Reviews & Comments
Pacific, MO
Small, quiet midwestern town with NO culture. -
9/29/2020Pacific is one of those sleep Midwestern towns with generally low crime and lots of quaint older buildings.
What I like about Pacific?
1) It's downright beautiful with the Bluffs and Meramec river swinging south of town. You can climb to the overlook at see it (not visible from the road because of tree cover).
2) The people are very down to earth, it's a bit of a lower class suburb of St Louis that seems to have been passed over.
3) Lots of new businesses coming in between Pacific and Eureka (about 8 miles away).
4) Cost of living is pretty low.
What I don't like about Pacific?
1) No culture at all. Nothing, no bridge games, no writing groups, and until just recently? Not even a coffee shop! The restaurants are few and far between. They got the new BBQ place downtown, but it uses so much MSG, I had a 2 day headache after eating it. The other was the Brew House, which has endured many of the big floods that plague Pacific and is, in my opinion, pretty pricey.
2) Floods BIG time south of the railroad tracks pretty regularly being so close to the Meramec. It will close off access to the East side of town. Usually, you can get out of town at the far other end, but it's a hassle sometimes. NOT to mention, the silicia plant there too--which regularly shuts down traffic to move rail cars across.
3) Can be a bit "hickey" sometimes if you get off the beaten track. Maybe even, downright scary--even to a native.
4) The Senior Center is atrocious. Dirty, dark, nothing posted. Sad!
5) You need an occupancy certificate to live in your house. Expect some government beurocrat to come into your house and MAKE you fix things. Mine cost over $6000. Crazy! If you don't do it? They take you to court and it seems very arbitrary about what they insist upon you fixing.
Bottom line? Pacific seems to have been skipped by St. Louis moving out. The word is the previous mayors were very corrupt but the new one seems much better.
Midland, TX
Mixed Feelings -- Good and Bad -
9/23/2020I lived in Midland for 10 years (about 20 years ago) and have returned for family reasons. Have noticed Midland has really grown and is sprawling out along I20 toward Colorado City. Lots of businesses. Lots of new developments. Lots of new apartment (big uns!) cropping up.
Also noticing an increase in the homeless. Don't recall seeing panhandlers on street corners before. The people NOW look less affluent--maybe it's the Covid and people are unemployed...
There are things I LIKE about Midland. 1) Great eateries! And since Midland didn't shut down, they all seem to be open. Check out Rosas. One of the best places for Mexican in town and still here--in fact they've expanded.
2) It's got a a heck of a lot of culture for such a small community. Like the new AAA baseball stadium and the entertainment center between here and Odessa. Both really new! Both really nice. I found thriving groups (writing, bridge) here as well.
3) It's pretty affluent in general, so a nice quality of people, though that seems to have gone down--maybe because of the oil bust--maybe because of the covid.
4) The airport is a BREEEEEZZZEE to fly out of compared to a major city airport. Dang!
5) You can attend the University of Texas in Odessa. Not the greatest university on the planet, but if you like smaller class sizes and more accessibility to professors, it's nice.
What I DO NOT LIKE about Midland?
1) It's hot and dry and some of the downright ugliest scenery you'll ever see. Brown desert, oil rigs, and hotter than blazes in the summer. But it is dry heat--so not as bad as Dallas in my opinion, where the humidity is like a wall.
2) There is NOTHING for about 4-5 hours in any direction. Go east to Dallas/Austin. Go north to Albuquerque or Colorado. Go south to the border. Which I guess is why the culture has popped up here. Midland is the hub for the west texas region.
In summation, I guess my favorites is the "small town" atmosphere with plenty of culture, including great eateries! What I like least is the climate and it's so far to anywhere else...