Graham Sevier & Park Coffee - A Cycle of Change in Brownsville

"A Fresh Cup of Initiative" 

Graham Sevier - Park Coffe & Cycles

Today' s Profile is about the downtown and healthy living movement and a sneak preview of Park Coffee located at 7th & Park just behind the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts at the Linear Park Trail Head. Scheduled to open in early December 2016 this business really is a sign of the change that is sweeping Brownsville! Graham Sevier and his family and friends represent a new breed in our community. They are the young people who have moved here or returned and instead of following a traditional path they are working to carve their own. This movement is fostering a number of new artisans, galleries, shops, outdoor enthusiasts and an interest in downtown and all things hip.

Park Coffee 7th & Park Under Construction

The downtown and healthy living movement is by no means new to our community. There are many unsung pioneers and heroes of the movement from small business owners like Teri Rendon who opened the Carriage House when no one wanted to go downtown to the Foncerrada family who opened El Hueso De Fraile to Commissioner Rose Gowen who has dedicated her career to creating Cyclobia. Other individuals include Trey Mendez who has invested his own money into renovating homes and commercial buildings, Lisa Mitchell-Bennett of UTRGV,  Rose Timer of Healthy Communities and Brownsville Farmer's Market, George Ramirez who holds the Latin Jazz Festival and many more including people like Roman McAllen, Peter Goodman and Ramiro Gonzalez of the City to name a few. This list by no means includes everyone but these are some of the more prominent figures.

Montebella Bike Trail - Credit NA

The movement to create a more healthy community has dovetailed with the movement to renew downtown in a wonderful way.  Progress is ongoing and adjustments can always be made but overall the current status is really gaining momentum! The City began work to Linear Trail over a decade ago but believe it or not it was not the first trail in town. One of the first trails was created by local developer Bill Hudson at Paseo De La Resaca. Shortly after that the Palo Alto Battle Field Trail was created. The Linear Trail conveniently brought them together and created an impressive trails system for the city dubbed one of the most unhealthy cities in America! But it doesn't stop there while all this was going on the Monte Bella Mountain Bike Trail was created which now has a disc golf course and a few years ago Resaca De La Palma trails were created. Most recently the Belden Trail was created to attach Linear Trail to West Brownsville. And this says nothing for all the bike lanes around the city. Put simply Brownsville has an impressive amount of bike routes and trails and there are miles and miles of more in the works with the recent awarding of the Tiger Grant.

As of late the movement really seems to be picking up among the younger crowd. You have people like Frank Morales who has started the Downtown Brownsville Collaborators which hosts Art Walks. You also have Frank's restaurant Contrapunto, Terra's Bar & Grill which recently opened and others that have come along recently. The City is also slowly but surely renovating Market Square and recently fostered the opening of AVAI - Activating Vacancy Arts Incubator in the San Fernando Building. When you couple this with the Brownsville Farmer's Market, efforts of UTRGV and TSC on their campus and the myriad of other government, private and non-profit projects and other initiatives, you have nothing short of a renaissance. It seems every week we hear something new and positive... All this is not to forget the new Multi-Modal BUS Station and other civic upgrades. No it's not a complete project. As with any city it is an on going process but the writing is on the wall. Things are changing and for the most part, in a positive direction.

Graham Sevier - Park Coffe & Cycles

So now we get back to Park Coffee. As I previously said they are more than bicycle shop and a refreshing cup of coffee. They are a breath of fresh air in our community. For those of us who believe in progress and change it's nothing short of joyous to see all of this. It has been a long time coming but it is coming and with the right attitude in the community and fearless leaders like Graham Sevier at Park Coffee... the dream that we can go downtown enjoy live music, chill in a coffee shop, ride miles and miles and share common interest with a variety of people is no longer a dream. Thanks to these pioneers, leaders and relentlessly hopeful people we can all get out there and not just dream it but Be part of it. 

Author Craig Grove

Sponsored by
Grove Realty Team

Mark A. Perez - The King of Comfort Food

"The Sheriff of Hospitality" 

 Mark Perez & wife - Mark's FB

Today's People Profile is about Mark A. Perez. Mark is the son of former Sheriff Alex Perez and the owner of the Toddle Inn restaurant on Central Blvd. in Brownsville.  I have had the pleasure of knowing Mark since shortly after I moved to Brownsville in 2006. I lived just down the street from Toddle Inn and would frequently eat breakfast there. It has remained my go-to breakfast spot for nearly 10 years. Aside from Cobbleheads and Vermillion there is not another restaurant that holds such a place in my heart!

Mark grew up in the restaurant business as his father took over the restaurant when Mark was a young man. Early in his professional life he would help out but it wasn't his intention to take over. Mark followed his father's foot steps into legal field and spent 14 years as a Private Investigator. In 2005 he took over the restaurant to help out his father and has been at the helm ever since. 

(Photo Credit - "The Food Fantasy" Blog)

Mark has stayed true to the mission of the Toddle Inn but added his own flair as well. He did a total interior and branding upgrade a few years ago and introduced a Texas outdoor and law enforcement theme. He was careful to update the appeal without losing the character that makes it a regular spot for locals. On any given morning you will find a full house mostly with regulars. I have made many new friends and acquaintances through merely having this place as a favorite dining spot. 

Mark & Alex @ Reserved Table

But this is not about Toddle Inn... this is about Mark. I would like to say that over the years we have become more than just acquaintances. I consider him a friend. I feel this way because he made me feel like a friend. I think that's how he treats all his customers. They are friends first and then customers. For a couple years I lived directly behind Toddle Inn so me being newly single... it became my kitchen. Mark's "reserved" table in the back became my counseling table. I spent many hours sitting there talking about life, fatherhood and being a business owner. It was very cathartic and part of my recovery from grief and loss can be attributed to this kind man's ear and constructive feedback. 

Mark and his son Eric - Mark's FB

I would also listen to Mark talk about this son. We would both talk about our dreams and trials with our children. Mark was exceptionally proud of his son Eric recently as he had made his way to some very promising career opportunities in the restaurant field in San Antonio. This pride was coupled with a bit of fear as he knew his son was ultimately a small town boy and unaccustomed to the dangers of the big city. He urged his son not to get into fights or get involved in other people's arguments. Tragically Mark's concerns were not unfounded. Mark's son was murdered just months ago on the streets of San Antonio. 

Perez Family - Mark's FB 

Mark and his family were absolutely devastated at this news. But in Mark's true fashion he is facing this terrible loss with his chin up and head held high. He and his family had a trip planned for shortly after the incident and they decide to proceed with the trip and view it as a celebration of his son's life. Although the case remains open Mark is hopeful that the culprit will be found. He cherishes the memory of his beloved "Big Boy". And I know he will not let this ruin his life or dampen his joy of living. I have visited with him since and although you can see the sadness in his eyes I can not help be be impressed by his resilience and spirit. I know Mark will carry on from this devastating loss and find a way to be a better man because of it. I know some day he will use the wisdom he gains from this to help another person like me while they sit at the "reserved" table in the back. His kindness and thoughtfulness will shine through and someone will benefit from this one day.  I am just happy that when I needed help and my life was filled with sadness Mark was there.  

Thank you Mark for all you do to create a warm safe place for our community to gather and feel at home no matter where they my live. We are all so grateful to Be part of it.

Author Craig Grove

https://www.facebook.com/CraigGroveRealtor

Sponsored by:
Grove Realty Team

FISO... Where the presentation is just as important as the food!

"Seafood with Style"

Today's Profile is about FISO Seafood Cuisine which opened early this Spring on Pablo Kisel just behind Mi Pueblito. FISO is an elegant Gourmet Seafood dining experience at a reasonable cost considering the quality of the food and atmosphere. This is now the second time I have been there and both times I was very pleased with my meal selections. The first time I came for lunch and had the Lobster Tail Sandwich which was fantastic. It was fresh, light and crispy yet filling. It came accompanied by a cup of soup.

Dining Room

Last night we had a fabulous dinner with two middle priced menu items and I had one of their signature infused Strawberry Kiwi Teas with a shot of top shelf Tequila.  I ordered the Almond Crusted Sea Bass on a bed of Asparagus with a side of Risotto. It was very good. My only comment was the Sea Bass was a tad small for the price of the meal but the Risotto more than compensated and I left very satisfied. Christine ordered the Shrimp Medallion on a bed of Thai Rice Pasta with a light sauce. She said it was light, flavorful and a nice twist on a shrimp entree. The cost of our meal was $61 before tip.

Strawberry Kiwi Infused Tea

Shrimp Medallion

Almost Crusted Sea Bass

The atmosphere is modern, upscale elegance with an open feel. It has high ceilings with the perfect amount of ambient light. The dining room is very open so you feel close to your neighbors but the acoustics are perfect allowing you to carry on a conversation without straining your ears or raising your voice. The music was just the right volume and they played an assortment of modern lounge, classic and contemporary jazz. The staff is extremely attentive, well trained and polite. We never went long without being checked on and you can always expect the floor manager or even the owners to stop by and see how you are doing. Everyone there seems to have a very happy mood about them. Perhaps that is the atmosphere and the philosophy of the three sisters that started the place. Simply looking around you can see their dreams written on the walls, literally. It creates a unique friendly atmosphere which you usually don't find in an upscale establishment. Where most are lacking of personality... the sisters made sure that their personality is very present.

Cheese Cake Flambé 

Complimentary Chocolates 

Overall it's a very nice experience and although it may be costly for regular visits for most of us... there are menu items that allow anyone to Be part of it. 

Author Craig Grove

https://www.facebook.com/CraigGroveRealtor

Sponsored By
www.groverealtyteam.com

A Trendy new place in Old Mexico may open soon in Brownsville!

Traducción Español Abajo

 "So, so good!" 

Today's restaurant profile is about La Traviata. It's a recently opened Italian restaurant in Matamoros.  The owner contacted me via Facebook and said she would like for me to help her find a place in Brownsville but first she wanted me to come see her place in Matamoros so I could better understand what she was looking for. Needless to say I was interested but a bit concerned about traveling into Matamoros. But I decided to go across and I am very glad I did.

We met at my office and headed over in her car. We crossed and the streets were quiet. There was very little traffic for mid day on a Friday. We made it to her place just a few minutes from the bridge and I was immediately impressed by the facade of the building. It was modern yet fit in quite well with the surrounding architecture. The restaurant is just blocks from the massive new US Consulate that's being built in Matamoros which she said should be completed in about two years and will definitely increase property values and interest in the area. Hopefully her business will benefit from that as well as the surrounding businesses.

Future US Consulate Matamoros

Upon entering the restaurant I was completely blown away by the decor. She had created an amazing atmosphere that really transports you to another place. She mixed repurposed materials, with modern surfaces, Edison lights hung at varied heights, antiques and beautiful unique original art. Everywhere you look is a visual treat and that's before you eat. It truly seemed she missed no details. She informed me that her husband hand crafted all of the tables and certain furniture pieces as well. She even took old Singer sewing machine stands and made them into sinks in the bathrooms! Like I said there were cool unique touches everywhere... even the bathrooms.

Main Dinning Area

In addition to having awesome decor the restaurant also offers various seating and dining options. The front room is more of a casual space that has full service dining or a very nice and affordable priced buffet/salad bar. The back room is more formal which can be used for private parties. And beyond that she had a beautiful courtyard with cool lights and a beautiful Ficus tree right in the middle. To say that the atmosphere makes you feel transported to a happy care free time and space in my opinion would be an understatement.

Booth, art, lighting

After absorbing the atmosphere I was invited to decide upon my dining options and have a seat. She offered me the buffet bar or to order off the menu. I perused the bar and then asked to see the menu. The menu had an abundance of options so I opted to order from the menu after she informed me that I could also get a salad from the very enticing salad bar! I once worked in a 4 Star Restaurant in Dallas and there I was introduced to the Chicken Piccata done the right way. And for 17 years I have tried Chicken Piccata at various places hoping one day to have it done right again... well today after 17 years of searching... I found it. This was the best Chicken Piccata I have tasted since my time in Dallas. When combined with the sides on the plate and the lovely fresh salad I designed myself... well it was a fantastic lunch. The Carrot Cake,  cold beer and fresh coffee made this lunch feel like I was doing something wrong because it was so good.

Buffet/Salad Bar

During lunch as I gleefully chomping on the fabulous food before me my host graciously entertained me by telling me about her experience and philosophy. She has years of experience catering and has even catered for Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton whom made a special request for her Bunuelos! She also worked for UTB for many years catering some of their biggest and most important events with VIP guests from all over the country. She didn't do this in a bragging way but merely informative.

Formal Dining Are

So we get to the good news for those of you that are salivating at my description! She wants to open a place here in Brownsville. My Profile of Terra was what inspired her to call me. She said she believes in my philosophy of trying to focus on the good and spread positive news. She said that was why she started her business in Matamoros when so many of her fellow business owners were shutting down and leaving. She has been blessed as there are few fine establishments like hers left when once there were several. She has no intention of shutting down and leaving she just wants to have a second location in Brownsville as her frequent customers have been asking her to open in Brownsville.

Chichen Piccata 

I will now join the chorus and will do what I can to help her to that end. If she applies even a fraction of the skill and keen eye for design to a location in Brownsville, I have no doubt everyone will want to Be part of it! 

La Traviata Fan Page
https://www.facebook.com/LaTraviataMX

Traducción Española

restaurante perfil de hoy es sobre La Traviata. Es un restaurante italiano recientemente inaugurado en Matamoros. El propietario puso en contacto conmigo a través de Facebook y dijo que le gustaría para mí para ayudar a encontrar un lugar en Brownsville, pero primero ella me quería venir a ver su lugar en Matamoros para que pudiera entender mejor lo que estaba buscando. No hace falta decir que estaba interesado, pero un poco preocupados acerca de viajar a Matamoros. Pero decidí ir al otro lado y estoy muy contenta de haberlo hecho.

Nos encontramos en mi oficina y nos dirigimos en su coche. Cruzamos y las calles eran tranquilas. Había muy poco tráfico de medio día en un viernes. Llegamos a su casa a pocos minutos del puente y me quedé impresionado de inmediato por la fachada del edificio. Era moderno y encaja muy bien con la arquitectura circundante. El restaurante está a sólo cuadras de la masiva nuevo consulado de Estados Unidos que está siendo
construida en Matamoros, que decía que debería completarse en unos dos años y sin duda aumentará los valores de propiedad e intereses en la zona. Esperemos que su empresa se beneficiará de que, además de los negocios de los alrededores.

Al entrar en el restaurante me quedé completamente impresionado por la decoración. Se había creado una atmósfera increíble que realmente te transporta a otro lugar. Mezcló materiales reutilizados, con superficies modernas, luces de Edison colgaba de alturas variadas, antigüedades y arte original hermoso único. Por donde se mire es un regalo para la vista y eso es antes de comer. Realmente parecía que se perdió ningún detalle. Ella me informó que su marido mano a mano todas las tablas y algunos pedazos de los muebles también. Incluso se tomó cantante gradas de máquinas de coser y las convirtió en lavabos en los baños! Como he dicho había fresco toques únicos en todas partes ... incluso los baños.

Además de tener una decoración impresionante el restaurante también ofrece diversas opciones de estar y de comedor. La habitación del frente es más de un espacio informal que tiene servicio completo de comedor o una muy agradable y asequible precio de buffet bar / ensalada. El cuarto de atrás es más formal que puede ser utilizado para fiestas privadas. Y más allá de que tenía un hermoso patio con luces frías y un hermoso árbol de Ficus derecha en el medio. Decir que el ambiente te hace sentir transportado a un tiempo feliz atención gratuita y el espacio en mi opinión sería una subestimación.

Después de absorber la atmósfera me invitaron a decidir sobre mis opciones para comer y tienen un asiento. Ella me ofreció la barra de buffet o para ordenar del menú. Yo examinamos el bar y luego pedí ver el menú. El menú tenía una gran cantidad de opciones, así que optó a la orden del menú después de que ella me informó de que yo también podría conseguir una ensalada de la barra de ensaladas muy atractivo! Una vez trabajé en un restaurante de 4 estrellas en Dallas y allí me presentaron a la Piccata del pollo que hace de la manera correcta. Y por 17 años he tratado de Piccata del pollo en varios lugares con la esperanza de un día para tener que hacer la derecha de nuevo ... bien hoy después de 17 años de búsqueda ... Lo encontré. Este fue el mejor Piccata de pollo que he probado ya que mi tiempo en Dallas. Cuando se combina con los lados de la placa y la ensalada fresca encantadora que he diseñado yo mismo ... así que era un fantástico almuerzo. El pastel de zanahoria, cerveza fría y café recién hecho este almuerzo se siente como si estuviera haciendo algo mal porque era tan bueno.

Durante el almuerzo ya que alegremente masticando la comida fabulosa antes de mí mi anfitrión gentilmente me entretuvo contándome sobre su experiencia y la filosofía. Ella tiene años de experiencia en catering e incluso ha atendido por el candidato presidencial Hillary Clinton, quien hizo una petición especial para ella Bunuelos! También trabajó para la UTB durante muchos años catering algunos de sus eventos más grandes y más importantes con los invitados VIP de todo el país. Ella no lo hizo de una manera presumiendo sino meramente informativo.

Así llegamos a la buena noticia para aquellos de ustedes que están salivando ante la descripción de mi! Ella quiere abrir un lugar aquí en Brownsville. Mi perfil de Terra fue lo que la inspiró a llamarme. Dijo que cree en mi filosofía de tratar de centrarse en lo bueno y difundir noticias positivas. Dijo que por eso ella comenzó su negocio en Matamoros cuando muchos de sus compañeros de los propietarios de negocios cerraban y salir. Ella ha sido bendecida, ya que hay pocos establecimientos finos como el de ella se fue cuando una vez había varios. Ella no tiene la intención de cerrar y salir de ella sólo quiere tener una segunda ubicación en Brownsville como sus clientes frecuentes han estado pidiendo que abriera en Brownsville.

Ahora voy a unirse al coro y haré lo que pueda para ayudarla a tal fin. Si se aplica incluso una fracción de la habilidad y buen ojo para el diseño de una ubicación en Brownsville, no tengo ninguna duda de que todos querrán ser parte de ella!


La Traviata Fan Page
https://www.facebook.com/LaTraviataMX

Author Craig Grove

https://www.facebook.com/CraigGroveRealtor


Sponsored by:
Grove Realty Team

About the RGV Living Network

The following is the status of the RGV Living Social Media Network as of August 25, 2016 and a little bit about each page and how they came about. The goal of all of the networks is to promote, share and support the positive things in our community. We focus on positive local news, locally owned business, charities, non-profits and events.

Brownsville Living. Be part of it. 
- Group - 6,052 Members
https://www.facebook.com/groups/brownsvilleliving/

This was the first page in the network. It is in the Group format on Facebook. It was started in February 2010. It remained the only network for about a year. It grew from a few people to over 1,000 people in about 7 months. Once we hit 1,000 people we had our first BL First Thursday. The network was extremely active at that time. The numbers were small but it came up in everyone's feed a lot and we had regular events so there was a lot of community involvement. We did the BL First Thursday events for two years. The first Thursday of every month we would do an event at different locally owned restaurants and bars.  Due to other priorities in my life I decided to discontinue the monthly events in 2013. After that we moved to an annual event in February. The annual event typically gets around 300 people.

Brownsville Living - Flag Ship Page of RGV Living Network
Fan Page - 11,885 Likes
https://www.facebook.com/brownsvilleliving

After a couple of years Facebook started changing the way their network worked. They were going public and needed to increase ad revenue so they basically shut down organic growth. They started pushing everyone to the Fan Page format so they could charge for advertising. Fortunately I had already grown my Fan Page to 5,000 people before they made the changes. When they started pushing Fan Pages they basically stopped all traffic on group pages. So the BL Group stopped showing up in peoples feeds and stopped getting new members. For the next few years I focused on the Fan Page... then around 2014 the Group started getting traffic again. Now strangely the group is the most active page but still it doesn't compare to the first few years.


RGV Living 
- Fan Page - 4,780 Likes 
https://www.facebook.com/RGVLiving1


This page was started by another person but he didn't have time or interest in running it any more so he gave me the page. I try to post more valley wide content on this page as opposed to primarily Brownsville content.








Where are you from, Brownsville, Where's That? 
- Fan Page - 2,981 Likes
https://www.facebook.com/FromBrownsville/

This page was also started by another person and wasn't really used after a while. The owner gave me control of the network and I use it to help share most of the same content as BL but I try to lean it to people who no longer live here.




Renew Downtown Brownsville
- Fan Page - 1,800 Likes
https://www.facebook.com/RenewDowntownBrownsville


This network supports the overall mission but is focused primarily on events, businesses and activities in downtown Brownsville. The mission is to help raise awareness about the area and improve the overall opinion and participation in downtown.




Grove Realty Team 
- Fan Page - 1,676 Likes
https://www.facebook.com/GroveRealtyTeamLLC

This is the page of my company Grove Realty Team, LLC. Our company is a primarily a residential real estate company. We focus on Brownsville, Rancho Viejo, Los Fresnos, Bayview and South Padre Island areas. The fact that I own the company permits me the time and focus necessary to also work on and develop the RGV Living Social Media Network. So if you enjoy our content and focus, please keep us in mind the next time you have a real estate need.

Founder - Craig Grove 
- Independent Real Estate Broker/Blogger/Social Media Guy
https://www.facebook.com/CraigGroveRealtor?fref=ts

Craig Grove - Founder BL

I founded Brownsville Living in 2010 to promote the best things about our community. I enjoy sharing positive content as well as creating positive content about our the area and it's people. I am also a Real Estate Broker and work very hard to grow my business while doing my part to help improve our community.

https://www.facebook.com/CraigGroveRealtor

Why I love Brownsville.

"Hidden Beauty is All Around You!" 

By Eddie Sanchez

Today I want to tell you why I love Brownsville and why Brownsville Living must exist for me. I thought I was reaching a bit of a writer's block with my recent wave of inspiration but then I read some guy's post on one my first blog post from last week. I don't want to quote him directly as I have no need to pick a fight but he made some very negative comments about Brownsville on my very positive post. His mindset reminded me why BL exists and why I feel the way I do about this community.

By - Eddie Sanchez

Look, let's be honest no one sets their sites on ending up in Brownsville, TX. I have lived in some amazing places and could have taken a career path that would have taken me to New York or California or any number of exotic places. But that was not in the cards for me and I am grateful for it. I ended up here because by chance I married someone from here and we needed the family network when we had our first child. That's pretty much it and I am sure not an uncommon story.

I visited here for several years prior to making the move... so I kind of grew fond of it before moving here. You see I tend to be a bit contrary to the common grain of opinion. It's just in my nature. If I am at a place everyone loves I would probably find out what's not great. If I am in a place that everyone complains about... I guess I find and focus on the positives. That's just being completely honest.

You must understand I am not blind to the negatives of our community. But one thing past relationships have taught me is that if you focus on the negative you make it bigger. For example if you are in a romantic relationship and you focus on your mate's imperfection you will increase your awareness of it and increase the likelihood that it will actually get worse. If you focus on someone's weight and constantly comment on it chances are they will resent you for doing so and be unhappy and thus probably put on more weight. It becomes a vicious cycle of negative reinforcement. The best way to deal with a negative attribute is focus on the positive attributes and make changes in your own behavior. Simply put, we can't change our partner no matter how hard we try and we can't change the world... so we must change how we perceive and react to these things.

By Eddie Sanchez

Brownsville lacks a great deal that is true but what it lacks in some things it makes up in others. For example Brownsville may not have a lot of great entertainment options but it has some awesome local restaurants where you see friends and the owners. We don't have the greatest roads in the world but we have very little traffic compared to most cities. There aren't a ton of jobs here but if you are willing to go out on your own or if you work hard at just about any given job here you can and will rise to the top of that particular path.

Those were some of the first differences I noticed upon moving here. It was quite a contrast as I came from Austin where there are millions of jobs but the competition is very stiff. There are tons of entertainment options but for the most part they are cold and impersonal. The roads are a hundred times better than Brownsville but there is constantly construction and traffic is horrendous. So as you can see this is a very clear contrast to Austin and most cosmopolitan cities.

On the surface most would say Austin is a better place to live but when you really live there it's a grind. I spent two hours a day minimum just in traffic. I don't even want to know how much of my life would have gone to that if I had stayed there all these years. And you can live in the town for years and never get to know anyone. And most of the attractions that we hear so much about... well when you live there you never go to them. So you end up basically living a more stressful and more expensive life spending less time with family and doing the things you like.

Photo Credit - Eddie Sanchez

Now that we have contrasted the obvious let's focus on Brownsville itself. Brownsville is an amazing unique community for a myriad of reasons. The main problem with Brownsville is the attitude of many people in the community. People are so brain washed with the concept that it is bad here that they literally can't see the good qualities. Most people have no idea that Brownsville is second only two San Antonio when it comes to Historic Structures. Most people never truly see or appreciate our amazing resacas. Most people are spoiled to the nature and coastal areas just miles away. Most locals have never been to the any of the 3 major museums we have here. And although many appreciate the Zoo you'd think that is the only positive thing they have ever heard about.

You see a negative mentality is contagious. The negative mentality in this community in my opinion derives from the fact that most people are from here and rarely leave. When you are raised in a place it's very common to be blind to the things you have come to take for granted. Additionally, we have very few new people coming to the community compared to many areas. So their influences is insignificant. And in fact when they move here many fall into the negative mindset because they start asking around what's great about this place or what is there to do and they are met with blank stares. I know, I have been on all sides of this equation. I am blessed with the life experience to see it from all angles.

Photo By Matias Alvarado

So we get to the point of this article. I love Brownsville because I choose to. I love Brownsville because that is what allows me to be happy with my place in life. I love Brownsville because it has given me so many opportunities I would not have elsewhere. I love Brownsville because of the people I have met that feel the same way.  I make myself love Brownsville by focusing on everything that is good at this place and refusing to take part in the negative. The negative mentality of this town did grab a hold of me for a while and it had a great impact but I shook it off, learned from it and moved on. I do not blame Brownsville for the negative things that have happened to me. I blame myself for letting a negative mentality effect my life. So each day I wake up and I look for the good in Brownsville because that is what I need to get by.

I share the good that I see because I want to make it bigger and better. I want more people to see it and share it and most of all... Be part of it. 

Author Craig Grove

https://www.facebook.com/CraigGroveRealtor

Sponsored By
Grove Realty Team