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Community is a Running Club, Craft Breweries and a Place to Call Home
After moving from Dallas, one young couple discovered a desirable lifestyle in Lubbock, Texas
When Caroline and Tyler Schultz moved to Lubbock, they planned to leave as soon as Caroline finished her graduate degree at Texas Tech University. As the pair prepared for their relocation from Dallas, several friends warned that they would be restless in West Texas.
“I had that preconceived idea in my head,” Tyler said. Within a year their perspectives changed, so did their lifestyle. The couple married and bought a house, ultimately deciding to call Lubbock home.
Tyler is a pharmacy manager for Drug Emporium, and Caroline is a decision support analyst at University Medical Center. With careers that allow the couple the freedom to work anywhere, they decided West Texas offered the way of life that was ideal for their future.
Small town/big city
“We feel like Lubbock is the perfect blend of small-town convenience and big-city happenings,” Caroline said. “There’s always something to do.”
Tyler was excited that a couple of his favorite nationally known comedians recently performed at the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences. “It’s the kind of place where big acts come to town, but you can get through the airport security in 15 minutes,” he said.
Affordability
“When we left Dallas, the housing prices were skyrocketing,” Tyler said. “The rent for our apartment in Dallas has doubled since we moved to Lubbock, which was a deterrent to going back to Dallas.”
Caroline agreed. “For us, it was a question of where we want to spend our money,” she said. “We choose a mortgage cheaper than our rent in Dallas so we can afford to travel to Europe and elsewhere.”
Finding friends and community
“I don’t think we naturally made any friends in Dallas,” Caroline said. “In Lubbock, there is a good sense of community you don’t get in the bigger cities.” Tyler and Caroline quickly found their place among Lubbock’s running club, Run LBK.
“I did the Lubbock marathon when we moved here,” Tyler said. “Then I found the West Texas Running Club, which hosts a race once a month. The president of Run LBK invited me to join a big social group of runners.”
Caroline also participates in some of the Run LBK activities. “There’s a group that meets Mondays and Wednesdays where the run starts and finishes at a local brewery. My friend and I run a mile, walk a mile and then drink beer.”
The local beer and wine scene
Tyler didn’t drink wine before moving to Lubbock. “But the Texas High Plains are one of the biggest areas in the country for wine grapes,” he said. “Our favorite local winery is Llano,” he said.
There is also a variety of craft breweries available. “Among the local breweries, Good Line Beer Co. and The Brewery LBK are my favorites,” Caroline said. “Mano Negra Brewing Co. is known for its sangria. Two Docs Brewing Co. is great for its outdoor patio.”
Low/no commute
When they lived in Dallas, Caroline sacrificed a couple of hours or more a day commuting through traffic. Tyler said that with the way Lubbock is laid out, “you really can get to the other side of the city in 15 minutes.”
Local nightlife and dining
Lubbock is also home to plenty of bars and nightclubs. As a young couple, the Schultzs generally choose a good dinner over going out to a bar. Some of their favorite restaurants include La Diosa Cellars, Cocina de La Sirena, The West Table Kitchen and Bar, The Funky Door and Las Brisas. If going out for drinks, they recommend the Depot District, which has cocktail parlors like Bodine’s Cocktail Parlor and Shotgun Sue’s Saloon.
“Food trucks are big here too,” Tyler said. “There’s a thing called Midnight Cravings, which is a parking lot with 20 or so food trucks that serve from 9 p.m. until well past midnight.”
Coffee culture
The couple frequents several favorite coffee shops, including He-Brews in Hodge’s Park, where they grab an iced coffee and take a walk around the park.
“On the days I work from home, I always grab a J&B Coffee and a quiche from Brûlée Bakery in the morning,” Caroline said. “Monomyth and Gold Stripe Coffee Roasters are two other amazing local coffee shops to sit and enjoy a cup.”
History and art
“I love the National Ranching Heritage Center, which is an outdoor park where you walk through historical buildings and learn about ranching history,” Caroline said. “The Windmill Museum was also a hit with my family when they visited.”
Tyler noted the art scene, including the monthly First Fridays Art Trail when artists open their studio doors and local vendors line the streets of downtown Lubbock.
The prairie dogs!
“We have a designated Prairie Dog Town, but you’ll see them all over the city,” Caroline said. “They are so iconic in Lubbock’s culture. I have several T-shirts and stickers from local businesses with prairie dogs on them, and my friend even got a prairie dog tattoo.”
As Caroline and Tyler noticed, and others are seeing, something is happening out in West Texas; Lubbock is experiencing a surge in growth of businesses and residents. Learn more about the people making a move back to the LBK at lubbockeda.org.
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