KnowYard Community

Marfa is one of the weirdest towns in America in the best way. Art installations in the middle of nowhere, the Marfa lights, Prada Marfa. Combine it with Big Bend for a full trip.

Ceiling fans in every room. They don't cool the room but they cool YOU and let you bump the thermostat up 3-4 degrees without noticing.

Tinted windows, remote start, and a good sunshade for the windshield. That's the holy trinity of surviving Texas car heat.

Everything IS bigger. The steaks, the trucks, the highways, the distances, the portions. My first time ordering a "small" drink here I got what I'd call a large anywhere else.

Texas has basically zero rent control and no statewide cap on increases. Your only leverage is threatening to leave. And honestly? Sometimes you have to follow through.

Smart thermostat was a game changer for me. Bumps up to 80 when nobody is home, drops back to 76 an hour before we get back. Saved about $40/month in summer.

There's a burger joint near me that's been cash only for 30 years. No website. No social media. Packed every day at lunch. That's the ultimate endorsement.

You get used to it in the sense that you learn to work around it. You go outside before 10am or after 7pm. You accept that June through September is indoor season.

My barber recommended a BBQ spot that's been open since 1991. Went there. No signage. Just a smoker and some picnic tables. Best ribs I've had in this state.

I stop every time I see one and I'm not sorry. The kolaches are solid, the bathrooms are spotless, and the beaver nuggets are crack.

Everything IS bigger. The steaks, the trucks, the highways, the distances, the portions. My first time ordering a "small" drink here I got what I'd call a large anywhere else.

do a local Smoothcomp tournament first. they are small, friendly, and low pressure. youll get 2-3 matches, experience the adrenaline dump, and realize competing is not as scary as you built it up to be. THEN do NAGA

Tex-Mex is not Mexican food and nobody who grew up eating both would confuse them. Both are good. They're just different cuisines at this point.

The Shores neighborhood garage sales are elite. Found a solid wood dining table for $75 that would have been $800+ new. Those homeowners clear out NICE stuff.

Check your insulation. Seriously. Had an energy audit done and found out my attic insulation was garbage. Got it blown in for $1,200 and my summer bills dropped about $80/month.

Texas pride. I've never lived anywhere where people fly the state flag more than the US flag. And they're not being ironic about it.

Waterview parent here. The community pool and splash pad alone justify the HOA. In the summer my kids are at the pool three days a week. Community movie nights on the lawn are packed. It feels like a real neighborhood.

If the menu is laminated and the decor includes wood paneling, you're about to have an incredible meal. That's just science.

Been thinking about this all week. Good timing on the post.

BJJ is the answer for what you described. no striking, incredible community, you get in shape BY training (you dont need to be in shape first), and the close contact thing stops being weird after about 3 classes. you will be too focused on not getting choked to worry about personal space

$387 for 1600 sqft sounds high even for summer. What rate are you paying per kWh? Anything over 14 cents and you need to shop around when your contract is up.

Show up to HOA board meetings. Seriously. Most boards are 3-5 retired people with nothing better to do. You show up with 5 neighbors who are also sick of it and you can vote them out.

San Antonio sports fans don't play around. We take this seriously.

Read your CC&Rs cover to cover. Half the violations HOAs send out are either not actually in the rules or they're enforcing selectively. If your neighbor's trash can is visible too, document it and bring it up.

Raising Cane's sweet tea doesn't get enough credit. It's dangerously good.