Just curious, what's it like there? Has anyone been there before? Lived there?

What's cost of living like (compared to SoCal)?

I found an opening there... If they don't decrease my pay I could be better off down there maybe.

The cost of living is very cheap compaired to California. Houses average about $150 to 200 k with acreage. Everything else might be culture shock though. This is the East Texas Piney Woods. Lots of Bubbas. The good news is it is only 90 miles to Houston, Tx or Lake Charles, LA

it's not exactly a metropolis, but small-town texas can be very nice... ditto on the "bubbas" comment too though... if you are living on a certain amount there, and they are going to pay you the same to live in Beaumont... you'll probably live like a king!

no state income taxes either...

Moving from SoCal to Beaumont Texas is going to be a shock for you. You will be able to buy a huge house and still have equity left from the old one. If they don't "adjust" your salary, you will be suprized at the cost of living here.

The downside is that Beaumont is a bit "redneck", but it's a nice town. It's close to Houston and Galvestion (Note: close in Texas is 2 hours highway driving or less), so you can go to the beaches on the Gulf, but Hurricanes are known to blow through there.

You won't have to worry about an emissions test, Beaumont is a "non-emissions" county.

If you take the job, hookup with David Lee out of Houston. He can introduce you to the local 914 bunch.


And you can come to the MUSR next year!!!

You'll be fine as long as you like shooting animals, and sweating 9 months a year...
Bubba's and Rednecks for sure...
Plus You'll be right next to KKK Southern Headquarters in Vider (or Orange) just east of Beaumont.

"How many times have I told you to wash your hands after weekly cross burnin'" - Waco Kid, Blazing Saddles

Uh Oh, here we go again...

DON'T DO IT.....Beaumont is full of Tejans.....and if you do remember, it is a State law that you must have a 357 or bigger under the front seat and a six pack of Lone Star sitting next to you.

QUOTE (Mike D. @ Nov 21 2005, 02:42 PM)

You'll be fine as long as you like shooting animals, and sweating 9 months a year... Bubba's and Rednecks for sure... Plus You'll be right next to KKK Southern Headquarters in Vider (or Orange) just east of Beaumont. "How many times have I told you to wash your hands after weekly cross burnin'" - Waco Kid, Blazing Saddles Uh Oh, here we go again...

there's also a little town over there named cut-n-shoot(no shit, really) founded by the Klan... don't even drive through there with a tan!

we stopped sweating in mid october, it was nice, low-mid 80s this year...

even bubbas in TX know not to drink lone star unless you just LIKE having the shits... I think it's made with mexican water...

Shiner Bock all the way.

I live about 90 minutes from Beaumont in lovely Houston. Beaumont was hard hit by the last hurricane and is in shambles. Think twice before making a move. It is going to be a mess for years to come. Beaumont East to Lake Charles and South to the Gulf Coast is in ruins.

Well, I guess that pretty much answers your question.

Just wanted to make sure I am clear...You are saying STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM BEAUMONT..is that about it???

QUOTE (sjhowitson @ Nov 21 2005, 02:28 PM)

Just wanted to make sure I am clear...You are saying STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM BEAUMONT..is that about it???

Ummmmmmm....could be...................

Hey Brando.

Don't listen to all that negitive talk about Texas. Please notice most of the comments come from Kalifornia. What do they know having lived all their lives under a mushroom (do you know what they feed mushrooms). Nothing wrong with bubba, red necks, good BBQ & guns in the truck.

Do what's best for your pocketbook & adjust to the good life.

My 2-cents worth from the red state of the world.

Tom

I have nothing against Texas. It would be a big change from California. You are correct in the cost of living change. Would be a good bit cheaper down there. Take a trip and check it out. People are GREAT !!!

Uhhhh...I lived there for 4 years (Houston) and left.............


Oh...no mushroom here...but if they gave tejas an emema, it would be the size of Rhode Island...

OK you bunch of ignorant numbnuts, I happen to live in Lake Charles, La and work in Beaumont, TX. I find that the only way I can afford the Porsche lifestyle and raise a family at the same time is to live here. Yes, there are some drawbacks, the humidity has to be the worst, but overall this a nice part of the country with great people and better food. There are more pickup trucks than cars, but there is a nice group of car nuts in both cities. The hurricane did destroy a lot of homes and businesses here, though. Housing will not be easy to find at first. There is always an 'upper end' to every city, just ask where to live and what schools to send your kids to. I live a good life here and there is no way I could afford to live this lifestyle in CA.

My .02
Steve

It seems like a pretty good idea from my standpoint. Family is moving to AZ and friends are going to Korea (air farce). Sans a few clubbers as friends I'll have not much left here. With what I make part-time I can't afford to have an apartment. If I take the full-time job in Beaumont I'll get double my pay, a raise, tuition assistance, cash for relocation. I spent some time talking to my manager who lived in Houston, then Lovekin and Beaumont. He said he was able to support his family and himself pretty darn well at $40k/year salary. Here in CA he can barely stay afloat with $50k/yr and his wife adding another $35k/year to the pot.

I'm definitely considering it right now. I don't know how long I have until the family moves to AZ. So far it all seems like stuff I can deal with. I have friends in Louisiana and some acquaintances in Houston and Huntsville. If they fly me out there for the interview I'll spend an extra day or two scoping out the area.

Brando,

I grew up in Houston and lived in East Texas a few years (Nacadoches, right near Lufkin)

Your attitude will decide how you adjust to living in Beaumont or anywhere else in the country. Yes, It will be different than Riverside. It's not the geographical change that will get you.....it will be your resistance to it.

When i first moved to California i pissed and moaned for the first few months about how different things were from Texas. I had my routine in Texas and all my friends. Then i started to make attempts to "go with the flow" and take advantage of the regional activities California had that Texas did not. Rollerblading, boogie boarding and biking along the beach. Plus making new friends. One day i got up early and went skiing at Big Bear and rode my blades down in HB the same day. I was still in my 20's then and a few pounds thinner Once i did that i was much happier. I still didn't have access to acceptable BBQ or Cajun food, so, i learned how to cook.

My point is, if you do move and have a positive attitude you can live life and experience the region of the country and it's advantages. Weather it's Beaumont or Boston!

If you like to fish and hunt you are going to love that part of the country. If you like to water ski there are some huge lakes within a few hours. Just across the boarder along the Lousiana coast has some of the best fishing for Redfish and Speckled trout anywhere on the Gulf coast. The seafood is absolutely awesome. The BBQ is awesome. The summers are hot, but, that's why they invented A/C!!

I still go back every year to fish on the central coast of Texas for Redfish and Speckled trout. Heck, i'll invite you to my brother's place in Port O'Connor when i come down once or twice a year and you can fish, hunt or just hang out and eat good food and drink my brothers beer. He like's St. Arnolds and all the dark beers just like you.

And dude the women are hot and don't come with that California attitude.

I'd miss ya bro, but, if you think it's a good move i'm behind you all the way!

outside of the big texas cities the cost of living is very cheap here... if I'd have been smarter in college, I could have bought a house in lubbock for the $500/month in rent I was spending... decent houses well under 100k out there, even houses in the DFW area can be had for 100k-150k... and it's one of the most expensive markets in texas...

40-50k in Beaumont or Lufkin(not LOVEkin, though there are some places in TX that name would be ok) is living pretty good, IMO... I don't make very MUCH more than that in DFW...

I hear people in small towns say "nothing to do here", I call BS! there's as many movies, plays, clubs, etc around as anywhere... I grew up an hour outside of Austin, lived in Lubbock(which is pretty po-dunk), and you can always find something to do.... lakes, parks, hiking everywhere... you may have to drive an hour, but there's stuff to do!

and I totally agree with PKRMONY attitude is everything...

food: you may not like TX if you are a vegetarian... there are more restraunts that serve Game animals than vegetarian dishes...

Rules for living in Tejas:

1. Learn to drawl immediately

2. Never tell anyone you're from California

3. Carry a gun

4. Carry mosquito repellant

5. Carry sunblock

6. Carry towels (to wipe the sweat off)

7. Always keep your drain tubes clear on the A/C system in your car (unless you like wet feet and the sound of crashing waves under your dash)

8. Never go out until the sun goes down

9. Forget swimming in a pool in the summer to cool off

10. It's the Houston "chip" channel, not the ship channel

11. Oil refineries don't smell

12. When your footprints in the lawn fill in with water after you step, you've gone to far....you're in Lake Charles, LA

13. A fully loaded rifle and rack in the back window is required

14. Anyone north of Sherman, west of Big Spring, east of Texarkana and south of San Antonio are faggots.

15. Santa Ana did not win the battle of the Alamo

16. Do not breathe during a dust storm in west tejas. If you insist on breathing, chew gum so you can spit the dirt out in one lump

17. Don't try to buy cookware on Sunday. You can buy food, but you will have to cook it over an open fire on a stick (unless the changed the Blue Laws).

18. The speed limit sign is hidden behind a tree in Rogers and the cop is 20 yards from the tree.

19. The judge in Anuyac(?) is either home, at the couthouse, down at the pool hall or at the gas station when you need to talk to him (just after the "task force" on I-10 has busted you for speeding).

20. If your car doesn't have A/C, you will buy it or buy a new car with it

edit...21. After running through a swarm of Love Bugs, do not turn your wipers on to clear the windshield.

Saying Texas is full of Bubbas and Red necks is like saying California is full of Fags.

Houston has great Autocross sites. I'd move there in a minute.
SHiner Bock Baby.

Hey Brando,

Just in case you haven't heard enough opinions...

(I grew up in Baton Rouge, lived 5 years in Houston, and then spent 6 or so in CA.)

In general, I'd say expect the worst, that way any suprises will be pleasant ones. It's not all bad, but a few big differences await you. Racism has been mentioned. Don't forget oppressive Christians; if you haven't been told to your face that you're a goin' to Hell, get ready. If you're not one of "them", you'll definitely be made to feel an outsider. Also, don't for a minute picture the dry and dusty expanses of Texas; I was shocked to find that Houston was more mosquito-ridden and flood prone than Baton Rouge. Beaumont is sitting on the same sponge. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Beaumont the home of that charming plant that spews Hydrogen Sulfide (rotten egg) smell ?

So, like I said, emphasize the negatives. But to be fair, there are plenty of good things. As corny as it is, I think there really is something to southern charm and hospitality (as long as you're white). People are never in a hurry to get somewhere else, you can strike up a conversation with anybody, and (hold on to your hat, Californians !) nobody cares how much stuff you own or what neighborhood you live in. You can hop in your car (or on your bicylcle) and in just minutes be out in the countryside. Thats a place where there's grass, and trees that weren't planted by a landscaper, and cows and shit. And on a pretty regular basis water falls out of the sky and makes beautiful lakes and rivers; rivers that you can't even drive in. (Notice this feature made both the plus and the minus list...)

Anyway, if it were me, I wouldn't go back. But I'd say that your situation sounds like it could work out nicely. It'll be a brand new experience. And no matter how much advice people pour out, it'll turn out different for you. As long as you don't mention you're from California.....

QUOTE (Joe Ricard @ Nov 22 2005, 11:45 AM)

Saying Texas is full of Bubbas and Red necks is like saying California is full of Fags. SHiner Bock Baby.

there are a few rednecks, but there are rednecks EVERYWHERE... not everyone in TX is a gun-toting, republican voting, sister-screwing, gay-bashing, black-hatin' dog-barking red-neck... and to assume that is just DUMB

the racism mention is very concentrated in a few of the small towns... vidor and cut-n-shoot are the only ones that I can think of... it's not like every city-limit sign says "no coloreds allowed' I don't think there's anymore racism in TX than any other state... I can't believe that people actually think that texas is that bad on the racism scale... this is the first I've heard about it, aside from vidor and cut-n-shoot... the rest of the stateis like anywhere else... some people were raised as racist pricks, and the rest of us are normal... and that is the case regardless of the state, I'm sure NY, Cali, or anywhere else has some of the racists... as many per capita as texas too...

remember that Austin is also one of the most LIBERAL cities in the US...

I spoke to the TS manager in Beaumont today. The move is likely. On $20k/yr out there appearantly you can have a damn good lifestyle. I have to start selling my unnecessary parts stash just in case.

If you want to track the 914 you’ll and plenty of opportunities living there. Motor Sports Ranch Houston just opened up. Texas World Speedway is not too far (Collage Station) and then there is Motor Sports Ranch in Cresson.

QUOTE (Brando @ Nov 30 2005, 05:30 PM)

The move is likely.

Well then let me be the first to say, "welcome to Texas"

I predict you're going to love it. See you at MUSR 8!!!!!!!

Also in the spring, will be the Talamina drive in OK. (see my avatar). Will be a bit of a drive for you, but not to be missed.

Brandon a tejasian...

Welcome to TX, man! you'll like it!

I GOT THE JOB!!!
Formal contract comes in the mail next week. I move on or before January 1st!

Good luck, Good Travels....while your at it....take at least 4 people with you and don't come back.........................












Good job Junior!

QUOTE (Brando @ Dec 1 2005, 04:46 PM)

I GOT THE JOB!!! Formal contract comes in the mail next week. I move on or before January 1st!

So are you going to get this car done and out of my driveway before you go?? Are you going to trailer them both down or dump one?

QUOTE (skline @ Dec 1 2005, 04:50 PM)

QUOTE (Brando @ Dec 1 2005, 04:46 PM) I GOT THE JOB!!! Formal contract comes in the mail next week. I move on or before January 1st!  :trophy:  :trophy:  :woohoo: So are you going to get this car done and out of my driveway before you go?? Are you going to trailer them both down or dump one?

Don't worry Scott, I have vacation time from Tomorrow (2nd) all the way to the 8th. I guess I'm bringing my sleeping bag and using my tool box as a pillow.

I'm hoping to take both cars with me.

QUOTE (Brando @ Dec 1 2005, 05:53 PM)

QUOTE (skline @ Dec 1 2005, 04:50 PM) QUOTE (Brando @ Dec 1 2005, 04:46 PM) I GOT THE JOB!!! Formal contract comes in the mail next week. I move on or before January 1st!  :trophy:  :trophy:  :woohoo: So are you going to get this car done and out of my driveway before you go?? Are you going to trailer them both down or dump one? Don't worry Scott, I have vacation time from Tomorrow (2nd) all the way to the 8th. I guess I'm bringing my sleeping bag and using my tool box as a pillow. I'm hoping to take both cars with me.

Now that's a Texan thinking.....driving them both at once......

got your message sir.....

sorry to see you go my friend. you will be missed in SoCal. But, i wish you an exponentially great economic future.

AA

congratulations!

i had a job offer about a year ago in austin but couldn't get them to cough up enough cash.... i would live in texas in a minute.

lived there a long time ago in san antonio in the late 60's.

been to visit since and really like it there.

good for you.....

I'm planning a bash before I take off. A friend of mine volunteered to be barkeep and host the location. He lives in Perris off of the 215 but it'd be one hell of a party.

Brando,

What the heck is bringing you to Beaumont? I live and work here. Things are getting back to normal, slowly after the Rita party. It's not a bunch of red necks and bubbas, but we have our share. Anything I can do for ya let me know! I missed this post due to life being a little crazy, hurricane, work, schoool, etc. Now that finals are over, I have time to read! and post.

Eddie

After reading SLITS comments I had to respond...

Refineries don't stink... thats the smell of money!!
Love bugs do suck!
Drink Shiner Bock!
It will be a big culture shock moving from SoCal, according to FRAPPR I'm the only 914er between Houston and Pensacola.There's plenty to do... check out Crockett Street, southeasttexas.com for starters. If you plan on going to school Lamar U. As I like to say we're close enought to Houston to visit the big city, but far enough away to not have the big city problems. There are casinos in Lake Charles.

Housing will be tight for a while, as several apartment complexes were damaged, and lots of houses. But if you listen to the press, Rita did nothing! lol There was alot of development happening at the time of the 'cane, so those places should be finnishing up soon. There is a new apartment complex going up near my house.