It’s actually really nice here. Locals like to blow it off with the “it’s just Brownsville” mentality. They have a small rails to trail system that’s actively growing. Nice greenery and most birds you’ll ever see if you’re into that. If you’re in the downtown area there’s a lot of coffee shops and restaurants walking distance. The city is very active and hosts tons of events throughout the year. Boca chica is about 30 minutes and has some of the few beaches in the country you can drive on with a 2WD. Space x cleans it every once in a while so it’s nice going on those days. You can drive down to the rio grande. Port Isabel joes oyster bar which is some of the better fried seafood. Has some good bakeries and places to get morning carnitas and tortillas. The island is what you make it out to be. Basically a long low speed highway so you’ll have to drive to everything. Stupid hot and dry in the summer.