Reviews & Comments
Bryan, TX
A few words about Bryan, Texas -
4/19/2006I just moved to Bryan, Texas in June of 2005 to be near my sister and her family. It's a town of about 65,000, and it has the feel of a small town with many of the amenities of a larger city. College Station, the home of Texas A&M University, is right next door, so there are many cultural events offered through the university, some of them free. For example, just a couple of weeks ago, the Shanghai Quartet from China gave a concert; it was free to the public. And last month, the US Air Force band also gave a free concert. It was world-class entertainment.
I really like it here. People are friendly and helpful. Traffic isn't too bad. The town has a comprehensive growth plan that they revisit every five years that the public can contribute their input to. Housing is affordable. I just bought a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 1750 sq. ft. house for $112,500. If I had stayed in Tucson, which is where I moved from, I would have had to spend more than $300,000 for that much house. No way could I have afforded it.
Historic downtown Bryan has been revitalized. There are cool shops and restaurants, including a historic Mexican restaurant called Los Nortenos that serves breakfast seven days a week. The area is growing rapidly, and new stores and restaurants are going up all the time. Dallas, Houston, and Austin are all very accessible. North Houston is only about 90 miles away; Austin is about 1.5 hours drive. There are loads of cafes in College Station for the students, so it's easy to find a place to hang out with a latte and read or study or meet someone.
The main drawback to B-CS (Bryan-College Station) is that it is so conservative. That's not a bad thing, but it's hard to find like-minded people if you tend to be more liberal or progressive. There is a small grassroots group called the Brazos Progressives, however. They do cool stuff like organize peace demonstrations, raise awareness about progressive issues, and host Forward Fest every spring in April. Also, I would (almost) kill to have a Wild Oats or Whole Foods Market here. Sadly, I have to make do with a tiny natural foods store that has a very limited inventory and exorbitant prices. I'm thinking of driving to Austin once a month just so I can go shopping and get the supplements and things I need.
Also, the crime is higher than I had expected for a town this small. It's not as high as Tucson, thank God, but there's something violent on the news pretty nearly every night. That's discouraging.
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