Tyler vs Longview (Kilgore, Center, Whitehouse: crime rate, chapel, home)

[Snippet2]

We are retirees and are planning a move to either Tyler or Longview in the near future from out of state. I've been researching but could use any input on the pros and cons of each - not so much re housing but more on quality of life issues such as crime, transportation options, things to do (restaurants, museums, movies, shopping, etc). An important thing for us is train access. I know Longview and Mineola have Amtrak stations, but is it a very long ride from Tyler to Mineola to get to their station? Any information would be helpful. Thanks

[ChristieP]

Tyler has approximately 107K population, and Longview has 81k. Tyler has significantly more shopping and restaurants than Longview.

Tyler downtown to Mineola is 25 miles, and will take about 30 minutes to drive. I've looked on Amtrak's website, and it looks like the only route that goes through Mineola is the Texas Eagle, which also goes through Longview, too. Mineola is a cute town with a historic downtown. I love to go shopping there!

Most retirees are concerned about medical care, and in that regard, Tyler is better than Longview. Tyler is the regional medical hub for east Texas. It is home of the UT Tyler health system, which is the region's only Level 1 trauma center and has 350 beds. There is also Christus Mother Frances hospital, which is a level 2 trauma center and has 450 beds. Longview has two smaller hospitals: Longview Regional Medical Center, which has 224 beds, and Christus Good Shepherd which has 350 beds. They are both level 3 trauma centers.

Longview's violent crime rate is 31.4, and the US average is 22.7. Tyler's violent crime rate is 23.1
Longview's property crime rate is 56.8, and the US average is 35.4. Tyler's property crime rate is 53.2.

Tyler has long been known for its annual Rose Festival, and it is the Rose Capital of Texas https://www.texasrosefestival.com/
Longview's neighboring city of Kilgore is home to the East Texas Oil Museum https://easttexasoilmuseum.kilgore.edu/

I'm in both towns fairly frequently with my work, so ask away if you have more questions.

[Snippet2]

Thank you so much for your quick response. I will definitely get back in touch as I'm sure we'll have more questions.

[ChristieP]

If you wanted to be closer to the train station in Mineola, you could look at living in Lindale, which is on the north side of Tyler. Lindale is a popular place for families and professionals who work in Tyler because the school system is better than Tyler ISD. Lindale is also home to country singer Miranda Lambert, and there's a nice wine festival there that my husband and I enjoy.

[Snippet2]

Thank you for the information once again Much appreciated.

[KathrynAragon]

Is there some particular reason why Amtrak is very important to you?

I am asking because personally I much prefer Tyler over Longview, having lived and worked in both small cities.

[Snippet2]

Just love riding the train. I've taken the trip from California to the east coast over the Rockies a couple of times and still want to do more train travelling. After much research, we are indeed leaning towards Tyler. It sounds much better overall and no big deal to get to Mineola or Longview for train.

[ChristieP]

I think you'll be a lot happier in Tyler. It is a bigger town with many more things to do, and significantly better medical care.

[KathrynAragon]

I love the Tyler area. Also, look at the Lindale area - it's north of Tyler so closer to Mineola but also very attractive. It's like a bedroom community of Tyler. Whitehouse is south, Bullard is south as well, and Chandler is west. Chapel Hill is east.

[swagger]

Someone mentioned Christus and UT Health above. Just want to throw in my two pennies about them.

My wife, her sister, their mother and I have all had experience with both systems. In our collective experience, there's no comparison. Christus runs circles around UT Health when it comes to most things, especially bedside manner.

After UT Health took over ETMC (East Texas Medical Center), which was pretty good, the service aspect of the patient experience dropped like a rock. Can't speak to the actual reasons but it felt like they stopped caring about patients and that effort went to caring about making more money, instead.

I'm sure others will have had different experiences. That's ours, in case it helps with any decisions you end up making down the road.