Wife's job will be transferring her there.  We're north of Houston, right now, so it's a short move, and easy enough to check the area out prior to committing.  It's not a permanent move.  Figure 3 years, max.

My immediate thoughts were to stay on the west side of Beaumont, because wife's family live in Houston, but I'm open to suggestions.  I know that Beaumont public schools suck, but it's not a concern, because my son is only a few months old.  I suppose that I should pick a place that is in a decent district, so the next folks that buy won't have to worry about it.

So where to live?  We bought a nice house here, because we could have been here for the long haul.  We'll be selling, and buying again in Beaumont, because her company will purchase the house from us if we can't sell it.  It's a pretty sweet deal.  So, as we put it, we'll again buy the "second lieutenant house", instead of a nicer one, so we can save money and have an easier time selling it.

I'm still hoping for an acre or two, and I'd really like a 20x20 ft shop that I can air condition for a home gym and workshop.  If I can shoot on my own property, even better.  If I can shoot a suppressed .22 off the back porch, that would make me happy as a clam.  Ideally, I'd like to find an acre lot that is surrounded by a farm.  I'm pretty handy, so I don't mind a bit of a fixer-upper (shiplap-drink!), but I don't want to have to overhaul it.  

Guys who have been there, point me in the right direction.  Give me an area in which to look, and recommendations on a place to shoot.

1.  The west side of Beaumont along hwy. 90 seems to be growing good.  I'd move a little farther out, say around Nome.  Gas is cheap.  

2.  Golden Triangle Gun club.  Nice place.

Thanks for the reply.  

Does Golden Triangle allow rapid fire?  I didn't see anything in their rules when I looked it up.  I did read that there are benches, do they allow other positions as well?  And are there ROs there?  Or is it a "police yourselves" kind of place?

And do they need a LTCF instructor, by any chance?

A nice person who is actually a member there will be along shortly to answer your questions.

Golden triangle is a private club. I think I paid $100 last year. It has rifle ranges to 600 yards. The 100 and 200 range have benches. There is very little traffic during the week. I sometimes go at lunch and I am the only one there. Not sure how rapid you are talking about, but I will upload a G17 as fast as I can sometimes and never have had anyone say anything. There are no range officers, except at matches that are held on the weekends.

You might want to look into Nederland.
Best schools and lowest crime in this area.

I'm interested in realistic training, not wasting money and making noise.

So where could I best find an acre or so attached to a farm or wilderness?  No HOAs.  Ever again.

My condolences.

That area will be what you make of it ..

If you wish to be miserable you will be.  If you wish to be happy you will be.

For me I would not look to the area for retirement but it will be ok to be in for a few years.

Tag for later...........

Port Arthur's ghettos have been spilling over into Nederland for quite a while.

Check out Hamshire Fanette, Winnie.  There's China up to Sour lake. Thats Hardin Jefferson school district which is good. If you wanted west, I'd say any of those are safe. The closer to sour lake you get, the better chances of nice wooded areas you get.

Lumberton Gun Range allows automatics. Indoor range. Leger's might out on hey 90.

Just tried to figure out what the hell was so funny by jack ass above. . Reread earlier comments. For some reason I misinterpreted rapid fire to mean full auto. Anyways, not familiar with who allows rapid fire.

Uh-oh. What's funny? The training, or the HOA?

Jackass huh?

Good place to be from, spent 66 years in Nederland except for time in the service. Now live in North Texas and life is good. Best of luck to you.

Vince

If he knows for sure that he will be out if the area before his kid is in school (or at least before middle school), you can get a lot more house for your money in the decent areas Beaumont than in midcounty.

I like the Golden Triangle Gun Club.  Most days I've been out there (that were not match days), I would say there was usually less than 10 people.

Wife is from Nederland, we moved from there in 2008 at the height of the real estate boom. Yes the Golden Triangle Gun Club is superb. I used to be a member when we lived down there. I had a former coworker that was still a member and every time we went down to visit the mother in law I would give my former coworker a call and we would meet up a the gun club. He has since passed away.

FWIW Nederland is being infiltrated by folks that are not too interested in a good education as what was available in the past.

I'd live in Lumberton.

Legers is the worst gun range in the state.

Lone Star is good for pistols.

coming from Houston traffic would be a joke to you but to us the traffic is getting worse lol
+1 on Lumberton BUT  Lumberton is expanding rapidly and is still small town enough peak traffic times are just continuing to get worse
you will be in traffic going to work and in traffic going home to and from Beaumont if you work a typical 8-5
but again... doesn't hold a candle to Houston traffic

been in Legers twice... never made it to the range
people working the store were comically rude both times
no need for that

+1 on Lone Star   can/will get busy especially on weekends ( if you reload just know they dont allow picking up your own brass)
but its family owned and if they have time they are always willing to stand around and tell lies

Nederland is not exactly what it used to be, the surrounds cities are spilling over into it and yeah

What's makes Legers so bad?

The last time I was there was around 1994 or so.  I remember he would have great deals on G17 police  trade in guns (around 275 I think).

Huh, I've always picked up my brass at Lone Star and I go about twice a month. They must have changed that rule.

They seem like decent folk most of the time besides the usual gunshop BS.

I've almost died several times... I'm not joking when I say that.

No RSO (there was some kid my age that periodically checked but never regulated), no rope, no PA system. It's a fucking free for all out there.


Had a female fire off 5 rounds with her pistol with me at the 50yd mark and I had to dive behind a berm. My brother ran over and  cussed her out along with the moron that was supposed to be teaching her.

Last time was it for me... There were four Vietnamese shrimpers with AKs and .357s firing over the range in celebratory fashion.

I just looked on in disbelief and drive away.

wow thats nuts.

I think one other person was the most I ever had seen there back in the day. Most of the time it was just me.    I remember the sketchy range was near Vidor.  But Vidor is just a strange place

Can you tell me more about Vidor?  What makes it weird?  It seems like houses are a bit cheaper there than west of Beaumont.

It's a great place to be if your in the KKK....   Its what used to be called a sundown town.....  All my black friends  would pray that they would not get a flat tire while passing it on the highway....   lots of mobile home dealers......  corn on the cob is not served at any family reunions there....  most people that come from Vidor will not admit  to being from there after they move....  when you try to google Vidor Texas usually the first auto complete will be "Vidor Texas KKK" or something like that.....

born and raised here, does Vidor have crappy parts of town?   sure,  so does any city around here...
when Vidor got all in the news for the KKK   do you know where the KKK was from?
Cleveland....

OP to be honest... our tax rates are half that of Beaumont and you could buy more house
but its small town living and you will have to drive to Beaumont to eat anywhere decent
we have little to nothing for dining out options and absolutely zero entertainment options  
flip side of that is my "gun range" membership is $30 a year     A YEAR
and 99% it will be just you out there,  in the middle of nowhere anything short of a cannon is good to go
some people a few miles away complained about the cannon....   not kidding