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Folks, a reminder to stay on topic. If you want to discuss other aspects of Texas life, its people, etc, feel free to use the Texas forum rather than Austin.
The OP kth131, asked for your opinion on:
1. Slightly worried that it might be too southern for me. I am liberal, I hate anything racist, I recycle, ride my bike to work, etc.
2. Diversity - what percentage of people that live in Austin would you say are from texas? how many people are from abroad or other areas of the US?
Also, I am a 28-yo single young woman. What are some good neighborhoods for me? I want to live near downtown in a walkable area for $800 max for a small 1 bedroom.
Last edited by RaleighLass; 08-07-2010 at 05:22 PM..
1. You are thinking of moving to the South and worried about it being too Southern? I guess "Southern" means different things to different people but there are lots of Southerners who recycle, ride their bikes to work, aren't rascists and are friendly. And not all conservatives are intolerant rednecks, although I'm sure you probably know that Austin is not "liberal" in an East or West Coast sense, ie...Portland, Seattle, San Fransisco. It's more libertarian and not so "in your face" when people of different political ideologies are thrown together. We all get along pretty well.
2. There is a decent mix of people in Austin, whether from other parts of the state, country, or other countries, even out here in the 'burbs. It is not, however, the most diverse city in Texas. I'd say Houston and Dallas have a lot more diversity as far as races go.
Also, I am a 28-yo single young woman. What are some good neighborhoods for me? I want to live near downtown in a walkable area for $800 max for a small 1 bedroom.
That definitely can be done, if you look in an older/smaller complex. (Or, you can get a housemate and get something a little bigger and nicer.) Being from Chicago, you're probably more used to paying a lot for a smaller place. A lot of people who move to Austin have to have their 3500 square feet of McMansion. That you don't suggests that you'll fit in well with the downtown area crowd. My apartment complex has efficiencies for $800. It's not chocked with amenities, but it's in a good neighborhood.
As far as Texas being "Southern," I've never thought of Texas as being the South, rather, the Southwest. It's closer to Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona in terms of culture. Racist? Well, the most racist place I lived in was the gorgeous, Uberliberal Pacific Northwest, which was practically still segregated. Austin's not like that. Everyone mixes and mingles here, with the exception of the"Pleasantville"-like outlying cities like Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, etc. Those are in a very conservative county.
What I've found is that people who cannot shake their image of Texas and Austin as being some kind of cheap haven for idiotic, uneducated yokels don't translate well here. They don't make friends, don't want to make friends, and have this "better than you" attitude. And yes, Austin has its fair share. There are a lot of transplants (but not all) who do seem to think that Austin was a hick town until they graced it with their presence.
The key to being happy in Austin, or anyplace in Texas, is to completely leave your existing perceptions of it behind and approach it with an open mind.
Last edited by RaleighLass; 08-07-2010 at 05:22 PM..
"Everyone mixes and mingles here, with the exception of the"Pleasantville"-like outlying cities like Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, etc. Those are in a very conservative county."
This is so untrue, I almost hurt myself laughing! Another "Conservative" myth.
In fact, a few weekends ago we went to the biergarten in Walburg and sat at a table with 2 inter-racial couples, 2 families of transplants (1 from NY and another from California), some German immigrants and some hispanics. Out in itty, bitty little Walburg. Imagine that! And most of them lived in RR, Teravista to be exact.
"Everyone mixes and mingles here, with the exception of the"Pleasantville"-like outlying cities like Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, etc. Those are in a very conservative county."
This is so untrue, I almost hurt myself laughing! Another "Conservative" myth.
In fact, a few weekends ago we went to the biergarten in Walburg and sat at a table with 2 inter-racial couples, 2 families of transplants (1 from NY and another from California), some German immigrants and some hispanics. Out in itty, bitty little Walburg. Imagine that! And most of them lived in RR, Teravista to be exact.
Love it, love roses. Yes, it's fascinating to see people talking and worrying about the prejudices of others while at the same time demonstrating so clearly their own. None of which are founded on fact.
OP, to answer your concerns, you have been well-advised in that you should simply drop whatever preconceptions you have about Texas (which is the Southwest, not the South, in any case) and the South, as they are clearly stereotypical and don't apply to most of the people in either place, and come see what Texas is really like for yourself. (The advice to drop the stereotypes before you get here is because those tend to act as blinders, making it impossible to see what's in front of you if it contradicts the stereotype.)
Also, if you are worried (as you appear to be) that Texas has too many Texans in it, you might want to re-think moving here (or anywhere else, because most places you move are going to have a lot of natives in them who might not be exactly like the people where you hail from).
That being said, aside from that, your description of what you're looking for should be able to be met here. Depending on what "diversity" means to you (if you're talking politically, we have liberals and conservatives, though most folks could care less about their neighbors' politics and care a whole lot more whether or not they're good neighbors in other senses of the word, which includes not foisting their politics on everyone in sight). Love Roses gave a pretty good description of it, I think, though it helps to know what Walburg is (and Tera Vista, for that matter) in order for it to hit home.
What percentage of people that live in Austin would you say are from Texas? How many people are from abroad or other areas of the US?
Hard to say exactly: IRS migration data for Austin (Travis County) from 2007-8 shows that of the 59,000 in-migrants that year, about 58% were from other places in Texas, 11% were from the South, 7% from the Northeast, 7% from the Midwest, 6% from the West ex California, 8.5% California, and 2.5% foreign. This makes sense since Texas is in the South and borders the West census regions. The majority of the non-Texan immigrants come from the major coastal metros plus Chicago, Phoenix and Atlanta.
This is just one year of data of course, but Austin/Travis County are a major migration magnet. This map really illustrates it though I don't agree with the premise that people are fleeing to Austin because "red" is better than "blue"--see below (hat tip to TexasHorseLady for this link!): http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.co...heir-feet.html
There were around 150,000 foreign born Travis County residents in 2005, with 51% from Mexico and 26% from Asia. The foreign born percentage of the county’s population increased from around 8% in 1990 to 17% in 2005. Here’s more info on immigration: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/health_hu...vis_County.pdf
What are some good neighborhoods for me? I agree with the above posters—a few others include areas around UT including immediately east of I-35 along Manor Road and neighborhoods around South First and South Lamar north of Oltorf. As for politics, these areas were carried by Obama by 80%+ along with the student areas around UT and Riverside and predominantly Latino and African American East Austin. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/demographics/downloads/Obama_Country_08.pdf Obama carried Travis County with around 63.5% of the vote.
These are popular (or in some cases increasingly popular) areas and I’m not sure if rents are flat or rising, but I think $800 could get you a 1-1 or maybe a 2-1, perhaps even a duplex. Public transit isn't great, but buses are okay if you check the route maps at Cap Metro and plan accordingly. http://www.capmetro.org/riding/schedulesandmaps.asp (broken link)
Last edited by geoquiz3000; 08-07-2010 at 09:48 PM..
Reason: added info on transit/buses, minor edits
I agree with Nomadic. Plus she has lived there many more years than I did. So it's best to take her word. It is also best to listen to what the minorities have to say about discrimination. Because white conformists are always going to tell you how "everyone integrates and gets along perfectly without a single problem ever."
1. Slightly worried that it might be too southern for me. I am liberal, I hate anything racist, I recycle, ride my bike to work, etc.
My answer: In every city people ride their bicycles and recycle. As for liberal. I did not feel comfortable being alone in Austin. Very creepy and vapid city for a far out liberal like myself. And I am in no way a cross-dressing homeless person. I'm your average looking friendly art or film student that got the heave ho in Austin.
2. Diversity - what percentage of people that live in Austin would you say are from texas? how many people are from abroad or other areas of the US?
My answer: In general the people are all the same. They all have the same mentality. You cannot tell one clique from the next. Although wealth, age, and race differences do segregate the people very often.
Also, I am a 28-yo single young woman. What are some good neighborhoods for me? I want to live near downtown in a walkable area for $800 max for a small 1 bedroom.
My answer: I don't know of any good neighborhoods. I would live near the hills. It's so pretty there. Stay away from the north side. People have described the south side as good though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomadic9460678748
Peruse the forum a bit and see if you can't glean some answers to some of your questions, but I'll give my you my personal views on some of the points or concerns you've stated.
"I have heard that Austin is beautiful, friendly people, lots of outdoor activities, good nightlife. "
Austin is beautiful, by Texas standards. Texas, for the most part is flat and hot. Austin has some rolling hills, but most of them are cordoned off for the city's wealthier West-side residents.
People can be friendly, but they can also be idiots, snobby, and insular. And no, it's not just "transplants". Have a look at some of the comments people posted about a recent article in Austin's crappy local newspaper proposing a statue of Gandhi. People FLIPPED OUT! Why? Because Gandhi wasn't from Austin or Texas. I'm not making this up. There is a lot of "conservatism" in Austin, and in the surrounding suburban communities.
What do you mean by outdoor activities? ACL is the big (overrated) music festival and there are a few other now similarly commercial and homogeneous music festival in Austin! You can canoe, hike the greenbelt, or take a road trip to places like Enchanted Rock, but have a car and don't go when it's ballstastically hot outside...which is for a large part of the year.
Good nightlife? Well, you're still in your 20s, so it will probably work for you! But downtown is somewhat limited and caters to the college-aged UT crowd.
There are racists here. But there are racists everywhere.
There are quite a few places in Austin which don't recycle. Apartment complexes, for example, are notoriously bad at doing so. I know, I live in one of Austin's gigantor, bland, character-less apartments. There are tons here.
There are a few neighborhoods where you can ride your bike to work, but they are few and far between and you will probably be at the very top of your budget to live in them. Otherwise, Austin is not a very walkable city. And the public transportation here SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS!
A lot. Heck, there are plenty of neighborhoods where there aren't even any sidewalks.
Austin is not as worldly as it wants the rest of the world to think it is. Quite a few of the people who live here are from other parts of Texas, not the rest of the world. It's changing, but very slowly. It doesn't help matters that Texans can be very arrogant and disparaging toward other states and countries. There was a very frightening statistic about the number of Texans who don't even leave the STATE, much less the country! Prepare to encounter quite a bit of that, even in Austin. I, on the other hand, LOVE when I meet someone from outside of Texas. It reminds me that there is indeed a big, beautiful world beyond this hot, flat encasement.
As far as neighborhoods go, try Hyde Park, Rosewood, Koenig/North Loop area (not sure what this neighborhood is called these days), Bouldin Creek, and don't be afraid of East Austin neighborhoods. Most Austinites are terrified of East Austin, but it's being heavily gentrified (for better or for worse), and it is one of the few places left with a little charm in terms of architectural character. Otherwise, the houses and apartments in Austin are ugly as H-E double hockey sticks.
Anyway...good luck! Oh and can I take your place in Chicago? Also, I hope you have a job lined up. Because anything you've read about there being work in Texas, well, it's a bit of an exaggeration.
Moderator cut: off topicI remember finding it strange how the people of color had their own Wal-Mart on one side of town. And the whites had their Wal-Mart on the other side of town. It mainly has to do with location of the neighborhoods i.e., redlining. But at least the poster will know that the city is extremely segregated by ethnicity and race. There isn't too much integration.
Quote:
Originally Posted by geoquiz3000
There were around 150,000 foreign born Travis County residents in 2005, with 51% from Mexico and 26% from Asia. The foreign born percentage of the county’s population increased from around 8% in 1990 to 17% in 2005. Here’s more info on immigration: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/health_hu...vis_County.pdf
[i]What are some good neighborhoods for me?
I agree with the above posters—a few others include areas around UT including immediately east of I-35 along Manor Road and neighborhoods around South First and South Lamar north of Oltorf. As for politics, these areas were carried by Obama by 80%+ along with the student areas around UT and Riverside and predominantly Latino and African American East Austin. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/demographics/downloads/Obama_Country_08.pdf Obama carried Travis County with around 63.5% of the vote.
These are popular (or in some cases increasingly popular) areas and I’m not sure if rents are flat or rising, but I think $800 could get you a 1-1 or maybe a 2-1, perhaps even a duplex. Public transit isn't great, but buses are okay if you check the route maps at Cap Metro and plan accordingly. Schedules and Maps - Riding Capital Metro - Capital Metro Transit - Austin, TexasCapital Metro Transit - Austin, Texas (http://www.capmetro.org/riding/schedulesandmaps.asp - broken link)
Last edited by RaleighLass; 08-08-2010 at 03:23 PM..
Reason: off topic comment
OP, there are many threads about negative side of Austin if you search by replies. Most of those replies are from transplants. I suggest you read those threads. Good luck.
There are traditionally ethnic neighborhoods here; some are likely the results of redlining or even official policies, which is the case in nearly every American city during the 20th century.
Comparing national data, Austin is not considered heavily segregated. The cities of the Great Lakes/Midwest are by the most segregated for African Americans; Southern cities (none in Texas), along with LA and Honolulu, are the most segregated for whites; Asian segregation is strongest on the West Coast and in NYC; and only one Texas city is in the top ten most segregated places for Hispanics--Fort Worth. http://economics.uchicago.edu/download/echenique_fryer_segregation.pdf (broken link) also Racial Integration in 100 Largest Metro Areas
The data show that on a block-by-block basis Austin is actually fairly integrated when compared with other cities in Texas and the U.S. Is it enough? I'd say no, we need to better provide affordable housing opportunities in all parts of the City; realtors should be mindful that federal and city laws require they not "steer" people toward certain neighborhoods based on their perceptions about race or ethnicity; better transit would help better integrate the city both racially and economically. But is Austin a horribly polarized place? Not in my experience living in a majority-minority neighborhood on the east side.
Another interesting map shows that minority concentration between 1990 and 2000 has diminished, with even "desirable" southwest and northwest Austin seeing increases in their percentage of minority residents. Yes, the historic areas east of I-35 still remain heavily Latino and African American; this country's legacy of racial segregation is etched on the maps of virtually every city including Austin. And gentrification is actually a great concern here. East Austin has lots of charming bungalows, clubs and restaurants, is close to downtown and UT, and has better transit in general, making it increasingly popular for younger, wealthier (and often white) residents and resulting in higher property values and taxes. This is an example of how integration sometimes has negative outcomes, and there are several groups organized to maintain the character and affordability of East Austin's neighborhoods against growing development pressure. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/demograph...minorities.pdf
There are actually seven Wal-Marts in Austin. Five are located along I-35, our main artery which traverses the city north-to-south for 20+ miles; the other two are in the hilly, desirable northwest and southwest parts of town, where growth has been rampant for 30+ years (Austin is shaped a bit like a crescent facing west, as people "head for the hills" and the lakes). They roughly follow the urban shape of the city. I avoid big-box retailers in general so I can't really tell you if they are as segregated as implied here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by artsyguy
Moderator cut: off topic I remember finding it strange how the people of color had their own Wal-Mart on one side of town. And the whites had their Wal-Mart on the other side of town. It mainly has to do with location of the neighborhoods i.e., redlining. But at least the poster will know that the city is extremely segregated by ethnicity and race. There isn't too much integration.
Last edited by RaleighLass; 08-08-2010 at 03:24 PM..
Reason: edited quoted post
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Austin is not "liberal" in an East or West Coast sense, ie...Portland, Seattle, San Fransisco. It's more libertarian and not so "in your face" when people of different political ideologies are thrown together. We all get along pretty well.
, you might want to re-think moving here (or anywhere else, because most places you move are going to have a lot of natives in them who might not be exactly like the people where you hail from). 
). Love Roses gave a pretty good description of it, I think, though it helps to know what Walburg is (and Tera Vista, for that matter) in order for it to hit home.
