College Station, TX
College Station, as the name suggests, is a college-oriented town located squarely in the Brazos Valley region of Texas. The city is considered one half of a set of twin metropolitan cities in Texas, known as the Bryan-College Station area. The city itself has quite a lot of diversity, blending into the Bryan area, with thousands of college students relocating to the area during the school year.
The city is most popular for Texas A&M University, an institution that has made a name for itself nationally. Furthermore, the university has some of the top programs nation-wide for areas of study such as medicine and veterinary care, causing many individuals to come to the city throughout the year for specialized treatment for themselves and their beloved pets. Additionally, the Bush Garden is located in this area, which provides a beautiful glimpse of nature amongst the feeling of "big city" living.
If you are accustomed to living in a smaller area, College Station is a great transition city. It provides the comforts of what feels like small-town living with the intricacies of living in a metropolitan area. The overall population of College Station, officially, is over 100,000 people. However, this does not take into account college students, who are often considered "transient residents" while attending school, though many of them may reside in the area for years to come after they have graduated.
With a plethora of college students and other professionals temporarily living in the city each year, the culture is quite diverse, with many different ethnic groups and gatherings available based upon your interest and preference. However, due to the university-focused design of the city itself, the cost of living is typically somewhat high - however, compared to many other large cities in the state of Texas, the overall cost of living does tend to come in substantially lower than that of comparable cities. When it comes to housing, however, College Station is, on average, more expensive than the national average, which can be contributed in part to many properties being marketed towards college-aged students.
Public transportation is relatively easy to access throughout the city, with the Brazo Transit district providing daily bus services. Additionally, Texas A&M provides bus services to its students for transportation from affiliated housing facilities to campus, as well as to some recreational areas. All the same, traffic in College Station can be tedious, and the city does see a high number of accidents on a regular basis.
Ultimately, if you are looking for a city that is rich in culture, thriving with knowledge, and always lively, College Station is a great area. It combines the best parts of living in a small city with those of living in a large town, creating an adventurous, homely feel.