A Tour Of Downtown Longview, Texas

Posted on April 29, 2022

Did you know that there’s only one place in Longview, Texas where you can drink coffee all day and drink beer all night? In this episode of Level Up, I’m going to take you on a tour of Downtown Longview to show you everything this Texas town has to offer. We’ll explore local businesses of this thriving area to give you a good idea of everything you can enjoy here.

Welcome To Longview

Did you know that in 1894, Bill Dalton and three of his gang members came to Downtown Longview and robbed First National Bank? While we don’t have bank robberies and shootings in the streets anymore today, there are some really amazing places in Downtown Longview. From a variety of restaurants to the Silver Grizzly—one of the best places to sit and have coffee—the downtown area is a great place to spend time.

Downtown Longview hosts a lot of local college kids from LeTourneau University, and there are plenty of things to do in the area. It’s an amazing place just to walk, spend time with the family, and hit some amazing spots—and I’m going to show you.

A Downtown Revival

If the walls of Downtown Longview buildings could talk, they’d have many stories to tell. Today the stories are about the renewed life, growth, and vibrancy of the community being displayed in Downtown Longview. Over the last five years, new shops, restaurants, public art displays, and residential living facilities have opened their doors to the community, transforming Downtown Longview into a neighborhood with its own sense of culture and identity.

Connor Walters, one of the owners of Silver Grizzly, wanted to start the shop, not just to bring coffee to the area, but to actually play a role in revitalizing the culture of Longview and bringing the community together. There are many examples of this, so let’s get a closer look and check some of the other businesses out.

Center Street & Tyler

The corner of Center Street and Tyler Street in Downtown Longview is one of my favorite places to come hang out. In this area, you have so many places to go all within about 200 feet. One of my favorite places to have lunch is Debs’ Downtown Cafe. They have really great sandwiches and delicious salads.

Ollie’s Skate Shop is a cool place to visit if you’ve got kids or family members that are into skateboarding. Silver Grizzly is right across the street, and Roma Italian kitchen is on the corner. This place is not Olive Garden-Italian; I’m talking about a real Italian food restaurant. It’s a very popular place in the downtown area.

There’s also Judd’s Downtown, which is really cool bar and restaurant. There’s also the WOW Museum, a fun place to bring your kids and hang out. Don’t forget Wild Honey Creamery for homemade ice cream, a must-stop when you’re downtown. There’s a lot of energy and good vibes on this corner, so make sure you check it out.

Tyler Street & Fredonia

Another really cool spot in Downtown Longview is Tyler Street and Fredonia. This is a cultural district where unity starts with you, and it’s also the place of my favorite restaurant in all of Longview: Lil Thai House. My good buddy Will Ruegg and his wife have been operating this spot since 2008, and we wanted to stop by and get his take on what downtown is all about.

“I enjoy the community that we’ve established here over the years,” Will says. “The art has really picked up since we got our Arts District designation.” In fact, the area has Artwalks that get packed to the walls with people enjoying art, music, and the feel of downtown. Here in Longview, we’re not all about horses and saddles; we have art and law here.

One example is the Gregg County courthouse. A lot of my friends out of state sometimes think that we ride horses to work and we’re not sophisticated—but that’s not the case. Let me tell you, we have not only a sophisticated courthouse but a sophisticated town. This area draws many people who just want to come out and walk—those most visitors come here to pay a ticket or have a legal matter they have to handle.

Experience Texas Fun

So what do you think of Downtown Longview? This area is more than what most people think. There’s lots of entertainment, things to do for the family and the kids, and plenty of awesome restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries. There’s just so much to do in Downtown Longview.

If you have any additional questions about the local area, what it’s like living here, or Lonview’s real estate market, please feel free to reach out to me and I’d be happy to connect. Make sure to check out my other videos and subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode of Level Up. Stay tuned to see what I feature next!