For those of you that have been gone for awhile, you will be amazed at the growth around town.  One of the most important for the school district is the opening of a new high school!  Yes, believe it or not, Bryan is big enough to be a 2-high-school kind of town.  The new school, Rudder High, is on Old Reliance Road near the East Bypass.   The school opened its doors last fall (2008), however the freshman class had already been formed.  These kids were attending Bryan High, but as Rudder students.  These students moved to the new high school in the fall as sophomores and were joined by new freshman.   They will continue adding a grade each year until they have grades 9-12.  They are predicted to top out as a 3A (now they're saying 4A) high school.  Bryan High will continue to be a 5A school, even with the opening of the second school, because it is HUGE right now!  In case you are WAY behind the times, Bryan High has almost doubled in size with the addition of their Silver Campus.  The original buildings are considered the Blue Campus.  Both buildings are on the same block of land and are connected with a courtyard.  

Bob Bellard, BHS '79, is the head football coach at Bryan High for the last couple of years.  He and his wife, Amy Hickle Bellard '79, are happy to be back in town.

In addition to the new high school, Bryan also opened a new junior high, Davila Middle School last fall.  That makes 4 middle schools in Bryan!

Texas A&M continues to be a major factor in the local economy.  

Blinn Jr. College has built a large, new campus in Bryan on Villa Maria Drive near 29th Street.  They have a very large enrollment and offer all kinds of classes.  A lot of the high school kids in the area have the option to take dual credit classes at Blinn which is a pretty good deal.

Manor East Mall has had a complete make-over.  It is no longer a mall but a large shopping center.  Post Oak Mall is now the only mall around (College Station).

Downtown Bryan has undergone a revitalization.  New specialty stores, professional offices and some excellent restaurants have moved in to join other established businesses in the area.  Main Street and Bryan Street have been fixed up, and downtown fixtures, like the LaSalle Hotel, have been refurbished and are enjoying a resurgence in business.

Although University Drive is not technically in Bryan, you have GOT to drive down it between the East Bypass and Texas Avenue.  You will not recognize it.  By the way... the East Bypass is now "North Earl Rudder Freeway" and FM 2818 is now "North Harvey Mitchell Parkway".  

One thing that still remains...Pepe Taco still exists on South College.  Most of the menu remains the same, and they may even have the same hot sauce bottles!  Most of the other hang-outs are no longer around.  Taco Bell is now an Italian restaurant, and Ken Martin's is now called the "Safari Grill". 
Bryan has changed quite a bit in the last 20 years, but College Station has probably changed even more!  Hope you schedule a little time to drive around and check out your old home town....