never be able to stress enough why you should never move, or visit, this terrible black-hole of a town. If you are military and get dragged into this hellhole, I fully apologize and can't even begin to thank you for the sacrifice you've made that will never be repaid for rotting away here for four to six years of your life. First off, if for whatever ungodly reason you ever decide, or are forced, to move to this craphole, you'll want to have a lobotomy done so that you will be on par with the idiots that make up this "community". The way people drive here is incomprehensible as you will have people pull out in front of you daily, change lanes while turning, normally with no blinker to compliment said turn, drive so slow under the speed limit that they may as well be walking, ignore yeild signs as if they were optional, and somehow cause traffic jams in a town that's population is smaller than the amount of brain cells the average Abilene citizen possesses. The roads in this town are just as bad as the drivers who utilize them. Filled with potholes, a lack of lights where they desprerately are needed (as the lobotomites don't know how a four way stop works), and a massive lack of turn-arounds where you have to drive to the city limits by the hospital just to turn around, only to realize your better choice would be to just keep driving past the city limits and pray this town gets wiped out in a bath of nuclear fire one day (if China or Russia could find this mistake on a map.) As for what the town offers to pass the time, Abilene is the worst of both words. This town has nothing in it for people used to city life. There is nothing here that any other town in the world doesn't already offer, and most of the buildings are abandoned or filled with mold making Amazon your best, and safest, choice to get anything you need to keep you from killing yourself due to unrelenting boredom. If you prefer the outdoor life, this town offers nothing in that regard either. The "lake" here is more like a pollution dump filled with dead fish who didn't ask to be born here, and I would sooner eat at one of the atrocious Mom-and-Pop diners here before I ate any fish you manage to pull alive out of that health hazard. There is also a lack of outdoor ranges to do any night-firing and relieve the stress of being stuck in this joke of a town, and no woods to hunt/hike in as nothing can grow here with the soil that is red to symbolize the eighth circle of Hell, where this town was made. For a "tight-knit" community as the locals call it, the crime rate is disgusting. If you walk into a gas station here, there's a 110% chance it's been robbed before, and the incompetent police force who all have an IQ the same as their age does absolutely nothing to stop this. Homeless people, drug users of any flavor, and overweight beasts from Abilene Christian University who are looking to trap military members into a relationship for a free ticket out of here are the only things that make up the "downtown" area which somehow has even less to offer than the rest of Abilene. Everything closes around 7:00-9:00PM here on any day of the week that ends with a Y and liquor stores are closed on Sunday thanks to all the bible-thumpers who want to hangout with God, yet they don't realize this town is why God is three-deep into a pack of Coors every Sunday because he has to deal with them. The local populace will attempt to defend this town with such excuses as "There's worse places out there" (That makes your town better by zero percent saying it's worse somewhere by the way, and I would honestly rather go back to Afghanistan and remain there for three more years over being here) and "oh but you can drive to Dallas or San Antonio on the weekends!" (Again, I don't see how that makes THIS town better, yes a riveting 3-4 hour drive through more nothingness and no radio signal so I can sit in silence and contemplate veering my vehicle into an oncoming semi going 85 on these podunk roads.) This town is an awkward joke at best, a miserable little slice of "The Big Country" at worst, and the thing making it the most sad is knowing this town would disappear if Dyess were to move elsewhere since there is no economy here, but the local "government" just gives back the money we have to spend on the overpriced food and gas here back to the base so they won't leave. If you are reading this as a civilian with no ties to this place, just stay FAR away. If you are reading this as someone who lives here and defends this place; I hate you and your little podunk hillbilly hell more than you will ever be able to understand. If you are an Airman/Marine just graduating tech school who has orders here, good luck. After your 4-6 years you will never be the same.

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I love Abilene - 10/15/2017

Abilene, TX has the most genuine nice people in one spot that I have ever encountered and is the reason I fell in love with it. I also found everything I could want there in the way of shopping, airport, and entertainment. I loved it so much I bought property there!!

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I wasted two years of my life in this hellhole. - 9/11/2017

Abilene is a miserable little trash heap of a town and if you're considering moving here, you better have enough money to cover up as much nastiness as possible and low enough standards to not care about the rest. The city itself is ugly as sin with enough abandoned buildings for everyone. If you're looking to enjoy the great outdoors, you can expect a lake full of dead fish and vast miles of flat scrubby wasteland with not a speck of green in sight. Just stay inside and run up your air conditioning bill instead. The city water is undrinkable though, so you'd better stock up on bottled water at one of our many frequently-robbed convenience stores. The crime rate is much higher than reported due to an overly-funded but shockingly incompetent police force. They do manage to catch a terrifying lot of child predators and meth producers though. Culturally, you can expect a tightly-knit community of armed and suspicious white trash, and plenty of fun family activities like drunk driving, sunburn, and avoiding stepping on used needles at the bus stop. The economy is a joke, but there are plenty of pawn shops to go to and get in a fistfight for those rough spots. If you're planning a visit, be sure to reserve a room at one of our many sketchy motels on 1st Street for easy access to all the hookers in the parking lot and the tent city behind the Papa John's!

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High Crime? - 5/9/2015

I am considering different places to move in Texas (from Utah) and am doing a little research on Abilene. I found article about growing crime there and was wondering how much of an issue this is. Are there a lot of bad neighborhoods?

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Abilene - 11/6/2011

Grew up in the Houston area and went to college at ACU. I just moved back to Abilene after 2 years in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and 8 in Houston. Upon first glance, there isn't much to do. There isn't a night life to speak of, except going to movies and eating at chain restaurants. Bars and clubs are either dives or 18+ hangouts. But, upon closer inspection there is usually something to do on the weekends for families and if you know where to find them, there are some pretty good restaurants. Theatre at the local colleges is pretty good, usually, and there is also a very decent, however small art museum at the Grace, downtown. And, if you like college and high school football, you will not find yourself wanting. Summers are hot and it might freeze or snow once or twice during the winter, but generally comfortable between Sept-May. One thing to remember is that this is a very conservative community, but I've found that, like just about anywhere, you can find like minded people who share your views, if you want. With the three universities in town there is a portion of the population that is opened-minded, educated and thoughtful on political as well as social matters. Plus, there is something satisfying about being in the minority when it comes to politics. Plus, people are nice here for the most part and you won't get tarred and feathered for voting for Obama. At least, I don't think you will

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Single scene is lacking for over 30 - 1/31/2009

I have lived here for five years being stationed at Dyess AFB. I love the sense of community here and the first I noticed was how friendly the people were. I have become a member of a wonderful church that have become my family. My only complaint this city is the lack of places to meet quality single men over the age of 30. This is a great place to raise a family because of the reasons I mentioned before but not the place to live in hopes of meeting a mate.

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Comfortable, Easy Living - 8/25/2008

Cost of living is low, pace of life is easy, climate is mild, people are friendly.

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Abilene...The Friendly Frontier - 5/31/2007

Abilene is known as "The Friendly Frontier" and it really lives up to the name plus the city has a lot of other great attributes. Growing up in a large metropolitian area I came to Abilene to attend college and have never left...choosing to raise my family here. Besides all the friendly people here, Abilene is home to the "10 minute rush hour" and has a very low crime rate and the unemployment rate here is very low...about the only people not working are those who choose not too. The sunsets here are unbelievable... they are so beautiful. If you are looking for a great place to slow down and enjoy life check out Abilene...it won't disappoint you...it didn't me.

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Never going back! - 1/30/2007

I was raised in Abilene and thankfully was able to move away after I turned 18. I will never be going back for anything other than visiting family for a short time. It is an ok place to live if you have never been out of Texas and don't know any better. It has flat as a pancake terrain except for the tiny brown hills around Buffalo Gap with mostly bushes that they like to call trees, and almost dried up, murky, muddy lakes with reddish brown water. Deffinatly wouldn't be appealing to the outdoorsy type. The most excitement that I can remmember when I was younger was the beuatiful lightning displays and having to take shelter whenever a tornado would be spotted over Dyess. Anyway, hate to sound so critical but I did grow up there so I should know. I wouldn't ever recommend moving to Abilene, you can deffinatly do better. Oh yea, and the schools that I went to really suck!

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Excellent Educational Institutions - 11/30/2006

Abilene has 3 universities as well as several technical colleges. The town is home to a large Air Force base. There are a large number of retirees in the community. The city has a huge Christian base and numerous churches.

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Hot - 5/4/2006

Climate here in abilene is hot. Also, like much of texas, we have pretty bad thunderstorms in the spring.

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Abilene...not the best or the worst city in Texas - 7/18/2005

Abilene, once rated in the top 100 best cities to live in, certainly is interesting. It is also known for its large number of churches per capita. Overall, the city (which has a small-town attitude) is an okay place to live if you are retired. Home to Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene has many residents who are transplanted. It is also home to three Christian based Universities: Abilene Christian University (Church of Christ), Hardin-Simmons University (Southern Baptist) and McMurry University (United Methodist). Unemployment rates are high for the size of the city. Most jobs available are those in retail or fast food. In the last 3 years, the Abilene Independent School District has had to close down a particularly large number of elementary and middle schools due to families leaving the city. Most families have had to move to larger cities in search of better paying jobs to raise families. On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the best), I would have to rate Abilene as a 4 of best cities to live in - due to its unemployment rate, poverty level, and lack of culture.

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