Abilene, Texas
What is it like to live in Abilene? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?
There are 4 things you need to know about Abilene, Texas before you move there.
First, the weather. This town experiences extremes in weather. You can have weeks where the temperature never drops below 95 degrees (35 centigrade) and you have weeks that hover around 10 degrees (-12 centigrade). Days in the summer time that break 105 degrees (40 centigrade) are not too uncommon and having nights in the winter time that drop to 0 (-18 centigrade) are also not too uncommon. Ice storms that make the roads unusable for a few days is not uncommon in the winter and sweltering sunny days in the summer turn the town into an oven. There are very few days out of the year that aren't at one extreme or the other. Part of this is due to the high plains/arid environment that allows the temperature to swing as much as 50 degrees (10 centigrade) in a single day. The other major contributing factor is the jet stream's location. Another big nuisance to many is the wind. This town frequently experiences windy days. The average wind speed is 12 mph (19 kph), making it one of the windiest cities in the entire United States. On a hot day, this would be a welcomed occurrence, however, due to environmental conditions, this is usually a very dusty wind. Dust storms do happen in Abilene on the occasion. Some are big, others go without much notice. The worst one I ever experienced was strong enough to block out enough light so it appeared to be dusk outside when it was actually a little after 1 PM. The wind also makes this a very cold environment in the winter. While the actual temperature might only be 32 degrees (0 centigrade), the wind chill will make it feel much colder than it actually is. Due to the strength of the wind, and how continuous it is, it is very important in the winter time to wear clothes that can keep the wind off of your body.
Second, this is not a picturesque town in the traditional sense of the word. The town was only created to support the railroad system in the early years of its existence. The trains needed water every 100 miles for their steam engines, and Abilene is one of those old stops. The town continued to grow even after the trains no longer needed water every 100 miles, most likely due to the nearby military instillation, and its important role during the cold war as a nuclear missile site. As mentioned before, this is not a beautiful town. It was a town built out of necessity that didn't go away after its original purpose faded away. You will not find majestic pieces of architecture. You will not find amazing public parks filled with decedent flowers and trees (the climate doesn't allow for that). What you will find is a classic West Texas town. Most buildings date to the early and mid 1900s that are only a few stories high and because there has been no major industry forces in the town since then, the town's appearance hasn't changed. If you like the American neogothic style of architecture, than this might be a town to check out.
Third, the people of Abilene are generally very friendly people. This is Texas, and it is customary in Texas to be polite and friendly to people. People will say hello and ask how you are doing before they know your name. It is common curtesy to hold the doors open for other people, use of the phrase "Yes sir/ma'am" and "No sir/ma'am" is still a must in conversation with strangers and elderly people. You might meet a stranger in line at the grocery store and strike up a conversation. It is also a religious town. Many people still believe in God, refrain from swearing (at least in public), and still dress modestly. You can always tell who is and isn't a local by how they act, dress, and speak. If you choose to go against the polite and friendly customs, you might have a hard time, but if you role with it people will treat you like a friend.
Forth, you need a car or motorcycle. Many towns and cities in the United States, and even more so in Texas, are spread out in layout and design. Abilene is no different. While it is possible to find a ride to many things if you have a good network of friends, daily life in terms of transportation to school, work, and stores to buy groceries and other necessities will be challenging without a car or motorcycle. It is hard to understand this without experiencing it first hand. Almost nothing is close in terms of walking distance in Texas, and the weather definitely doesn't help. Public transportation does exist in the technical sense, but it is a very time consuming and impractical way to travel. Abilene has a bus system, but because of how large the area spread is, and how little it is funded/used, it will take a long time to get anywhere far using this system. If you can't afford a car or motorcycle, at least get a bicycle. You would be foolish to move here and not buy one.
What is the student lifestyle like in Abilene?
It can be good or bad, it really depends on how you deal with the environment. Abilene is not a fun town. Some people claim that this is a fun town, but they are either 1) from Abilene and know no other lifestyle or 2) they are from an even smaller town and this is the biggest "city" they have ever been to in their entire existence. Just about everything is closed by 9 or 10 PM here, even on the weekends, so this is a "make your own fun" type of town. Some people choose to get involved in their studies to stave off the boredom, others go out and waste their time with partying, drinking, and drugs. These are two extremes that actually happen pretty frequently in Abilene regardless of what university you choose to attend. The balanced student finds a very close group of friends and splits their time between their friends, school, and work. Simple things like Netflix, board games, card games, trips out into the countryside to look at stars, or the occasional bonfire are things you can do that won't put your career and academic goals in jeopardy and provide some form of entertainment. On a positive note, this city is full of young adults. There are 3 major universities, 2 junior colleges, a pharmaceutical college, and an air base for the US here, so as you can imagine there are a lot of people in their early 20s in this town. You can't go anywhere without seeing another university student.
If you are a student here, you don't go for the night life, you don't go for the crazy party scene (although this does happen from time to time), you don't go for the natural beauty (unless flat plains with nothing but prairie grass is your thing), you go to study here because it is easy to stay focused on school if you keep your head on straight.
How much does it cost to live in Abilene?
Being a student in Abilene is not tough, the town isn't wealthy, so most things are not expensive. Just about everyone offers discounts to ACU students if you show them a student ID. Many restaurants have these discounts on the North side of town.
Is it difficult to find accommodation in Abilene? Is there any advice you can give?
Not at all. There are tons of houses and apartments to lease and rent. Most of the universities in town provide dormitories to live in the first couple of years too, and they also may provide help finding a place to live after that. If you can't find a place to live in Abilene, you aren't looking very hard.
What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?
Abilene may be a small town, but It is the United States, you can get just about any type of food you want. There are numerous types of Asian cuisines including Korean, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Vietnamese restaurants, I even think there is a Pakistani place that opened up when I graduated. There are Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants. There are numerous burger joints, pizza parlors, and wing bars. There are "home cooking" style restaurants that serve typical Southern food. There are Texas BBQ joints. It may be a town in West Texas, but the food culture is more diverse than many would think. While I will say it is diverse, it may not taste good, hence the 3 star rating.
What places would you recommend visiting in Abilene?
I would recommend visiting Perini Ranch Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap, country dancing in Oplin, Texas on a Friday night, and movie night at the drive in theater.
Is it good to eat out in Abilene? Can you tell us your favourite spots?
There are not that many options outside of chain restaurants in Abilene. That being said, there are a few gems in this town. Believe it or not, one of the best restaurants in Abilene isn't a BBQ joint, it's a Chinese place called SzeChuan. It has won numerous awards at a national and international level for it's authentic and delicious food and it is not expensive either. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is great, the service staff are extremely polite and helpful, and you can get a meal for less than $15 a an awesome restaurant. Another good restaurant in town that is worth mentioning is actually outside of Abilene in the town of Buffalo Gap. Buffalo Gap is home to Perini Ranch Steakhouse. I can say it is good, but to give you an idea about how good it is, they have catered for the United States Congressional picnic, President George W. Bush flew them out to cook for him and foreign dignitaries during his presidency, and they won best burger in the US according to the New York Times back in 2011. It is a little pricey compared to normal food prices in the area, but you are getting quality food.
There are other great little joints in town, but nothing worth mentioning compared to the 2 listed.
Is the nightlife good in Abilene? Where is good to go?
No, the nightlife is horrible in Abilene. As mentioned before in the student life section, this town shuts down early. Only a few bars, a handful of restaurants, and Walmart stay open late. This is a "make your own fun" town.
What advice would you give future students heading to Abilene?
Have a good windbreaker, don't expect an exciting town, don't expect good weather, focus on your studies, and keep close to your friends. Be polite and friendly with others, it is the custom. Going to college here can either launch you into amazing future opportunities because you had no distractions and a strong alumni base or it can ruin your life because you went crazy due to boredom.
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