Brownsville, Texas

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)