Granbury, TX
Quoted from hool10:.....I have lived near Lowell, MA for 30 years and 2 years in Manchester, NH.
What places should I avoid because I hear the east part is fully of hardcore Republicans, Austin is full of drugs, further South looks like something from Breaking Bad? I have no clue but I'm a single 32yr old that leans mostly in the middle. I really don't want to turn this into a "oh man stay out of our state Yankee".
Two things:
1) I too lived in Lowell Mass, graduated from Lowell Tech Institute (UMass Lowell now). Lived in Lowell and saw it rise in stature again by embracing its' Industrial Revolution mill town technology and restoring the canals and mill wooden turbines that drive the textile machinery. Great old historical town!
2) If you don't wear your politics or religion on your sleeve then you won't have any problem anywhere in Texas. That applies to any State you go to, not just Texas. Just keep yourself focused on enjoying the people you meet and the places you visit.
3) You have too many stereotypes about Texas! You should not categorize Texas into these zones any more than you should in other states. Generally the larger the city the more diverse the mix of red/blue people and the smaller the town the more concentrated the red/blue people. That is about it. Again, if you go into a place or start a conversation wearing your opinions on your sleeve then you may have pushback, just like in any State in the US.
4) I think of Texas more in geographic zones: Prairie (north&west), Hill Country (Austin and west/south), Piney woods country (east), and Coastal (Galveston/Corpus). Each has its' own charm and weather patterns. Right now I am moving out of the DFW area and going more towards the Hill Country to get away from the flatland feeling and be in hilly terrain.
