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Review of Tyler, Texas


An Acquired Taste
Star Rating - 3/17/2013
I moved here in Oct '05 and lets just say it was a complete culture shock. I felt like I time warped back to the 1950's. How so .... well the residents still say racial slurs in public and act like there is nothing wrong with it. When we first moved here the realtor said we don't want to live in the north side of town because it was mostly ethnic neighborhoods ( I am trying to be a little nicer about what he said). If you plan on trying to climb the corporate ladder then you had better know someone. Just to give you an idea of how bad the good ol boy network is here almost all of management at one of the local companies (biggest employer of smith co) lives in Arp or Whitehouse (towns 15 mins of each other). If you are not religious or don't like to get drunk everyday then don't move here.
Tasha | Chandler, TX
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Unfortunately Tasha I too have noted the same kind of things. That you described it as a time warp to 1950 is almost exactly the same conclusion that I had come to on my own. Contrary to the individual that replied to your post, I have heard racial slurs used in public, perhaps not as overtly as it was in 1950 but don't fool yourself, the bigotry is deeply engrained in this part of Texas. The good ol' boy network will have the most frightfully incompetent tradespeople attempting to do contract work that they have absolutely no business at all doing and it will keep most 'outsiders' (anybody not born and raised here for at least a couple generations) forever struggling to advance. I wouldn't be as generous and suggest that many here are religious as much as they are into what's now being referred to as 'churchianity', a place to go see the spectacle and do the evangelical dance. If that's your thing, then have at it, but if you want authenticity and community, if you want the common sense notion of a meritocracy then you have come to the wrong town. Be very careful before making a commitment to this place. Don't make the mistake I did and buy off of the glossies.
J | Tyler, TX | Report Abuse

really excellent review and so true.
Mary | Vancouver, WA | Report Abuse
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