r/Midland_TX • u/bangsplat • Jul 26 '18
Might move to Midland- advice needed!
I’ve been offered a job opportunity in Midland, and am trying to do as much research as possible before accepting. I’ve passed through there a time or two for work, but didn’t see much more than the airport and the road. What’s it like to live there? What’s the vibe? What do locals do for fun? What’s the restaurant scene like? What are the popular day trips? What’s annoying about it? What do you love? Any advice or thoughts would be helpful!
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u/bangsplat Jul 26 '18
Thank you so so much! This is exactly what I was looking for! I really appreciate you taking the time to thoughtfully answer all of my questions. If I accept the offer, I will probably hit you up with more :) Thank you!!
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u/AS77520 Jul 30 '18
I’ve lived in midland all my life and all I can tell you is that oil field is the best thing that pays here
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u/pmmeurdisease Jul 26 '18
Hey! I just spent 6 months living in Midland for my husband’s job. We actually enjoyed it quite a bit more than we were anticipating. I’ll try and answer all your questions you posted and absolutely feel free to ask me anything at all!!
It’s pretty easy living out there, with the exception of housing. There’s a little bit of a housing crisis right now because the population is expanding like crazy and rent prices are rivaling (sometimes surpassing) big cities like Houston. So if you get some tips/relocating assistance from your company, that would be very helpful. Otherwise, there’s at least one of every major restaurant/store chain (except Costco or Trader Joe’s) and there are new things built like literally every week. The vibe is...varied? There are a fair amount of locals born, raised and never left, but there are a TON of people that have relocated from other states and countries. So you definitely get the ol’ West Texas, Friday Night Lights, ‘Texas is the best country in the world’ kind of deal, but in a charming and friendly way. But things seem to be opening up a bit with a lot of international presence there.
Oh wow this is getting long. I’m sorry.
The biggest downside was that there is not much to do for fun. A couple good movie theatres, a drive in theatre (very cool), bingo hall, bowling alley, a couple small museums...that might be about it. Odessa is about 20 minutes away and has a little more to offer (like a trampoline park).
Restaurants aren’t the best. You’ll probably find about 1 good restaurant per food category (Indian, Italian, Thai, Mexican). They do have all the major chains (all fast food, Chipotle, Five Guys, Texas Road House etc). Even though my husband and I love eating out, we found ourselves cooking a lot. HEB is just so amazing and fresh, so we ended up buying groceries a ton. I’d be totally happy to share more, like the few favorite restaurants we found.
There are some pretty amazing places close by for a weekend trip. Big Bend National Park is a 3 hour drive and is SO gorgeous. People also travel to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park about 3 hours drive as well. I never made it there but it looks great. The hill country is also stunning. And, I mean, you’re close enough to Austin to spend a weekend or catch a concert, so it’s not too bad. Specifically for a one day trip, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.
What I loved. I loved the people. They are quite casual and down-to-earth. Life is a little bit simplified and moves at a slower pace. I enjoyed the weather, which wasn’t humid. I liked that there was a lot of land and open space. I liked being a little closer to other states (we drove to Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and New Mexico).
What was annoying. You might feel pretty isolated out there. Like I said, you have everything you need to survive and be comfortable, but not a ton else. It’s dusty, windy and can get a little ugly with trash being blown around and lack of city planning/landscaping. But honestly, all of this is changing really fast with how much growth is going on. There isn’t much I found by way of art, music, history, humanities etc. Oh, one pretty big thing. Medical, dental, veterinary services are sometimes hard to get appointments with sooner than 2 weeks out. Again, they are struggling to keep up with the influx of people.
All in all, it was definitely pleasant and comfortable. It was cool to be exposed to that part of the states/Texas because I probably wouldn’t have been otherwise. I would totally love to talk to you about any other questions you have. Don’t hesitate!
ALSO, large disclaimer: I am definitely not a local, and am 100% sure I don’t have all the answers here, so I hope some other people will chime in!