Bad neighborhood in South Padre Island?
 

Having never been & not sure what to expect is there a location in South Padre that is particularly undesirable to stay? I do NOT mean specific hotels, condos, etc. Is the area near Schlitterbahn especially good or especially bad?

SPI is small enough that the entire island is safe and nice. Port Isabel (across the bay) might have bad areas, but you'll be fine anywhere on SPI. :-)

Thanks for that reply. How are accommodations near Schlitterbahn? Is it a convenient area (i.e. plenty of restaurants and shops)? How long is SPI? I have not been able to find much info at all in travel guides. I have not been able to locate a good SPI map. Is Port Isabel near Schlitterbahn? Thanks for you help. (I feel especially silly asking since I am a Native Texan.)

diart, you might find some more info at these links.

http://traveltex.com/

http://www.schlitterbahn.com/

One more link:
www.spionline.com

The main part of SPI is about 2 miles long. There's more island to the North, but once you get past the convention center, it is empty. The end that Schlitterbahn occupies is mostly marinas, restaurants, the Coast Guard station, and an RV park. Most of the big hotels are a little way away from Schlitterbahn.