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I grew up in Indiana and all of my family and my husband's family is in the Midwest. We moved to Austin in 2002 and I was completely uninformed about the city--we just moved there because of a job. We neither wanted to move there nor did we not want to move there. It was just where we ended up. That may affect my perspective because I think that if you really want to move somewhere your experience will probably be different than someone who just ends up in a place.
The transition to living in Texas was very, very difficult for me. Had I gone into the move thinking it would be like moving to a foreign country, I would have been better off. The subtle differences in culture are astounding. I can not quite explain it, but I would say that if you do end up moving, to treat the move like an adventure. Texas is its own place and that influences nearly everything.
The way that people relate to one another is very different in Texas than the Midwest. While I can't explain what it is, there is a definite difference and I never figured out how to relate to the Texans around me in the same way that I could with people from the Midwest. At first I thought it was just me, but time & time again I found that this was my experience andit was frequently the experience of other people from the Midwest. I didn't hear this so much from people who had moved from the west coast so I can't explain it more than there must be a cultural thing to it. Maybe you'll experience this, maybe you won't. Maybe it will bother you if you do experience it & maybe it won't. But it's worth noting.
It sounds like you & your family are close in proximity and the thought of a little distance would be nice. Before you move, you need to think about the reality of living in Texas. It's a LONG way from Illinois.
*How often would you want to visit your family? Once a year? Do you feel comfortable with the idea that you (or your kids) would see extended family for just a few days per year?
*How would you visit them? Can you afford to fly your family up to Chicago each time you'd like to visit? Can you manage a two day (each way) drive...meaning if you're taking a week of vacation to visit family, you'll be spending four of those days just getting to & from Chicago.
*Are there special family get togethers that you'd have to miss due to living so far away? Some families have celebrations for Mothers Day & Fathers Day or for Thanksgiving & Christmas. You might have to choose only one since those holidays are just a month apart & making such a big trip might not be feasible two months in a row.
*It will probably make sense for you to go visit everyone rather than for all of them to come visit you so a lot of the "burden" of visiting will be on your nuclear family. Would that be ok in the long term?
*What would your visits in Chicago be like? We found that when we visited family, it was tiring trying to make the most of those few days. It meant that our visits were very scheduled and we were exhausted by the end of the week because we'd been seeing family for lunch and friends for dinner or having to drive from one family member's house to another several times a day. If you visit during a non-holiday period, will your family members be available during the day? You may be there but if they still have to work, it may be a different kind of a visit that you're envisioning.
*Will you mind spending your vacation time going to visit family? We started a job with two weeks of vacation a year. One entire week of that was used to visit family. For several years we had to carefully manage our days of vacation because it took a while before it began to add up. Even if you don't go on a separate vacation, there are many times when you may need to take a day or two for a kids program at school, a day to move or to clean out the garage, a long weekend. Combine that with a week-long visit to Illinois and you've used all of your vacation days with none to roll over.
The heat became unbearable for me (and I honestly thought I liked hot weather) but you may find that you love it. I can remember LONGING for the high temperature to get down to 92. The winter in Austin may feel wonderful after experiencing Chicago winters and the month of spring is downright lovely. But the summers are extremely hot and they last for so long. It bothers some people, especially those who are used to four true seasons. However, you may find the weather in Austin to be a welcome change; many people do. The standard recommendation applies: Before you move you should visit for a week in August and see how you fare.
The allergies affect a lot of people very strongly. You never know how it might be for you. My husband had bad allergies in Indiana and nearly none in Texas. However, the cedar allergy knocked me down and beat me up. If allergy shots didn't work, we would have had to move solely for my quality of life.
The desire to try something new is fierce and this might be the right time and Austin may be the right place. If it's not, you may find that a move that's closer to home can be enough of a change to fix the issues you have with your current situation. Good luck as you make your decision.
Wait, so you're saying that a farming community that sends its produce to market is a bedroom community of anywhere it sends its produce? Really? So, if a company in Austin sells a product in New York City, Austin is a bedroom community of NYC?
Never mind. Clearly this is something that, like politics and religion, isn't going to be agreed upon, and it's a digression from the OP's initial inquiry, I think. I'll agree to disagree at this point for those reasons.
Hey, now you're the one who's misreading... but you're right in that this debate is off topic. It was fun while it lasted, though.
I never say that, nor do I take anything seriously when people say that. It doesn't matter whether I agree with them or not.
Your taxes here are higher than they were in Chicago. You don't have to say "believe me" for me to take that on face value. But I don't think that is generally true.
Property taxes in Illinois are calculated in a silly way. Assess at 1/3 of market value, then tax that amount. I think though the effective tax rates are in the 2.5% range. But per capita the facts say homeowners pay more per year in Illinois, regardless of rates. Income taxes in Illinois are relatively straighforward. 5% of federal AGI, correct? Texas' income tax is even more simple. Zero.
Based on the "National Scorecard" for public schools, Texas' K-12 schools are meaningfully better than Illinois public schools. An example is 8th grade math performance:
Illinois also has the dubious distinction of two consecutive governors serving time in federal prison. I fully believe Rick Perry is ethically challenged, but I think Texas government is less dirty than Illinois government.
I'm not trying to pick on Illinois. Really. I love to visit Chicago. It is one of my favorite places to visit. It is vibrant, friendly, if a bit gritty. But when I visit Chicago I get to stay in the city in business class hotels.
You state...."But per capita the facts say homeowners pay more per year in Illinois, regardless of rates"....???? Not quite sure what you mean here...and since you've only visited Chicago...well, I cannot take you seriously. I'll state it again.... property taxes are higher here in Texas...(even when one factors in an IL income tax).
And as far as corrupt politicians in IL go... they end up in jail.
I grew up in Indiana and all of my family and my husband's family is in the Midwest. We moved to Austin in 2002 and I was completely uninformed about the city--we just moved there because of a job. We neither wanted to move there nor did we not want to move there. It was just where we ended up. That may affect my perspective because I think that if you really want to move somewhere your experience will probably be different than someone who just ends up in a place.
The transition to living in Texas was very, very difficult for me. Had I gone into the move thinking it would be like moving to a foreign country, I would have been better off. The subtle differences in culture are astounding. I can not quite explain it, but I would say that if you do end up moving, to treat the move like an adventure. Texas is its own place and that influences nearly everything.
The way that people relate to one another is very different in Texas than the Midwest. While I can't explain what it is, there is a definite difference and I never figured out how to relate to the Texans around me in the same way that I could with people from the Midwest. At first I thought it was just me, but time & time again I found that this was my experience andit was frequently the experience of other people from the Midwest. I didn't hear this so much from people who had moved from the west coast so I can't explain it more than there must be a cultural thing to it. Maybe you'll experience this, maybe you won't. Maybe it will bother you if you do experience it & maybe it won't. But it's worth noting.
It sounds like you & your family are close in proximity and the thought of a little distance would be nice. Before you move, you need to think about the reality of living in Texas. It's a LONG way from Illinois.
*How often would you want to visit your family? Once a year? Do you feel comfortable with the idea that you (or your kids) would see extended family for just a few days per year?
*How would you visit them? Can you afford to fly your family up to Chicago each time you'd like to visit? Can you manage a two day (each way) drive...meaning if you're taking a week of vacation to visit family, you'll be spending four of those days just getting to & from Chicago.
*Are there special family get togethers that you'd have to miss due to living so far away? Some families have celebrations for Mothers Day & Fathers Day or for Thanksgiving & Christmas. You might have to choose only one since those holidays are just a month apart & making such a big trip might not be feasible two months in a row.
*It will probably make sense for you to go visit everyone rather than for all of them to come visit you so a lot of the "burden" of visiting will be on your nuclear family. Would that be ok in the long term?
*What would your visits in Chicago be like? We found that when we visited family, it was tiring trying to make the most of those few days. It meant that our visits were very scheduled and we were exhausted by the end of the week because we'd been seeing family for lunch and friends for dinner or having to drive from one family member's house to another several times a day. If you visit during a non-holiday period, will your family members be available during the day? You may be there but if they still have to work, it may be a different kind of a visit that you're envisioning.
*Will you mind spending your vacation time going to visit family? We started a job with two weeks of vacation a year. One entire week of that was used to visit family. For several years we had to carefully manage our days of vacation because it took a while before it began to add up. Even if you don't go on a separate vacation, there are many times when you may need to take a day or two for a kids program at school, a day to move or to clean out the garage, a long weekend. Combine that with a week-long visit to Illinois and you've used all of your vacation days with none to roll over.
The heat became unbearable for me (and I honestly thought I liked hot weather) but you may find that you love it. I can remember LONGING for the high temperature to get down to 92. The winter in Austin may feel wonderful after experiencing Chicago winters and the month of spring is downright lovely. But the summers are extremely hot and they last for so long. It bothers some people, especially those who are used to four true seasons. However, you may find the weather in Austin to be a welcome change; many people do. The standard recommendation applies: Before you move you should visit for a week in August and see how you fare.
The allergies affect a lot of people very strongly. You never know how it might be for you. My husband had bad allergies in Indiana and nearly none in Texas. However, the cedar allergy knocked me down and beat me up. If allergy shots didn't work, we would have had to move solely for my quality of life.
The desire to try something new is fierce and this might be the right time and Austin may be the right place. If it's not, you may find that a move that's closer to home can be enough of a change to fix the issues you have with your current situation. Good luck as you make your decision.
I wish I could hear more about your perspective on the cultural differences. I'm certainly not saying there aren't any as you experienced a difference so clearly it is real, but I'm more interested in different viewpoints than anything else.
I wish I could hear more about your perspective on the cultural differences. I'm certainly not saying there aren't any as you experienced a difference so clearly it is real, but I'm more interested in different viewpoints than anything else.
I would say that some people from Texas have an odd and impolite way of acknowledging anyone from outside of Texas. I've had Texans ask me where I am from...and when I reply, they say...."well, you probably like it here better"...or...."oh, I could never stand winter". Or...complete....silence. My doctor even said "oh, I hate Chicago". Never have I heard....."well, I've never been" (which would be polite)....or..."I'd like to visit one day".
I've also been called a "yankee" in professional situations...so in some ways I feel the whole north/south thing is still alive and well in Texas.
And since there are so many Californians here...of whom are SO much like Texans as far as attitude regarding "statehood" ...I call Austin "Texifornia".
Last edited by kbchitown; 03-30-2012 at 08:47 PM..
I'll chime in for a few cultural differences between Wisconsin and Texas. By the way, I lived in Israel for seven years in between, so the differences didn't seem too large to me at the time. If I had moved directly down, then they might have been.
On the positive side, I think Texans are warmer and like many southerners, like to develop an interesting character. People are more outspoken in Texas, which I think is good. We northerners aren't hugging and kissing friends all the time. I like the warmth of the Texans.
On the negative side, Texans are braggarts about their state--constantly crowing about it and mentioning how many generations their family has lived there. Well, la, di, da, my family is fifth generation Wisconsinite and nobody ever thought to even mention it.
Bible Banging--not so fun when people are trying to save you and asking you what church you go to, etc.
I find some women--by far not all--to be big backstabbers. Now, are there backstabbers in the North. Yes, by all means. It's a human frailty. But down in the South, those ladies will sugarcoat their tongues, and then take out the razor when the other one's back is turned. For Pete's sake, some of these women act like the PTA is an exclusive sorority. I didn't see that in the North. On the other hand, some of the women doing this were transplants from the North.
I35 (which Pflugerville is right on as is Round Rock - in fact, there are places where you only know whether you're in Pflugerville or Round Rock by looking at the tax records) and Highway 79 (which goes right through Hutto) don't count as highways? Who knew?
even though it is defined as a state highway, 79 isn't the highway big companies (the ones that generate the jobs that would retain people within city boundaries) have in mind. When I talk "Highway" I talk interstate. Also, your mention of Pf being on I-35 is incorrect. Pflugerville is NOT along I-35. Just because it has a Pflugerville address or the homes are zoned to Pf schools does not mean that it's in Pflugerville. We have a Round Rock address, but we are in Travis County and have been recently annexed to Pflugerville. The area along I-35, which includes Tinseltown and the Wells Branch area, is AUSTIN ETJ, and therefore can (and will) be annexed to the City of Austin. I know this for a fact because Pflugerville has to remit sales taxes generated by Tinseltown to the City of Austin since it was in its ETJ. So, Pflugerville is effectively landlocked. It makes not a cent in sales tax or property tax from I-35 frontage and heavily relies on the toll road.
79 is not going to be utilized any time soon for business headquarters...unless of course, it is close to I-35. Yes, it's a "highway" but that isn't the highway that many big companies are thinking of. 685 is an arterial road, yes. I take it frequently. But again, it is not the highway that say, Dell, would be thinking of, or Emerson would think of when it comes to relocating.
Interesting, my perception of Pflugerville since I came here in 1969 has been that it is on I35. (Used to be way out in the country on I35.) Interesting the games politics play with reality, isn't it? (If interesting is the word - I can think of a lot less pleasant ones to use.)
So, your perception is that large employers (Samsung, as an example, or AMD) are not going to go anywhere that they're not able to be right on I35?
I wonder what a list of the top 50 employers in Austin would show as far as location is concerned, if it would show that they are all on or very near to I35 or not? I'll have to go check that out.
This map, by the way, shows Pflugerville bounded by I35, 45, and 130.
I would say that some people from Texas have an odd and impolite way of acknowledging anyone from outside of Texas. I've had Texans ask me where I am from...and when I reply, they say...."well, you probably like it here better"...or...."oh, I could never stand winter". Or...complete....silence. My doctor even said "oh, I hate Chicago". Never have I heard....."well, I've never been" (which would be polite)....or..."I'd like to visit one day".
I've also been called a "yankee" in professional situations...so in some ways I feel the whole north/south thing is still alive and well in Texas.
And since there are so many Californians here...of whom are SO much like Texans as far as attitude regarding "statehood" ...I call Austin "Texifornia".
Kbchitown I'm been called this and that in other states as well, so it's not a Texas thing or Southern thing, it's an additude thing. I wouldn't let it get to ya. I was in Chicago and people thought I rode a horse to work? Or laugh cause my accent is different. I don't let it get to me it just goes to show you how narrow minded some people are.
I would say that some people from Texas have an odd and impolite way of acknowledging anyone from outside of Texas. I've had Texans ask me where I am from...and when I reply, they say...."well, you probably like it here better"...or...."oh, I could never stand winter". Or...complete....silence. My doctor even said "oh, I hate Chicago". Never have I heard....."well, I've never been" (which would be polite)....or..."I'd like to visit one day".
I've also been called a "yankee" in professional situations...so in some ways I feel the whole north/south thing is still alive and well in Texas.
And since there are so many Californians here...of whom are SO much like Texans as far as attitude regarding "statehood" ...I call Austin "Texifornia".
I had the same experience when I moved to Texas 34 years ago. I was raised in Virginia and there was a certain amount of Confederate pride, so when they called me a Yankee, it really pissed me off. I proceeded to explain about the Mason-Dixon line and who was considered a Yankee, and they just laughed and said if you lived north of the Red River you were a Yankee. It's actually all very good natured - I learned not to take it personally.
I am surprised that attitude still exists, especially in Austin, but I can see some old timers trying to preserve that sentiment. I think they are threatened by the changes and the melding of cultures with all of the transplant growth that has happened.
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