Overall Score
Brownville is part of the county of Cameroon and is the southernmost city in Texas. It is located on the left bank of the Rio Grande River, a dozen kilometers from the mouth of the river in the Gulf of Mexico. However, ships come in through the Rio Grande, and so Borrowville is a seaport. On the opposite side is the Mexican city of Matamarós.
The citys ancestor was Fort Borrow, built by the American Army in 1846 during the Mexican-American War. There was a lot of fighting around the fort then, but in the end the fort became part of the United States in 1848 (Texas was for a time an independent state, separate from Mexico). However, the tension in this border area did not abate: armed conflicts broke out all the time, and gangs were armed. In 1865, the last battle of the Civil War was fought beside Brownsville, which finally brought the city back to the United States (Texas went back to being independent in 1861).
Brownville, named for an Anglo-American commander in 1812 named after Jaycock Broughton, developed in that atmosphere. Nevertheless, the town has managed to transform itself from a convict settlement with a flourishing convoy to a significant industrial center. This is due in large part to metallurgy, which flourished in the late 19th & early 20th centuries. Today it is a major research and educational center of the state, where the University of Texas is located. The educational system employs the largest number of people in Borrowville.
The citys landmarks include the Gayles Park and Recreation Area; which is home to 1,600 animals (400 species), the historic center of Borrowville, which is full of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, the Museum of High Art, and the Childrens Museum. There are several large centers in Bouraunsville that are ideal for boating.
Within the citys vicinity, the sable palm sanctuary, the Rhesaca de la Pallma Nature Reserve, is most interesting, The Boca Chica Nature Park and the Historic Park (and simultaneously the museum) at the Paulo Alto battlefield. Also a popular destination is the beaches of the South Pawtucket Island Resort on the coast of Mexico Bay.
Overall Score
- Air quality: 34 US AQI Good. Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
- Tap water: Yes, safe to drink
- Religious government: Non-religious
- Population: 180,000 people
- GDP: $57,808 / year
- Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
- Power outlets: 115V60Hz
- Internet: 43 Mbps
- Best wireless: T-Mobile
- Pay without cash: Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
- Tipping: How much should I tip at a restaurant? A gratuity of 15 to 20 per cent on top of the bill (before sales tax) is standard, with 25 per cent given for topnotch service. Servers in America work hard for the money – they’re generally friendly, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile for customers.
- Apartment listings: Craigslist
- Apartments: Airbnb
- Hotels: Booking.com
- More hotels: Hotels.com
- Best taxi: Uber
- Online electronics shop: Amazon
- Best hospital: Valley Regional Medical Center Brownsville TX
- Best intl air carrier: United
- Monthly costs for expat: $1450
- Monthly costs for family: $4000
- Monthly costs for local: $1150
- Meal: $8
- Small Cola: $1.4
- Beer 1 Pint: $4
- Coffee: $3
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