What's the worst thing about living in Austin? (Houston, Dallas: price, shops)

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Reminds me of the time that I was flipping through the channels and found a public hearing on urban chickens and the issue of roosters! I immediately sat down and started watching! OMG! best entertainment ever!! The chicken people, the annoyed neighbors . . .

I love channel 6.

I have been to my share of council meetings (once one that went past 2 am) and it does get a little dizzy . . . and it is never funny when it is your neighborhood or your issue . . . but when it isn't in your backyard and you can watch the personalities go at it or see a favorite villain (like Richard Suttle) go head to head with a jam-packed Council chambers full of neighborhood activists . . . GOLD!

Yes, I think, at its essence, in between the boring minutia, it's pure real life "drama", involving people and issues taken way more seriously than I think is the case in much of the US. And some of the characters and things they say are better than anything SNL writers could dream up. This is what creates the entertainment value.

I missed the chicken people, but would love to have seen that one.

Someone should pick through the past couple of decades of city council tapes and produce an Austin City Council Greatest Hits video series on YouTube.

Steve

[LongLiveCassettes]

Originally Posted by waitressinthesky

Trash everywhere? Downtown is dirty? Clearly you haven't lived in L.A. or New York. Aside from some pockets of under-developed areas downtown, I think downtown is rather well-maintained.

I don't think I notice more smoking here than other cities, either.

But yes, overpopulation is definitely a problem, given the size of Austin (especially the "desirable" areas to live in) and the city's infrastructure.

Go drive down William Cannon from Westgate to South 1st going Eastbound, look at the piles of receipts convenience store soda cups, cigarette butts and the like. I witnessed that on Thursday.

What's to blame? Capital Metro, and it's prohibition on what they call non spill proof containers. I have witnessed people toss them onto the yard before boarding their lead footed buses.

Via implemented that policy a couple of years ago in San Antonio as a result more rubbish.

The indoor smoking ban is another issue that causes those cigarette butts on the ground. More so those tobacco free areas, where they removed the ashtrays. If you don't have the proper litter receptacles you will see, trash. Liberal town or Conservative doesn't matter.

Can't wait to see those "earth bags" littered all of the place, oh on second thought, I have.
Thanks to Mr. Bob Gephart of Austin Resource Recovery, your welcome /sarcasm.

[fortwashingtonkid]

All the hipsters that live here suck pretty badly.

Also the illusion that Austin is somehow different than the rest of the world. Segregation is big here. AISD is segregated and mostly sub par. The rich own this town and they are responsible for all of the decisions that get made in this town. This is not a mecca for hippies to live peacefully and naked amongst each other. This is a hardcore money driven city that is trying desperately to keep up with ridiculous trends. It's a good place to be in college or to be a young person. If you are raising a family and working, there are better places. Austin is in the hands of the very rich and their agendas. Rich liberals thrive here. Rich conservatives too. It's all BS.

so many fake phony people in this town. I've been here since 95 and it keeps getting worse. It's a rich mans town now.

[LongLiveCassettes]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Yes, I think, at its essence, in between the boring minutia, it's pure real life "drama", involving people and issues taken way more seriously than I think is the case in much of the US. And some of the characters and things they say are better than anything SNL writers could dream up. This is what creates the entertainment value.

I missed the chicken people, but would love to have seen that one.

Someone should pick through the past couple of decades of city council tapes and produce an Austin City Council Greatest Hits video series on YouTube.

Steve

Greatest Hits?
I'm working on it. You will see Richard Suttle in some of those. It will also feature the temper tantrums of Mayor Shelly Lee Leffingwell. The guy complaining about sidewalks, and ADA compliance, the people from ADAPT racing around in their scooters!!!, Martinez's dirty looks at the activist that dons a cane, who brings a silver camcorder and brow beats the city council!

They are getting sued again this time for 42 USC 1983 by a known liberty activist who dons a "Ron Paul" T-Shirt. That's word on the streets.

[nathali]

lets see.
1. the heat
2.the heat
3.the heat
4.no integration
5.no rain
6.no culture life
7.too many hipsters
8.allergies
9.no real down town

[dbsteel]

Originally Posted by fortwashingtonkid

All the hipsters that live here suck pretty badly.

Also the illusion that Austin is somehow different than the rest of the world. Segregation is big here. AISD is segregated and mostly sub par. The rich own this town and they are responsible for all of the decisions that get made in this town. This is not a mecca for hippies to live peacefully and naked amongst each other. This is a hardcore money driven city that is trying desperately to keep up with ridiculous trends. It's a good place to be in college or to be a young person. If you are raising a family and working, there are better places. Austin is in the hands of the very rich and their agendas. Rich liberals thrive here. Rich conservatives too. It's all BS.

so many fake phony people in this town. I've been here since 95 and it keeps getting worse. It's a rich mans town now.

Bingo!

[grammyno1]

So far, you guys are scaring me. I just posted my interest in relocating to Austin. I have visited Austin on a few occassions (pardon the frequently misspelled word), when visiting my sister and her family in San Antonio. We have this friendly comparison between Austin and SA, with my joking with her regarding how much more Austin has. If anyone has the time, please respond to my post on considering Austin my new home.

All replies will be greatly appreciated.

[nathali]

I just moved a year ago and I don't like much of it. Take in consideration that I just moved from Chicago and I am not an out doorsy person and hate the heat.
No culture live what so ever, no real museums, how many times can you go to Zilker Park and to see the bats at 100 F or above. I have already named some bats. Barton SPrings, nice if you like to swim in 65 F water....freezing!!!South Congress if you can find parking... The Capitol is great but I have benn there 3 times already.. I can give you a tour. I don't know it is not my kind of city.
The schools are great and the people are very friendly.
Would leave in a jiffy if I could.

[Melissa78703]

Originally Posted by grammyno1

So far, you guys are scaring me. I just posted my interest in relocating to Austin. I have visited Austin on a few occassions (pardon the frequently misspelled word), when visiting my sister and her family in San Antonio ... If anyone has the time, please respond to my post on considering Austin my new home.

Hi,

First, I'm a lifer. So I've seen Austin through a lot of changes. Because the topic is "what's the worst thing about living in Austin?" I'm going to respond to that as though I were an outsider.

If I had moved here from someplace else, I would feel cheated by the extremely prohibitive cost of living compared to what Austin actually has to offer in return. I've read countless articles that tout Austin as being "inexpensive." But inexpensive is relative. It's relative exactly to New York City, LA and San Francisco, and Austin, for it's modest charms, has but a teensy fraction of what those cities have to offer. Basically, the cost of living is inflated. I cannot count the number of newcomers who move here and don't feel like they're getting their money's worth. Not even remotely.

[homeinatx]

To answer the OP.
For me, the worst things about living in Austin:
1. August
2. Unspeakably terrible Italian food
3. Almost non-existent night time public transportation
4. Cedar Fever
5. The provincial smugness of certain native or long-time Austinites.
6. Very little historic domestic architecture
7. Proliferation of suburban sprawl

Probably in that order.

That said, there are many more great things, and contrary to many on this board, I think the city is mostly getting better, and is a helluva lot more livable than when I moved here in 2001.