Anyone move to Austin....and hate it? (Houston, Dallas: environment, relocating)

[another_hot-day]

I think if you are moving to texas from the west coast your best bet is Austin.
can you imagine the shock if you moved to say, Lubbock...

[TheHarvester]

hot day: If I had moved from Sonoma County to Lubbock, I'd probably have shot myself many years ago. But there ARE people for whom that move would make sense. I just cannot comprehend how, because that part of Texas is like being trapped on the Moon.

And yet so many great musicians have come from that area, and I have many friends who grew up in west Texas towns. It's an interesting region, one that terrifies me in its vast emptiness, but it seems to breed a nice quality in the people who grow up there. Eastern New Mexico is similar, very friendly plain folks who are down-to-earth, honest, folksy, but not ignorant or redneck like you might expect from such a rural area.

[manbehindthecurtain]

Originally Posted by Phisch

I'd assumed that there was a strong environmentalist bent around here, but it doesn't seem like that's the case if people complain about lack of recycling, etc.

There is a stronger environmentalist vibe here than surrounding areas. And like AustinTraveler said,

The people complaining about the lack of recycling don't live in Austin.

Above said kind of gives a feeling of "recycle for show." Also, Austin isn't nearly as green as people preach.

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by TheHarvester

Stable jobs? See, this is exactly the problem with people, and furthermore, blah blah blah, I'm right and everyone else is wrong, and.... oh, wait, you predicted I would do this.... am I that easy to figure out?

There's no "correct" point of view about something as multidimensional as a location. If we had 50,000 objective measures on which to compare locations, perhaps we'd start to get an accurate picture of the similarities and differences.

Our experience of life is 99% contingent on what we pay attention to. This is Psych 101 stuff. Attention, salience, relevance to our interests --- these are the factors that determine what we see and hear and perceive about a place or a person. I see a stronger connection between Seattle and Austin than any other pairing of cities because I'm focused on the cultural similarities and a lot of other intangibles. Sure, if you look at the landscape from the point of view of a photographer, there's absolutely no comparison. And as far as weather is concerned, they're worlds apart.

A person's ability to move from the PNW to Austin, or from Austin to the PNW, depends on a gazillion factors and every one of us has different needs, desires and perceptions. You cannot generalize your personal experience to others because I know many people who have happily moved from one place to the other (there's a lot of migration in both directions between Seattle and Austin.) As for the particular negatives about Texas that you selectively discussed, you're right. Except you're doing what I do with the Texas coast: not finding the beauty that is in a place. In Seattle the beauty smashes you in the face relentlessly, it's a spectacular location. In Austin, you have to notice it, pay attention to the subtle, small-scale aspects of beauty. Some people like that, some don't.

And for still other people, none of the above matters. They might be into going to clubs or starting a band, in which case you can move between Seattle and Austin and enjoy both places equally because they both have vibrant subcultures and music/art scenes. It just depends on what you're looking for.

well said...I think you have good points...on a smaller scale, I guess I have to go by my discussions with those of us from the PNW. For the Most part, they tell me its tough to adjust (I know I will get someone who will say they love it). Most of them, infact all of them said they liked it until the heat/muggy weather, and big bugs became the way of life for 5 months out of the year. Most of my family and friends have moved here in Feb. All but 1 family menber and her kids remain. Everybody warned us all that we would have a tough time adjusting. Of course, no one is as smart as ones self right, what did they know.

The GOOD: House prices are ultra nice. There are pretty parts in the Austin Area. I like all the bike paths. Georgetown almost convince me to hange around with all of the shade trees and great paths that follow that nice river. Ducks and other water fowl are everywhere you can find water. Ive seen full rainbows here that cant be matched. The lakes....well they are OK. Nothing like a lake lined with pine trees, a scenic mountain view. Its also sort of close to the ocean.

The Bad: Prop taxes, lower wages

The Ugly: See that guys post with the list and add thousands of crickets everywhere and in everything.

[TerpsandHorns]

AUSTIN is not some utopia. I love Texas more than any other place but Austin has some downsides...

Most people love the big city- small town hybrid of Austin ...but...

Small Town Issues
1. There are no professional Sports. it might be the biggest metro area in the country (las vegas??) without any of the 4 pro sports teams. Although, my beloved Horns do draw attention.
2. Second Tier Air service. Expect to pay more to fly anywhere from a smaller Austin-Bergstrom airport (although growing)
3. Small Town Media. it just seems like the local TV, radio, and newspaper have no national cache or presence...career stepping stones to move into more prestigious media markets..
4. Limited Cultural Assets Austin does okay for its size. But, people expect more from a city of over a million people

Big City Issues
1. Sprawl and congestion. Austin used to be this green well planned oasis, but it is morphing into a cookie-cutter subdivision of endless traffic. This might actually be a small town issue as it has the roads of a small town with a big town population
2. Pollution and Trash This is a relatively new phenomenon due to its rampant out-of-control sprawling growth
3. Rising Costs and Snobbery Austin is probably not quite the laid-back low key town it wants to be...expect plenty of newcomers to keep up with the jones

I love Austin. But, it needs to make up its mind what it wants to be....instead of the benefits of big city/small town hybrid, Austin is starting to feel the downsides to both.

But, all in all it is one of the best places in America to live...for now...check back in 5 more years of this growth cycle...

[TheHarvester]

Originally Posted by TerpsandHorns

AUSTIN is not some utopia.
...
I love Austin. But, it needs to make up its mind what it wants to be...

A city is an agglomeration of so many forces, people, subcultures, trends, competing forces --- I don't think it's possible to say that we're heading in any particular direction other than "bigger." Will the music scene get better or worse, will we have major new museums and other cultural facilities, will we become more snobby? I don't know. I sure agree with your comments, especially the fact that this is NOT a Utopia.

There are days when I'm cursing this city because I'm so frustrated with various aspects of it. On other days I love it. That's why it's like an addictive relationship for me. It might not be the healthiest city for me to live in, but I can't let go because "she's so sweet to me when she's not berating me, stealing my money, beating me and cheating on me." Just like romance. I know there are people who move here for practical reasons and they have a healthy relationship to this place, but I'm not one of them. There's virtually no pragmatic reason for me to be in Texas at all!

[Trainwreck20]

Pragmatic reasons to be in Austin for me:

• I am too lazy to go through the effort of finding a job elsewhere (and like mine here);
• I have been here so long I feel very comfortable going just about anywhere in town;
• I have a huge network of friends/acquaintances that I would have to disconnect from;
• I (personally) find the weather (believe it or not) usually pleasant and rarely unbearable. The heat doesn't really bother me;
• My wife's job is also here;
• We got into the housing market at a good time, would be difficult to find the same low-cost situation elsewhere; and
• Family is in central Texa area.

Why the list? You may notice that not a one of those reasons (for most people) is a reason to MOVE here, only reasons not to move away. If you have family, or your job is moving here, or the housing situation drives you here, then those might be reasons; however, I do not actually live in Austin because it is Austin (although I do like the city). I live here solely for pragmatic reasons .

In my youth (heh), I travelled around the US and really like many other places (loved the Ozarks, N. Minn., SW CO). I feel that I personally am very adaptable, but my roots have grown so deep here that I just can't rationalize moving somewhere else just to be somewhere else.

[jhwest]

Ahhh, the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Who cares if it's beautiful if you can only see the scenery one day per month? I lived in Portland for ten years and I felt like I was moldering away. Then I moved to Salt Lake City which is just about the same size as metro Austin.
I first considered moving to Austin in 2000. When we came down here I thought it seemed deserty and was unbearably hot. (We were living in Portland at the time). Now, having lived in Utah, I think Austin is completely lush and beautiful. The summer temps here have been over 97 for over a month. Austin cannot be hotter than that!
Utah is way more "keeping up with the Joneses" than Portland, so I hope to be pleasantly surprised by that aspect of Austin as well.
I guess it all depends on what you're used to and where you're coming from.

[Daisey31]

We live in SoCal in a lovely home that we own. There are days I question our decision to move to Texas. We love theater and culture. I know Austin has all of these things, it's just that L.A. has it to an unbelievable degree. Here's the bottom line though: all the theater and culture of the world is no good if you can't GET to it. The traffic here is so out of control, I can hardly stand it. I went on the Wings over California ride at California Adventure. I got all choked up at at the thought of what I was leaving. I had to stop and realize, I don't live in THAT California. Can I access it with some planning? Sure. But not a whole lot easier than I can from Austin. The one thing I am giving up that DOES kill me, is our yearly camping trip to Big Sur. THAT'S gonna hurt! I figure that I will find something different to love in TX. I was raised in Hawaii and if I can adapt to SoCal from there, I can do anything. It's a little dangerous for me to dwell on what I am 'giving up' as most of it is based on brief moments, not constant lifestyle. I think that is what we are looking for in Austin. More of a balance. A day to day lifestyle change. From everything I have seen there, it seems attainable. Now if I could just sell my house HERE! OY!

[Stevedawg]

I don't think you'll find that good of theatre/culture in Austin. Much of the nightlife here is geared towards college kids. I've heard Dallas and Houston are much better in the theatre/culture areas than Austin.