What's in a name? The town of San Benito was once named Resaca City - resaca means a dry river bed. A river now runs through it, and as the town's former name suggests, once it was dry.
Deep in the heart of South Texas and the center of the lower Rio Grande Valley, San Benito is bordered by Mexico and the balmy Gulf of Mexico
What's in a name? The town of San Benito was once named Resaca City - resaca means a dry river bed. A river now runs through it, and as the town's former name suggests, once it was dry.
Deep in the heart of South Texas and the center of the lower Rio Grande Valley, San Benito is bordered by Mexico and the balmy Gulf of Mexico. The center of town is only a few minutes to the Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios, one of the most modern of entries between Mexico and South Texas.
Part of the greater Brownsville-Matamoros region, San Benito was originally a community with close ties and ancestry to Mexico. U.S. settlers came once the first irrigation system made crops bloom in what had been an arid desert back in 1906. Mild winters and irrigation combined to create a region where crops and flowers grow year 'round, and winter tourists as well as retirees flock for the climate. That river bed is still there, but now it's the main canal of the vast irrigation system that makes this community a stellar farming community.
There are often vacancies available throughout the community, but winter property is particularly coveted as seasonal visitors seeking sunshine abound. Give yourself at least a few weeks in your apartment search to find the neighborhood you want, whether you're looking for studio apartments for rent or condo rentals.
City Center: Here you'll find small- to medium-size apartment buildings and single family homes, as well as a mix of owners and renters. Many homes were built between 1970 and 1999, but there are also older homes built between 1940 and 1969. You'll find great restaurants and community parks in this part of town -- so take your delicious tacos or tamales to go and eat under a tree.
Colonia / Ranchito neighborhood: The Rio Grande and the border of Mexico parallel this area, with suburban density and medium-size to smaller single-family homes, and even mobile homes. While many properties are occupied by owners, you can find rentals here too, with most units built between 1970 and the present.
The town wasn't only called San Benito and Resaca, either. It was once called Diaz after the then-president of Mexico. When the first passenger train arrived at Diaz station in 1904, the railroad station/town was renamed Bessie in honor of the man who helped build the rail line. Finally, San Benito got its present day moniker, when the town was surveyed. San Benito is also an honor bestowed on pioneer rancher Benjamin Hicks. Today, over 24,000 people call this sunny spot home. If you're looking for apartment homes in San Benito, TX, you'll find you're looking in a lively, attractive smaller city.
Several museums are located here, including the Freddy Fender Museum. Strap on your guitar and get on down to this tribute to Fender -- an Americana, Tejano, country and rock-and-roll performer once a part of the Texas Tornados. It's one of three inter-related museums in town. Another is the San Benito History Museum -- a project of the San Benito Historical Society that chronicles the area's history and artifacts -- and the Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame. The latter has a mission to preserve and display regional conjunto music and honor those who created and performed it, such as the Rio Grande Music Company and the esteemed "La Villita" dance hall.
But that's not all - San Benito also houses The Narcisco Martinez Cultural Arts Center, where, for the past 22 years, an annual conjunto festival has been held. The center is dedicated to preserving and developing visual arts, music, theater and dance performances.
