A mixture of the good and the bad
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7/23/2007
I've lived in Amarillo for about a year, and see it as having some strengths as well as some significant weaknesses.
Rental housing can be inexpensive, but the most economical places to live are often of substandard quality or in bad neighborhoods. Salaries are low because employers believe that the cost of living is also low. If you can afford to buy a house they are probably right. If you are renting they are not.
If you do find decent housing the area feels very safe. I sleep with my windows open and don't worry about crime.
People are friendly, but the friendliness is limited. For example, the clerk in the grocery store will be very pleasant and chatty, but it's very difficult to build real friendships beyond "Hi! How y'all doing?" Social opportunities are few and far between unless you are active in a church, or very involved with family. Most people who live here have always lived in the area, so are not especially open to expanding their social circle to include you. Nor are they especially skilled at making a newcomer feel welcome in any substantive way.
Entertainment opportunities are limited. There are mainstream movie theaters, a wide range of franchised restaurants, and there is a pretty good shopping mall. There are a few decent museums, and there are musical and dramatic performances at West Texas A&M University.
The local newspaper is awful. But the local television news coverage is some of the best I've seen.
The landscape and skies are very impressive. Winters are surprisingly cold and snowy, but this summer has been mild and comfortable. The wind is pretty constant.
If you can find a home with a storm shelter you will feel more secure.
Amarillo is not a horrible place, but I find it hard to recommend it. Salaries are low and I've had an impossibly hard time building a social life as a middle-aged, single woman who isn't interested in attending church. The people I know who like it here have other reasons to like it, such as having family locally, or having lived here long enough (upwards of 20 years) to make personal connections.
Optimistic | Amarillo, TX