I spent several hours hiking around the downtown area of Abilene. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest (Built - 1953)
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0791.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0792.jpg

Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Built - 1930)
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0794.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0796.jpg

Bank of America Tower (Built - 1982; Height - 283 Ft.)
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0798.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0797.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0800.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0801.jpg

Bank of America on the Left with the Old Courthouse on the Right
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0804.jpg

The Old Taylor County Courthouse (Built circa 1920). Note the fire escape with a slide at the bottom. That made me laugh.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0805.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0808.jpg

The New Courthouse (Built circa 1970) from the side.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0806.jpg

The new courthouse: something between a spaceship and a giant table.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0809.jpg

Statues outside of the courthouse
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0811.jpg

Reflection in the courthouse windows
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0812.jpg

Wooten Tower, Alexander Building, First Financial Bank in the background
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0815.jpg

1910's-era Paper Company
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0818.jpg

Walkway under the railroad tracks
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0820.jpg

1922 T&P Freight Warehouse
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0821.jpg

Cypress Street
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0822.jpg

Statue commemorating the book "Santa Calls" which was set partially in Abilene
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0823.jpg

Elks Performing Arts Center (Built 1913) and a parking garage
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0824.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0825.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0826.jpg

First Baptist Church
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0827.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0849.jpg

Assorted Downtown Photos
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0828.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0829.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0830.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0831.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0832.jpg
Looking South down Cypress Street; Bank of America in the distance
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0833.jpg

The Paramount Theater - 1930
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0839.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0836.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0837.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0840.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0842.jpg

Wooten's Logo
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0843.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0844.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0845.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0847.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0857.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0858.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0859.jpg

First Central Presbyterian Church
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0851.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0852.jpg
I liked the sun coming through the glass in the steeple
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0853.jpg

Saint Paul United Methodist Church reflected in First Central Presbyterian's window
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0854.jpg
St. Paul's
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0855.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0856.jpg

Our "split" skyline - CBD on the right, BoA tower on the left
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0861.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0868.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0869.jpg

Abilene Christian University's $17million Williams Performing Arts Center. Built in 2003, it houses the theater, instrumental, and vocal schools along with the band hall, choir hall, a recital hall, and 2 theaters. This is where almost all of my classes are located.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0871.jpg

ACU's Biblical Sciences Building. The tower is known as "The Tower of Light" and is roughly 150 feet tall. These buildings actually rest on the highest point in Abilene, making their visual impact much more impressive.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0873.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0875.jpg

That's all for now.

Well, I'll keep my comments to myself - but thanks for showing pictures of a city I've never seen before.

I did like the movie theater & the deco office tower.

Heh, make all the comments you want. It won't hurt my feelings. I know Abilene's not a particularly beautiful or important city, but it's what I've got to work with. Thanks for the post.

Brad, you are such a mean person. LOL!!!!

Seriously though, I am impressed by what I have seen. Personally, this is the first time I have EVER seen pics of the city, so my hats off to ya. Good job.

Never seen Abilene before, thanks for the post WestTexan87. You guys Bank of America building looks 100 times better than ours down here!

I have'nt been down south in years but the city make me feel like I'm back in time. Nice town!!!

Well my comments aren't all that negative.....

only that the city seems really DEAD.

But I like the fact that the downtown looks spread out and the pictures of the churches and theater were really cool.

...only that the city seems really DEAD...

That's what I was going to say, some of those pics almost look like a windswept ghost town, almost looks like a scene from "The Langoliers". But then again, it's a fairly smallish city, and I would imagine that the whole DFW metroplex being nearby might tend to suck some life out of it.

Other than that, you have some pretty good low-midrise building stock, and I don't sense a glut of surface parking lots? I have to say that the buildings overall are a bit too "sandstoneish" for my liking, but that's just preference.

When I first saw it, I thought the 1910s (Matera?) Paper company building facade looked like a nice retro ballpark. Some nice churches too. As for the overall skyline, something to help balance out BoA wouldn't hurt. Say a couple mid-highrises in the 10-15 story range, and maybe a bit more color as well.

And that 70's Courthouse looks like something that belongs in Albany, NY. I think Nelson Rockefeller might have lost it there! Just sheath it with marble and you'd never tell the difference.

only that the city seems really DEAD.

Yeah, I know it seems dead. I have a few explanations:

1) I was walking around on a Wednesday around 2 in the afternoon. Pretty much anyone who was downtown was inside, working.

2) I'm not a very advanced photographer (this was my first time going on a "trip" JUST to take pictures.) so I feel awkward getting people in the shots. Many times today, I waited for people to pass or cars to get out of the way so that I didn't feel quite so creepy snapping pictures all over the place. In other words, there were people out...I just avoided them.

3) Downtown has been revitalized in the sense that it is cleaner and filled with museums and offices. There is still much to be desired in the way of restaurants, shopping, and streetlife. It's a slow process, but I'd say that, considering that downtown revitalization only began about 20 years ago, Abilene's doing pretty well.

Keep in mind that Abilene is one of those "oil boom" towns that you hear about. In the 1970s and 80s, people flocked in droves to Abilene and other west Texas towns, making a killing in the oil market. So, naturally, all the new people with all this new money wanted some place to go and spend it all. During those years, MASSIVE migration was made toward south Abilene, where land was cheap and plentiful. Large, expensive, brick homes built between 1970 and 1990 completely blanket the landscape of southern Abilene (where I live). A short list of what is located in this immediate area: The Mall of Abilene, 3 Movie Theaters (28 total screens), a Walmart Supercenter, Home Depot, Lowe's, 3 Golf Courses, 2 Country Clubs, a Hoispital, half a dozen large Retirement Complexes, dozens of hotels, and enough restaurants to feed a small country every day for the next century. (At this very moment, a Chick-fil-a is under construction next door to an under-construction Logan's Roadhouse...when there is a Chick-fil-a in the mall just down the street, and a Texas Roadhouse just as close in the other direction.) My point is this: the retail center of Abilene moved to the southwest in the 70s and it has remained there to this day. In fact, a massive strip mall opened just this year caddy-corner to Walmart which contains a Ross, Petsmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Michael's, Dunlap's, and a host of other stores along with a Red Robin Burger joint, an ice cream parlor, and a Jason's Deli. It's tough to get big retailers to move anywhere else in the city when it is so obvious where everyone already knows to shop. I just keep hoping that as time passes, more attention will be drawn to downtown. I mentioned in a previous thread that the Abilene Independent School District is relocating its headquarters to a large complex downtown (the former mall, actually) which will inject several hundred employees into the mix daily. I've got my fingers crossed that eventually downtown will be as "alive" as other parts of the city. We'll see though.

And as for DFW sucking the life out of town, that used to be true, but not so much any more. As more and more big-box retailers come to Abilene, residents seem to see less and less reason to drive for hours to shop. I remember when I was in middle school, I'd take almost monthly trips to the DFW area to shop at places like American Eagle, Old Navy, and Abercrombie. However, in the years since, American Eagle and Old Navy have both moved into town, which leaves me hesitant to really spend 3 hours in a car just to buy overpriced Abercrombie garb. All in all, Abilene is an oasis unto itself. The closest city of even comparable size is San Angelo, 2 hours to the southwest. We don't spend too much time worrying about life outside of our little bubble, which bugs me sometimes (being that I'm originally from NY). I enjoy Abilene's size and remoteness. It gives the town almost an "ant farm" feeling because everything about Abilene is like a miniature version of a larger city. No interference from suburbs or massive highway systems. It's nice. After the oil bust dug a large gash into the Abilene infrastructure, I'm happy to see the population turning back around.

Other did-you-knows about Abilene:
1) It houses Dyess Air Force Base, which is the training base for all B-1 Bomber pilots in the nation.
2) It is home to the world headquarters of Tige Boats, the 3rd-largest boat manufacturing company in the world.
3) It is the birthplace of Jessica Simpson.

(At this very moment, a Chick-fil-a is under construction next door to an under-construction Logan's Roadhouse...when there is a Chick-fil-a in the mall just down the street, and a Texas Roadhouse just as close in the other direction.)

Not trying to sound cruel, but that just sounds so strange and depressing to me.

Yes, I understand Abilene is a very small town and West Texan is just speaking up for his underspoken town.

Well, here's my conundrum: For the most part, skyscraper fanatics live in places where there are lots of...you know...SKYSCRAPERS. I happen to be one of those weird skyscraper fans who lives in a rural town setting. As for Chick-fil-a and Logan's Roadhouse, I don't see how it's "strange and depressing" but I was just trying to make my point that all the retail activity is concentrated along one highway. You can't tell me that you can't drive 5 miles in any large city and see a dozen Starbucks and "grill and bar" style restaurants one after another. I'm not trying to make you all think that Abilene is some up and coming metropolis that will one day rival Hong Kong and New York. I'm just giving you what I've got. It's Christmas break, I'm bored, and I realized I spend hours just going around looking at other cities on here and no one seems to represent any of these "off the beaten path" towns. Just take these pictures for what they're worth: 115,000 people choose to live their lives in the middle of basically nowhere, and this is the fruit of 124 years of labor on the wild Texas prairie. Not everyone can live in a Chicago or a Houston. Pretty much, just don't treat this thread like I'm trying to make Abilene seem like more than it is. Trust me, I know what's out there. I'm just mixing in my own little slice of the pie.

And here's something to help you picture Abilene's layout:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/AbileneMap.jpg
The Walmart to the southwest was built in 1996 and has since spurred massive growth in that area. Coupled with the Mall, it is one of the anchors of the main retail and commercial zone in Abilene (shown outlined in red). The Walmart to the northeast in brand new. It opened in August I believe. It has yet to make much impact other than 2 new neighborhoods under construction, a Cracker Barrel, and several hotels slated for construction. The downtown area is outlined in black. I don't really have a reason for posting this other than to kind of give you an idea of where "the action" is and why it isn't yet in downtown.

Many thanks for sharing your photos with us. Ok, Abilene is not NYC, but so what? There is something about this city that makes it interesting. I am a bit tired of giving love to more known cities all the time. Please, feel free to continue posting images of Abilene.

Jessica Simpson's birthplace... How interesting :)

I've totally forgotten to mention the brand-new multi-million dollar museum "Frontier Texas!" It was constructed on the site of a former junk yard, so it is a welcome addition to the downtown environment. It is serving as a sort of anchor for the eastern portion of downtown. Numerous old warehouses surround Frontier Texas! and rumors continue to circulate that they might be converted in shops and restaurants. In the meantime, here are some shots of Frontier Texas! that I pulled off of its website:

http://www.csphoto.net/MUSEUMS/MUS-Frontier-Texas/Frontier-Images/089.jpg
http://www.csphoto.net/MUSEUMS/MUS-Frontier-Texas/Frontier-Images/046.jpg
http://www.csphoto.net/MUSEUMS/MUS-Frontier-Texas/Frontier-Images/048.jpg
http://www.csphoto.net/MUSEUMS/MUS-Frontier-Texas/Frontier-Images/100.jpg
http://www.csphoto.net/MUSEUMS/MUS-Frontier-Texas/Frontier-Images/118.jpg
http://www.csphoto.net/MUSEUMS/MUS-Frontier-Texas/Frontier-Images/024.jpg

I've been several times, and it is unlike any other museum. It is one of the first in the world to utilize motion-sensors and holgrams. As you move through the exhibits, you trip off sensors which turn on holographic images of different frontier individuals who recount their story to you. They look eerily realistic. The whole experience finishes with a 5-10 minute video in a 360 degree theater (with revolving seats). It's a welcome addition to Abilene.

And just for kicks, here are some more famous(ish) people with ties to Abilene.
Ronnie Dunn (of Brooks and Dunn) was born in a town just outside of Abilene and attended college at both Hardin-Simmons and Abilene Christian.
Raymond Bynum founded the first High School marching band in Texas at Abilene High School.
John Lackey, the pitcher for the Anaheim Angels during their World Series Championship in 2002, graduated from Abilene High School.
Dominique Rhodes, running back for the Indianapolis Colts, graduated from Abilene Cooper High School.
Terry Orr, graduate of Abilene Cooper HS, played as tight end for the Washington Redskins and played in both the 1988 and 1992 Super Bowl Games.
Justin Snow, long snapper for the Indianapolis Colts, graduated from Abilene Cooper HS.
19 Abilene Christian University football players have been drafted into the NFL.
Grady Little, former manager of the Boston Red Sox, was born in Abilene.
Lance Barrow graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1978 and has since earned 7 Emmy Awards and is currently a producer at CBS, working on Super Bowls, Olympics, and other major events.
Abilene Christian University students have participated in every Olympic games since 1984.
Bobby Morrow, an ACU student, won 5 gold Olympic medals at the 1956 games.
Chris Judd, one of Jennifer Lopez's former husbands, was born in Abilene.
Oprah's long-time boyfriend, Steadman Graham, attended Hardin-Simmons University, where he played basketball.
Perini Ranch Steakhouse, just south of Abilene, caters to many of Hollywood's top celebrities. The steakhouse even caters to many of President Bush's events. Russian President Putin was fed some of Perini's famous brisket during his visit to Camp David last year.

Haha...enjoy...

Thanks for the pics! I can't say I've ever seen pics of this city before. ;)

Looks kinda sleepy, but nice. :)

As a Lubbock resident I feel the need the brag because we have 3 Wal-marts and a Target!!!!! :)

Also I like West Texas more then East Texas they are all rednecks and all the Cowboys live out West, who cares if they have trees....

looks pretty good for a city i have never heard of before!

Hey West..I like the pics..thanks for the time and effort it took you! I've never been past Mineral Wells off I-20 west of Ft Worth, but I honestly wouldn't mind doing a road trip out there and spending the day in Abilene. I do like the solitude that western Texas offers(at least west of the DFW area)..big skies..great sunsets..friendly, down-to-earth people... The holograms at the museum sound pretty cool as well...Thanks again!

As a Lubbock resident I feel the need the brag because we have 3 Wal-marts and a Target!!!!!

Haha, well I must say that Lubbock is definitely a tribute to what west Texas cities "can be" if they're done right. And it's no suprise that L-town has 3 Walmarts, considering you guys have about 100,000 more people than Abilene. (BTW, we have a Target, too...and 2 Dillard's...and an Office Max AND Office Depot...so there) I'm only kidding, of coure. I love Lubbock and every year, droves of Abilene HS, Cooper HS, and Wylie HS students flocks to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech. Needless to say, lots of my friends live up there. I'd like to see more pics of west Texas cities (Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Midland, Odessa, San Angelo) on here. I'm glad you guys seem to be enjoying my deluge of Abilene info. I appreciate all of the feedback.

And as a side note: the Abilene Reporter-News Business section has an article today about Frontier Texas!.
"The architectural firm that designed Frontier Texas! has received a 2005 American Institute of Architects Dallas Design Award. Good Fulton & Farrell of Dallas received the merit award in the institutional category for its work designing Frontier Texas!, a press release said. Merit-level awards are the highest possible honor in any category....Jeff Salmon, executive director of Frontier Texas!, said "Abilene has a number of beautiful historical properties that we're proud of that are important to our cultural tourism efforts. It's exciting to have a new building to complement those."

If I get the urge today, I might venture out to snap a few pictures of some of the retail spots around town (to prove Abilene isn't a "dead" city). So stay tuned. You'll hear from me again.

Thanks again!

Nice Pictures, although I don't like the town. I didn't think roads could get worse outside Houston, I was wrong. Theres more to do in Del Rio then Abilene, and Abilene has a good amount of college students.

I didn't think roads could get worse outside Houston, I was wrong.
Well, that makes me wonder when you last visited Abilene. If it was a long time ago, then yes, the roads sucked. However, for the past several years, the city has been systematically replacing basically every highway and major thoroughfare in town. Other than construction-related traffic headaches, driving around much of town (particularly the newer southern part) isn't bad. The worst part about it is that Abilene drivers are THE WORST in the world.

Theres more to do in Del Rio then Abilene
I've never been to Del Rio, but I can imagine that basically any town in the world has more to do than Abilene. For whatever reason, city planners and developers have yet to realize what a valuable resource Abilene's young people are. Clubs and bars are relatively few and far in between, perhaps because of the STRONG church grip of the town. In this respect, I (and every other young person in Abilene) FULLY agree with you. I guarantee that if you were to go around and ask 100 random youths in Abilene what their number 1 complaint about the city is, you'd find somewhere around 90-95 of them saying "There's nothing to do." It's something my friends and I have been saying since elementary school.

and Abilene has a good amount of college students.
Yeah, Abilene does have a good amount of college students. Between ACU, HSU, McMurry University, Cisco Junior College, TSTC, and a Texas Tech Graduate Center, there are roughly 9 or 10 thousand college students in Abilene each year, and that number grows annually. I have no idea why the city isn't doing more to keep these kids interested in the city long enough to make them stay here after they graduate. Many college graduates say they would like to stay in Abilene, but there are simply no jobs in Abilene that cater to young professionals. More and more, Abilene is becoming a retiree haven. I guess that's where much of our growth comes from. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, but old people do little more than boost the retail and commercial economy. They do nothing to attract high-tech, high-paying corporations to town. Thus, Abilene has restaurants, stores, and large houses being built everywhere, with very little growth in its job sector.

Who knows when or if Abilene will ever "right" itself. It is now, and has always been, a paradox. A city that survives in a modern world without anything that most cities see as vital to the survival of any metropolis: high-paying jobs to keep young college graduates in the community, lots of bars and clubs and entertainment venues to keep the town's younger population satisfied with life in general, and a cohesive plan as to WHAT the city wants to be. Do we want to be a retirement community? Or do we want to try to become a clone of Lubbock? Who knows. I sure don't. I know I probably won't stay in Abilene after I graduate. I hope to end up in NYC teaching music or something of that nature. I do, however, know that it makes me very sad to know that even someone like me, who loves Abilene, is already planning to leave after college. Most kids my age hate Abilene and have all their lives. What are the chances of them staying? I'd say not too good.

And here's another trek I took into Abilene, only this time, I went to the crowded and growing commercial centers. Enjoy!

Wesley Place - a new retirement facility in southwest Abilene (built 2004). Apparently, they sold all of their apartments, townhomes, and houses before construction even began, so they doubled the size of the project.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0878.jpg

Abilene Regional Medical Center - the 2nd largest of Abilene's 3 hospitals. It is located just down the street from Wesley Place and is the cornerstone of the vast surrounding medical district.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0879.jpg

Cisco Junior College - what began as a small junior college in Cisco, Texas has since expanded into Abilene to become Abilene's 2nd-largest and fastest-growing institute of higher education. This year it enrolled nearly 4,000 students in its brand-new, 2004 facility just off the highway in southeast Abilene.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0881.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0882.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0883.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0884.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0885.jpg

Lone Star Ranch is a new subdivision being developed adjacent to the new Cisco Junior College Campus. So far, a gas station and high-class restaurant have been completed, with 2 commercial centers under construction. The neighborhood is absolutely packed with $200,000+ homes being built. Everywhere you look, there are "sold" signs and foundations being laid.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0889.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0890.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0891.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0892.jpg

This sign is located in a lot down the road from Abilene's newest Walmart Supercenter. The Holiday Inn Express was completed only 1 or 2 years ago, and this sign made me very happy when I saw it.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0893.jpg

The cause of all the fuss in North Abilene (opened in August '05):
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0894.jpg

One of several residential developments down the road from Walmart:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0895.jpg

Some of the roads are being laid in one new neighborhood:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0896.jpg

The new Social Sciences building at Hardin-Simmons University. Built in 2003, this is by far my favorite building on the campus.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0897.jpg

The HSU Business Building with the brand-new clock tower in the foreground.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0898.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0899.jpg

The restored Caldwell Fine Arts Building at HSU. Built some time in the early part of last century, it was in a horrid state of decay before the school overhauled it about 2 years ago. Inside, under the false ceiling installed in the 60s, they discovered stained glass lights depicting paint palets and musical instruments. This is one more reason restoration is better than replacement.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0900.jpg

The dome of the Social Sciences Building peeking over the trees. I just love that dome.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0904.jpg

Travelling back to the south side of town, I found the new Holiday Inn Express to be open after many months of construction. The empty lots across the street both say Sold so hopefully there will be even more activity nearby soon.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0905.jpg

South Abilene's Walmart, built in 1996.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0906.jpg

The Shops at Abilene - Abilene's newest (2005) and most popular shopping destination. Funny thing is, I guess the city didn't see the need to install a turning lane on the road fronting this new complex, so often times, you'll see lines of cars 15-20 deep waiting to turn left. That's Abilene planning for you.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0909.jpg

This Shopping center is back-to-back with the previous plaza you saw. The Dollar Tree in the foreground, the SteinMart next to it and the Hancock Fabrics next to that are all in what was once a Walmart. To the right of Dollar Tree is a CellularOne and Subway. Amazing how 5 stores can so easily fit inside one regular Walmart.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/ParkCentralLightened.jpg

Across the street from that plaza - Chick-fil-a on the corner with a Logan's Roadhouse next door. You can't see it, but that new Holiday Inn Express I showed earlier is just behind these new restaurants. It's a nice change because for years, this whole corner was run-down and mostly abandoned. Finally, they bulldozed most of it and started from scratch. It will be nice once everything's finished.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0912.jpg

Abilene's "Twin Towers" - a couple of midrises near the Mall built in the 1980s.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0914.jpg

And finally, I thought it'd be fun to show you how you can live for a million dollars in Abilene, so I picked my three favorite million-dollar houses in my neighborhood. (No, I'm not a millionaire...I live in the "poor" section of this neighborhood haha...these are the types of houses that I drive by and think "why not me")
Built in 2003
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0921.jpg
Built in 2002
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0923.jpg
Built in 2004
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0924.jpg

That's all for today. Let me know what you think (good or bad...I can take it)...

"Well, that makes me wonder when you last visited Abilene. If it was a long time ago, then yes, the roads sucked. However, for the past several years, the city has been systematically replacing basically every highway and major thoroughfare in town. Other than construction-related traffic headaches, driving around much of town (particularly the newer southern part) isn't bad. The worst part about it is that Abilene drivers are THE WORST in the world."

The roads are very bad. Its like driving off road. I was there about a 2 weeks ago. I have a friend at ACU. The layout of the mall is really bad. I don't mean to "shit" all over your town, its very pretty, so don't get me wrong.

Nah, i'm not in any way offended. I guess I'm just used to the roads and I know what bad areas to avoid and whatnot. I drive a Mustang, so believe me, I feel each and every bump and pothole. Anyway, I really stress the fact that I'm not offended. I'm not so attached to Abilene that I get my feelings hurt when someone doesn't like something about it. Haha, if that was the case, I'd never stop crying. Thanks for your post(s) and hope you visit Abilene again some time. (I go to ACU too, BTW)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/WestTexan87/HPIM0834.jpg
^^ This is the dirt patch where a 6-story office building once stood. Some guy apparently bought it and the building next door and demolished this one. I'm glad he picked this one because it was a hideous 60's beast, but it still seems odd to demolish a building in a downtown where few exist. Rumors are circulating that he may build either a new office building or a parking garage, but I noticed that they filled in the basement of the former office building, which doesn't seem to give the impression of them building ANYTHING there. I wish I was in charge of Abilene's downtown affairs. Things would look a lot differently right now.

I'd like to see more pics of west Texas cities (Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Midland, Odessa, San Angelo) on here.



If I had a camera...

I don't know what Del Rio the Houston fella was talking about but it couldn't have been the one I lived in for a year in 02-03. And you want to talk about bad roads? My God, the dirt roads in Del Rio were better than the paved ones. And one of those forded a stream. FORDED A STREAM. This was a road my buddy and I commuted to work on. It had a freakin' ford, people, what is this, the 19th Century? Of course, we did live back in the sage, but still. Del Rio had some things to do, the primary one of which was go to Mexico and get blitzed and buy chiclet gum from three year olds and assorted tourist crap from "Mexicans" who lived on the American side of the Rio. Or, you could stay on the Texas side and go to the big damn lake. I note that Abilene has a big damn lake, too. And they both have big Air Force bases. But Abilene has a kickin' zoo that I really liked, whereas Del Rio only has giant wildlife ranches where rich people with too much time and money can go hunt Oryx and Zebu or whatever antelopes they have there. I have pictures, but of course you can't hop the fence or you'll get shot. I mean that. Del Rio also has a winery, which I don't know if there was one of those in Abilene or not. But Abilene does have giant windmills, and Del Rio is totally lacking in those.
Frankly, neither town is exactly chock full of exciting activities. But then, people don't come to these places expecting that--or at least, if they do, they're very silly people.

Now I'm all inspired to scan my photos of Del Rio and start a thread.