Brownsville is at the southernmost point on the mainland of the U.S. (Key West is an island). It sits on the border next to Matamoros, Mexico. The population is majority Mexican-American and the vibe of the city is as much/more Mexican than American. The vibe of the city is chill and extremely friendly and working class. Most locals speak Spanish and not shockingly the most popular food/restaurant type is Mexican. Newcomers are often turned off by the overwhelming Mexican culture but for locals there is a warmth and tightness to the city they don’t find elsewhere. 

Notes on living in Brownsville from a local: *I live in Harlingen and I work in Brownsville. Depending on where you want to live I think the homes are a little nicer and a little less expensive in Harlingen. I commute 30 minutes, which isn't bad. As far as needing to speak Spanish, I've lived here 12 years and haven't had a need. In my work I come into contact with people from Mexico every day, but most people are bilingual, at least anyone in any kind of professional position. we moved here from Charleston South Carolina and and we like it here. You're obviously not going to get everything you can get in a large area but you can get quite a lot here.*

Multicultural

The Best Thing About Brownsville?

Brownsville has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation and is ranked the 2nd poorest urban area in the U.S. As a port city Brownsville’s economy depends a fair bit on export/import for city revenue. SpaceX became the city’s largest private employer in 2021/2022 following an investment of $430 million on operations and looks to maintain that position for years to come. That could change things for the city but it would be a mistake to move here without a job.

A local comments on the poverty here: *As someone from the area this has been the truth for a long, long time. I still have vivid memories of helping my mother and some Catholic charity she was a part of go down on the weekends to pass out food. Once you experience real poverty, even from the outside (we weren't rich or anything but we could eat three meals a day), you can't dismiss it (unless of course you are a sociopath or something). Cameron Park (where my grandfather is from) has been the poorest "perpetual poverty community" from its inception.*

Poverty

The Worst Thing About Brownsville?

The lifestyle of Brownsville is driven by the traditions of Mexican culture. If you stroll around Brownsville you’ll see countless Mexican “zarapes” (blankets/ponchos), tons of taquerias and on the right days of the year you can experience the Charro Days Fiesta. A four-day festival that celebrates the mixed cultures of the twin cities, attended by 50,000 people from both sides of the border. There’s a parade, dancing, music, fireworks and amazing Mexican food throughout the event. Some of this energy permeates the culture and lifestyle of Brownsville all year long.

Check out the upcoming happenings in Brownsville if you want to understand the social lifestyle a bit better: https://visitbtx.com/happeninginbtx/


Lifestyle of Brownsville

For most people Brownsville is a culturally interesting port of last resort where they can start over at extremely low costs. If you have a job, say at SpaceX, and are excited to start seriously saving money then Brownsville could make sense for you. 


Saving Money

Why You Should Move Here Now?

There isn’t much of a young professional district in Brownsville given its family-focused culture. Downtown is where most head due to the greater density of apartment rentals and short walks to bars and local restaurants. South Padre Island tends to pull in more of the young professionals who wouldn’t dream of being so far from the beach back in Brownsville. 
- Downtown
- South Padre Island


Young Professionals

Downtown 

Anyone looking for fancy is likely to pick one of the nicer suburbs like Rancho Viejo or Palm Valley. Big homes, high safety ratings and excellent schools pull families out of the city to the isolation of the burbs. City families congregate in neighborhoods like Cameron Park, where the homes are nice, there’s plenty of outdoor space and the streets are safe and tree-lined. 
- Cameron Park
- Rancho Viejo
- Palm Valley


Families

Cameron Park 

Brownsville

**What is it like in Brownsville, Texas?**

Brownsville Texas is a very hot and very humid economically depressed primitive hell hole with daytime temperatures that soar to near 100° and dewpoints of near 80° & nighttime lows that only drop to near 80°. Please keep in mind that Brownsvilles climate is technically subtropic so the extreme heat & humidity last for many months of the year but not all months. Brownsville Texas also enjoys a very low cost of living primarily because of its lack of a strong booming economy particularly after the Great Recession causing a very high poverty rate. The only real tourist trap in Brownsville is the Brownsville Texas Library.

**What is Brownsville, TX known for?**

It’s been many years since I lived there, so I’ll just give some general information about it. It’s the southernmost point on the mainland of the Unite States. Key West, Florida, which is an island, is a bit further south. It borders Matamoros, Mexico. It’s a subtropical place with a lot of palm trees and tropical fruit trees and flowering plants, such as banana and mango trees, orange trees, yucca plants, bougainvillea bushes, oleander bushes, and hibiscus bushes. There are many small bodies of water scattered throughout the locality that are called lagunas. The population is mostly Latino, with most of those being Mexican-American, and most people speak English. There are many fine Mexican and seafood restaurants. I’m not sure about the industry there now, but there are shrimp boats and processing plants nearby, tourism, and golf courses of note. The weather is usually warm to hot, humid, with a good amount of rainfall. Beaches are a short drive away, with hunting and fishing prevalent in the area. I think the population is around 160,000, and all the retail chain stores and eateries are available there.

**What strikes first time visitors as special or unusual when they arrive in Brownsville, TX?**

The people who live here. I moved down here three years ago and I did not know what to expect. I had lived in Central Texas and I knew some people of Mexican heritage but to be immersed in people who are from Mexico and frequently cross the border is something different. The people here are friendly, kind and helpful but if you look different, you definitely get a few stares and believe me, I get some (I’m a redhead so I look unusual pretty much anywhere). But once you get to know the people and learn some of the local Spanish, they will accept you as anyone else they respect. The culture of Brownsville is different since the Brownsville/Matamoros connection goes back so far, if the border didn’t separate the two cities, they might seem as one large city and they celebrate this union each February during Charro Days. A celebration of the lasting friendship of these two cities.

**Possibly moving to Brownsville, TX**

I live in Harlingen and I work in Brownsville. Depending on where you want to live I think the homes are a little nicer and a little less expensive in Harlingen. I commute 30 minutes, which isn't bad. As far as needing to speak Spanish, I've lived here 12 years and haven't had a need. In my work I come into contact with people from Mexico every day, but most people are bilingual, at least anyone in any kind of professional position. we moved here from Charleston South Carolina and and we like it here. You're obviously not going to get everything you can get in a large area but you can get quite a lot here.

**Brownsville/Matamoros: Things to do, what to know (Texas/Tamaulipas Vlog 2022)**



Brownsville, Texas

Chess Capital

Looklyloo Score: 65

We're on it!