If you are getting sent out there, it's work. If it's a good deal take it!
It will Def be down from San Antonio, but it's not unlivable. Not my cup of tea.
Midland is nicer than Odessa.
But you can go play in new Mexico easier!
No, ha. But tis a good reason! That's kinda dangerous if work piss tests and bringing it across state lines.
I've just started exploring NM, the mountain/desert has a draw I didn't realize would be so strong for me.
I live in Odessa currently, & I was born here.
Cost of living is insane, including rent!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fortunately, I’m buying my home but you will pay Austin/San Antonio prices without any of the things those cities have to offer.
[cost of living](https://livingcost.org/cost/united-states/tx/odessa)
Crime rate is one of the highest in the nation. [crime rate statistics](https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/odessa-tx-is-among-the-most-dangerous-us-metro-areas/article_b41d2801-e232-52d3-bfc4-e783716e29be.html)
We have lots of fast food establishments and bars. I don’t care what anyone says, Taco villa is disgusting and nowhere near what it used to be 5-10 years ago.
Edit: I didn’t finish the statement about bars and restaurants. Of course you can find things to do in any city you live in but here you have two main options, eat out or go drinking.
And like another commenter mentioned, the food service is terrible. It’s common to spend 30-45 minutes in a drive thru, mobile orders can take over an hour, and still not be ready even when it shows completed. -subway-
Heck even the service at our chick-fil-a’s suck (I’m talking to you on 42nd)😡 love them or hate them, there’s one thing chick-fil-a’s are known for and that’s their service model, and we can’t even get that.
You can’t drink the water because of the poisoned water table. And the air is getting worse by the day because of the oil & gas industries.
[water table contaminants exceeds standards](https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=TX0680002)
My sons mother has a large family here and if it wasn’t for that we would’ve been gone years ago.
Edit 2:
I’d seriously re-evaluate the job offer, look around for housing here in Odessa BEFORE moving or accepting the job. Do a simple cost benefits analysis and determine if it’s truly beneficial to move here. Please account for mental and lifestyle attributes as well, because you can still make amazing money and not be happy where you’re at. Ask me how I know…
It’s gotten worse. I quit drinking from tap, even with a legit RO filtration system, and only buy water from the grocery store. Of course it’s not environmentally friendly but we can’t drink our water.
I know it’s bad because if I set a bowl of tap water down for my dog and only leave that water, he WILL NOT TOUCH it no matter how long it sits there and he hasn’t drank any. This says a lot to me that even a dog will not touch the water because he knows it’s not right.
I know, I miss the OG Taco Villa as well! Their food was bar none better than any other Tex-Mex joint in the area. Now you only go there if you want to feel miserable and have a lump of “food” in your stomach that just sits there and doesn’t digest like it should.
Thailand, and specifically Bangkok, had the best sunsets, largely for the same reason. All those particulates in the air really make for amazing colors.
Have you figured out housing yet. I know that a few years back places like the Motel 6 were charging $300+ per night because there was a lot of energy related work but no housing.
I remember being a kid having a job delivering corporate store fixtures. I went to Williston ND arriving there late that day because it's out in the middle of nowhere. I went to the hotel and they laughed and told me that the earliest bookings were two months out. I slept in the truck that night. Very unpleasant experience.
Next time I went there I learned to grab a hotel in some tiny little town in Montana an hour away
Going from SA to MidDessa will be an adjustment. Just remember that if you ask for breakfast tacos out there, they'll look at you like a cow looking at a new gate. They do these things called buhreetohs.
Dont drink the water. Period.
Those who can afford it get water softeners. The rest of us proles end up with stained teeth and bad pipes.
Also, west Texas is full of small government/no regulation types. Anything related to public works gets a hell of a lot of pushback.
>They do these things called buhreetohs.
Is that a West Texas thing in general? When I lived in San Angelo, people scoffed when I'd say "breakfast tacos" because it's "breakfast burritos."
Yeah, there's a hazy, irregular North-South boundary around Fredericksburg where tacos turn to burritos. You can find either on either side of that line, but burritos are more prevalent to the west and tacos are more prevalent to the east. There's even good taco spots in eastern Fburg, then a well-known burrito spot on the west side of town.
This information is for educational purposes only, and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition you may have. Different people have different reactions to tacos and burritos, so ask your taquero which treatment is right for you.
Former SA to Midland person here. Absolutely THIS. The water turns your faucets blue and is disgusting. Do not under any circumstances drink the water.
I have to side with you Ommec, El Paso is a burrito town, and glad to hear Odessa/Midland are burrito towns too. Its a f’ckn burrito!
I was always handed 8 inches of egg & chorizo or bean & cheese burritos on the way out the door as a kid. Portable, wrapped well, usually mess free until the first bite, where food contents just don’t randomly fall out from a slight over tilt… like an frigg’n taco.
I grew up in Odessa. like every place it has it's good and bad. Don't let opinions way you down. Go, kick ass at your job and figure it out for yourself. I live in San Antonio and can give you reasons why it is worse than Odessa.
Taco Villa is great and the Globe theater is pretty amazing. It is a boom or bust town so a lot depends on the Oil & Gas market which seems pretty stable.
Don't let anyone pull you down on an opportunity. A place is just a place. I have a friend that runs a bbq place there and a several friends that made Midland/Odessa their life long home.
I really appreciate this! Yeah I’m trying to keep a positive attitude. I already moved to San Antonio for work so I’m used to moving around haha. Being from Dallas, it’s definitely been an adjustment but it’s grown on me so I think hopefully Odessa will be the same! Thanks for the recs :)
Love your attitude! It will help way more than any advice I could give you. I moved from Midland to San Antonio, and I wouldn't relish going back to west Texas. But, I gotta tell you, I went back to visit a couple months ago, and it was not horrible. Every bit as flat and brown as I remembered, but you get used to that. You can still find some good food and nice people. If you like choral music, Midland is the place to be.
Best of luck to you!
I graduated from Permian 2 years before the book was written. It was incredibly accurate.
Odessa wasn't for me, but I'm not going to knock it. Lots of fun times and life long friends. I enjoyed living there as much as any teenager enjoys anything. I was just too much of wild child and had to work through that.
I heard a rumor that when Lee finally beat Permian circa '98, that some disgruntled fans went to the Permian coach's house and hanged his dog. It seems just demented enough to be believable, but I never saw it reported in a reputable news source. Any idea whether that actually happened?
Permian class of '74, here. Back then, Odessa was a great place to live. I left in '78 for Houston. I've been back a couple of times, but not in 20 years at least.
I cannot for the life of me understand how there are two recommendations for Taco Villa. You are spreading misinformation. You can make better nachos with store bought Old El Paso crap.
This! I live a few hours away in a tiny town and we sometimes go shop there. People are always nice and you could do way worse. It’s not a bad place at all.
Not to be a dick, but oil and gas is not stable. They are known for their restructurings and lay offs when times get tough. You'll know times are good when there's a ton of big trucks everywhere, and then 1 year later they'll all be getting repo'ed
I hope you’re ready to spend a shit ton on suspension work, cuz those roads out there are ROUGH from all the trucks tearing it up. Especially out by the HEB in Midland
As someone who lives in Odessa...I wake up everyday wanting to leave. Unfortunately, the economy is too good to leave...it's not a great place to be a young single person...it's not a great place to raise a family.
I’m sorry that’s been your experience and that you feel that way :( I used to feel like that about San Antonio so I understand. I think I’m not as concerned with the long-term right now since I know the move is only temporary. I hope things get better for you!
The water, the smell, the proliferation of roughnecks, the terrible roads, and the cost of everything being higher are all downsides.
The crime rate is higher than the state and the national average.
Lots of violent assaults/killings happen in and around oil fields and areas where a lot of that work is done, including west Texas.
All of that, plus the absolute desperation for animals in the area. Abandoned dogs (and cats), dog fighting, cock fighting, "lost" animals and terrible governmental support for our shelters and rescues. The mayor is an absolute twat who is as corrupt as they come...it's just a depressing place.
I think the difference I see between San An and this area, at least there is stuff to do. We don't have any indoor play areas for kids, our parks are garbage, we have no great trails or outdoor rec areas, no zoo, no aquarium...it's just depressing. My plan was also to be here temporarily. I had a one year plan actually...lol! Coming up on seven years in the basin. I'm not as depressed as I use to be, I've made the best of it. I've poured loved into my house and garden and I do love my job.
Once she said Odessa, the answer was immediately no. But I’m from Midland, so I am biased. Putting down Odessa is part of what makes living in Midland worth it.😝
Look at it like an adventure. You’re young, sounds like a good opportunity to open your mind to other places, see how other people live. Our world is full of folks that never leave their city/town, and that’s cool, but it’s a bubble and not representative of the world. Momento mori. This is all we got.
I’m odessa born and raised. It’s fine. There’s not a whole lot to do but there are some interesting things if you look for them. Proximity to ft Davis/ruidosa/big bend/Santa fe is nice.
Mostly the proximity to places I like going for camping and hiking like big bend and NM. I like driving so I’m okay with taking road trips for some fun.
If you go, keep your positive attitude. It will help. Remember to not drink the water, or tea made with the water. It is as bad as they say. And if for some reason, you can’t take it, move somewhere else. The McKinney to Anna, to Van Alstyne to Sherman area is exploding. Jobs to be had. Best of luck!
Odessa really does suck as a place to live unless you have family and friends here that you can talk to and enjoy spending time with.
That being said, it sucks to live there, but if work calls, then take it. Make your money, and after a while move somewhere beautiful and better than this oil leeching hell hole boom town lol. If you are being given a house and everything, then why not.
Warning though, there is nothing to do here, besides going to Midland or something.
lol jk,. I can think of better place to move to but I’m sure it’s fine… you could always move back if you hate it
Honestly don't move there.
My family has deep roots in the place. Stay in San Antonio .Moving there will be the worst mistake in your life.
Also goggle "superfund sites odessa tx"
I had to was a blanket from my grandmother 5 times to get rid of the stink.
It's very dusty and windy. It's isolated. But you might like it. Go and make the best of it. There is a lot to do out there that is too far to drive from Dallas. Add the sand dunes, Hotel Turkey and Balmorhea to your list. I haven't lived there but understand that all social life is through churches. Also, there's an airport in Midland so you can leave when you need to. I admire your adventurous spirit.
"All social life is through churches" - gross.
This is reason enough not to go OP. F**k religious people. They are the source of many of society's problems.
I’ve worked out here for years. My house is in San Antonio.
It’s a good place to work because the wages are competitive and benefits. Where I work they have a camp with free food, free insurance and a free place to stay when you’re on hitch.
The bad is that it’s dirty, not much to do, it hails a lot and there’s no drainage so it floods when it rains so you’ll need a bigger vehicle. I don’t recommend living or hanging out in west Odessa. When you hear about shitty stuff happening that’s usually where it’s coming from.
I also wouldn’t recommend trying to date most of the men out here because the term west Texas single didn’t come from nowhere. Most of the men out here are… aggressive so if you date just be safe about it. There’s some good people and bad people just like any other place it’s just a different atmosphere I guess. More aggressive and more about money.
The service industry also doesn’t have a great rep so fast food sucks out here. You can wait in line at Taco Bell for an hour because most of the decent employees don’t work fast food even if they do start at 18 an hour.
I guess that’s my summary of the situation here.
If you have any specific questions just dm me
I've spent quality time in Midland and Odessa. You'd have to pay me a metric butt ton of cash to get me to move there. It's somewhere below Lubbock, just above Jackson, MIssissippi on a list of places I'd want to live.
It's like if you took Lubbock, covered it in trash, made it smell like constant oil fires, and somehow made the scenery worse. Seriously, I have no idea why there is trash everywhere in Odessa. It's wild. Anyway, if it's a good job, you'll be fine I'm sure. Obviously not somewhere I want to live, but I'd do it for a price.
Oilfield money. The whole Permian Basin is expensive. Andrews is just a meh small town but the housing prices are outrageous. And right now isn't even really a major boom. Around 2013 or so, you basically couldnt spend the night in Midland. Every hotel, every apartment, even airbnbs were getting snapped up by oil companies for workers. But yeah, it's an expensive place to buy a house.
Have you been out there ? If you can take a week and go explore. I couldn't live there but everyone is different.
I have a feeling the air and water are both really bad for your health.
You couldn't pay me enough money to move back to Odessa. Flights out of Midland are insane and there are very few water sources to use in the summer to cool yourself off.
The air quality is terrible, the population mostly flies in and out every week, Costco is 3+ hours away, and there is a lot of human trafficking of women that is overlooked by local police.
Go to Google Maps and just look at how many streets there are then use street view to 'drive' around. That will tell you some of what you'll be seeing day to day. If you spend all your time on the internet, it may not matter that it's boring.
>he didn’t have anything bad to say about it other than he got bored and picked up golf to pass the time.
that sounds like a huge con to me. If you spend 30 years of your life "passing the time" then...uh. I don't know. That sounds awful.
You only get so many years on earth. Make sure you're spending them doing what you *want* to do.
I drove through there a few years ago. Smelled like the air was poisonous and as if I was in some third world country. This was with the windows up and the recirculate on my A/C. I suspect that the cancer rate is high and suspect that the reporting is not done since it's Texas.
The air is poisonous. What you’re smelling is h2s. My in laws lives next to an oil field, always smelled like h2S there. Their youngest child developed brain tumors. Not saying it’s for sure the cause but it can’t be a coincidence.
It was one of the most putrid smells. I figure that's what hell smells like, complete with the brimstone. I love how casually everyone is like, "The water is horrible". That should be enough to tell you what the air is probably like.
Definitely a good opportunity to save up money if most of your bills are paid for, who know what life will be like bring you, i say go for it, worst thing is you be bored for a bit, but in the long term it’ll be worth it with the experience and money you’ll gain.
I'm reading this from just outside of Midland, here until the 8th. Been working in West Texas for about 4 years but live just outside of Austin. Midessa isn't the worst I've been to (just came back from Pecos) but just get ready for all of the idiots in company trucks driving like they're all 20 minutes late for work, at all hours of the day. The 18 wheeler/sand haulers are the worst, definitely don't drink the water and if they put you at the target man camp at least you get the frac shack to eat at. Most of the other man camps cafeterias are tolerable until you actually want to taste what you're eating. It's expensive here too, don't know if you're married or have a dude (or girl) but if ur gonna go out, get ready for 50:1 guy/girl ratio. Oh! and fuck Walmart here too, always packed. 😂
This exact thing happen to me. Went to Midland for 2 years for work. Changed my life.
The bad news. It sucks... They don't tell you about the wind... It's sandy wind in your face all the time...
My husband and I relocated to Odessa for his job for three years. It was hard, it smelt all the time. But we did t have paid housing… that would’ve been great for our financial but we did pay off both cars, save enough to buy a third when one died this year and was able to move without losing our shirts when the time was right. Take the opportunity and get financially ahead.
For a good laugh, turn on Tinder when you get to Odessa. The town donkey gets frequent matches because the ratio is so bad there.
Also, stay away from meth.
I lived in Odessa for 6 years. Not much to do. A decent mall, restaurants are sorta limited, winter is god awful, bars are a bit ghetto, price of rent is high. Oh, also lots of crime so just be aware and stay safe!! On the good side, there's a HEB, Ella's tropical treats kicks ass, there's always good music passing through or super close, the drive-in movie theater is great, midland has the rockhounds baseball, traffic isn't too bad in the morning. All in all I couldn't wait to go back to El Paso.
Born in Odessa. I spent my entire life preparing to leave that city. I’m probably bias and over exaggerating but I get physically sick every time we visit family in Odessa. It’s as if there’s a giant miasma of evil around all of west Texas. Good luck. Pay attention on the roads.
People telling you it’s not that bad are literally trying to ruin your life. You have a higher chance of dying from gun violence in Odessa than you do being in the US military.
I love Odessa! So no i dont think youre crazy🙂i certainly like it better than san antonio, myself. Edit for no, taco villa is gross. What's wrong with yall😂wish they had taco casa. When i lived in seminole i had to go all the way to lubbock for taco casa
Don’t listen to naysayers. Everybody has something lousy to say about everything and thinks that everyone should listen to them. Don’t bother yourself with such negativity. You’re being paid to move their and work; right off the bat you’re winning. Plus you’re interested in going there, and your father lived there. Obviously he did okay there, right? Even if it’s not quite as interesting as what you’re used to, it can’t be all bad. There’s bound to be some things about it you’ll like.
Just go ahead and enjoy yourself there!
I (30m) have been out here for 1.5 years. From Houston.
It's fine, water sucks :/ but food is pretty good.
They have internet out here which is basically all I need lol.
I don’t think it’s so bad, I moved here 13 years ago and I don’t hate it. I think for some reason people think it’s cool to complain about Odessa and Midland… FWIW I feel safer here than I do in San Antonio, Houston, or El Paso.
Well that’s the place to be. Should be great experience. The population has pretty much turned over since I left. I have spent my career in the DFW area. There is a lot more to do. Midland is generally nicer and not too far down the road. Big Spring would be my choice but that is even farther east. They have a large refinery there. The beauty of the area for me was quite slow pace. Everything is bustling around there now. It is a dangerous place to drive so be very defensive behind the wheel. So pretty much everything. There is much more to do since that time. The desert destinations from Odessa westward to New Mexico are really cool. You don’t have to go far to find almost no people. You’re gonna have fun.
If you have a stable job lined up out there with good pay, I’d take that and make the place work. Like everyone else has said, there are upsides and downsides to anywhere you live, but you can usually find your people and make a place your own.
I came from El Paso to Odessa 5 years ago. It was an adjustment at first, but it really grew on me. No skiters, no humidity, decent winters. Most people here just work and mind their own. There is a party crowd but that life is over for me so can't help you there.
North Odessa is building up pretty nice. West Odessa is still a little shifty. Midland is pretty much the same thing if you ask me, just 100k more expensive for a house. The one thing about this place is if you have a will, there is work. Always. Energy or no energy, there is always someone hiring bodies.
I guess if there was a complaint for me, the energy field leaves normal businesses hard to trust. I still have yet to find a mechanic or tech shop that won't either rip you off or fix your vehicle right... contractors are high , and Dr's seem pretty shifty.
Lubbock is 2 hours away , san angelo isn't bad , and if you want to make the trip, ruiduseo (sp?) Is a nice getaway.
All in all, it's going to be what you make it! There was a tike I thought it didn't get worse then Odessa... then I had to spend some time in Hobbs ,NM and carlsbad. Odessa is great lol!
It doesn’t have to be forever. Enjoy something new. I lived in BFE Arizona for years and found it charming. I didn’t want to live there forever but I very much enjoyed my time there.
Currently in the area (been working here off and on since 2016).
An election year is coming up so it’s probably going to slow down but, you’ll have to up your defensive driving game A LOT. There’s always accidents out here on I-20. People (especially sand haulers) out here really do not give a fuck when it comes to other drivers. So, just be careful.
As far as what there is to do: not much. It’s two 100k population towns. The malls aren’t the best. You do have some very good restaurants. Mi Piacci’s for Italian, Cork & Pig for general American food, Red Oak Kitchen, Volcano’s for sushi. Like others have said you have New Mexico a few hours away for fun in the snow, and you have Big Bend, the McDonald observatory in Ft Davis.
You do wanna try to stay away from west Odessa as best you can. East Odessa/west Midland are some pretty decent areas and where most entertainment will be.
That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. You can ask anything else you’d like whether it’s replying here or sending a DM.
Medical care sucks. For anything serious, drive back to SA if you can. Some parts of Odessa are a tad sketchy. Midland is nicer overall. My wife hated Midland and we couldn’t leave fast enough for her.
Personally, I liked it. But there is no mistaking that SA is a better place overall. I liked how quiet the place was. I liked that there was no traffic. I liked the big, wide open spaces. I’m not saying I’d volunteer to go back. But for anyone working in the oil patch, I think it looks good to employers when you are willing to go to new places for them. It seemed to help my career.
Heard stories from more than a few people from that area that you can tell whenever big oil money is in town because hotel prices are up there. And this goes for some of the stuff to do up in New Mexico.
My boyfriend’s friend lives out there. He told us if you make less than $70k a year, you’re going to struggle and that was pre-pandemic. Not sure how it is now. But housing is expensive in that area and it’s a real pain from what I’ve heard. (We almost moved there once) The Midland/Odessa area has to be on its own separate pay scale from the rest of Texas just to give you an idea.
So honestly the fact that you don’t have to worry about housing. That’s one big problem you don’t have to worry about. So it does sound like a great opportunity if the company says you don’t have to worry about that at all.
There’s some really nice hole in the wall options for food in Midland/Odessa area.
The weather in midland during the summer is amazing. It can be 105 outside but it doesn’t feel hot at all! I think it’s the lack of humidity. Coming from Florida, it was a fucking mind trip.
Other than that, it’s boring, dusty and housing was super expensive for being in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. People were super nice, though!
Aunt & Uncle lived there - they called it the Middle of Nowhere, and it was. If you like the solitude & slow pace (they did), it could be your cup of tea.
It sounds like a good gig for a few years. If you can negotiate pay, etc., I know they're desperate for your services, so don't be wary of asking for a little bit of a notch up. It is truly the middle of nowhere, but there's an air strip that can get you to a big city, and an empty drive to some interesting landscapes.
If you like smaller cities, it can be a great place. It depends on how you fit in to your communities. In smaller places, much more socializing revolves around churches so it takes more work to find non-church friends. One great advantage today is internet and streaming video, so you can more easily find or form a community around entertainment you like.
If you can locate like minded friends, then any place can be fun to live.
There is even an Amtgarders medieval fantasy battle group located there if you are into cosplay.
Odessa is crimed fillled. Drugs everywhere. Good drugs too. There’s more men than women there too.
And not much going on. If that’s what you want, go for it. But when we work out there we can’t wait to rush back home…. Every weekend. 5 hour drive both ways from San Antonio.
Guess I’ll be one of the weird ones. Been in the Permian for 10 years due to work. I actually find myself not wanting to leave now that I’m getting older. The Permian has grown a lot over the last decade and we have most major amenities you find in the major metroplexes. If you’re alright forging your own path on your time off, you’ll be fine. We have tons to do within a couple hours drive if you’re into being outdoors, the airport services nearly all major city hubs when you want to go on a trip, there’s an eclectic blend of food options if you’re willing to look for them. Keep an open mind and I doubt you’ll be miserable. It may not be your forever home, but it’s a cool place to be for a bit especially if your company is taking care of housing for you.
You can look at that area as being a much smaller scale version of Dallas (midland) and Fort Worth (Odessa). That’s oversimplifying it, but it explains the atmosphere of each city the easiest.
Overall it’s really not THAT bad. It’s def a little behind the times and heavily influenced by Republican and Christian views. It doesn’t have a ton of entertainment options either.
I grew up in Odessa and moved away 10 years ago, so outside of a handful of visits since, i can’t really say how things are living there now.
A lot of people say there's not anything to do but they're slowly bringing in more and more. The there's 2 cinergy theaters. While the malls aren't the multi level malls of yesteryear they're still thriving for what they are. Midlands is better though. The ector County coliseum and horseshoe arena see mid level entertainers come through consistently. Midland is building a zoo though it sounds to be more on the level of the abilene zoo. There's all the major chains for food as well as some great hole in the walls. New mexico is a short drive with good scenic sites. Check out Carlsbad if you get the chance.
Cons are traffic like others have said. I20 is in the middle of a 12 year long reconstruction project to alleviate it but the heavy equipment consistently keeps roads in rough shape. Everyone either drives 90 or is governed at 65 so it can get rough at times with people making rash and dangerous decisions. There's usually a few fatal crashes each month. Especially on the 2 lane roads surrounding the area. Crime is high, mostly petty theft for drug money but there are a few assaults and murders but if you avoid bar life and drug life you can avoid those. However big spring did just arrest a man who went on a mini murder spree killing 4 unrelated people. But again if you look at who he was you'll know he probably should have been avoided. Basically keep your doors locked don't be flashy and avoid dangerous areas and you'll be fine.
You should have your pick of men due to all the oil field workers.
Do you care about theatre, live music or easily accessible parks? If so, you’re going to hate it.
I moved to Odessa 2 years ago and I like it fine. There are plenty of nice restaurants and stuff, all the chains. Some of the chain stores are better than the Midland version (Odessa Marshall's vs Midland Home Goods/TJ Max, etc). The cons: lots of trash along the roads and stuff (the wind doesn't help), there is not a leash law for your dogs, and it's not pretty/green (but it's also a desert so...)
Try it out and see if you want to make it permanent. I like Odessa but I don’t think I’d enjoy making it my long term home. It’s not for everyone but keep an open mind and decide for yourself. Definitely sounds like a sound decision, economically, and with UTPB there, you might always take some classes while you decide what your next move will be.
If you are getting sent out there, it's work. If it's a good deal take it! It will Def be down from San Antonio, but it's not unlivable. Not my cup of tea. Midland is nicer than Odessa. But you can go play in new Mexico easier!
About 4 hours away for some fun in the snow!!
And that’s not even the best reason to go to New Mexico these days
But snowboarding and weed go hand in hand!
What is?
I think parent commenter is alluding to weed
No, ha. But tis a good reason! That's kinda dangerous if work piss tests and bringing it across state lines. I've just started exploring NM, the mountain/desert has a draw I didn't realize would be so strong for me.
lol you aren’t even the person I responded to, why are you telling them they’re wrong
What are you talking about? I didn't tell anyone they're wrong.
They said >I think parent commenter is alluding to weed You said >No, ha. But tis a good reason! See?
Weed smokers aren't usually so argumentative.
Did you get dropped on your head? Clearly I was referred to as parent commenter. . I also didn't respond to you directly...
Isnt traveling to work in Odessa in Ukraine dangerous with the war between russia and Ukraine?
Imagine being that scared of weed
I live in Odessa currently, & I was born here. Cost of living is insane, including rent!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fortunately, I’m buying my home but you will pay Austin/San Antonio prices without any of the things those cities have to offer. [cost of living](https://livingcost.org/cost/united-states/tx/odessa) Crime rate is one of the highest in the nation. [crime rate statistics](https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/odessa-tx-is-among-the-most-dangerous-us-metro-areas/article_b41d2801-e232-52d3-bfc4-e783716e29be.html) We have lots of fast food establishments and bars. I don’t care what anyone says, Taco villa is disgusting and nowhere near what it used to be 5-10 years ago. Edit: I didn’t finish the statement about bars and restaurants. Of course you can find things to do in any city you live in but here you have two main options, eat out or go drinking. And like another commenter mentioned, the food service is terrible. It’s common to spend 30-45 minutes in a drive thru, mobile orders can take over an hour, and still not be ready even when it shows completed. -subway- Heck even the service at our chick-fil-a’s suck (I’m talking to you on 42nd)😡 love them or hate them, there’s one thing chick-fil-a’s are known for and that’s their service model, and we can’t even get that. You can’t drink the water because of the poisoned water table. And the air is getting worse by the day because of the oil & gas industries. [water table contaminants exceeds standards](https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=TX0680002) My sons mother has a large family here and if it wasn’t for that we would’ve been gone years ago. Edit 2: I’d seriously re-evaluate the job offer, look around for housing here in Odessa BEFORE moving or accepting the job. Do a simple cost benefits analysis and determine if it’s truly beneficial to move here. Please account for mental and lifestyle attributes as well, because you can still make amazing money and not be happy where you’re at. Ask me how I know…
Thank you for being honest about it. That place is a shithole.
Used to live out there: confirmed shithole. Moved to SA and stayed ever since. Edit: the water is nasty AF also.
Bruh that water report. Don’t move here OP!
It’s gotten worse. I quit drinking from tap, even with a legit RO filtration system, and only buy water from the grocery store. Of course it’s not environmentally friendly but we can’t drink our water. I know it’s bad because if I set a bowl of tap water down for my dog and only leave that water, he WILL NOT TOUCH it no matter how long it sits there and he hasn’t drank any. This says a lot to me that even a dog will not touch the water because he knows it’s not right.
I miss original Taco Villa from back before they closed them all for Taco Bell to come in. Restaurant service in the basin is fucking horrible.
I know, I miss the OG Taco Villa as well! Their food was bar none better than any other Tex-Mex joint in the area. Now you only go there if you want to feel miserable and have a lump of “food” in your stomach that just sits there and doesn’t digest like it should.
The night sky in West Texas is AMAZING.
If the gas flares in the area are off.
Nah, regardless, best sunsets I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world
Thailand, and specifically Bangkok, had the best sunsets, largely for the same reason. All those particulates in the air really make for amazing colors.
Enhanced by the particulates in the air.
Have you figured out housing yet. I know that a few years back places like the Motel 6 were charging $300+ per night because there was a lot of energy related work but no housing.
Not yet. My company is handling that since this is a new area for us. I think I might end up in corporate housing or something to that effect.
You caught a break there. BTW, I like your attitude.
I remember being a kid having a job delivering corporate store fixtures. I went to Williston ND arriving there late that day because it's out in the middle of nowhere. I went to the hotel and they laughed and told me that the earliest bookings were two months out. I slept in the truck that night. Very unpleasant experience. Next time I went there I learned to grab a hotel in some tiny little town in Montana an hour away
Going from SA to MidDessa will be an adjustment. Just remember that if you ask for breakfast tacos out there, they'll look at you like a cow looking at a new gate. They do these things called buhreetohs. Dont drink the water. Period.
Same experience but moving to San Antonio, I asked for a burrito and they looked at me strange. I quickly learned what breakfast ‘tacos’ were.
Here in Austin we do both, but if you do ask for a burrito, make sure you’re prepared for a chipotle burrito sized breakfast
Where are you originally from.
El Paso
I went to El Paso once, nice place, horrible drive out there.
Dear god, the water is disgusting
But how else are you gonna get those iron stains on your front teeth?
Double horseshoe of Copenhagen Long Cut? Also helps with the boredom and can drastically cut down on the time you have to live in Odessa.
Do people who live there just okay with having undrinkable water? No one demands better out there?
Those who can afford it get water softeners. The rest of us proles end up with stained teeth and bad pipes. Also, west Texas is full of small government/no regulation types. Anything related to public works gets a hell of a lot of pushback.
Bree-doe!
Probably a more accurate pronunciation.
Mun-Dee buh ree doh
Oh my gosh! The water is horrible!
>They do these things called buhreetohs. Is that a West Texas thing in general? When I lived in San Angelo, people scoffed when I'd say "breakfast tacos" because it's "breakfast burritos."
Yeah, there's a hazy, irregular North-South boundary around Fredericksburg where tacos turn to burritos. You can find either on either side of that line, but burritos are more prevalent to the west and tacos are more prevalent to the east. There's even good taco spots in eastern Fburg, then a well-known burrito spot on the west side of town. This information is for educational purposes only, and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition you may have. Different people have different reactions to tacos and burritos, so ask your taquero which treatment is right for you.
Yes. Do not drink the tap water. PLEASE do not drink it.
Former SA to Midland person here. Absolutely THIS. The water turns your faucets blue and is disgusting. Do not under any circumstances drink the water.
They’re right to call it a burrito, that’s what it is.
Both breakfast tacos and burritos exist. Burritos are entirely enclosed, tacos are open and U shaped. Easy. Texans make it hard.
I have to side with you Ommec, El Paso is a burrito town, and glad to hear Odessa/Midland are burrito towns too. Its a f’ckn burrito! I was always handed 8 inches of egg & chorizo or bean & cheese burritos on the way out the door as a kid. Portable, wrapped well, usually mess free until the first bite, where food contents just don’t randomly fall out from a slight over tilt… like an frigg’n taco.
Intend to think burrito = flour, taco = corn
You raise hell in Odessa and raise a family in Midland
Maybe that was the case 20 years ago. Midland is just as shitty now.
I grew up in Odessa. like every place it has it's good and bad. Don't let opinions way you down. Go, kick ass at your job and figure it out for yourself. I live in San Antonio and can give you reasons why it is worse than Odessa. Taco Villa is great and the Globe theater is pretty amazing. It is a boom or bust town so a lot depends on the Oil & Gas market which seems pretty stable. Don't let anyone pull you down on an opportunity. A place is just a place. I have a friend that runs a bbq place there and a several friends that made Midland/Odessa their life long home.
I really appreciate this! Yeah I’m trying to keep a positive attitude. I already moved to San Antonio for work so I’m used to moving around haha. Being from Dallas, it’s definitely been an adjustment but it’s grown on me so I think hopefully Odessa will be the same! Thanks for the recs :)
Love your attitude! It will help way more than any advice I could give you. I moved from Midland to San Antonio, and I wouldn't relish going back to west Texas. But, I gotta tell you, I went back to visit a couple months ago, and it was not horrible. Every bit as flat and brown as I remembered, but you get used to that. You can still find some good food and nice people. If you like choral music, Midland is the place to be. Best of luck to you!
Taco Villa almost makes it worth while on its own. If you like HS football IIRC, Permian HS it’s the inspiration for Friday Night Lights.
I graduated from Permian 2 years before the book was written. It was incredibly accurate. Odessa wasn't for me, but I'm not going to knock it. Lots of fun times and life long friends. I enjoyed living there as much as any teenager enjoys anything. I was just too much of wild child and had to work through that.
Permian class of 1987 here
I was class of 85. If you were in band, we marched together.
No, but I was in Orchestra. Mr. Nail was our Director.
I heard a rumor that when Lee finally beat Permian circa '98, that some disgruntled fans went to the Permian coach's house and hanged his dog. It seems just demented enough to be believable, but I never saw it reported in a reputable news source. Any idea whether that actually happened?
Permian class of '74, here. Back then, Odessa was a great place to live. I left in '78 for Houston. I've been back a couple of times, but not in 20 years at least.
I cannot for the life of me understand how there are two recommendations for Taco Villa. You are spreading misinformation. You can make better nachos with store bought Old El Paso crap.
Particularly when there are perfectly good Rosa’s to go to.
This! I live a few hours away in a tiny town and we sometimes go shop there. People are always nice and you could do way worse. It’s not a bad place at all.
Before Odessa I lived in Monahans.
I’m in Alpine so we’re even smaller 😂
I loved Alpine when I was a kid. Lots of trips to Sul Ross for 4-H competitions.
Not to be a dick, but oil and gas is not stable. They are known for their restructurings and lay offs when times get tough. You'll know times are good when there's a ton of big trucks everywhere, and then 1 year later they'll all be getting repo'ed
Living in Odessa is like watching paint dry. Fuck that
I hope you’re ready to spend a shit ton on suspension work, cuz those roads out there are ROUGH from all the trucks tearing it up. Especially out by the HEB in Midland
I’m bringing my trusty jeep!
As someone who lives in Odessa...I wake up everyday wanting to leave. Unfortunately, the economy is too good to leave...it's not a great place to be a young single person...it's not a great place to raise a family.
I’m sorry that’s been your experience and that you feel that way :( I used to feel like that about San Antonio so I understand. I think I’m not as concerned with the long-term right now since I know the move is only temporary. I hope things get better for you!
The water, the smell, the proliferation of roughnecks, the terrible roads, and the cost of everything being higher are all downsides. The crime rate is higher than the state and the national average. Lots of violent assaults/killings happen in and around oil fields and areas where a lot of that work is done, including west Texas.
All of that, plus the absolute desperation for animals in the area. Abandoned dogs (and cats), dog fighting, cock fighting, "lost" animals and terrible governmental support for our shelters and rescues. The mayor is an absolute twat who is as corrupt as they come...it's just a depressing place.
Don’t forget, the food absolutely sucks and the people are rude af. I’m so glad I left.
I think the difference I see between San An and this area, at least there is stuff to do. We don't have any indoor play areas for kids, our parks are garbage, we have no great trails or outdoor rec areas, no zoo, no aquarium...it's just depressing. My plan was also to be here temporarily. I had a one year plan actually...lol! Coming up on seven years in the basin. I'm not as depressed as I use to be, I've made the best of it. I've poured loved into my house and garden and I do love my job.
Yes. There are much nicer places
Not all bad but I'm from West Odessa and I'd only move back if I hated myself, but with a stable job get a place in Midland not Odessa
West Odessa and the southside is where it's bad
Yes. You are crazy. I’m surprised more needs to be said.
Once she said Odessa, the answer was immediately no. But I’m from Midland, so I am biased. Putting down Odessa is part of what makes living in Midland worth it.😝
I lived in Abilene for a couple years and that was more than enough for me. West Texas really does not have much to offer.
Midland and Odessa are a big nope for me.
Look at it like an adventure. You’re young, sounds like a good opportunity to open your mind to other places, see how other people live. Our world is full of folks that never leave their city/town, and that’s cool, but it’s a bubble and not representative of the world. Momento mori. This is all we got.
I’m odessa born and raised. It’s fine. There’s not a whole lot to do but there are some interesting things if you look for them. Proximity to ft Davis/ruidosa/big bend/Santa fe is nice.
What about Odessa has you looking forward to it?
Mostly the proximity to places I like going for camping and hiking like big bend and NM. I like driving so I’m okay with taking road trips for some fun.
If you go, keep your positive attitude. It will help. Remember to not drink the water, or tea made with the water. It is as bad as they say. And if for some reason, you can’t take it, move somewhere else. The McKinney to Anna, to Van Alstyne to Sherman area is exploding. Jobs to be had. Best of luck!
If it makes sense for you economically then do it. Other than construction Midland/Odessa is Oil/gas/transportation/wind/cow.
Your dad didn’t have anything bad to say but what were the good things he said? Sure it’s fine for temporary work but long term—- Godspeed to you!
Odessa really does suck as a place to live unless you have family and friends here that you can talk to and enjoy spending time with. That being said, it sucks to live there, but if work calls, then take it. Make your money, and after a while move somewhere beautiful and better than this oil leeching hell hole boom town lol. If you are being given a house and everything, then why not. Warning though, there is nothing to do here, besides going to Midland or something.
 lol jk,. I can think of better place to move to but I’m sure it’s fine… you could always move back if you hate it
Honestly don't move there. My family has deep roots in the place. Stay in San Antonio .Moving there will be the worst mistake in your life. Also goggle "superfund sites odessa tx" I had to was a blanket from my grandmother 5 times to get rid of the stink.
It's very dusty and windy. It's isolated. But you might like it. Go and make the best of it. There is a lot to do out there that is too far to drive from Dallas. Add the sand dunes, Hotel Turkey and Balmorhea to your list. I haven't lived there but understand that all social life is through churches. Also, there's an airport in Midland so you can leave when you need to. I admire your adventurous spirit.
"All social life is through churches" - gross. This is reason enough not to go OP. F**k religious people. They are the source of many of society's problems.
I’ve worked out here for years. My house is in San Antonio. It’s a good place to work because the wages are competitive and benefits. Where I work they have a camp with free food, free insurance and a free place to stay when you’re on hitch. The bad is that it’s dirty, not much to do, it hails a lot and there’s no drainage so it floods when it rains so you’ll need a bigger vehicle. I don’t recommend living or hanging out in west Odessa. When you hear about shitty stuff happening that’s usually where it’s coming from. I also wouldn’t recommend trying to date most of the men out here because the term west Texas single didn’t come from nowhere. Most of the men out here are… aggressive so if you date just be safe about it. There’s some good people and bad people just like any other place it’s just a different atmosphere I guess. More aggressive and more about money. The service industry also doesn’t have a great rep so fast food sucks out here. You can wait in line at Taco Bell for an hour because most of the decent employees don’t work fast food even if they do start at 18 an hour. I guess that’s my summary of the situation here. If you have any specific questions just dm me
I've spent quality time in Midland and Odessa. You'd have to pay me a metric butt ton of cash to get me to move there. It's somewhere below Lubbock, just above Jackson, MIssissippi on a list of places I'd want to live.
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It's like if you took Lubbock, covered it in trash, made it smell like constant oil fires, and somehow made the scenery worse. Seriously, I have no idea why there is trash everywhere in Odessa. It's wild. Anyway, if it's a good job, you'll be fine I'm sure. Obviously not somewhere I want to live, but I'd do it for a price.
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Oilfield money. The whole Permian Basin is expensive. Andrews is just a meh small town but the housing prices are outrageous. And right now isn't even really a major boom. Around 2013 or so, you basically couldnt spend the night in Midland. Every hotel, every apartment, even airbnbs were getting snapped up by oil companies for workers. But yeah, it's an expensive place to buy a house.
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Yeah if you're not getting a good 25% increase at least, it'll basically be a wash.
Have you been out there ? If you can take a week and go explore. I couldn't live there but everyone is different. I have a feeling the air and water are both really bad for your health.
You couldn't pay me enough money to move back to Odessa. Flights out of Midland are insane and there are very few water sources to use in the summer to cool yourself off. The air quality is terrible, the population mostly flies in and out every week, Costco is 3+ hours away, and there is a lot of human trafficking of women that is overlooked by local police.
You can see hell from Odessa
Yes. You are. I am telling you now, you will be miserable.
Dang, I thought you meant Odessa, Ukraine. Got heavily bombarded by Russia yesterday so I was ready to yell *”don’t do it!”*
War is hell. Driving through that area with all the flares at night makes it look like a hellscape. Similar, but different.
Go to Google Maps and just look at how many streets there are then use street view to 'drive' around. That will tell you some of what you'll be seeing day to day. If you spend all your time on the internet, it may not matter that it's boring.
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY!! You can always go back home. Blessings your way..
Thank you!!
>he didn’t have anything bad to say about it other than he got bored and picked up golf to pass the time. that sounds like a huge con to me. If you spend 30 years of your life "passing the time" then...uh. I don't know. That sounds awful. You only get so many years on earth. Make sure you're spending them doing what you *want* to do.
I drove through there a few years ago. Smelled like the air was poisonous and as if I was in some third world country. This was with the windows up and the recirculate on my A/C. I suspect that the cancer rate is high and suspect that the reporting is not done since it's Texas.
The air is poisonous. What you’re smelling is h2s. My in laws lives next to an oil field, always smelled like h2S there. Their youngest child developed brain tumors. Not saying it’s for sure the cause but it can’t be a coincidence.
It was one of the most putrid smells. I figure that's what hell smells like, complete with the brimstone. I love how casually everyone is like, "The water is horrible". That should be enough to tell you what the air is probably like.
Everyone hates on other places. Go in to it with an open mind and I bet you end up loving it there.
Definitely a good opportunity to save up money if most of your bills are paid for, who know what life will be like bring you, i say go for it, worst thing is you be bored for a bit, but in the long term it’ll be worth it with the experience and money you’ll gain.
Rent and COL are insane in Odessa.
Have you ever been to Odessa? Lol
I'm reading this from just outside of Midland, here until the 8th. Been working in West Texas for about 4 years but live just outside of Austin. Midessa isn't the worst I've been to (just came back from Pecos) but just get ready for all of the idiots in company trucks driving like they're all 20 minutes late for work, at all hours of the day. The 18 wheeler/sand haulers are the worst, definitely don't drink the water and if they put you at the target man camp at least you get the frac shack to eat at. Most of the other man camps cafeterias are tolerable until you actually want to taste what you're eating. It's expensive here too, don't know if you're married or have a dude (or girl) but if ur gonna go out, get ready for 50:1 guy/girl ratio. Oh! and fuck Walmart here too, always packed. 😂
This exact thing happen to me. Went to Midland for 2 years for work. Changed my life. The bad news. It sucks... They don't tell you about the wind... It's sandy wind in your face all the time...
My husband and I relocated to Odessa for his job for three years. It was hard, it smelt all the time. But we did t have paid housing… that would’ve been great for our financial but we did pay off both cars, save enough to buy a third when one died this year and was able to move without losing our shirts when the time was right. Take the opportunity and get financially ahead.
For a good laugh, turn on Tinder when you get to Odessa. The town donkey gets frequent matches because the ratio is so bad there. Also, stay away from meth.
Smells like petroleum. Flat. Lots of light pollution due to the oil batteries. Did I mention it smells.
I lived in Lubbock for 10 years in the late 80s/early 90s and felt blessed to not be in Midland/Odessa if that tells you anything.
It's not the pretty part of Texas that's for damn sure. It's just a giant oil patch and everything revolves around that and that alone.
I lived in Odessa for 6 years. Not much to do. A decent mall, restaurants are sorta limited, winter is god awful, bars are a bit ghetto, price of rent is high. Oh, also lots of crime so just be aware and stay safe!! On the good side, there's a HEB, Ella's tropical treats kicks ass, there's always good music passing through or super close, the drive-in movie theater is great, midland has the rockhounds baseball, traffic isn't too bad in the morning. All in all I couldn't wait to go back to El Paso.
Born in Odessa. I spent my entire life preparing to leave that city. I’m probably bias and over exaggerating but I get physically sick every time we visit family in Odessa. It’s as if there’s a giant miasma of evil around all of west Texas. Good luck. Pay attention on the roads.
People telling you it’s not that bad are literally trying to ruin your life. You have a higher chance of dying from gun violence in Odessa than you do being in the US military.
Methheads
nah, go for it! west texas is under-appreciated
LCOL. Internet makes a lot of locations equivalent nowadays. If you’re very Christian, lots of like minded people there
OP would you care to give us an update? Did you make the move? I'm tossing around the move there as well. Be great to hear your experience
Midland isn’t too bad. It’s different than SA. You should take a trip out there before you mix and check it out.
Yeah I’ll be sure to get out there and visit. The location is what it is at this point!
Yes there’s nothing here but crackheads and bad drivers don’t get me started im the restaurants here move to midland!
Midland also sucks. Stay in SA!
I love Odessa! So no i dont think youre crazy🙂i certainly like it better than san antonio, myself. Edit for no, taco villa is gross. What's wrong with yall😂wish they had taco casa. When i lived in seminole i had to go all the way to lubbock for taco casa
Don’t listen to naysayers. Everybody has something lousy to say about everything and thinks that everyone should listen to them. Don’t bother yourself with such negativity. You’re being paid to move their and work; right off the bat you’re winning. Plus you’re interested in going there, and your father lived there. Obviously he did okay there, right? Even if it’s not quite as interesting as what you’re used to, it can’t be all bad. There’s bound to be some things about it you’ll like. Just go ahead and enjoy yourself there!
That place is a shithole. If you haven’t been there, it’s irresponsible to tell someone to go.
One man’s shithole is another man’s paradise. Just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean everyone must have the same opinion. Step off, punk.
Yes.
I (30m) have been out here for 1.5 years. From Houston. It's fine, water sucks :/ but food is pretty good. They have internet out here which is basically all I need lol.
DM me
So you’re being sent to Midland Odessa? That’s not a want
I don’t think it’s so bad, I moved here 13 years ago and I don’t hate it. I think for some reason people think it’s cool to complain about Odessa and Midland… FWIW I feel safer here than I do in San Antonio, Houston, or El Paso.
Wife and I lived in Big Spring for a few years. You will learn to make your own fun.
I grew up out in that part of Texas 40ish years ago. It has changed completely. What do yall build?
I’m sure! What are some of the changes you noticed? We work on large industrial projects for oil & gas, power, etc.
Well that’s the place to be. Should be great experience. The population has pretty much turned over since I left. I have spent my career in the DFW area. There is a lot more to do. Midland is generally nicer and not too far down the road. Big Spring would be my choice but that is even farther east. They have a large refinery there. The beauty of the area for me was quite slow pace. Everything is bustling around there now. It is a dangerous place to drive so be very defensive behind the wheel. So pretty much everything. There is much more to do since that time. The desert destinations from Odessa westward to New Mexico are really cool. You don’t have to go far to find almost no people. You’re gonna have fun.
If you have a stable job lined up out there with good pay, I’d take that and make the place work. Like everyone else has said, there are upsides and downsides to anywhere you live, but you can usually find your people and make a place your own.
Yes.
I came from El Paso to Odessa 5 years ago. It was an adjustment at first, but it really grew on me. No skiters, no humidity, decent winters. Most people here just work and mind their own. There is a party crowd but that life is over for me so can't help you there. North Odessa is building up pretty nice. West Odessa is still a little shifty. Midland is pretty much the same thing if you ask me, just 100k more expensive for a house. The one thing about this place is if you have a will, there is work. Always. Energy or no energy, there is always someone hiring bodies. I guess if there was a complaint for me, the energy field leaves normal businesses hard to trust. I still have yet to find a mechanic or tech shop that won't either rip you off or fix your vehicle right... contractors are high , and Dr's seem pretty shifty. Lubbock is 2 hours away , san angelo isn't bad , and if you want to make the trip, ruiduseo (sp?) Is a nice getaway. All in all, it's going to be what you make it! There was a tike I thought it didn't get worse then Odessa... then I had to spend some time in Hobbs ,NM and carlsbad. Odessa is great lol!
It doesn’t have to be forever. Enjoy something new. I lived in BFE Arizona for years and found it charming. I didn’t want to live there forever but I very much enjoyed my time there.
Currently in the area (been working here off and on since 2016). An election year is coming up so it’s probably going to slow down but, you’ll have to up your defensive driving game A LOT. There’s always accidents out here on I-20. People (especially sand haulers) out here really do not give a fuck when it comes to other drivers. So, just be careful. As far as what there is to do: not much. It’s two 100k population towns. The malls aren’t the best. You do have some very good restaurants. Mi Piacci’s for Italian, Cork & Pig for general American food, Red Oak Kitchen, Volcano’s for sushi. Like others have said you have New Mexico a few hours away for fun in the snow, and you have Big Bend, the McDonald observatory in Ft Davis. You do wanna try to stay away from west Odessa as best you can. East Odessa/west Midland are some pretty decent areas and where most entertainment will be. That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. You can ask anything else you’d like whether it’s replying here or sending a DM.
Here I was thinking Ukraine…
Scrolling through reddit and thought did bro just ask to move to the city in Ukraine??? 😂😂
Odessa is the armpit of the universe. Literally had to remove a stack of tumbleweeds from my car in order to drive home from work. That's how bad.
Medical care sucks. For anything serious, drive back to SA if you can. Some parts of Odessa are a tad sketchy. Midland is nicer overall. My wife hated Midland and we couldn’t leave fast enough for her. Personally, I liked it. But there is no mistaking that SA is a better place overall. I liked how quiet the place was. I liked that there was no traffic. I liked the big, wide open spaces. I’m not saying I’d volunteer to go back. But for anyone working in the oil patch, I think it looks good to employers when you are willing to go to new places for them. It seemed to help my career.
I have done a lot of work out there. I’m in construction too. It’s fine. Go into it with a positive attitude. They have HEB out there, you’ll be fine
Heard stories from more than a few people from that area that you can tell whenever big oil money is in town because hotel prices are up there. And this goes for some of the stuff to do up in New Mexico. My boyfriend’s friend lives out there. He told us if you make less than $70k a year, you’re going to struggle and that was pre-pandemic. Not sure how it is now. But housing is expensive in that area and it’s a real pain from what I’ve heard. (We almost moved there once) The Midland/Odessa area has to be on its own separate pay scale from the rest of Texas just to give you an idea. So honestly the fact that you don’t have to worry about housing. That’s one big problem you don’t have to worry about. So it does sound like a great opportunity if the company says you don’t have to worry about that at all. There’s some really nice hole in the wall options for food in Midland/Odessa area.
Lol, good luck.
Odessa ia the worse of the 2 but the midland Odessa area isn't that bad just isn't alot out there
The weather in midland during the summer is amazing. It can be 105 outside but it doesn’t feel hot at all! I think it’s the lack of humidity. Coming from Florida, it was a fucking mind trip. Other than that, it’s boring, dusty and housing was super expensive for being in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. People were super nice, though!
Aunt & Uncle lived there - they called it the Middle of Nowhere, and it was. If you like the solitude & slow pace (they did), it could be your cup of tea. It sounds like a good gig for a few years. If you can negotiate pay, etc., I know they're desperate for your services, so don't be wary of asking for a little bit of a notch up. It is truly the middle of nowhere, but there's an air strip that can get you to a big city, and an empty drive to some interesting landscapes.
If you like smaller cities, it can be a great place. It depends on how you fit in to your communities. In smaller places, much more socializing revolves around churches so it takes more work to find non-church friends. One great advantage today is internet and streaming video, so you can more easily find or form a community around entertainment you like. If you can locate like minded friends, then any place can be fun to live. There is even an Amtgarders medieval fantasy battle group located there if you are into cosplay.
Odessa is crimed fillled. Drugs everywhere. Good drugs too. There’s more men than women there too. And not much going on. If that’s what you want, go for it. But when we work out there we can’t wait to rush back home…. Every weekend. 5 hour drive both ways from San Antonio.
Guess I’ll be one of the weird ones. Been in the Permian for 10 years due to work. I actually find myself not wanting to leave now that I’m getting older. The Permian has grown a lot over the last decade and we have most major amenities you find in the major metroplexes. If you’re alright forging your own path on your time off, you’ll be fine. We have tons to do within a couple hours drive if you’re into being outdoors, the airport services nearly all major city hubs when you want to go on a trip, there’s an eclectic blend of food options if you’re willing to look for them. Keep an open mind and I doubt you’ll be miserable. It may not be your forever home, but it’s a cool place to be for a bit especially if your company is taking care of housing for you.
born and raised in midland and now living in houston. midland wasnt a bad place to live if you had friends. otherwise youd probably get bored
Buy some golf clubs
Odessa is better now than it was years ago. There are a few more things to do and its still got the small town feel. I like it.
I’ve been out there a few times for work. It’s like a whole other world! As a female at least lol there’s a lot men there
yes.
Just don’t be stupid with your money like so many of the other young workers out there and then you can gtfo when and if you’ve finally had enough.
You can look at that area as being a much smaller scale version of Dallas (midland) and Fort Worth (Odessa). That’s oversimplifying it, but it explains the atmosphere of each city the easiest. Overall it’s really not THAT bad. It’s def a little behind the times and heavily influenced by Republican and Christian views. It doesn’t have a ton of entertainment options either. I grew up in Odessa and moved away 10 years ago, so outside of a handful of visits since, i can’t really say how things are living there now.
Yes.
A lot of people say there's not anything to do but they're slowly bringing in more and more. The there's 2 cinergy theaters. While the malls aren't the multi level malls of yesteryear they're still thriving for what they are. Midlands is better though. The ector County coliseum and horseshoe arena see mid level entertainers come through consistently. Midland is building a zoo though it sounds to be more on the level of the abilene zoo. There's all the major chains for food as well as some great hole in the walls. New mexico is a short drive with good scenic sites. Check out Carlsbad if you get the chance. Cons are traffic like others have said. I20 is in the middle of a 12 year long reconstruction project to alleviate it but the heavy equipment consistently keeps roads in rough shape. Everyone either drives 90 or is governed at 65 so it can get rough at times with people making rash and dangerous decisions. There's usually a few fatal crashes each month. Especially on the 2 lane roads surrounding the area. Crime is high, mostly petty theft for drug money but there are a few assaults and murders but if you avoid bar life and drug life you can avoid those. However big spring did just arrest a man who went on a mini murder spree killing 4 unrelated people. But again if you look at who he was you'll know he probably should have been avoided. Basically keep your doors locked don't be flashy and avoid dangerous areas and you'll be fine.
Yes you are crazy, Odessa is a nasty town.
This song is called Midland but its the fucking same. Don't do it OP. https://youtu.be/P2VlyseEBPg?si=0jsZW6dq79IuvxFg
You should have your pick of men due to all the oil field workers. Do you care about theatre, live music or easily accessible parks? If so, you’re going to hate it.
I moved to Odessa 2 years ago and I like it fine. There are plenty of nice restaurants and stuff, all the chains. Some of the chain stores are better than the Midland version (Odessa Marshall's vs Midland Home Goods/TJ Max, etc). The cons: lots of trash along the roads and stuff (the wind doesn't help), there is not a leash law for your dogs, and it's not pretty/green (but it's also a desert so...)
Try it out and see if you want to make it permanent. I like Odessa but I don’t think I’d enjoy making it my long term home. It’s not for everyone but keep an open mind and decide for yourself. Definitely sounds like a sound decision, economically, and with UTPB there, you might always take some classes while you decide what your next move will be.
My grandpa once told me as a child Odessa is the butthole of Texas
Yes