A small-town sense of community in Schulenburg
Holly Czimskey grew up in Schulenburg – a small town between Austin, Houston and San Antonio - before moving away for college and later returning home to raise her son. She values the small-town sense of community and finds it especially important for raising children, that they feel connected to and taken care of by their neighbors. “I love the feel of our community because, while you might not know everyone, it still feels like you do,” she says. “I see the same faces around town, I get waved at on my drive to work, and bonus - no traffic. A trip across town takes two minutes, or you can be cruising backroads looking at beautiful farms in the same amount of time.” She acknowledges that Schulenburg lacks some amenities you’d find in bigger cities but says that the town’s opportunities continue to grow. “Schulenburg is right on the cusp of growth,” she says. “We have had an influx of younger people moving back ‘home’, and with that, we have seen a lot of new businesses starting up and opportunities.”
Bungalows and ranch-style homes
Housing options in Schulenburg are entirely single-family homes, mostly bungalows and ranch-style homes. Sprawling live oak trees are common on Schulenburg properties, and many backyards have trees. About 60% of Schulenburg residents own their homes, and 40% rent. “It can also be extremely hard to find rental homes in the area, as competition is fierce due to limited inventory,” Czimskey says. Sales prices in Schulenburg depend primarily on acreage: homes on less than an acre tend to go for $200,000 to $500,000, while acre-plus properties start around $300,000 and can go for as much as $1.7 million. Those looking to build homes can often find land for sale in Schulenburg.
A tight-knit community bound by Schulenburg ISD
Students in Schulenburg can attend schools in Schulenburg Independent School District: Schulenburg Elementary, Schulenburg Junior High and Schulenburg High School. Schulenburg ISD and all its schools get B grades from Niche. The town is also home to St. Rose Catholic School, a private school for preschool through eighth-grade students. “My biggest plus to be here was that I wanted my son to have the same small school experience that I did,” Czimskey says. “I did not want him lost in the shuffle of a mega high school. At St. Rose Catholic School and Schulenburg’s public schools, he had strong relationships with teachers and staff and knew every person in his class and the grades above and below him. The community helped raise him - parents look out for all the kids, not just their own.”
City parks, a pool and Anytime Fitness
Wolters Park is an ample outdoor space with a playground, a picnic pavilion, a swimming pool and an indoor event space. Schonest-Welt Park is a scenic spot with a fishing pond and walking paths. Schulenburg also has baseball and soccer fields in town and an Anytime Fitness for indoor exercise opportunities.
Local restaurants and grocery shopping
Schulenburg has some cozy local restaurants and an Arlan’s Market for groceries. Oakridge Smokehouse Restaurant serves country-style breakfast, lunch and dinner in a rustic interior. Original Kountry Bakery is a no-frills local bake shop selling pies, cakes, strudel and kolaches. The Garden Co. Café is a plant nursery that serves American fare in its café. The town also has a few coffee shops, Mexican restaurants and fast-food spots. “The challenges of living here are some of the obvious - limited dining and shopping options, less opportunities for clubs or extracurriculars and fewer business options without additional growth,” Czimskey says. “There may not be every amenity available here yet, but almost everything else you could need is within a 15- to 25-minute drive in surrounding towns. As a whole, our county has it covered. What one small town lacks, the others provide and vice versa.”
A small town between big cities
Schulenburg is a car-dependent community with about 2,600 residents. “We still feel small, but with two major highways and the interstate, we have easy access to major metroplexes all around us,” Czimskey says. “Plus, they are all pretty equidistant from the Burg. Austin is about a one-hour drive, San Antonio and Houston are an hour and a half, and Victoria is 45 minutes.” Schulenburg’s closest hospital is Lavaca Medical Center, 16 miles south in Hallettsville. When traveling out of town, residents can fly out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, 70 miles away, or George Bush Intercontinental Airport, 107 miles away.
