Non-Austin natives... what are your thoughts on Austinites? (Dallas, Cedar Park: apartment complex, for rent) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

jonsoncd · 03-03-2011, 11:24 PM

I have a feeling I might be sorry for posting this thread, but it's something that's been on my mind for a few weeks.

Last year, I decided I was going to make the move from Ohio to Austin. For the usual reasons.

Anyways, I have been on Craigslist for a year now trying to find a room for rent. Still no luck to this day. I've given up, as now 75% of the posts I respond to are spam. I also haven't been able to find a (decent) job.

However... my biggest issue with Austin are the people. Yes, they are very friendly, warm, and welcoming. I appreciate that. But every single person that I have "befriended" has been a complete FLAKE. Seriously. There have been several people I've met and thought we would be BFFs, and then I never hear from them again.

I know that Austin is full of new-comers, so I was wondering if anyone else had the same experiences as me, or if I'm just meeting the wrong people?

I'm going on vacation in a couple weeks, and I'm considering not coming back afterwards. Despite my negative experiences, I have come to like Austin for completely different reasons than a year ago, the biggest being the popularity of organic/local food, exercise, and being outdoors. These are all things i've been trying to improve in my life the past couple years.

But the flakiness of the city has really turned me off.

No hate mail, please.

jobert · 03-04-2011, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonsoncd

I
Anyways, I have been on Craigslist for a year now trying to find a room for rent. Still no luck to this day. I've given up, as now 75% of the posts I respond to are spam. I also haven't been able to find a (decent) job.
the past couple years.

When you find a job, PM "Sinking", I think he was trying to rent out a room in NW Austin/Cedar Park area.

Good luck!

P.S. If people are indeed "flaky", then look at the brighter side - you get to continually meet new people, and not get immediately pidgeon-holed into a particular set of friends. The good friends you eventually make will stand the test, and all others will come and go as they had before.

sinking · 03-04-2011, 06:46 AM

Yes, I had this same problem of coming in contact with a lot of flakey people. I think it is contagious, too because my father has lived here several years longer than I have and is nearly as flakey as the average person here. Eventually I was lucky enough to meet my girlfriend and she has proven to be very reliable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jobert

When you find a job, PM "Sinking", I think he was trying to rent out a room in NW Austin/Cedar Park area.

Good memory. I actually had someone move in at the beginning of February after dealing with lots of flakes who would just break contact after saying they were interested in moving in. He has worked out pretty well and has been reliable, but he is not a native Austinite. He is a native Texan, though.

pjoseph2 · 03-04-2011, 06:52 AM

Is flakiness a sign of our times? Is facebook (and twitter) synonyms for flake?

The Austin vibe is real. But OP is referring to those lasting friendships (i think).

achtungpv · 03-04-2011, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjoseph2

Is flakiness a sign of our times? Is facebook (and twitter) synonyms for flake?

In reality i have found more friendly people here in Austin than anywhere else i have lived. The vibe is real. But OP is referring to those lasting friendships (i think).

Facebook, etc. allow you to be social without any of the work or commitment required of an actual friendship. That has to bleed over into your real world friendships eventually.

Austin has been known a bit for being a place where it's easy to create casual friendships but difficult to create long lasting friendships.

marmom · 03-04-2011, 07:17 AM

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by flakey. Unreliable? It has been a long time since I lived in Austin, but I can see what you're saying. My experience in Austin was that people were laid back to the extreme. One place I worked served margaritas almost daily (it was an office/business atmosphere, not a bar). I also worked at an apartment complex where the employees would routinely close the office, put up the "out showing properties" sign, and go swimming for a couple of hours. Another place had weekly meetings scheduled at 8am. After a month of being the first to arrive and waiting for what seemed an endless amount of time, I finally got the idea and began showing up at 9am. Even then the meeting didn't usually begin until 9:30/10am. I encountered this kind of lateness, or not showing up / following through a lot there. The thing about it though was that everyone was in good spirits about everything all the time. Our 9:30am meetings were also filled with laughter, good food, and fun. That element of good spirits seems to accompany the flakiness, which I liked. I am wound fairly tight, so I was never able to fully embrace being quite as laid back as a lot austinites. I knew one guy, a realtor, who would call his clients 2-3 hours after the time they were scheduled to meet to tell them he was on his way. I was shocked that he had any business at all, but he did. His appointments always ended with clinking glasses at Iguana Grill (or some other fun spot). I guess that made up for the lateness?

P.S. Sorry to hear that you're having a tough time finding a room and a job. I struggled when I lived in Austin too, which is why I eventually left. But I still feel a lot of nostalgia and fondness for the city.

eepstein · 03-04-2011, 07:26 AM

I think every city has it's fair share of "flakey" people as you call them. My big issues with Austin is the shear arrogance of most people who live here. It seams most people want you to follow some kind of a "cult" to where you either worship Austin as a city (like they do), or they won't speak to you. The constant obcessions with longhorn football, pickups/SUV's, hillbilly country, and 6th street really gets old after a few years--heck after a few months! I do have a FEW friends out in the Avery Ranch area, but most of my friends are in Dallas, Denver, and California.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonsoncd

I have a feeling I might be sorry for posting this thread, but it's something that's been on my mind for a few weeks.

Last year, I decided I was going to make the move from Ohio to Austin. For the usual reasons.

Anyways, I have been on Craigslist for a year now trying to find a room for rent. Still no luck to this day. I've given up, as now 75% of the posts I respond to are spam. I also haven't been able to find a (decent) job.

However... my biggest issue with Austin are the people. Yes, they are very friendly, warm, and welcoming. I appreciate that. But every single person that I have "befriended" has been a complete FLAKE. Seriously. There have been several people I've met and thought we would be BFFs, and then I never hear from them again.

I know that Austin is full of new-comers, so I was wondering if anyone else had the same experiences as me, or if I'm just meeting the wrong people?

I'm going on vacation in a couple weeks, and I'm considering not coming back afterwards. Despite my negative experiences, I have come to like Austin for completely different reasons than a year ago, the biggest being the popularity of organic/local food, exercise, and being outdoors. These are all things i've been trying to improve in my life the past couple years.

But the flakiness of the city has really turned me off.

No hate mail, please.

cinnamon_toast · 03-04-2011, 07:32 AM

It takes a long time to make friends anywhere. I have lived several places and more often than not, you invite someone to do something and they rarely offer in kind. They're busy, they have their own group they are comfortable with, it takes a while for your name to come to mind when they assemble a group together. It's been my experience that it takes 2-3 years before you start making true friends. And it depends on how hard you work at it, too.

neddy · 03-04-2011, 07:45 AM

I think besides the fact these are online friendships and may not portray the real picture. You have got to understand the other side of the coin. There are so many people moving here and then maybe within a year or two they move away on to the bigger and better dream. Maybe they have been burned and become good friends with that person only to hear (A) this is not like it is at home and then the long explanation of how it is better at home or (B) I am leaving. So perhaps the folks of Austin are a bit tired of it all. Just saying...

infoseeker2010 · 03-04-2011, 09:11 AM

I moved here July'10. I won't generalize the term "flaky" for American austinities. They have created their bounds and generally don't go beyond that.

Meaning when I was in Bay Area, I regularly had lunch with my American colleagues/friends, went to bar, sometimes partied and even weekend hangouts (including out of town trips). However here what I feel is, American colleagues tend not to take office friends beyond office walls. No phone calls, hangouts outside work hours.

The real "flakiness" I have seen is in Indian community here. I have experienced or heard experiences almost all over US, that Indians are always eager to meet new people, if they get along good, they become good friends and so on.

Over here what I see among Indians, is normally no one cares about meeting and befriending new people. If you call they will talk nicely but would never call again. Its like every time you call them. If you bump into them at some bar or club they will talk so nicely like they are ages old friend, but then no contact for months. Looks like Indian people here don't need or don't want friends.