What I Miss About Austin/Why I'm Glad I Left (Houston: transfer, neighborhood)

[JERiv]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

After 18 months back in Connecticut, I wanted to write a follow up to my "Why I am Leaving Austin" post from about a year and a half before I moved.

What I miss:
1) BBQ. I really miss Rudy's most, and links! Didn't see that one coming, but I tried a BBQ joint up here in Connecticut and almost gagged.
2) No snow. We got the crap beaten out of us this winter with snow. Too many days at home due to the roads being impassible.
3) My friends. I made many good friends in Austin and I miss them.
4) Cheap groceries. The groceries-- along with everything else are more expensive here.
5) The Austin Airport. I travel weekly for work, and the Austin airport was a pleasure with good service. Bradley airport here in Hartford isn't bad... But it's not ABIA!
6) The Austin entrepreneur scene and networking. Business in the northeast seem to form much less of a community and there is not exciting tech start-up scene to be involved with.

Why I am glad I moved:
1) I don't miss the heat at all! I am really enjoying early spring with temps in the 50's and low 60's. Perfect weather if you ask me.
2) The beach is here. Fishing, tanning, etc., much better here.
3) The food is just like I remember it. Tons of excellent mom and pop's serving Italian, Jewish deli, Chinese, Thai, etc.... Much better overall than Austin.
4) The music... My tastes run along 80's power ballads... I have seen in the local casinos: America, Survivor, Lou Graham, Tin Lizzie, and Huey Lewis and the News all for free.
5) Proximity to NYC and Boston: This has been good for both my business and entertainment.
6) All the pro sports... Seen the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Rangers, Knicks all live.
7) Close to old friends and family: I see my niece and nephew each week AND I have rekindled many old friendships...

Overall the move was a win for me. I am incredibly happy in Connecticut, and my business is thriving. I miss my friends from Austin and looking forward to my first trip back this summer.

That doesn't mean I think everyone should pull up stakes and move to the northeast-- It was the right move for me at the right time.

That's interesting!

I actually moved from CT to Austin, and couldn't be happier. Go figure!

Here's my perspective of CT:

(1) Hartford (city itself) was a "dead zone" when I left. Haven't heard that it has changed. It empties on the weekends. Ghost town. I always hated that. West Hartford, which isn't a city, had a lot more going on, even if it was all shopping related.
(2) There wasn't a heck of a lot to do in CT during weekends. Never really liked that.
(3) "Conveniently located next to Boston and NY" is very, very subjective. Specially when it took 2 hours to get to either city. I like that in Austin you don't have to drive to another state to actually do any fun stuff.
(4) Folks down here could drive to San Antonio, Houston or Dallas for major league sports and get there faster than someone in CT gets to Boston or NY. And the Huskies being the ONLY sports teams in the entire state was sort of sad to me.
(5) Beaches over there barely fit the definition of the word. They were cold, as in freezer-to-fridge-like cold, and not very nice. You simply cannot get in that water, even during the height of summer.
(6) If you like the colder temperature, or at least can put up with it, specially this winter when CT got incredible amounts of snow (dogs could walk up to the ceiling in some houses), then yes, Austin was not a good fit for you.
(7) I do agree that the culture up there is better for someone who's into 80's power ballads. If you aren't into bars, casinos, and malls, though, it's not such a great fit.
(8) Housing prices are obscene. About twice what you'd pay for a house here.
(9) You pay a lot more in taxes.
(10) I actually like the food down here much more. Personal preference, I guess.

But having said all that, I know people who are perfectly happy over there. Goes to show that there's a perfect place for everyone, and one man's is another man's .

I should probably add. I did like the Fall, but it was too short to make up for the rest of the year for me.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by JERiv

(3) "Conveniently located next to Boston and NY" is very, very subjective. Specially when it took 2 hours to get to either city. I like that in Austin you don't have to drive to another state to actually do any fun stuff.
(

The laws of physics must not apply in your vehicle. Fenway is an hour 45 from my house. You couldn't make Houston (maybe Katy) in that time and certainly not Dallas. Here's the list of professional teams within about two hours:

Knicks
Celtics
Nets
Rangers
Islanders
Bruins
Devils
Red Sox
Yankees
Mets
Giants
Jets
Patriots

+
2 Minor League Hockey
5 Minor League Baseball
2 UFL Football (one in Hartford)

+ Over 25 Major College Sports programs

For a sports fan like me, this is heaven. Austin is about football. Football happens to be my least favorite sport. The Northeast is about sports.

I did REALLY enjoy Round Rock Express games. Great stadium. Very convenient and lots of fun.

[Seoid]

Originally Posted by cBach

I think the problem is that many females go for a certain type of guy and continually get disappointed, whereas if they branched out a bit they may actually find that one they're looking for. I suspect that may have been the problem that you had.

Nope, not really. I was looking for someone interested in settling down (not edgy or bad guys. I would look silly and Pollyanna-ish with one of those!) None of them were much different than my now husband- but like I said, I lured him down to Texas from the Midwest.

And yes, there are flaky people but I can't tell you what it's like dating women in Austin

[jobert]

Originally Posted by rickc007

I lived in CT, and South California.
The best BBQ they have to offer is like McNuggetts with the little
packet of BBQ sauce.

I know that people here like Rudy's, and it's okay. I thought it was the end-all be-all when I first moved here too, but now I know otherwise. If you want BBQ you'll never forget, go to Lockhart and eat at either Black's or Smitty's.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

The laws of physics must not apply in your vehicle. Fenway is an hour 45 from my house. You couldn't make Houston (maybe Katy) in that time and certainly not Dallas. Here's the list of professional teams within about two hours:

Knicks
Celtics
Nets
Rangers
Islanders
Bruins
Devils
Red Sox
Yankees
Mets
Giants
Jets
Patriots

+
2 Minor League Hockey
5 Minor League Baseball
2 UFL Football (one in Hartford)

+ Over 25 Major College Sports programs

For a sports fan like me, this is heaven. Austin is about football. Football happens to be my least favorite sport. The Northeast is about sports.

I did REALLY enjoy Round Rock Express games. Great stadium. Very convenient and lots of fun.

I'll agree with lmassoff, the sports up NE are more abundant, but the advantage of living here is that they are extremely inexpensive, and there are enough options. I'm going to my 6th RR Express game with the family next weekend, and to this day I have never had to purchase a ticket. Cowboys games, Rangers, Astros, Texans, Spurs, etc. are a road trip away, and honestly, even when I lived in Dallas, I went to maybe one Cowboy game a year on average. Not really worth living less than an hour away for a "once-a-year" activity that sports had become to me.

[rickc007]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

The laws of physics must not apply in your vehicle. Fenway is an hour 45 from my house. You couldn't make Houston (maybe Katy) in that time and certainly not Dallas. Here's the list of professional teams within about two hours:

Knicks
Celtics
Nets
Rangers
Islanders
Bruins
Devils
Red Sox
Yankees
Mets
Giants
Jets
Patriots

+
2 Minor League Hockey
5 Minor League Baseball
2 UFL Football (one in Hartford)

+ Over 25 Major College Sports programs

For a sports fan like me, this is heaven. Austin is about football. Football happens to be my least favorite sport. The Northeast is about sports.

I did REALLY enjoy Round Rock Express games. Great stadium. Very convenient and lots of fun.

I lived in Fairfield County, and while you are reasonably close to some of
those teams, they aren't really CT teams. And most locals do not go to any of the games.

The Jersey, Long Island and Boston teams aren't really that commutable.
You won't find many season ticket holders in CT for those teams.


For that matter, Texas has
Rangers
Astros
Cowboys
Texans
Spurs
Mavericks

Also have minor league Hockey and Baseball a stones throw away

CT only has Bridgeport Bluefish, which I used to go there once in a while

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by rickc007

I lived in Fairfield County, and while you are reasonably close to some of
those teams, they aren't really CT teams. And most locals do not go to any of the games.

The Jersey, Long Island and Boston teams aren't really that commutable.
You won't find many season ticket holders in CT for those teams.


For that matter, Texas has
Rangers
Astros
Cowboys
Texans
Spurs
Mavericks

Also have minor league Hockey and Baseball a stones throw away

CT only has Bridgeport Bluefish, which I used to go there once in a while

Lots of Fairfield County identifies with NYC teams. Trains run from Fairfield County directly to Yankees stadium and to the Meadowlands for Jets and Giants games. The trains are always full!

Yes, Texas has its share of teams, but, not within the two-three hour driving time or an easy train ride. There are lots of us sports nuts in Connecticut--

And by the way, we have The Bridgeport Bluefish (Independent) New Britain Rock Cats (AA) and Connecticut Tigers (A) all within the state for minor league baseball.

[Tycho Brahe]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

For a sports fan like me, this is heaven.

I do not care about sports, so perhaps Austin is perfect for me!

Unfortunately, my least favorite sport is anything at the university level (sports do not belong in college), so that is one downside to Austin. Luckily, it is easy to avoid.

[sinking]

Originally Posted by Tycho Brahe

I do not care about sports, so perhaps Austin is perfect for me!

Unfortunately, my least favorite sport is anything at the university level (sports do not belong in college), so that is one downside to Austin. Luckily, it is easy to avoid.

You've never been to Austin, have you?

[rickc007]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

Lots of Fairfield County identifies with NYC teams. Trains run from Fairfield County directly to Yankees stadium and to the Meadowlands for Jets and Giants games. The trains are always full!

Yes, Texas has its share of teams, but, not within the two-three hour driving time or an easy train ride. There are lots of us sports nuts in Connecticut--

And by the way, we have The Bridgeport Bluefish (Independent) New Britain Rock Cats (AA) and Connecticut Tigers (A) all within the state for minor league baseball.

I used to commute from Fairfield to NYC on the train every day

I don't any train that goes "directly" to any stadium.
Yankees/Mets both require a most annoying subway run,
on top of the train ride to Grand Central

I can easily make to Houston, Dallas and San Antonio in
under 3 hours

Both Texas and New York had a Much higher attachment
to their home state teams than CT.

Totally amazed at Austins Attachment to the Longhorns.
On game day the tail gate partys are in parking lots even
miles from the stadium. Half the town is in the Burnt Orange
"Hook em Horns"

Glad you are a fan, we should have hooked up, I drove to
Fenway myself. 110mph on the Turnpike :-)