Tyler, TX Amazing Moving Guide

Tyler Texas is called the rose capital of the world as they were the first to grow roses as a commodity to sell in retail. Tyler quickly started growing more roses than anywhere in the rest of the world. Tyler, TX Definitive Moving Guide was written to give you the essentials you need when moving to beautiful Tyler Texas.

Many people say they moved to Tyler Texas because of the family lifestyle, the comfort of things to do, food, and proximity to the rest of the state and country in Tyler’s central location. A little more then an hour drive to Dallas and 3 1/2 hours to Houston. It’s a good 4 hours to get to Austin and about 4 hours to get to the beach.

People Who Live in Tyler Texas and Why They Moved Here

Tyler Texas has a Hispanic population of about 22 % (In my family I have 3 brother in-laws that are Hispanic), the black population currently sits at 25 %, and a white population of 48 %.

I recently asked my African American friend why he moved from California to Tyler Texas and it had to do with the cost of living, tax rate, and the lifestyle.

He didn’t want to pay the high property taxes, California state tax, and deal with the liberal atmosphere when he could work from home in Texas and enjoy a conservative area of the country with his family. His move wasn’t related to his race or racial climate here in Tyler Texas and in fact it wasn’t a factor he saw once he got here or a reason he moved from California. He was happy with the conservative values of the East Texas area in general considering that problems will still exist regardless.

My Hispanic friend that moved here from California makes bullets, and has a farm. Imagine how much land for a farm would be in California compared to Tyler Texas? What does liberal California think about guns and ammunition? He doesn’t have to worry about cost of land and what people think about his ammunition business. He thrives down here in Texas with enough money from his real estate sale in California to buy a small farm in Tyler Texas and has discovered he fits right in.

Land is still much cheaper in Tyler Texas than in many other parts of the country which is a strong factor in why people move here.

My white neighbor that lives near that moved from Alaska said he moved to get away from the violence in Alaska. There is a lot of violent crime in Alaska but Tyler Texas offers a sanctuary in comparison.

There are lots of churches in Tyler as it is known for being a bible belt town. You have a good mix of Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist, Church of Christ, Methodist, Catholic (Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception), Pentecostal, non-denominational of various kinds, some cults, reformed, and Episcopal (Christ Church).

Restaurants seem to never end in Tyler but it has been tough as of recent because of Covid making the restaurant business so hard to turn a profit. Even so, Raising Canes will be opening up a second location very soon, and Panda Express recently opened up a 3rd location near Tyler in Lindale after having two opened up for a few years in Tyler.

Several of my friends started businesses here with great success. Roofing, handyman businesses, organic chicken meat farm, painting, general contracting, lawn maintenance are just a few businesses to get started relatively easy in Tyler Texas that I have witnessed first hand.

You will find plenty of golf courses, several nice kid parks to visit (Bergfeld Park, Pollard Park, Children’s Park), a few organizations to involve your kids in such as TACHE, homeschool Cooperatives, Tyler Civic Theatre. Bergfeld Park has a very large playground that is on two levels and easy to lose your kids at. Stay vigilant and stay close when at this park, it’s just hard to keep your eyes on your kids because of the layout. The Rose Garden does not have a playground but a lot of trails and a fascinating master garden in the back worth checking out.

Tyler Junior College and UT Tyler

Many students come down to East Texas to go to school at Tyler Junior College and UT Tyler. TJC is a two year junior college and UT Tyler offers a 4 year university experience.

The University of Texas at Tyler is ranked #331-440 out of 443 National Universities. UT’s in-state tuition and fees are $9,855; out-of-state tuition and fees are $25,692. These rankings are from USNews which are not always accurate and can be misleading so you must consider this in your decision.

TJC is one of the largest public junior colleges in Texas and some rank the junior college as one of the best. Compared to going to a local 4 year college you will pay 1/3rd the cost by going to TJC for 2 years. I went to TJC my first 2 years of college and kept my tuition costs down quite a bit.

Things to Do in Tyler Texas

Rose Garden

Some of my favorite things to do are visit the Rose Garden and walk the trails if I want a quick leisurely stroll that is still within the city of Tyler. I recommend going to Don Juan’s for some taco’s before or after and that is one solid evening or afternoon. Call in sick to work the following day to recover from the ten taco’s and shrimp cocktail you ate. During Christmas the Rose Garden puts up a really nice Christmas lights display throughout the garden and has a postcard setup for taking pictures.

Tyler State Park

The Tyler State Park is a great place to go to wade into the water up to your ankles catching minnows with your kids, mountain bike the trails, kayak or canoe over to the tree rope swing and Tarzan jump into the middle of the lake. Just don’t throw your paddle down on a small hole in the ground that has a large ground hornet nest right underneath. I was out of my kayak and into the middle of the lake breathing through a reed within 5 seconds but not after getting about 15 stings. Of course, don’t forget to bring your fishing pole.

Discovery Science Place

This is a fun type of experience for you and your kids. You can try many different science based experiments and they are always changing things up. One time they hired an employee that was a 22 year old man in a dress, that ended up being a puzzle with many questions from my kids. I didn’t see him there again so it’s back to the standard science stuff but I guess there are phases in culture where people wake up or woke up.

The Caldwell Zoo

This zoo is one of the best in the nation and has partnered with the endangered animals program to bring back species of animals almost at the brink of extinction. They had North America’s oldest living black rhino that recently died. They are currently remaking many parts of the zoo into a more spectacular place to go. I am not sure why I put the zoo in the 4th spot because it’s definitely number 1 in my book. The golden tamarin is one endangered species the Caldwell Zoo helped to bring back from possible extinction. The zoo has children’s education classes during the school day primarily made use of by homeschool children.

Tyler Sister Cities

If you walk downtown there is a place on the square to learn about Tyler’s sister cities. There is a sister city in Japan an one in China as well as several ther cities that are very interesting to learn more about. I had a great time learning about Yachiyo, Japan.

1.Yachiyo, Japan: 1992 – present
2. Jelenia Gora, Poland: 1993 – present
3. Lo Barnechea, Chile 2001 – present (We are working to re-establish the partnership.)
4. San Miquel de Allende, Mexico: 2010 – present
5. Liberia, Costa Rica: 2013 – present
6. Qujing, China (Currently a “Friendship City”).

Tyler Civic Theatre

Al Gilliam created the Circle Theatre at Tyler Junior College, producing plays with audiences surrounding them in a circle. The plays were very popular and some wealthy Tyler citizens pulled their resources and in 1949, Tyler Civic Theatre was born. Gilliam was the first resident director and, in 1951, they opened the nation’s first building to be built specifically for in-the-round presentations.

Lindsey Park

Lindsey Park has a pretty amazing mountain bike trail system they put in and of course Tyler State Park does to but Lindsey Park is in the city of Tyler. I rode my mountain bike with a kid in the kids seat all the way to the back which was quite far an found a big lake I didn’t even know was there with a huge beaver dam island in the middle of it. It was a fun day of exploring. There is also a really fun Frisbee golf course I have played there many times. You will see many baseball fields there that softball leagues use throughout the year as well. I lost my wedding ring on one of those fields 12 years ago so bring your metal detector and find it for me and I will give you $500 for your trouble.

Food in Tyler Texas

Popular spots that offer a cool factor are listed below:

1. Stanleys Barbeque
2. Black Pearl, oyster bar
3. What About Kabob’s, Gyro’s
4. Lola’s Hand Crafted Kitchen, gourmet sandwiches
5. Torchy’s Taco’s, cool sounding taco’s that taste good
6. Humo, fancy and interesting mexican food and cocktails

Popular spots that offer good not too pricey food:

1. Javi’s, mexican and cocktails
2. Ruby’s Mexican Restaurant, local favorite
3. C Rojo’s Taqueria, this is a gourmet taqueria by Tyler State Park. Definitely stop for a visit.
4. Roost, great breakfast foods and a variety of chicken salad sandwiches, so good and affordable!
5. New York Pizza and Pasta, affordable and so good!
6. Villa Montez, great fancy tex-mex type food and seafood. Affordable and great atmosphere.

Fancy Expensive food:

1. Dakota’s Steak and Chop House, fancy steak house
2. Kiepersol Restuarant, very fancy multiple course meals.
3. Bernard’s Mediterranean Restaurant, not kid friendly, very fancy.
4. Texas de Brazil, so good and expensive.

Editor’s Choice:

1. Bodacious Barbeque on the loop and 155.
2. Roost
3. Chuy’s
4. Ruby’s
5. Loggin’s, buffet style home cooking, Tyler staple

How Much Does it Cost to Live in Tyler?

The cost of living in Tyler, Texas is 2.2% higher than the Texas state average and 5.9% lower than the national average. Tyler, TX housing is 12.8% cheaper than the U.S average, while utilities are about 4.2% more expensive.

Low Crime Good Neighborhoods

The police keeps track of data they collect as crimes are committed and makes it easy for us to see what neighborhoods had the most calls to the Tyler police.

We present the data below on some of the best and worst neighborhoods in Tyler Texas as it pertains to crime.

Best Low Crime Neighborhoods in Tyler Texas:

• Cherokee Trail Area / The Village At Cumberland Park
• Prestonwood
• Browning
• Jeff Davis Area / Heritage Circle
• Owentown
• Shady Grove
• Three Lakes Residential / West Grande Area
• Stone Leigh Area
• Hollytree
• Copeland

Worst Crime Neighborhoods in Tyler Texas:

• Caldwell Zoo / Texas College
• Shay Trails / Herndon Hills
• Emmett Scott
• Rose Garden / Front Street
• White City / St. Louis
• Hillside Park area / Greenburg Turkey area
• Tyler Junior College area

Speaking of low crime where do people choose to move in Tyler when it comes to apartments? I will tell you what my experience has been.

Best Tyler Apartments in Tyler Texas

I used to live at The Establishment Apartments as a younger adult and some family moved there as well and we both really enjoyed the professional, peaceful, accommodating environment. Close to lots of stores (Best Buy, Brookshires, Walmart) and in the center of Tyler Texas it is a very convenient location as well.

A lot of people rave about the luxury apartments in Tyler Texas called Palomar Apartments.

• The Establishment Apartment
  • Convenient, affordable, swimming pool, professional, quite, clean, good reviews, personally vetted (by Donny Eisenbach)
• Palomar Apartments
  • Luxury Apartments, more pricey, convenient, clean, swimming pool, lots of good reviews, personally vetted (by Donny Eisenbach)

Elementary Schools in Tyler Texas

The first 4 elementary schools are charter schools where you can apply for these schools no matter where you live in Tyler. Tyler Classical Academy is considered one of the best of the Elementary charter schools in Tyler.

The ratings for these elementary schools on har.com and Yelp.com are suspect. The Google ratings are not very helpful because there are so few ratings that have been left for each school. It’s best to talk to your local real estate agent for what they know at the time to be the schools people are most interested in.

1. Tyler Classical Academy
2. The Leadership Academy
3. UT Tyler University Academy at Tyler
4. Cumberland Academy
5. Dr. Bryan C Jack Elementary
6. Bell Elementary
7. Birdwell Elementary
8. Bonner Elementary
9. Woods Elementary
10. Caldwell Arts Academy
11. Owens Elementary
12. Douglas Elementary
13. Dixie Elementary
14. Rice Elementary
15. Griffin Elementary
16. Ramey Elementary
17. Clarkston Elementary
18. Jones Elementary
19. Orr Elementary
20. Peete Elementary
21. TJ Auston Elementary

Jobs in Tyler Texas

My favorite website to find jobs in Tyler Texas is Indeed.com but you will also want to connect with people who can help you find a job through personal networking.

I would also recommend putting yourself out there on applications like Angie.com and become a handyman. You can build up a handyman business or pivot from some work you do for someone into a job through the network you make.

Uber Eats, Doordash, as well as Uber the driving service are all utilized by people in Tyler Texas that are in between jobs. Some people use these services as their full time career.

Ozarka in Hawkins, Tyler Pipe, Sanderson Chicken Farms all pay $20 plus an hour. Target Distribution Center pays $20 plus an hour but the work is fast paced so you must be willing to put in the work and then move into a more preferable position.

Summer and Winters in Tyler Texas

The summers in Tyler Texas can get pretty hot but not always and occasionally they are fairly mild compared to other Texas cities. Summer is tolerable (for me) and I often work in the heat of the summer outside but I am an exception to most. The summers in Tyler are hot and humid and the humidity makes the heat pretty harsh at times and worth staying indoors with the air conditioning going. Not all summer is intense but it is a full summer you will need to endure.

Tyler Texas summers are not hot all summer long, there are mild days and hotter days so it’s not like living in Wichita Falls or West Texas but it still gets “humid hot”.

Swimming pools, Tyler State Park lake swimming, and sprinklers for the kids to run through keep summer fun all year round.

Winters are definitely mild in Tyler Texas accept for the occasional snow storm every 5 years. When I am working outdoors during winters in Tyler I always end up taking my coat off and working in just my shirt. There are many places in the country where your coat must stay on all day long but I can’t say this about Tyler Texas.

When there is snow quite a lot of things shutdown. The perk for having a snowstorm in Tyler is you may not have to go in to work or school and you will have yourself an extra off day. People here are just not setup for driving in the snow. Sometimes it seems as though people get in their cars to drive on the icy roads so they can crash on purpose.

• Save the essentials for last.
• Label your boxes with detail.
• Pack one room at a time.
• Have a garage sale or list them online to get rid of unwanted items.
• Start collecting moving supplies like boxes and newspaper for wrapping.
• Submit a change of address form to your post office.
• Make use of see through storage bags for unbreakable items.
• Use see through bins for items you know you will need soon after the move.
• Pack overnight bags for every member of family.
• Wrap breakables with clothing to save money on moving supplies
• Have a trusted person watch your kids during your move so they are not neglected in the moving process. (Most important part of the moving process)
• Tie a garbage bag around all clothes on hangers to keep them from falling off the hangers.
• Use press and seal tape which is like saran wrap to wrap around clothing drawers so they do not open. They sell this at Lowes and Home Depot.
• Use your suitcases to pack stuff as well, less boxes, more efficient.
• Let your friends that help you move have first pickings at the items you plan to give away.

Churches in Tyler Texas

Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was likely his church he started in Corinth which was full of wolves seeking people to devour and he didn’t hesitate to point this out. Institutions regardless of their type and kind hide their wolves for what they believe is the protection of the institution.

Don’t be fooled by the self congratulatory tone of a pastor saying his congregation is the best most blessed. Don’t fall for the amazing music, the bright lights, or the “no one is perfect” “this church is not for perfect people” message.

Cults are not just in the traditional labelled organizations we call cults but any church, institution or family that exhibits co-dependent boundary breaking behaviors.

Tyler Texas has plenty of churches but you want to find a church, “community” that does not violate your boundaries and that has leadership that models and exhibits healthy boundaries.

Below is a list of bad traits in churches and communities to consider when finding a good church. Of course it’s true there is no perfect church but don’t let that cliché be used to cover over abusive behaviors in leadership. Always stand for good and speak up until you find someone that will listen.

There are a ton of churches in Tyler Texas from Church of God, Pentecostal, Non-denominational, Methodist, Church of Christ, Baptist, Catholic, Reformed, and so many more.

List of warning behaviors in churches

• Manipulation
• Emotional bullying
• Congregants caretaking to leadership to the detriment of their own wellness
• Suffocating
• People-pleasing
• Obsession
• Excusing bad or abusive behavior
• Feeling like you need to change but can’t for the good of the church
• Not knowing who you are without the church or church community
• Having a hard time setting boundaries
• Spending all of your time with or focused on just a small secluded group
• An overwhelming fear of being abandoned by the church
• Being unable to think about life without the church
• Abandoning all relationships other than those in the church.
• A need for constant assurance by leadership and/or congregants
• Making excuses for each other
• Giving up what matters to you or makes you happy for the happiness or harmony of a church leader.
• An inability to remember how to live independently from church or community.
• Tolerating harmful behavior.

Utilities in Tyler Texas

• Tyler Texas Electric Service: https://ElectricRates.com
• Water: Tyler Water Utilities
• Gas: Centerpoint Energy
• Trash Pickup
• Internet: Suddenlink, Optimum, T-Mobile Hotspot, Verizon Hotspot, AT&T Hotspot

Here is a more in depth guide on just Tyler Texas utilities