Harlingen is the medical hub and commercial air travel hub of the Rio Grande Valley.
Population is is about 75,000.
A doctor's Ferrari at Valley Baptist Medical Center - the largest hospital in Harlingen and the city's largest employer.
The RAHC (Regional Academic Health Center). There are plans to turn it into a 4-year medical school. Next door is a veterans health center, which will soon eliminate 95% of trips to San Antonio for veteran medical services.
I don't remember what this building is, but it has been pink as far back as I can remember. It's right next to Valley Baptist, so I'm sure it's a medical building.
Golden Palms. It's a retirement center.
Downtown Harlingen
Heritage Manor, formerly the Reese-Wilmond Hotel. Heritage Manor is the name that was given to the building when it was owned by the housing authority. It currently sits vacant, but a local developer is going to renovate the building and turn it into apartments with a restaurant and offices on the ground floor.
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Many of the city's oldest homes along Harrison and Tyler Avenues have been turned into businesses and offices. Harrison and Tyler Avenues are two of Harlingen's busiest and largest streets. They are also part of downtown.
The Harlingen Public Library, just a few blocks north of the core of downtown.
McKelvey Park on the banks of the Arroyo Colorado.
Murals are a big deal in Harlingen. There have to be at least 20 that I have seen. Here's just one of them.
A mural of one of Harlingen's most famous former residents - Bill Haley of Bill Haley & His Comets.
The Marine Military Academy, right next to Valley International Airport in northeast Harlingen.
My neighborhood where my parents still live.
From the 4th floor of the Holiday Inn Express.
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"Occasionally I think about doing something to change my situation, but where am I going to get hold of a stealth bomber?"
It's currently really run-down apartments, but that might change soon. Harlingen is trying to "revitalize" its downtown, so Blaschka might be renovated and turned into condos. Before Blaschka Tower was Blaschka Tower, it was originally the Rio Grande National Life Insurance Building. Then it was the Baxter Building.
There is another building in downtown that is 5 floors named Heritage Manor (formerly the Reese-Wilmond Hotel). Heritage Manor was the name of the place when it was a housing authority building. Heritage Manor is going to be redeveloped soon for sure and turned into apartments with ground floor retail, a restaurant, and offices.
__________________
"Occasionally I think about doing something to change my situation, but where am I going to get hold of a stealth bomber?"
Harlingen looks pretty nice. I've heard that some of the border towns are pretty dumpy and expected that with Harlingen, but it looks like a nice middle-class city.
there is something so wonderfully weird and retro about these out of the way American towns... most of the downtown looks like its still stuck in the 1950s...
Went through there once about 20 years ago when I was on my way to South Padre. Never got off the highway. It does look peaceful despite it being stuck inthe 50s. Nice tour!!
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"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut
Thanks for the nice tour! I didn't know there was a Harlingen in Texas! Are there still any links with its Dutch namesake? I assume the town was named by Dutch settlers.
Thanks for the nice tour! I didn't know there was a Harlingen in Texas! Are there still any links with its Dutch namesake? I assume the town was named by Dutch settlers.
Thanks!
Originally called Six Shooter Junction (because the population at the time consisted mainly of Texas Rangers and Border Patrolmen), Lon C. Hill named the city Harlingen after Uriah Lott's "ancestral homes in Holland and New Jersey," Uriah Lott helped bring the railroad down to Harlingen.
At least that's what history says.
__________________
"Occasionally I think about doing something to change my situation, but where am I going to get hold of a stealth bomber?"
Harlingen has my favourite DT in the Valley.
It's much prettier than DT Brownsville or McAllen.
Beautiful city, and I wish them luck on the revitalization.
That Iwo Jima monument is on the grounds of the Marine Military Academy (one of only two Marine Military Academies in the U. S.). This was the original from which the more famous one at Arlington National Cemetary was made.