Once upon a time, in the eastern part of Texas, a man looked out from his home and saw everything around him for miles and miles. Upon seeing this, he exclaimed, "What a long view!" Thus Longview, Texas was named. Since that fateful day when we coined our truthful name, Longview has become a quaint little town full of, well, what seems like nothing. However, If you've ever lived in this 903 town in the middle of Gregg County, here's 11 things that you completely understand.
1. It's boring.
The hottest spot to hang out is the mall or the loop. When people from other towns say that they go to Longview for fun, you're always baffled at what they do. You've lived here your whole life, and you've yet to find something interesting to do here.
2. There's more banks than people.
Seriously—where is all this money coming from, and where can I get some?
3. There's more hotels than banks.
Who is staying there? Who would come to Longview for an overnight trip?
4. El Sombrero.
Known as El Som and everyone's favorite restaurant. If you haven't tried the papas nachos yet, you are seriously missing out on a wonderfully delicious meal.
5. Pizza King.
Maybe it's their crust. Maybe it's the atmosphere. But I'm betting it's the house dressing that keeps people coming back to this gem of a pizza parlor that's been a Longview staple since the '60s.
6. Everyone knows everyone.
You can't leave the house without seeing your grandparent's best friend, your youth pastor, or the guy that sat next to you in eighth grade science class. Be careful what you do also, because in this small town, word travels fast and everyone will know everything you do.
7. Kilgore College.
Harvard on the highway, as we like to call it, is pretty much grade 13 for the high schools in Longview. Everyone goes there, went there, took dual credit classes there, or did everything in their power to avoid it.
8. Matthew McConaughey is from here.
Even though he claims Austin is his home, we all know this Longview High School alumni's real place of origin is the same as ours—and we tell everyone.
9. Neal McCoy lives here.
We have some notable people that live among us. Probably the most notable is Neal McCoy. He's got the heart and soul of a small town local with the Wikipedia page of someone in Hollywood.
10. The Eastman Bubble.
Texas already has weird weather, but Longview's weather always manages to be weirder. We claim it's because of whatever goes on at the Eastman chemical plant on the edge of town.
11. The Balloon Race.
The hottest part of the summer always brings with it some hot air balloons to Longview. At the fairgrounds every July, hot air balloons come from miles around to take part in this one of a kind event.
Longview seems small—it gets boring and not a lot of people have heard of it, but there are a lot of things that make Longview great. I think we can all agree that it is a view-tiful place to call home.
